For Immediate Release Contact: Kate Williams

For Immediate Release Contact: Kate Williams [email protected] 802-496-2285

740-Mile Historic Water Trail Family Fun Days on the Shores of Flagstaff Lake New York · Vermont · Québec New Hampshire · Maine WAITSFIELD, VT (June 19, 2007) – On June 29 - July 1, 2007, the Flagstaff Area Business Association (FABA) will host its annual Family Fun Days P.O. Box 565 Waitsfield, Vermont 05673 event. Music, food, and a parade will entertain young and old alike throughout the weekend. Featured events this year include a balloon release and a fun canoe/kayak race to mark the launch of FABA’s partnership with the Northern Forest Canoe Trail (NFCT) in the creation of a web-based Trip Planner to promote sustainable tourism in the area. Also featured at this year’s event will be a group of vintage Scotty and Teardrop camping trailers, in keeping with this year’s theme “Campfires & Canoes”. The campers will participate in the parade and then be on display to the public. There is no charge for this event.

This year’s event features live music, demonstrations, games and a BBQ on Friday evening. On Saturday, there will be a parade, a magician, car show, games and amusements for the kids and as always, great food and fireworks. On Sunday morning, there will be a breakfast, a golf tournament and an awards ceremony in addition to the canoe/kayak race.

The balloon release and canoe race will be at 10 am on Sunday, July 1 at the boat launch in Eustis. Representatives from FABA, NFCT, the towns of Stratton and Eustis, and the Maine Department of Tourism will speak briefly about the partnership venture to promote visitation to this area that is so rich in recreational and heritage opportunities. Then all who are interested will be invited to don their lifejackets, hop in their canoes or kayaks, and enjoy a fun, short paddle on Flagstaff Lake.

The web-based Trip Planner will be live at www.NorthernForestCanoeTrail.org on July 1. It includes everything from descriptions of Trail sections, to links to local services, to local weather for each Trail section. Planners hope that it will be come an indispensable tool for anyone planning a trip along the route of this regional water trail. The Flagstaff Lake area is one of the first that the Trail has worked with to populate the Trip Planner with information useful for interested visitors.

Most Family Fun Days events are free; for others there is a nominal charge to cover costs. Interested visitors are encouraged to sign up for events that interest them so that event planners can anticipate numbers and prepare accordingly. A registration form is available at both the NFCT website and the FABA website:  www.NorthernForestCanoeTrail.org  www.eustismaine.com Phone: 802.496.2285 The Flagstaff Area Business Association was created to promote the economic Fax: 802.496.9792 welfare and goals of the businesses of the Flagstaff area by providing a forum for E-mail: networking, cooperative advertising, community sponsorship, and the exchange of [email protected] ideas in order to create and maintain a vital four season resort community. Family Web: Fun Days is an opportunity for all local businesses to give something back to the www.northernforestcanoetrail.org community for the patronage and support they receive throughout the year. The Northern Forest Canoe Trail links the watersheds of northern New York, Vermont, Québec, New Hampshire, and Maine, and is a unique thread tying together the Northern Forest Region. The 740- mile trail traces historic Native American travel routes through the rivers of this region, and is a living reminder of our history, where rivers were both highways and routes of communication. Flowing with the stories of Native Americans, European settlers, and the development of mill towns and the timber industry, the Trail’s rich heritage serves as a basis for widely accessible, environmentally friendly tourism in many of the small communities along the route. To learn more about the Trail, visit www.NorthernForestCanoeTrail.org or write to P.O. Box 565 Waitsfield, Vermont 05673.