Vermont nonprofit: Lifting COVID-era capacity limits offers lifeline to community landmark
The Champlain Valley Expo said its future relies on being able to host big events, so it was overjoyed to hear an announcement this week from Gov. Scott
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Updated: 8:23 AM EDT Apr 10, 2021
Vermont nonprofit: Lifting COVID-era capacity limits offers lifeline to community landmark
The Champlain Valley Expo said its future relies on being able to host big events, so it was overjoyed to hear an announcement this week from Gov. Scott
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Updated: 8:23 AM EDT Apr 10, 2021
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"VERMONT AFTER SCHOOL " ARE COORDINATING A DATABASE. TO HELP FAMILIES SIGN UP. A MAJOR ANNOUNCEMENT THIS WEEK ABOUT VERMONT'S LARGEST ANNUAL EVENT. THE CHAMPLAIN VALLEY FAIR IS coming back... AFTER CORONAVIRUS FORCED IT... TO TAKE..... LAST YEAR OFF. AND AS JACK THURSTON REPORTS - THAT MAY JUST BE THE LIFELINE FOR A NONPROFIT THAT SAYS... ITS FUTURE WAS RIDING ON REOPENING. ((CURT ECHO / Fair Food Vendor: 54:22: my grandfather used to sell bread here.)) For Curt Echo's whole life, ((CURT ECHO / Fair Food Vendor: 54:18: never missed a fair.)) and much longer - the Champlain Valley Fair was a Vermont mainstay: bringing education and entertainment to 120,000 guests or more at the end of each August. Until 2020 - when the coronavirus cost Curt, a food vendor, a lot of business and ruined so many things we enjoy. ((JACK THURSTON: Culturally, what was lost when the fair had to be canceled? CURT ECHO: 52:09: you don't see the people, it's kind of the atmosphere.)) This week, Governor Phil Scott announcing the strong uptake of the Covid vaccines here is letting him lift all capacity limits on Vermont events by July Fourth - though virus mitigation steps will stick around. And that may just have been a lifeline for the Champlain Valley Expo, which hosts the Fair and many other events. ((JEFF BARTLEY / Champlain Valley Expo: 41:27: we are a nonprofit.)) The Expo's Jeff Bartley telling us the finances of the 130- acre campus some years end up barely in the black... surviving 2020 only thanks to federal rescue funds and good relationships with lenders. So 2021 could've been bleak - maybe even the end of the road for the facility as we know it - if it weren't for that good news on capacity limits. ((JEFF BARTLEY / Champlain Valley Expo: 39:24: having the Fair back means CVE is going to survive. 42:44: if we go away or we start having to sell space, that could be pretty devastating for the community.)) Already, he says event promoters are calling to secure space here - now that they have time to plan and confidence gatherings will be allowed... ...All sparking optimism for critical cash flow - because the Expo says revenue from hosting vaccine clinics isn't covering debt or capital costs. ((Nats drilling)) That new path to reopening - also meaning Chris Farley could come in to spruce up long- dormant facilities. ((CHRIS FARLEY / Contractor: 46:52: there's a lot of work to prepare.)) Curt Echo's relieved the future of the Expo now looks more secure. ((CURT ECHO / Fair Vendor: 53:52: I can't imagine the area not having a fair. And that got a little scary thinking "maybe these things don't come back" but having it come back is exciting.)) And he's confident pent-up demand to get out of the house- means the 99th Champlain Valley Fair and other events now in the works will finally, finally have the area feeling normal again. ((CURT ECHO / Fair Vendor: 57:02: normal would be