Make Your Event a Celebrate Champlain Event

Celebrate Champlain events of all sorts and all sizes are taking place throughout Vermont and the reigion during 2009. The Vermont Lake Champlain Quadricentennial Commission wants to promote as many quality events and projects - big and small - as is possible.

Organizations and businesses of every type and size are urged to submit an Event Selection and Designation Application click here. The application will be reviewed by a sub-committee of the Commemoration & Events Quadricentennial Commission Committee. Applicants will be notified in a timely manner, and Celebrate Champlain will market events locally, nationally, and internationally.

Event Designation
For the purposes of organization and marketing, the LCQC has designated three overall event categories:

Signature Events: Large-scale, collaborative events commemorating or celebrating all of the Quadricentennial themes listed below. Ideas for signature events were gathered during the public-input planning stage, and selected by the full Quadricentennial Commission. These events are expected to attract large numbers of Vermonters and visitors to Vermont.

Special Events: Many events take place in the Champlain Valley annually. Those events – and new events too - that address one or more of the Quadricentennial themes are eligible to receive the Special Event designation. Examples include: a music festival that includes French Canadian pieces; a museum exhibit of art created by contemporary artists in response to Quadricentennial themes; or a sporting event (e.g. “The Champlain Cup”) in celebration of the Quadricentennial.

Quadricentennial Events: Any event anywhere in Vermont that address one or more of the Quadricentennial themes will receive this designation.

Event Criteria
To have your event selected as an “official” Celebrate Champlain Quadricentennial event, the program must explore, celebrate and/or commemorate one or any combination of the following themes:

• The long and rich cultural heritage of Lake Champlain and the Champlain Basin of Vermont.
• The natural history of Lake Champlain and the Champlain Basin of Vermont.
• Environmental and other challenges currently confronting Lake Champlain.
• Samuel de Champlain’s 1609 exploration of our lake basin.
• Particular focus on one or more of the following: Franco-American, French-Canadian and Native American history and culture in the region; and groups of people contributing to the contemporary cultural history of the Lake Champlain basin.

To complete the Event Selection and Designation Application, click here. Submit to the address below.

For more information or to discuss your event idea, please contact:
Catherine Brooks
Cultural Heritage Tourism Coordinator
Vermont Department of Tourism
National Life Building, Drawer 20
Montpelier, VT 05620
(802)828-3683
This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it