Vermont Life Wine & Harvest Festival Soup Contest Winners Announced

Friday night Sept 24^th Welcome Reception a Big Hit for Downtown Wilmington

WILMINGTON -The September 24-26 weekend collaboration between the Mount Snow Valley Chamber of Commerce and Vermont Life Magazine added to its list of events a “Welcome to Vermont” reception in historic downtown Wilmington featuring tasting of select Vermont Wines, Grafton Cheese, and the first annual Vermont Life Wine & Harvest Festival Soup Contest.

The town was overflowing with soup and wine tasters taking very seriously the job of voting for the top soup. Attendance for the event exceeded expectations with more than 400 enjoying perfect weather and 17 delicious soups from some of the best restaurants in Southern Vermont, Vermont wines and Grafton Village cheeses

“It was a really terrific evening, everyone was so happy to be out and about” commented Kate Little of Pickwell’s Barn who hosted Honora Winery along with two soups “It was a very fun event, and we hope the chamber does it again.”

Winners:

Top Honors went to The Nordic Hills Lodge who offered a Tomato Basil Bisque with a Blue Cheese Crumb.
Second place went to Harriman’s Restaurant at the Grand Summit Resort for a Wild Mushroom Brie Bisque.

Tying for third place Chopin Restaurant at The Matterhorn with a Polish Pickle Soup and The Wilmington Inn for a Roasted Corn Chowder.

Vermont Life Editor Mary Nowlan was on hand to take in the festivities, “The evening walk on Friday was a big success and many of those soups were superb.” Vermont Life will be featuring some of the winning recipes and restaurants that participated Friday night in upcoming editions.

Plans are already under way for the 2011 Vermont Life Wine and Harvest Soup Contest. Chamber Director Laura Sibilia encourages contenders to mark their calendars and look for the 2011 call for soup entries next Spring. “We are looking to increase our soup offering to 20 and have more local shops participating. So start cooking up your best soup recipe now.”

For more information contact Patrice Schneider at The Mount Snow Valley Chamber of Commerce 802-464-8092 or patrice@visitvermont.com .

Vermont Life Wine & Harvest Festival Soup Contest Announced

Contact: Laura Sibilia
Mount Snow Valley Chamber of Commerce
802-464-8092

For Immediate Release

Vermont Soup Title up for grabs at the 3rd Annual Vermont Life Wine & Harvest Festival

WILMINGTON -The September 24-26 weekend collaboration between the Mount Snow Valley Chamber of Commerce and Vermont Life Magazine adds to its list of events a “Welcome to Vermont” celebration in historic downtown Wilmington featuring tastings of select Vermont Wines, the new festival Soup Contest, Contra Dance and Entertainment; incorporating the downtown businesses as well as historic Memorial Hall, Buzzy Towne Park and the award winning new Bank Park overlooking the Deerfield River.

The 3rd Annual Vermont Life Wine & Harvest Festival features a tented two day exhibition area of Vermont Wines, cheeses, specialty food and artisan crafts, chef demonstrations and entertainers as well as a variety of wine and cheese pairings, dinners and “Indigenous Vermonter Breakfasts” throughout the valley.

Friday September 24th downtown Wilmington businesses will host the soup contest and wine tastings. The festival soup contest is open to all to enter. Visitors will vote on their favorite soup. A press release naming the entry as the winner of the Vermont Life Wine & Harvest Festival Soup contest will be forwarded to statewide press and featured on the festival website.

The Wine and Soup Tasting will take place between 5:30 and 7:30pm. The Contra Dance with Andy Davis and friends will kick off at 7:30pm in Historic Memorial Hall in the center of Wilmington.

Soup Contest rules:
All soup must be delivered to selected venue by 4:30pm 9/24
Soup venues will be confirmed by Sept 1.
3-gallons per soup. Organizers will supply tasting cups and ladles
All recipes must be original.
Ingredients and or recipes must be posted with entry in consideration of food allergies.
The soup will be sampled in small cups without spoons.

There is no fee to participate; however, a $25 refundable deposit is due upon sign up. All deposits will be fully refunded to entrants upon delivery of soup at selected venue.

To enter the soup contest, or learn about vending at the Vermont Life Wine & Harvest Festival, contact Patrice Schneider at the Mount Snow Valley chamber of Commerce at 802-464-8092

Details on the festival can be found at www.thevermontfestival.com

Pennsylvania Youth Chorale to perfrom Vermont benefit concernt

Wilmington – The Deerfield Valley Rotary Club in conjunction with the Snow Goose Inn will sponsor a free concert at Memorial Hall in Wilmington, VT on Saturday, June 28 at 8 pm.

Performing will be the Pennsylvania Youth Chorale, a community children’s choir based Pennsylvania for boys and girls ages seven to fifteen. They have performed in 25 states, Europe and even in Carnegie Hall. Founded in 1977 by Artistic director Eileen Finley, the choir is an educational and civic instructional arts program for children emphasizing musicianship training and vocal study for the cultural enrichment of its members and the community.

Donations will be accepted and sent to aid earthquake victims in China through ShelterBox Trust. ShelterBox is a registered UK charity that provides emergency aid for disaster victims all over the world. Each box contains shelter, bedding and water purification for ten people. ShelterBox was set up by the Rotary Club of Helston-Lizard in 2001 and has helped an estimated 500,000 people in more than 40 countries: www.shelterbox.org.

For more information please contact Cyndee at the Snow Goose Inn at 464-3984. The Deerfield Valley Rotary Club meets every Wednesday at the Matterhorn in West Dover at 8 am. Those interested in becoming a member can contact a Deerfield Valley Rotarian or Ken Lady at 464-5108.

Village Stroll and Baby Vermonsters

Get ready for another great year of Strolling in Wilmington, Vermont. This year’s season will kick off on May 9th with a Friday evening stroll, from 4 to 7PM. The highlight will be a hunt through the village to find forty "little monsters". School children throughout the Valley have created their own smaller tabletop versions of the Vermonsters, similar to the “baby bears” from last year’s arts program. A drawing to chose the full sized “Vermonsters of the Deerfield Valley” that will be unveiled Memorial Day Weekend will take place at the stroll. In addition, check out the recycled art expo inspired by found items from Green Up Day and created by our community.

Musical performances, children’s activities, art exhibits, wine tastings and shopping specials are all offered at the village stroll. There will be a selection of talents both indoors and out with classical music by Robin Matathias and her flute quartet, Jean Chaine playing his thirteen stringed archguitar, and High School percussion students with their own version of “Stomp”.
The young and young at heart will enjoy face painting, and trying out new tricks on our Circus Lawn. Three fine art galleries will be hosting “little monsters” as well as their own works including Pastels of Local Scenes at Anne Coleman’s, more “Small Works” at Jim McGrath’s Gallery, and new monoprints at Gallery Wright.
Apple fritters will be served by the Weathervane Inn at the stroll. Pickwells Barn will host a wine tasting provided by Honora Winery. Some of the downtown specials offered include a “Fancy Nancy” party with 15% off all kids books at Bartleby’s and 50% off all candy at The 1836 Country Store.
The village strolls celebrate the artistic talent of the Deerfield Valley. Everyone is encouraged to wear a strolling hat and bring as many friends as possible. Village Strolls will continue throughout the summer on the second Saturday of July, August, and September. For more info, contact the Mount.Snow Valley Chamber of Commerce at 464-8092 or go to http://www.visitvermont.com/
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For more information or photographs please contact Jim Follett at 802-464-8092 or by e-mail at jim@visitvermont.com

Adams Farm in the New York Times

An article in the New York Times on agritourism includes quotes from Jill Adams and information about Adams Farm. While it is still posted online you can view it at http://travel.nytimes.com/2007/11/23/travel/escapes/23agritourism.html?8dpc

Wilmington Vermont Downtown Design Contest

Wilmington Vermont Downtown Design Contest
Release Date: Tuesday, September 25th 2007
An Opportunity
A New Use for the Old Bank Lot


On Easter morning, 2007, a raging fire destroyed the historic bank building in the center of Wilmington village on the corner of Route 9 and 100. In May Wilmington voters expressed their resounding support for their village and the value of the bank building lot by voting to purchase the central village lot and rehabilitate it as a community asset.

The Wilmington Beautification Committee has been given the task of recommending what can be done with the space and to that end, is soliciting ideas from all interested persons.

Some Important Criteria:
• Anyone is eligible to submit a plan.
• There shall be no direct access to the river.
• Utilities (power and water, sewer) are available.
• It must be handicap accessible.
• It must have flexibility for future needs.
• It must be accessible year-round.

A drawing of the site’s dimensions can be picked up at the Town Hall which is diagonally across the street from the former bank building lot or at www.wilmingtonvermont.us.

The Wilmington Beautification Committee is seeking concepts for what could be done in the space; both what the lot should look like and what should be on the lot. So get out your pencils, pens and paper. Draw on one piece of paper what you would like to see and describe on another page what you hope to achieve. Don’t be afraid to let your imagination run wild!

All ideas must be submitted to the Wilmington Beautification Committee by November 1, 2007. The most promising ideas will be selected by the committee and submitted to the Selectboard for decision. Once the ideas have been researched and general costs determined the Selectboard intends to bring this to our March Town Meeting for a vote.

All plans should be sent to:
Lee Schindel
c/o Town of Wilmington
2 East Main Street
PO Box 217
Wilmington, VT 05363