Vermont Business Magazine The Champlain Valley Fair has announced NorthCountry Federal Credit Union will be the presenting sponsor of “The Ten Best Days of Summer” beginning this year.
“The team at NorthCountry Federal Credit Union is passionate about the Champlain Valley Fair, what we provide our attendees, and the economic impact the Champlain Valley Exposition has in the community. We’re pleased to be working with an influential local business on delivering high quality entertainment, tasty and sinful Fair foods, and agricultural education,” said Jeff Bartley, Marketing Director of the Champlain Valley Fair.
“NorthCountry Federal Credit Union’s mission and core values align well with our organization. They have a deep-rooted commitment to the community and remain engaged with many non-profits. We’ve had a long standing relationship with the team at NorthCountry and are thrilled to propel our partnership.”
NorthCountry Federal Credit Union has long been a supporter of the Champlain Valley Fair and sponsored the Grandstand in recent years.
“As a community credit union, we embrace opportunities to support local events that bring people together to learn, have fun, and make memories. The Champlain Valley Fair checks every box,” said Julie Longfellow, VP of Branding and Creative. “We are excited to take on the role of presenting sponsor, and leverage it to benefit the community in a multitude of ways.”
With NorthCountry Federal Credit Union becoming the presenting sponsor of the Champlain Valley Fair, they took the opportunity to rework our logo to better intertwine our two brands while also giving tribute to our deep agricultural roots in the community.
The 101st Champlain Valley Fair opens on Friday, August 25th and runs through Sunday, September 3rd. Discounted general admission tickets and ride bracelets can be purchased in advance through our website, ChamplainValleyFair.org.
About NorthCountry Federal Credit Union
NorthCountry Federal Credit Union was organized in 1950 by a group of employees at General Electric’s plant in Burlington who wanted to pool their savings and borrow from one another, instead of relying on a more expensive traditional bank. The credit union’s first manager, Margaret Hemingway, ran the credit union from a desk in a one-room office in General Electric, where employees would drop off their savings and take out small loans.
Over time, demand for the credit union’s services grew, and it expanded to include other employee groups, and residents of Washington and Lamoille Counties. In 2001, its request to become a community credit union for Vermont’s ten northernmost counties was approved. In 2021, NorthCountry gained further approval to offer its not-for-profit banking services to residents of Coos and Grafton Counties in New Hampshire, as well as Clinton County in New York.
Today, NorthCountry continues to build on its reputation as a community credit union, leveraging its success to support non-profit organizations that make a lasting positive impact in the area it serves. Its core values of caring, confident, and creative guide its decisions and compel it to continually explore new ways to provide its members with increased service and value. Its website is www.northcountry.org. The credit union is a not-for-profit financial cooperative. Accounts are insured to $250,000 by the NCUA.
About the Champlain Valley Fair
The Champlain Valley Fair is part of the Champlain Valley Exposition, a not-for-profit organization founded in 1922.
The first Fair opened as the Essex Fair in Essex Center. It grew so quickly over its first few years that a committee was formed with the intent of turning it into a “true county Fair” in 1921. By the end of the following January the committee had reviewed five sites and settled on our current location. By end of May in 1922 the steps were being taken to purchase the land and the organization was incorporated as we now know it – The Champlain Valley Exposition. Because the new facility would not be ready in time the first Fair was held on the old grounds in Essex September 12-15, the same days the “State Fair” was being held in White River Junction. More than 15,000 people attended that first Fair.
In April of 1923 the board announced the first Fair on the new site would be held September 11th through the 14th. W.K. Farsworth was named as the first general manager. The new grounds included a racetrack, a grandstand capable of holding 4,000 people, racing stables, horse show barns, cattle barns for 300 head and a commercial and industrial building large enough to house all kinds of exhibits. The original landscaping was done by Professor George Burns from the University of Vermont and was designed to keep a natural look. Dedication ceremonies were carried out on September 11th, 1923 with Senator Frank L. Greene as the master of ceremonies. The attendance at that first Fair was reported at 56,997.
Since our beginnings the Fair has continued to grow despite challenges thrown its way. In July of 1941 a freak storm leveled the cattle barn causing the cancellation of that year’s cattle show. It took six years for the Fair to have another cattle show and the barn, which now stands along Route 15, was rebuilt in 1948. A more recent challenge was the fire that destroyed the original grandstand in 1965. The original wooden structure was destroyed. The cause was never conclusively determined, though two schools of thought emerged, the first being children playing with matches and the other faulty electrical wiring. The Grandstand was rebuilt in 1966 and relocated further back on the property, where it currently stands.
Over the years, many buildings have been added to the facility. More recently the addition of the Robert E. Miller Centre has allowed the Fair to host hundreds of exhibitors in indoor facilities and allowed the Exposition to be a year round facility. The Champlain Valley Fair celebrated their centennial in 2022.
About the Champlain Valley Exposition
The Champlain Valley Exposition is a 501(c)(3) not-for-profit organization with a mission of serving the people of Vermont and the region by promoting agriculture, education, arts and culture, commerce, and entertainment activities. You can learn more about the Champlain Valley Exposition and the dozens of events hosted on the grounds at www.CVExpo.org.
Source: City of Essex Junction, VT – The Champlain Valley Fair
