Governor Douglas will host dignitaries from Canada, France and Britain for the signature celebration of the 400th anniversary of Samuel de Champlain s exploration of the lake that bears his name at the Burlington International Waterfront Festival starting Friday.
The Lake Champlain Quadricentennial is an exciting opportunity to celebrate, learn and deepen our appreciation of Vermont s fascinating history, rich culture and scenic landscape, said Governor Jim Douglas. Vermont is looking forward to hosting leaders and thousands of visitors from around the world for this historic event.
The Governor will attend numerous events later this week and into the weekend as part of the Burlington International Waterfront Festival Quadricentennial celebration. Highlighting the many events this weekend will be the unveiling of Quebec s gift to Vermont for the Lake Champlain 400 celebration at Waterfront Park in Burlington on Friday morning, welcoming speeches in City Hall Park on Saturday morning and a performance parade down Main Street in Burlington Saturday evening. A complete list of the Governor s Quadricentennial related events can be found below.
Lake Champlain is just one of the many ties Vermont has with our neighbor to the north, the Governor said. The Quadricentennial gives us another reason to celebrate our shared history, heritage and strong bond of friendship with Quebec, he added. I hope Vermonters young and old have the opportunity to attend this exciting celebration.
Champlain, a French explorer from Brouage, France, was also the founder of Quebec City. Arriving at Lake Champlain from the north in early July 1609, Champlain and his guides entered the lake in a fleet of 24 canoes. Champlain s founding of Quebec City and subsequent exploration of Lake Champlain was the starting point of a permanent French presence in North America. The 400th anniversary commemorates this important historical moment in the region s history the first contact between European and Native American cultures in Vermont s Champlain Valley and the cultural contributions of the people living in Vermont today.
Events are taking place throughout the summer and include a variety of heritage festivals, art exhibits, bike and paddling tours, culinary events, history tours, interactive activities, cultural demonstrations and community fairs.
Governor Douglas public events:
Friday, July 10, 2009
10:00 a.m. Quebec Sculpture Dedication and Reception, Burlington Waterfront, Burlington
2:00 p.m. Opening of Wampum Belts of Chartres Cathedral, Shelburne Museum, Shelburne
5:30 p.m. Quebec City Blues Cruise, Northern Lights Lake Champlain
7:30 p.m. Quebec All-Stars Concert, Burlington Waterfront, Burlington
Saturday, July 11, 2009
10:00 a.m. Quadricentennial Official Welcome, City Hall Park, Burlington
5:00 p.m. Quadricentennial Ceremony, City Hall Reviewing Stand, Burlington
5:30 p.m. Champlain 400 Performance Parade, Burlington
8:30 p.m. From the New World Champlain Dance Pageant, Flynn Theatre, Burlington
For more information and a complete listing of the weeks events visit www.CelebrateChamplain.org.
Source: Governor Douglas' office.
Quadricentennial celebrations at the Burlington International Waterfront Festival
Submitted by tim
on