The inaugural Dine and Ride to the Vermont Symphony Orchestra (VSO) was deemed a success by the 20 or so Island residents who participated in the Island Arts program on Saturday, October 24th!

“We looked a bit like rock stars arriving at the Flynn in a huge white bus,” said Frank Edmonds of Alburgh, who originally came up with the idea of making VSO concerts easier to attend for Island residents.

Adding to the festivity of the evening, the North Hero House and the Blue Paddle Bistro offered special dinner packages to program participants.  “Both restaurants have been very supportive of the program; the menu selections were wonderful and reasonably priced and the service impeccable, as always,: said Island Arts President Katya Wilcox, “We finished our meal and boarded the bus right on schedule,” she added.  Jeannie Peterson concurred, “The bus made the evening flawless; no worries about traffic, arriving on time or finding a parking spot.  And we left our coats and any other carry-ons right on the bus.  After the concert, the bus pulled up and we just hopped on for the ride home.”

Not all of the “riders” dined out first.  Several simply arrived at the two pick-up points: North Hero House at 7 pm and the Blue Paddle Bistro at 7:15 pm.

The “Dine and Ride to the VSO” program continues through the next four VSO programs, all part of the Masterworks Series.

The next event is scheduled for Saturday, December 5 when Anthony Princiotti will conduct the orchestra in Respighi’s Trittico Botticelliano, Brahms Symphony No. 3 and Tchaikovsky’s Symphony No.2.

The cost of the VSO concert discounted tickets and the roundtrip bus ride is $56 (VSO $36 and bus $20).  Reservations and payment (through PayPal) can be made through the Island Arts website under Events or by calling Frank Edmonds at 796-4368.

The bus schedule remains the same leaving the North Hero House at 7:00 pm and the Blue Paddle Bistro at 7:15 pm.  Dinner reservations must be made separately by calling the individual restaurants (North Hero House at 372-4732 or Blue Paddle at 372-4814) but participants need not take advantage of the early dinner part of the program and need only make reservations for the concert and bus.

Additional “Dine and Ride to the VSO” tickets are currently available for scheduled Saturday concerts on January 30, March 20 and May 1, 2010.

Island Arts and Flynn Center Collaboration

Members of the Island Arts Board of Directors celebrated the organization's new collaboration with the Flynn Center for the Performing Arts while honoring the Flynn's retiring Executive Director, Andrea Rogers.

(Lf. to Rt) Jeannie Peterson, Asst. Secretary, Katya Wilcox, President, Christina Weaklane, Dir. Of Education at the Flynn Center, Andrea Rogers, Ex. Director, Flynn Center, and George Fowler, Treasurer of Island Arts.

For more information about the Jazz Combo Program, please call Island Arts Academy at 802-318-6229 or Mr. Pietricola at 372-5363.