All Sports, Recreation and Fitness Show in Essex Junction on Oct. 20-21
ESSEX JUNCTION, Vt. – All Sports, Recreation and Fitness Expo, presented by MVP Health Care, is a new, two-day event that puts four seasons of fun under one roof at Champlain Valley Exposition on Oct. 20-21.
Visitors can check out the USA Luge starter track traveling demonstration run, an obstacle course for kids, indoor soccer field, plastic ice rink for hockey demonstrations, dog agility shows, get autographs and meet the Frost Heaves basketball players, scale the climbing walls and relax in the Creative Sound/MR Satellite All Sports Beer and Wine Garden featuring six giant HD-TV screens showing all the weekend’s live sporting events. That’s just a sampling of the displays, exhibits and opportunities at the show.
“There’s something for everyone whether you are a runner, skier, kayaker, healthy eater, youth sports coach or sidelines supporter. All Sports, Recreation and Fitness Expo is designed to highlight and focus on Vermont’s recreational, sports and outdoor lifestyles enjoyed by so many people in Vermont, upstate New York and New England,” according to Tom Oddy, Director of Special Events at CVE.
Hours are Saturday, Oct. 20, 9 am to 5 pm and Sunday, Oct. 21, 9 am to 4 pm. Admission is $8 for adults, $5 for kids ages 5-12 and free for kids under age 5. A discount admission coupon, offering a $2 discount on adult admission (courtesy of MVP Health Care), is available online at http://www.cvexpo.org/.
“We have dozens of demonstrations, seminars and hands-on activities that will let people to try something new or learn advanced techniques from experts in the field,” Oddy said. “Whether it is participating, watching or supporting these activities - recreation, sports and fitness enthusiasts will find something of interest.”
A sampling of the Expo’s seminars and demonstrations include:
· Ice hockey demos by the Green Mountain Glades.
· Talk on preventing sports and running injuries by Vermont Sports Magazine
· Developing Sportsmanship in Youth Sports talk by Shelby L. Hinkle Smith of University of Vermont.
· Body Weight conditioning by RehabGYM
· Soccer skills demos by Far Post Soccer
· A presentation on “Sixth Graders and Sled Dogs” by Ed Blechner who runs a hands-on winter program for students at Hunt Middle School.
The full schedule of events, which run from 9 am to 4 pm both days is available at http://www.cvexpo.org/ or in the October issue of Vermont Sports Magazine (http://www.vtsports.com/) available at multiple locations in the region.
Other weekend highlights include:
Northern Magic Agility Dogs (NOMAD) with a Show & Go presentation showcasing 20 dogs and their owners on a regulation size agility course for three shows daily.
Body Pump, a 60-minute weight training program each day at 1 pm that teaches participants how to challenge all major muscle groups by using weight room exercises, presented by Kim Graham of Sports and Fitness Edge.
The Ultimate Winter Challenge: 300 miles on the Catamount Trail, presented by Jim Fredericks, director of the Catamount Trail Association, who will describe how to navigate the cross-country skiing trail and use it for winter recreation.
Exercise Specificity: Am I Doing the Right Exercise for What I Need? Presented by Declan Connolly, a professor of exercise physiology and kinesiology at the University of Vermont.
Other topics for seminars and demos include Jazzercise, Pilates yoga, Lake Monsters speed pitch booth, Back to Golf swing evaluations, ways to get your kids involved in recreational sports, and tips on creating a healthy nutrition and exercise program. The Red Cross will be at the show holding a blood drive both days. All seminars and demonstrations are included in the admission. All times and sessions are subject to change.
“This is truly a show for the whole family – golf for dad, yoga for mom, extreme sports for teens, and team and individual sports for younger kids. We will have the full spectrum of sports, recreation and fitness activities,” Shawn Quinn, assistant director of special events said.
Along with the benefits to those who attend, representatives from all the sponsor and partner organizations say an event like this will benefit the community at large and Vermont’s economy.
“Tourism, especially related to outdoor recreation and sports, is one of Vermont’s strong economic engines and it runs on clean, wholesome fun. This event at CVE encapsulates all those ideas and we think over time it will help attract new visitors to Vermont and the Lake Champlain region,” said Tom Torti, president of the Lake Champlain Regional Chamber of Commerce.
The timing of the show at the Exposition in late October - just after the peak fall foliage tourism season - is positioned strategically to provide an economic boost for retailers, hotels, resorts, fitness facilities and indoor sports facilities for hockey, basketball and soccer, says Dave Hakins, executive director of the Vermont Convention Bureau.
Jeff Bushey, chair of the Vermont Sports Council, hopes the show will also help attract out-of-state sports events, tournaments and sports enthusiasts to Vermont. “This educational event will help us showcase the state attract and host the events in Vermont,” he said. The impact of sports and recreation on the region’s economy will be the topic of the Burlington Business Association’s Annual Business Summit in January, according to Nancy Wood, executive director of the BBA.
All Sports, Recreation and Fitness Expo is endorsed by the Lake Champlain Regional Chamber of Commerce, Vermont Convention Bureau and the Vermont Sports & Events Council. Other sponsors include Vermont Outdoor Guide Association, Green Mountain Glades, Vermont Sports Magazine, The Soccer Centre at CVE (Nordic Soccer Club and Far Post Soccer Club) JMM and Associates, Smugglers’ Notch Resort, The Burlington Free Press, 104.7 FM The Point, WPTZ Channel 5 and ESPN Radio.
For more information about the All Sports, Recreation and Fitness Expo contact CVE Director of Special Events Tom Oddy at (802) 878-5545 or toddy@cvfair.com or Assistant Director of Special Events Shawn Quinn at squinn@cvfair.com
