Sharon Basoli, of Guilford, picks grapes at Honora Winery on Tuesday morning. C. Avard
“This was all an accident of convergent ideas,” said Smart. Vermont Life was trying to find ways to draw more tourists to Vermont. Statewide events have been a success for the magazine and Smart said 95% of their subscribers are food connoisseurs. Everything came together when she received a call from Lisa Sullivan, of Bartleby’s Books and president of the Mount Snow Valley Chamber of Commerce. Sullivan spoke to Smart and said the chamber was interested in a wine and food festival. Smart said the same and things took off from there. In 2007, the Mount Snow Valley Chamber of Commerce and Vermont Life partnered to develop a first-of-a-kind event.
“It was serendipitous timing. It couldn’t have been any better,” said Sullivan. Representatives of Vermont Life visited the Deerfield Valley and were impressed. Shortly afterward, the chamber and Vermont Life agreed on a two-year deal to host the statewide festival. “They wowed us at lunch,” said Smart. “(The Mount Snow chamber) is a group that gets things together. It wasn’t hard to say ‘yes’ to them.”
The Deerfield Valley was the ideal location. It is close to major metropolitan areas and two of the state’s 14 wineries are located in Halifax and Whitingham (Honora and North River). Now the southern part of the state is basking in the spotlight. “This is the first event of this kind we’ve put our name on,” said Smart. “This is pulling together the best of the best for this event.”
Vermont Life reaches approximately 200,000 readers a year, including 75,000 paid subscribers. Seventy-six percent of their readership is from New England. Smart said readers were informed about the festival. They sent out approximately 25,000 e-mails promoting the event, as well as Internet and print media advertisements. “We’ve done a lot of getting the word out there,” said Smart. The chamber also played a part in marketing the event, advertising all over New England.
Chamber director Laura Sibilia said people are calling about the festival and inquiring where to stay. “Some lodging properties put up packages and they’re doing quite well,” said Sibilia. “Rental agencies are getting a lot of inquiries and we’re selling advance tickets to the festival online.”
The festival kicks off at 7 pm on Friday with a special barbecue at the Matterhorn Inn in West Dover. Tickets are still available and the charge is $10 for adults and $7 for children. The Stockwell Brothers, a local favorite, will perform bluegrass music during the evening.
The main event kicks into high gear on Saturday starting at 10 am at the intersection of Route 9 and Route 100. Admission is $10 for adults and $7 for children under 12. Weekend passes are available and cost $40 for adults and $25 for children. The passes include one admission to the Stockwell Brothers concert and barbecue, Saturday and Sunday admission to the festival grounds, and Sunday’s breakfast at the Deerfield Valley Sportsmen’s Club in Whitingham.
In the entertainment tent, highlights include the following: Rockhopper Outdoor Adventures demonstrations from 10 to 10:30 am and 3:30 to 4:30 pm; the Vermont Symphony Orchestra Brass Trio performance from 12 to 12:30 pm and 3 to 3:30 pm; the Will Patton Trio from 1:30 to 2 pm and 3:30 to 4 pm; and a Vermont Life food writers panel from 2 to 3 pm.
WKVT 92.7 FM will do a live broadcast on the field from 12 to 2 pm, and Bartleby’s Books, of Wilmington, will feature Tom Fels, author of “Farm Friends” at 12 pm; Tracey Medeiros, author of “Dishing Up Vermont” at 1 pm; and Ellen Ogden, author of “The Vermont Cheese Book” and Melissa Pasanen, author of “Cooking with Shelburne Farms,” at 2:15 pm.
The Saturday night wine pairing dinners at The Nutmeg Country Inn, the Deerhill Inn, and the Doveberry Inn are sold out. Seats are still available for Harriman’s Restaurant. To make a reservation call (802) 464-8501. A special Vermont wine and cheese reception will be held at the Inn at Sawmill Farm in Dover. Featured at the reception will be The Purple Chef of Brattleboro along with Shelburne Farms Vineyards and the Vermont Cheese Council. The reception takes place at 4:30 pm; for more information call (802) 493-1133.
Tickets are still available for the Sunday morning “Indigenous Vermonter Breakfast” sponsored by Vermont Smoke and Cure and hosted by the Deerfield Valley Sportsmen’s Club in Whitingham. Hours are 8 to 11 am and the breakfast is $11 per person. There is limited seating for the event and organizers are expecting to sell out Sunday morning.
On Sunday, the Vermont Institute of Natural Science will conduct “Raptor Encounters” from 10 to 11 am; the Richard Mayer Group will perform from 11 am to 12 pm and again from 1:30 to 2:30 pm; the Vermont Symphony Orchestra Brass Trio will perform from 12 to 1 pm; a special Adams family farm presentation will take place from 1 to 1:30 pm; and Richard Mayer and Kevin Parry will perform from 2:30 to 3 pm.
Both days also include cider press demonstrations at the arboreal habitat space, and rock wall climbing and an inflatable obstacle course at the Vermont National Guard space from 10 am to 3 pm.
The festival grounds are located at the corner of Route 9 East and Route 100 South. Plenty of parking will be available. Additional parking is also available behind the Fireside True Value on Main Street in Wilmington and a MOOver shuttle will transport people to and from the festival site beginning at 12 pm both days.
“This is a new taste of what Vermonters can create from their land and not have to go far to find it. We need to tell that story about Vermont (wine) producers,” said Smart.
For more information or to purchase tickets online go to www.shop.vermonsters.org.
Post a Comment