VERGENNES — Vergennes Day celebrates its 33rd year on Saturday, Aug. 23. On the Friday evening before, the event kicks off with a street dance in City Park featuring the music of The Hitmen from 7 to 10 p.m. Vergennes Day, hosted and sponsored by the Addison County Chamber of Commerce and area businesses, is a celebration of city and community and can be enjoyed by all ages. Full details of the event and a schedule of activities are available at www.vergennesday.com.
Activities on Saturday, Aug. 23, take place between 7 a.m. and 4 p.m. and culminate at dusk with a lighting of the Otter Creek Falls. The day begins with a pancake breakfast at the Vergennes Fire Station from 7 to 10:30 a.m. At 9 a.m. the Little City 5K and 10K races and walk will start in front of the Vergennes Opera House. Join or cheer on several hundred runners and walkers as they race through the streets of Vergennes. Registration begins at 8 a.m. at the Stevens House on the corner of Main and North Green streets. More information and online registration is available at www.runvermont.org.
The bandstand in City Park will be occupied throughout the day by several musical groups: Vergennes City Band at 10 a.m., Simply Acoustic at 11:15 a.m., LC Jazz at 1 p.m., and The Benoits at 2:45 p.m. City Park is also the site of more than 75 crafters’ and vendors’ booths offering fine handcrafts, locally made products, food and more. The Lions will be selling barbecued chicken in City Park starting at 1 p.m.
For youngsters the Vergennes Area Rescue Squad and Safe Kids Addison County will be at the fire station from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. so kids can enjoy games and the ever-popular Bubble Pit. At 12:30 p.m. Bixby Library will hold its “Booked for Bikes” drawing at the bandstand, sponsored by the library and Vergennes Rotary.
Vergennes Union High School will host a car, tractor, truck and engine show. See this nostalgic display (between 10 a.m. and 4 p.m.; awards at 3:30 p.m.) and vote for your favorite. There is an entry fee of $10 per car and there are multiple classes in which to enter. Proceeds will benefit the Ferrisburgh Fire Department.
Otter Creek Basin will feature several activities during the day. From 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Ferrisburgh’s Adirondack Guideboats will let you experience a ride in one of their beautiful boats. From 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Lake Champlain International’s Let’s Go Fishing! program will provide hands-on aquatic resource education for people of all ages. You’ll be able to practice casting and fly tying. And at 3:30 p.m. the Vergennes Rotary presents the beloved Rubber Duckie Race — tickets are available at the Rotary’s booth in City Park.
Comfort Hill Kennel will be offering dog performance demos at their facility located at 90 Comfort Hill Road from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Bring your dog with you and get his/her nails trimmed for free from noon to 12:30 p.m.
The day concludes with the lighting of the Otter Creek Falls at approximately 9 p.m. The falls will be lit every night through Labor Day and can be viewed from MacDonough Drive or Mechanic Street.
Also, many of the area’s merchants will be offering sales and specials.
For a full schedule of events, visit the event website at www.vergennesday.com. For more information call 802-388-7951 or email [email protected]. Vergennes Day is sponsored by the city of Vergennes, J.W. & D.E. Ryan, Neat Repeats and Vergennes Animal Hospital.