Country Christmas Planning

The Mad River Valley Chamber of Commerce and the retail business community have been  working together to re-imagine the traditional Country Christmas celebration for today’s  realities. As we started last year, we look at this initiative as a season-long retail initiative coupled with our on-going buy local campaign.

There is a new Country Christmas web page that we can drive with email marketing, public relations and via our social media platforms. It will also enable our business community to leverage value with paid advertising opportunities.

These are the kinds of events that folks generally have planned anyway such as visits by Santa, gingerbread house competitions, caroling, sidewalk sales, Small Business Saturday and the like. The goal is to encourage innovation and celebrate  all the things amazing things going on in every “neighborhood” in the MRV; Warren Village, Mad River Green, Village Square, Middlesex/Camp Mead and the mountains. By having Country Christmas as a framework that can be promoted collectively, event organizers can focus on developing the event, encouraging customer traffic and engaging in commerce. We also hope it will spur cooperation in coordinating events and activities in each of the “neighborhoods”.

So how can your business get involved?

• Let us know what events you have planned so they can be added into the mix.
• Work with the folks in your “neighborhood” to coordinate events that will draw traffic.
• Share Country Christmas with your customers through your social media channels.
• Use the #countrychristmasmrv and #shopmrv hashtags.
• Use the Mad River Valley logo and Country Christmas in your holiday advertising.
• Let us know if you are interested in participating in print and/or radio cooperative advertising programs.  If there is interest we can coordinate this effort. Potential ideas include print and digital advertising with the Valley Reporter and Seven Days as well as radio spots on WDEV/Radio Vermont and The Point. Don’t forget that when you ask folks to “buy local” it is vital that we also “buy local” when we think about advertising our businesses.

As you can see below there is already a solid foundation of activities and events. Here is a VERY rough draft of what is already on tap, these will all include direct links to each event.

Potential Country Christmas Events

Thanksgiving Market at The Round Barn– Thanksgiving Farmer’s Market
Waitsfield United Church of Christ Holiday Merry Market
Santa Visits Mad River Green Shopping Center
Santa Visits Mad River Glen                                                                                                                                              
Mad River Chorale Holiday Concert – 7:30p – Waitsfield United Church                                                                      Moretown Artisan’s Sale – This holiday season support your community and your neighbors by shopping locally a the Moretown Elementary SchoolDecember 14  – 
Sugar Bash – Sugarbush celebrates its 62nd annual birthday party with The Funk Collection at Castlerock Pub.
Mad River Glen’s Opening Day
Valley Ski Week at Sugarbush
Festival of Lights Community Celebration
Family Gingerbread House Workshop

 #countrychristmasmrv
#shopmrv