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Community Events



Welcome to Handy Toyota's
Franklin County Community Events Page

St. Albans Farmer's Market - September 24, 2011

What do you look for in your local economy?  Produce?  Nick-knacks?  Homemade quilts, potholders, blankets, or anything of the sort?

If you answered yes to anything above or if you like to support local economy - and let's face it, if you're browsing the Handy Toyota website you likely do just that - check out the Farmer's Market in lovely Taylor Park in St. Albans, VT, just across the street from Handy Toyota in fact (click here for directions to our store which is essentially Taylor Park).

At the Farmer's Market which has ran all summer long and continues through October with the last event taking place on the 22nd of the month, you can find homemade clothing, jams, salsas, fruits and veggies, jewelry, and so much more I cannot even describe it all.

The only way for you to see all the ever-changing goodies is to stop by, now through October 22, 2011.  For more on the Farmer's Market, contact our community events content writer by clicking here.  As stated above you can also click here to get directions to our store, check out some new and used cars or drop your car off for some scheduled service or car repair, and take a trip on over to the event!

Check out some pictures from the last event in September 2011 as well as some excellently patriotic wares by Norma's Creations by clicking here.

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2011 Franklin County Field Days Part I - The Demolition Derby


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2011 Franklin County Field Days' Demolition Derby

WANTED - Car, truck, SUV, and minivan drivers with nerves of steel!

The 2011 Franklin County Field Days is on route, ladies and gentlemen, and one of the main events is the annual Demolition Derby.  The Field Days board wants anyone with any experience to drive in the Derby - for pictures and video of last year's event, click here.

If you have a vehicle you'd like to enter into the handycars.com
/Bousquet's Truck Parts & Service-sponsored event, contact 859-582-3155 or 802-868-7021 for details, information, and registration.

handycars.com
and our staff will be there... will you?
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The 2nd Annual Kingman Street Klassic Antique & Classic Car Show

The 2nd annual Kingman Klassic is back and sure to be better than ever!

On July 23, 2011 from 10:00 a.m. through 3:00 p.m., come see dozens of classic cars from various owners!  The fun includes 23 trophies, participation awards for entrants, cash prizes to the winners, fun and games, an auction, food, and DJ Made in the Shade will be performing.

This family-friendly event is 100% free for onlookers and it only costs $10 for entrants who preregister ($15 on the day of the show).  For information on registering your car, whether you just want to show off your classic and/or antique car or you want to be entered for the prizes, call 802-752-8835 or email falcon65futura@gmail.com.

And remember, the event benefits Meals on Wheels, Watershed Mentoring, Franklin County Steelers, and the Rick Manahan Scholarship Fund.  Sponsors include J&L Service Station, SAL, Robbie Martell Excavating, Shooters Saloon, Hometown Beverage, Handy Toyota, Timothy S. Hawkins, and Dussault Enterprises.

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2011 Farmer's Market

Are you looking for fresh food, home made clothing, and other small business goods?  Look no further than the Farmer's Market in St. Albans, Vermont's own Taylor Park, every Saturday this summer.

From 9:00 a.m. through 2:00 p.m., stroll along the newly updated Taylor Park, complete with two new, stone-walled flower beds of various blooming, colorful flowers, the repainted Lady of the Park and gazebo, and new grass planted throughout--in general, the St. Albans Recreational Department has gone above and beyond for summer 2011.

In between your walk around the lovely park, stop along several shops owned by local vendors and farmers alike:  tie dyed shirts, knitted goods, fruits, vegetables, and all sorts of nick knacks are ripe for the plucking.

Support your local commerce by stopping by the Farmer's Market any Saturday this summer!

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The 32nd Great Race - 2011 Bay Day

One of St. Albans, VT's finest traditions relates to America's birthday.  Bay Day, nationally called the Fourth of July, not only has food, fun, and a raucous fireworks show, but it also has a local legend in the Great Race, a biathlon and triathlon.

Originally planned for the annual date of July 3rd or July 4th depending on the week, the 32nd Annual Great Race at Bay Day 2011 has been postponed until September 4, 2011 due to flooding in the area.

For more information, contact the Franklin County Regional Chamber of Commerce at 802-524-2444 or info@fcrccvt.com.

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Ilze Luneau's Playing For God

Do you enjoy music, basketball, juggling, showmanship, and/or religion?  Then be sure to join Ilze Luneau and Playing for God, and inspirational event for the whole family.  Though no religious affiliation is necessary, Ms. Luneau has spent time performing for college basketball games, the NBA, and the WNBA with her brand of skillful basketball in the vein of the Harlem Globe Trotters as she dribbles six basketballs at once and joins her performance with motivational speeches for all types of people. 

Along with Ms. Luneau's performance travels a band that performs background music and even takes center stage.  This is light rock music for all ages folks, and whether you enjoy the inspirational message within the lyrics or just like to groove in the cool summer air of Taylor Park, all are welcome to this free event.

To learn more about Playing for God, click here.
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The Farmer's Market - Taylor Park, St. Albans, VT

Do you support local business?  We know that some of you do, as many of our customers are from the St. Albans area and come to Handy's for all their car needs.  Others of you perhaps buy cars here but go out of town to do your other various types of shopping.  Don't worry--we're not judging.  St. Albans doesn't have everything after all.  But now, and for many Saturdays this summer, it does have a little bit more... variety!

It doesn't matter if you
need a tie-dyed shirts to fruits, vegetables, picture frames, and nick knacks, you can find it at the St. Albans Farmer's Market which started this past weekend in Taylor Park.


View photos from the event by clicking here.
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2011 St. Albans VT Maple Festival

The 2011 St. Albans, VT Maple Festival took place this past weekend, and if the number of folks along Main Street and just outside of Handy Toyota's front door that were braving the less than ideal weather were any indication the event pulled in hefty tax dollars, many smiles, and good times all around.

As always, the midway was in the old Federal Street Business Parking lot, just across the street from the People's Trust Company on Kingman in St. Albans, but the majority of people--at least those of us without kids or only harnessing our inner child--took part in the plethora of activities across Main Street such as musicians, magicians, and dance troupes.

For a full story on the St. Albans Maple Festival's 2011 outing, click here
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The 2010 Harvest Festival - Celebrating Vermont's Beauty

On October 23, 2010, organizer Derek Brown and several local sponsors, one of which was Handy Cars, hosted the 2010 Harvest Festival on Har'dack Hill in St. Albans, Vermont, an all-ages event of live music, snowboarding and skiing, horse-drawn carriage rides, and of course great Vermont day with some amazing foliage all around.

The main event at the 2010 Harvest Festival was a Rail Jam, which is a skiing and snowboarding competition wherein the riders slide ("grind") along a slippery metal rail ("rail") in an attempt to do tricks of all kinds:  360 degree spins, jumps, and anything else with which the participants invent on the spot.

The Harvest Festival was also a display for three local bands:  Concious Roots, Amozen, and Workingman's Army, all of whom were excellent performers.

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The Kingman Street Klassic - Free Food, Free Face Painting, Free Fun

 This past summer on July 25, 2010, organizer Kathleen Manahan and several local businesses-sponsors, including Handycars.com, put on the first annual Kingman Street Klassic, a classic automobile show for the local St. Albans denizens.

For the "first annual" Klassic, I mentioned to Kathleen Manahan that the event was nothing if not stellar.  The sheer number of folks who showed up was astounding, making the event seem as though it was in a third or fourth year.  I asked Dylan Berno, friend of several Handy Toyota employees and volunteer at the Klassic how this was obtained and he just shrugged and said plainly "well our crew and Kathy just did a great job promoting it.  We put together a webpage, hung up fliers all around town--and I hung them all over Burlington, so that really helped.  Yeah, it just came together nicely!"

Click here for more information, photos, and video from the 2010 Kingman Klassic.

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The Civil War Reenactment - Remembering the War at Home

On July 10, 2010 in Taylor Park in St. Albans, Vermont, just across Handy Toyota's store, the Civil War, one of America's saddest yet most important moments in our young history, was reenacted by a talented group of gentlemen and ladies from the 55th Virginia Infantry (Company D) and the 118th New York Infantry (Company F) Historical Reenacting Unit displayed the tragic events that took place during said War.

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The 2010 Franklin County Field Days - Handy Cars and Jack Chamberlain Put on a Show!

Thursday, July 29, 2010 through Sunday, August 1, 2010, Highgate Airport in Swanton, Vermont, just past MVU high school on Thunderbird Drive, played host to the annual Franklin County Field Days, a celebration of all that makes Franklin County great.

Demolition Derbies, Truck and Tractor Pulls, carnival rides, fair food, and games were all present in full fashion, along with countless exhibits from local companies such as Handy Toyota of St. Albans, your destination for a new Toyota or used vehicle in the Northern Vermont and greater Burlington, VT area.

Hopefully you witnessed the Handy Cars booth first hand as well as Jack Chamberlain's fantastic work in the 2010 Toyota Tundra Rock Warrior--but if not you're in luck!  Check out the Franklin County Field Days' exclusive page
as well as Handy Toyota's dedicated page for Rock Warrior-driver Jack Chamberlain.
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The 2010 CVPS Cow Power Awards - Honoring Producers, Users, and All

As you all are hopefully aware by now, Handy Toyota has taken a pledge to fight pollution and take part in sculpting a better tomorrow for our Earth.  Not only do we carry a full line of fuel efficient, eco-friendly Toyota Prius vehicles, the leader in the green-vehicle realm, but we opt to pay a slightly higher premium for a program that the Central Vermont Public Service (CVPS) power company has dubbed Cow Power.

But what is Cow Power?  Simply put, Cow Power is electricity derived from cows, something Vermont has an abundance of.  The waste that was once sitting in lagoons, necessitating expensive disposal by farmers is now used to make electricity.  What's more, this waste was giving off high levels of methane gas, a gas that is produced when organic matter decomposes, which in turn is released into the atmosphere.  Even though Vermont ranks in the lowest percentile of greenhouse gasses, the methane gas released from this waste was a substantial portion of that small percentage.  As stated, not only were the farmers responsible for the removal of this waste, they were paying premium price for sawdust to line the cows' beds.

Enter CVPS and Dave Dunn, who started a coalition of sorts named Cow Power.  The idea was to take this manure and turn it into electricity.  Methane is a highly flammable gas, and under the right circumstances, and a lot of studying, Mr. Dunn was inclined to believe that it could be used as a fuel for our lights, refrigerators, televisions--as stated, for electricity.

Click here to read more about the 2010 Cow Power Awards at Middlebury, Vermont's Farmer's Insurance Cooperative
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The 2009 Franklin County Chamber of Commerce Annual Dinner and Silent Auction - One of Handy Automotive's Crowning Achievements

The Franklin County Chamber of Commerce held it's annual Dinner and Silent Auction on Friday, May 7, 2010, which honors several businesses from the County that have made major contributions to our small community.  Members of the Handy Toyota and Handy Chevrolet team, together as Handy Cars, came in droves with the intent of celebrating our award as Business of the Year, a great honor in any community.

Click here for more media and a brief commentary on the event.
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More About St Albans, Essex, Burlington, and Franklin County VT Community Events

Handy Toyota, Vermont's first Toyota dealership established in 1971, knows one thing for certain that is just as important than any other:  we wouldn't be where we are today without the mutual support of our friends, family, customers, and business associates around our community.  That is why we are active members of the Franklin County Chamber of Commerce, interested in Franklin County High School sports, and engaged in events such as the 2010 Harvest Festival, 2009 St. Albans, Chamber of Commerce Award Banquet & Silent Auction, and much, much more!

So this re-designed page is put forth to allow our customers and general website users the option of getting to know what's happening in our neck of the woods.  Because as we said, without this small-town vibe that St. Albans and Franklin County, Vermont has in spades, Handy Toyota becomes just another dealership, and we like to think that's a large portion of what sets us apart.

For those of you who would like to post something on our Community Events Page, contact Chris Dugan at cdugan@handycars.com
, use our handy contact form by clicking here, or email our general inbox at info@dt.handycars.com.

Thanks for stopping by and we hope to see you here often!

How the New Community Events Page Works

When we started the last Community Events page at Handy Toyota, we didn't realize things would get so out of hand--yes, we completely realized it.  After a short while, the page was so large it would take an hour to load all the images and videos, and there was endless text to read through--what a pain!

To combat this issue we redesigned the page to better suit your needs.  As you'll notice below, each section is quite short and sweet; within each section, however, you'll find a link to a full page dedicated to each topic.  Here's an example:

  • We'll have a bold-faced title like this
  • Then we'll have some text and an exemplary photo or some such media, followed by a hyperlink to the full story (a link like this--but this one is only going to our home page!)
  • When you click the link, you'll see the initial blurb perhaps, but with more photos, video(s), and more story material
  • In the event of an ever-changing event, such as BFA St. Albans St. Albans' Varsity Football information, you may only get something really short like the last game's score

Let us know how you feel about the new setup.  Does it work?  Do you like this method or the former method?  We hope the effort is not in vain, but please be honest because the reversion is just a few clicks away!


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