View our calendar of events and schedule your summer in the Islands!

Lake Champlain Islands Calendar

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The F-f-frozen Chosen Regatta, a race of human powered machines, in City Bay, North Hero, VT

Many an autumn Saturday is spent stacking the perfect woodpile, so when winter comes we welcome the first snowfall. And even though temps can plummet below freezing, this is when the Islands often seem their warmest. Chimneys begin to sigh with smoke from wood-burning fireplaces and potbelly stoves while fishing shanties, ice skaters, and kite boarders dot the frozen lake. And if you decide to venture out for a day of skiing, there’s always plenty of hot chocolate and hearty soup to be found in town, along with a warm welcome back.

The Lake Champlain Islands are ready to welcome you season after season, as are the people who live here. Some of us have even turned our homes into B&Bs, so just let us know when to expect you. The bridges, causeways, and ferry offer ways out of town, but we’re pretty sure you won’t want to leave.

Welcome to the Lake Champlain Islands. It’s good to be here.

Coming in February 2013…
6th Annual Great Ice in Grand Isle!
February 8 – 17, 2013
Celebrate the winter on the ice! Lake Champlain’s inland sea freezes over, and so we play on City Bay in North Hero Village
Here’s the schedule

The VT Shakespeare Company's Twelfth Night

The Vermont Shakespeare Companyis back with another professional production outdoors in Knight Point State Park!  The Tempest, with a fabulous cast of actors from New York and Vermont, opens on Friday, August 10, at 6 p.m.  The show repeats on Saturday and Sunday at 6, with a 2 p.m. matinee on Saturday.  Bring a picnic to enjoy before the show, or order one!  Tickets are $25 for adults, $22 for seniors, and kids under 12 are free.  Call 86-Flynn, or go to www.flynntix.org.  A limited number of tickets are also available at the Islands Chamber at 372-8400.  To order a gourmet picnic call 372-3291 or go to www.mykidskitchen.vpweb.com.  Bleacher seating is available, or bring a chair.

The Tempest opens at Oakledge Park in Burlington on Friday, with shows Saturday and Sunday as well at 6 p.m. and a 2 p.m. matinee.  Bring a lawn chair or blanket for seating.  Tickets are available at the Flynn, and picnics through Haveyourcakecatering.com or call 540-0131.  Call 877-874-1911 for updates if the weather looks iffy.

Don’t miss this wonderful troupe!  Shakespeare at its best, and outdoors, too!

Learn more about this event, its artists, benches and locations!

Artists: Alburg School

Take a Seat in the Islands, presented by the Lake Champlain Islands Chamber of Commerce and sponsored by Lake Champlain Transportation, will transport you to a world of flora, fauna, ships and sunsets, all appearing on ample benches of maple and poplar.  In addition to the 16 benches painted by local artists, 5 child-sized benches were distributed, one to each local school, to be painted by the students.

All 21 benches will be displayed in venues throughout the Champlain Islands. Maps showing the location of the benches will be found at local stores, or see below for the brochure.

Take A Seat in the Islands Brochure and Map

On Friday, August 17th, the benches will be sold at a live auction at the North Hero Community Hall. Auctioneer George Goldring will take the bids, and a 21 lucky people will go home with a beautiful work of art, practical, too! Tickets to the event are free but you must register to bid. Call the Chamber for a pre-bid application if you are unable to attend: (802) 372-8400 or info@champlainislands.com.

Take A Seat in the Islands Advance Bidding Form

Bench Sponsors

A&B Beverage – Allenholm Farm -  Bauer, Gravel, Farnham, Nuovo & Parker -  Camp Abnaki – Grand Isle Art Works – Grand Isle Historical Society – Hacketts Orchard – Harborside Harvest Market – Hero’s Welcome General Store – Islandacres Farm – Island Physical Therapy – Kinney Insurance Agency – Merchants Bank – North Hero House -   Northwest Regional Planning Commission -  Northwestern Medical Center - Preservation Trust of Vermont -  Ransom Bay Inn & Restaurant – Shore Acres Inn & Restaurant

Bench Artists:
Paula Bradley,  Heidi Chamberlain, Krissey Ciarelli, Diane David, Linda Effel , Maurie Harrington , Rachel Laundon, Denise Limoge, Marie Limoge, Hannah Maynard, Karen McCloud, Suzanne Sauve, Amanda Schirmer, Terry Sheets, Kay Webb, Brian Welsh

‘Take A Seat’ Page

Concerts start at 6:30 p.m. $5 admission fee includes Park so come early and swim. Bring blankets or chairs, picnic or buy one there. Members of the Champlain Islands Farmers Market will be selling picnic food and award winning East Shore Vineyard offers wine tastings as well as wine by the glass or bottle. Credit cards only accepted at the Chamber, by phone or in person. Call 372-8400 or email info@champlainislands.com.

Mango Jam
Tuesday, July 10

Start your summer off with a rocking evening with Mango Jam and their Cajun/Zydeco/Caribbean beats! This band has been delighting audiences in the region for over 15 years. Their fun-filled sets will get you up on your feet, or at least twitching your toes. Guitarist and song-writer Josie Ritter sings lead, backed up by band members on accordion, sax, drums and bass.   Quick report: 85 adults and a zillion kids showed up for the concert.  Don’t miss the next one!!   Learn more on the  Mango Jam website or on Facebook.
Starline Rhythm Boys
Tuesday, July 17  Postponed due to rain until Tuesday, August 7

If you haven’t had the “Danny Coane experience” now’s the time! He has fronted bluegrass, country and blues, but the rockabilly got him in the end. The “Boys” have been performing around the USA for years, gathering fans everywhere. Billy Bratcher plays slap bass, Al Lemery mans the Fender, and Danny is lead singer, banjoist and guitarist extraordinaire. This band is “pepper-hot”, and puts on a fantastic show. Learn more (and listen!) at www.starlinerhythmboys.com.

Dave Keller Band
Tuesday, July 24

Dave just won the 2012 award for Best Self-Produced CD of the year at the International Blues Challenge (IBC) in Memphis!!! The IBC is a battle of the blues bands and is sponsored by The Blues Foundation. Five record label heads chose his CD as the finest of a crop of 74 CDs, submitted by blues societies around the world. Champlain Islands, meet the Dave Keller Band! Listen to his new CD at www.davekeller.com. Then come on up to the concert. Dave has been honing his talent for over twenty years. It’s the gritty guitar licks, deep soul and a super funky band that keeps them coming. Dave’s band members play organ, drums and bass. Don’t miss the debut performance of the Dave Keller Band in the Islands.

Jenni Johnson and the Junketeers
Tuesday, July 31

Renaissance woman Jenni Johnson is a self-taught vocalist who has performed internationally for audiences in Yaroslavl and Rostov, Russia and Paris, France. A juried artist with the Vermont Arts Council and a member of the New England States Touring Program, Jenni takes her music to schools and communities. She also sharpens her musical skills working with national jazz/blues musicians from New Orleans. Jenni has 3 CD’s available. Check her website: jennijohnson.net for additional information. Jenni now combines her formal education in counseling with her passion for teaching fitness and performing music.

The 7th Annual Fireworks Extravaganza will be held on Tuesday, July 3rd at Knight Point State Park in North Hero.

Knight Point State Park will be open all day for swimming and picnicking. The Park fee is $3 per person; entrance is by donation after 5 p.m. The fireworks are at dusk. Come early and enjoy as the band 314 rocks out! The early bird gets on-site parking. Knight Point State Park is a “trash in, trash out” facility, so please be prepared to take your trash with you. Picnics welcome! The VFW will be selling hot dogs and burgers, and get your Papa Ray apple pie with Island Homemade Ice Cream.

The cars will be on display from 9:30 to 3:30 p.m. Watch classic cars compete in balloon breaking, slow racing, and blind driver! The VFW is cooking up burgers, hot dogs and ribs, along with fine food prepared by the Champlain Islands Farmers Market. Hall Home Place will offer tastings of their Ice Cider. More vendors are welcome. Vendor space for car-related items is also available. Vendor space is $10, $15 after July 1. BYO tables and tents. To register as a vendor, call the Lake Champlain Islands Chamber of Commerce, 372-8400 or pick up a form at their North Hero office.

To register a car for the show, send $7 with the following information: name, address, phone number and email, as well as the make, model, body style, year and number of cylinders to: VAE, 4 Wing Street, Burlington, VT 05408-1317. Vehicle must be covered by insurance and must have a fire extinguisher. Pre-registration by July 1, 2012 is recommended.

Automobiles at the Islands Center is a project of the Islands Center for Arts and Recreation, Vermont State Parks and Vermont Auto Enthusiasts. The entrance fee is $6 per car, and includes park admission. Don’t miss this opportunity to see automobile “survivors” of years past! Call 372-8400 for more information.

North Hero House from Lake Champlain

You: getting married! Us: a paradise in Lake Champlain for weddings large and small! From lovely state parks to stunning historic vacation homes. From picturesque inns to gourmet restaurants or working vineyards. Have you considered a blissful lakeside event? The Champlain Islands offer a range of venues, services and catering. We recently helped a couple plan a wedding just for two – in a few days! If you have more time, explore the Islands and find your perfect venue. The grand Grand Isle Lake House is a restored Victorian summer vacation inn, with wide veranda full of rocking chairs, and rooms lovingly appointed with antiques. Or perhaps a smaller venue is your choice; Ferry Watch Inn owners Troy and Janet Wert have restored an old barn surrounded by their fabulous gardens – and a view of the Grand Isle Ferry as it plies the waters between Vermont and New York. At North Hero House or Shore Acres you can order a complete wedding package, or do it yourself! But plan ahead – we are busy in the summers! Did you have your wedding here in the Islands? Do you have photos? Please share!

Chamber members are invited to post about what they like to do in the Lake Champlain Islands and share their unique take on local culture. If you have an event or activity you’d like to share with those who love to visit the Islands and those who love to live here, please consider contributing to this blog. For more information contact Ruth Wallman, Executive Director.  Thanks for interest!