Vermont Life Wine & Harvest Festival named one of North America's 100 Best Events

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

MEDIA CONTACT: Laura Sibilia
Mount Snow Valley Chamber of Commerce 1-802-464-8092

AMERICAN BUS ASSOCIATION NAMES VERMONT LIFE WINE & HARVEST FESTIVAL
ONE OF NORTH AMERICA'S 100 BEST EVENTS FOR 2011
Event is a Ticket to Vermont Authenticity and to Critical Group Tourism Dollars

Mount Snow Region, VT - The American Bus Association (ABA) announced today that The 4^TH Annual Vermont Life Wine & Harvest Festival has been designated as one of the Top 100 Events in North America for 2011 by an experienced expert tourism industry selection committee. Inclusion in the Top 100 list, published as a supplement to the September/October issue of Destinations magazine, indicates that the Vermont Life Wine & Harvest Festival offers excellent entertainment value to both tour groups and individual travelers from around the world, according to ABA.

The Vermont Life Wine & Harvest Festival celebrates the unique local talents of Vermont wineries, cheese makers, specialty food producers and artists. This event brings together all that makes “Vermont Made” synonymous with top quality, ingenuity and tradition by hosting the Vermont Life Wine & Harvest Soup Contest, Special Wine Pairing Dinners at local area restaurants, Cheese & Wine Pairing, Chef Demonstrations, a Locavore Culinary Competition and tasting from many of the exhibitors.

With the release of the American Bus Association's 2011 Top 100 Events in North America, ABA celebrates 29 years of the program. What began as a way for motorcoach operators to incorporate new product into their itineraries has grown to one of the most sought-after lists by travel professionals, motorcoach operators and the general public.

"The attractiveness of the Vermont Life Wine & Harvest festival as a don't-miss entertainment value is only part of why its selection this year is such a distinction for Southern Vermont’s Deerfield Valley said Peter J. Pantuso, CTIS, ABA's president and CEO.”The real news here is that the Vermont Life Wine & Harvest Festival has been recognized as a potential magnet for tourism dollars, at a time when reenergizing domestic tourism is so important to our spirit and our economy. The honor gives the Mount Snow area an important boost in visibility among professional tour planners."

According to studies completed by researchers at The George Washington University and Dunham and Associates, one overnight visit by a motorcoach group can leave from US $5,000 to more than US $13,000 in a local destination's economy. Those dollars are spent on lodging, meals, admissions, fees, shopping, souvenirs, services and local taxes.

"Motorcoach groups spend more and stay longer,” Pantuso said. “That's why the Vermont Life Wine & Harvest Festival is truly a local economic asset. There is no better way to jump-start tourism than to attract motorcoach groups to a great event and convince them to extend their stay."

ABA's 2011 Top 100 Events Selection Committee selected the Vermont Life Wine & Harvest Festival from among a record number of more than 650 event nominations submitted by ABA members. Judges considered the event's broad appeal, its accessibility to motorcoaches and skill at handling large groups, and a variety of other relevant criteria. The Vermont Life Wine & Harvest Festival was the only Vermont event to make the list for 2011.

The Vermont Life Wine & Harvest Festival emphasizes Vermont culinary tourism and the artistry of those that call Vermont home. The event allows Vermont producers to showcase their talents to a wide reaching audience. The event is produced by the Mount Snow Valley Chamber of Commerce in partnership with Vermont Life Magazine and sponsored by Mount Snow Resort, The towns of Dover and Wilmington, People’s United Bank, Vermont Public Radio, Grafton Village Cheese, Vermont Smoke & Cure and the Vermont Grape & Wine Council.

The dates of this year’s festival are September 24-26th. Information on the festival is available at www.TheVermontFestival.com

The Top 100 Events list is available online at www.buses.org/top100.

Photos:

Top 100 Logo http://www.visitvermont.com/_files/images/top100_11.jpg

Vermont Life Wine & Harvest Logo available at http://www.visitvermont.com/_files/images/vlwhf-logo.gif

Festival imagery available upon request

Wild Vermont Photo Contest Announced

Enter your photo now for the First Annual Southern Vermont Natural History Museum “Wild Vermont Photo Contest”! Photos of New England wildlife and natural scenes are now being accepted. Children’s and Adult categories will compete for a variety of prizes and year-long exhibition in the Southern Vermont Natural History Museum. Deadline for framed or mounted photos is October 15th. Entries may be dropped off at the Hogback Mountain Gift Shop or the Mount Snow Valley Chamber of Commerce. Winners will be chosen at this year’s Southern Vermont Wildlife Festival on October 23rd. Contact the museum 464 - 0048 or visit the SVNHM website www.vermontmuseum.org for more details.

Dover Vermont Bicentennial Best Birthday Competition: It’s Birthday Cakes Unleashed!

DOVER, VERMONT—The Dover Bicentennial Committee is cooking up the “Best Bicentennial Birthday Cake Competition“ to help celebrate the 250th birthday of Dover.
“This is a fun and feel-good way to celebrate the Bicentennial and bring attention to your business,” says Mary Lou Raymo, head of the all-volunteer committee. “And, yes, we have prizes—first place is $500, second place is $250 and there will be honorable mentions, as well. We’ll also be promoting a Cake Tour for locals and tourists, alike, so we encourage participation.”
Participants can use almost any material to construct a cake, as long as it is safe for pedestrians, animals or motor vehicles passing by. “We envision the cakes to be quite large and especially creative to draw attention,” adds Mary Lou. Cakes must be illuminated and the committee suggests using Christmas tree lights.
Cake location maps will be printed and available to the public by Thursday, September 30.
Cakes must be illuminated from October 1 through October 3 during the Bicentennial Weekend of activities. Judging will take place on or before Wednesday, September 29.
Registration forms are available at the Town of Dover’s new website and visitvermont.com as well as in the Town of Dover’s offices.
For more information, please contact Mary Lou Raymo at raymo@together.net or 348-7720.