Commemorative Poster Contest announced for 3^rd Annual Vermont Life Wine & Harvest Festival

For Immediate Release May 25, 2010
Contact: Laura Sibilia 802-464-8092

Promoting Vermont Food and Wine Producers

DEERFIELD VALLEY – Producers of the 3^rd Annual Vermont Life Wine & Harvest Festival have announced the creation of a new commemorative festival poster contest.  This year's contest consists of an original theme, “Beautifully Produced in Vermont”.  Participants use a variety of mediums, including charcoal, crayon, pencil and paint, to express the theme. The works created are unique and express artist’s interpretation of the theme while celebrating the diversity and quality of Vermont food and wine producers

Judging
Each poster will be judged on originality, artistic merit and expression of the theme. Five finalists will be selected this year, and those finalists’ submissions will be announced via press release and displayed on the Vermont Life Wine & Harvest website through spring 2011.  Selection and judging of the winning posters will be by organizers, sponsors and designees of the 3^rd annual Vermont Life Wine & Harvest Festival.

Awards
Winners will be notified on or before August 1, 2010.

• One grand prize winner will receive weekend admission for four to the 3^rd Annual Vermont Life Wine & Harvest Festival September 24-26 and a cash prize of $200.

• Each of the other four finalists will receive 2 weekend passes to the 3^rd Annual Vermont Life Wine & Harvest Festival.

The Vermont Life Wine & Harvest Festival
The 2010 festival is a weekend showcase for Vermont wines, Vermont specialty foods and artisans of all types celebrating the rich uniqueness, quality and ingenuity of Vermont producers.  The annual festival takes place September 24-26 in the Mount Snow Valley with events in Historic Downtown Wilmington, at Mount Snow Resort, The Hermitage Inn, The Sawmill Inn and The Doveberry Inn.  2010 Sponsors include The Mount Snow Valley Chamber of commerce, Vermont Life Magazine,  Mount Snow Resort, Vermont Public Radio, Grafton Village Cheese, The Town of Wilmington and Chittenden Bank.

Participant Information
To learn more about the Vermont Life Wine & Harvest Festival or the Poster Contest, please view our contest rules  or contact the Mount Snow Valley Chamber of Commerce at 802-464-8092

Expansion plans for 2010 Vermont Life Wine & Harvest Festival announced

DEERFIELD VALLEY – Organizers of the Vermont Life Wine & Harvest Festival have announced plans to expand the popular three day event. The late September weekend collaboration between the Mount Snow Valley Chamber of Commerce and Vermont Life Magazine 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. 

The 2010 festival will add to its list of events a “Welcome to Vermont” celebration in historic downtown Wilmington featuring select Vermont producers 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.  In addition, organizers plan to expand and promote the “Artists at Work” studio tour in the village, and have announced that the tented exhibition area will be moved from its current location at the intersection of Route’s 9 and 100 South to Mount Snow Resort to better accommodate the volume of attendees and vendors.

“The additional events and venue changes add depth and diversity to the weekend and reflects our commitments to grow the appeal of the weekend in harmony with the existing collaboration between our towns and our business community,” explained Mount Snow Valley chamber of commerce executive director Laura Sibilia.  “The support and encouragement we have received from the towns of Dover and Wilmington and Mount Snow Resort the past three years have been incredible, as a valley we are creating an event that positively reflects our community and positively impacts many bottom lines.”

“These plans allow us to take advantage of the best parts of the valleys event venues, our beautiful downtown village and the professional facilities at Mount Snow.  We’re looking forward to being able to expand the well received Vermont chef demonstrations with the mountains commercial kitchen facilities as well as celebrate many of our local artists in their gallery settings.”

The 3^rd Annual Vermont Life Wine & Harvest Festival occurs September 24-26^th 2010 and has been named a Top 10 Vermont Fall event by the Vermont Chamber of Commerce for the second year in a row.

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

photo courtesy Sarah Shippee L to R t: Adam Levine, Rep. John Moran, Steven O'Hern, Laura Sibilia, Deputy Commissioner Steve Cook, Meg Streeter, Rep. Ann Manwaring, Sen. Bob Hartwell, Nona Monis

Three year extension for Vermont Life Wine & Harvest festival

DOVER, VT - On Monday July 27th, The Mount Snow Valley Chamber of Commerce and Vermont Life Magazine signed a three year extension on an agreement to work together on the Vermont Life Wine & Harvest Festival.  The agreement, which is in effect through 2012, was signed during an official ceremony at the Hermitage Inn in West Dover attended by area legislators, chamber of commerce and local government officials, festival organizers and event sponsors. 

The September event takes place in the Mount Snow Valley in the Southern Vermont town of Wilmington with additional events occurring in the nearby towns of Dover and Whitingham. The festival celebrates the best of Vermont’s wine and food and highlights the rich uniqueness, quality and ingenuity of Vermont producers and artisans.

Mount Snow Valley Chamber of Commerce Director Laura Sibilia and Vermont Department of Tourism and Marketing Deputy Commissioner Steve Cook spoke of a shared goal to continue building and growing the event into a premiere destination event. 

“We have been honored to partner with Vermont Life Magazine for two years on the creation of this event celebrating Vermont wines and specialty foods.  Vermont Life has brought much to the table including a readership demographic that is ideally suited for this type of event,” Sibilia explained.

"There has been tremendous growth in Vermont’s wine and agricultural offerings and we are seeing more and more interest by Vermont visitors in food related travel.  Vermont Life is pleased to continue working with the Mount Snow area on growing this festival for an additional three years,” Cook announced.

Area legislators Senator Bob Hartwell and Representatives Ann Manwaring and John Moran spoke about the value of the festival in promoting Vermont products as well as stimulating the local economy.

The 2009 Vermont Life Wine & Harvest Festival, occurring September 25th-27th, has been named a Vermont Top 10 Fall Event by the Vermont Camber of Commerce.  New to the 2009 event: top Vermont Chef demonstrations including Ted Fondulas of Hemmingway’s in Killington, the Putney Inn and Tristan Toleno of the Riverview Café in Brattleboro, as well as Vermont wine pairing events at the Hermitage Inn and the Roadhouse Restaurant.

The festival is sponsored by a grant from the Town of Dover economic development fund, Vermont Public Radio, Chittenden Bank, Mount Snow Resort, Honora Winery, Vermont Smoke & Cure and Deerfield Valley Supply.

Vermont Life has been the definitive magazine of, for and about Vermont since 1946.  For more than three generations the magazine has defined the unique history, people, places and character of the Green Mountain State. It is one of America's most respected regional magazines and regularly wins national awards for editorial excellence.

The Mount Snow Valley Chamber serves Southern Vermont’s Deerfield Valley towns and the business community of the Mount Snow area.