The Valentine Phantom, often referred to as the Valentine Bandit in media reports, refers to an unidentified individual or group who each Valentine's Day secretly decorate the downtown area of a city in the United States with a series of red hearts printed on sheets of letter-sized paper.
The reports began in Portland, Maine, in 1985, and the perpetrators remained unknown until April 2023 when the identity of one of the leaders was revealed following his death. Speculation about the individual or group which decorates before dawn each February 14 is popular in conversation, and local media, and has emerged as an example of vernacular culture.
History
The earliest known occurrence was 1976 in Portland, Maine, and every year since, red hearts have appeared throughout the city on Valentine's Day morning.
Beginning in the early 2000s, red hearts drawn on white sheets of paper have been attached to the doors of businesses along the Pearl Street business district in Boulder, Colorado, each Valentine's Day, according to reports in the Daily Camera. In Boulder, the mysterious Valentine's messenger has been dubbed the "kissing bandit."
In 2002, the city of Montpelier, Vermont, became a part of the yearly tradition, with the added twist of each heart including a poem signed "The Valentine Phantom."
On Valentine's Day 2010, pink hearts appeared up and down Railroad and Main Street in St. Johnsbury, Vermont, even finding their way to the local police and fire department buildings.
On Valentine's Day 2012, this phenomenon spread to Bangor, Maine, when locals woke up to a flurry of red and white hearts throughout downtown, and the tradition continues into 2013 with the addition of messages and candy.
On Valentine's Day 2017, the bandit allowed a Bangor Daily News reporter to accompany them on their travels, in return for anonymity. The bandit, after tagging a Planned Parenthood office in Portland, stated that they are normally apolitical but felt "we could be a bit more progressive this year." A Planned Parenthood spokesperson stated that a liaison for the bandit contacted them the prior week to request permission to post a heart banner.'
On April 23, 2023, it was reported that the "driving force" behind the Valentine Phantom of Portland was Kevin Fahrman, who died two days previously at the age of 67. He took over the tradition from the original Phantom in 1979, three years after it began. He was stated to be the leader of a community effort, who all kept his identity anonymous. Many of his closest friends had no idea of his identity as the Phantom. Born in New York, Fahrman originally studied forestry before instead enrolling in the Portland School of Art and becoming a photographer, graphic artist and teacher. His obituary stated that the tradition would continue.
Vermont history
Montpelier's incarnation of the phenomenon began in 2002 near the corner of Main Street and State Street. The windows of shops were covered in 8.5" x 11" color copies of red hearts. They appeared before dawn, and for the most part were welcome and not seen as a nuisance. In subsequent years the center remained the intersection of Main and State streets, but grew outward to include Langdon Street, Elm Street, and lower State Street near the State House and the Pavilion. This raised speculation that the Valentine Phantom might be a team.
In 2006, for the first time, the "bandit" applied banners with large red hearts around the base of the columns on the portico of the Vermont State House. They were photographed, reproduced on web blogs and on the website of the Friends of the Vermont State House. These same banners were again displayed on the statehouse in 2007. On Valentine's Day 2008, they appeared on the chimney stack of Montpelier High School and on the tower of College Hall at the Vermont College of Fine Arts. In 2009, they were hung over the entrance of the Kellogg-Hubbard Library and from the landslide cliff on Elm Street. In 2010, two heart banners were hung from the Langdon Street Bridge.