FVVA Holds Annual Meeting, Presents "EF-VEE" Awards

AVON, CT, September 16, 2015 — The Farmington Valley Visitors Association (FVVA) held its Annual Meeting in the spacious converted greenhouse at Farmington Gardens with an attendance of 30 members and guests, all of whom enjoyed delicious food, refreshing drinks and comfortable camaraderie in the beautiful surroundings.

Highlights of the evening included the presentation of this year’s EF-VEE “2015 Best of the Valley” Awards to 21 recipients, and the announcement of an exciting new FVVA program, “Farmington Valley Discovery Tours: Fall Family Fun.”

For the 2nd Annual EF-VEE Awards, an online/phone-in survey comprising 19 categories, the group received over 200 responses, resulting in 21 winners (with two ties). Nominees include FVVA member businesses from 8 valley towns, offering the Association’s members a chance to shine among their Valley supporters and to gain exposure among Valley newcomers. Awards this year were as follows: Best Lodging, The Simsbury Inn; Best Outdoor Adventure, Heublein Tower; Best Golf Course, Simsbury Farms; Best Children’s Activities, Farmington Miniature Golf & Ice Cream Parlor, and Roaring Brook Nature Center (tie); Best Historic Site/Museum, Hill-Stead Museum; Best Event Facilities/Catering, Millwright’s Restaurant & 1680 Tavern; Best Antiques, Antiques on the Farmington; Best Pizza, Little City Pizza Co.; Best Coffee/Snack/Treat, La Salle Market, and The Coffee Trade (tie); Best Grocery/Specialty Foods, Fitzgerald’s Foods; Best Casual Dining, Max-a-Mia; Best Finer Dining, Abigails Grille & Wine Bar; Best Ice Cream, Tulmeadow Farm Store & Ice Cream; Best Local Farm, Flamig Farm; Best Shopping Area, The Shoppes at Farmington Valley; Best Financial Planning, Robert Hensley & Associates, LLC; Best Real Estate/Mortgage Services, Coldwell Banker; Best Boutique/Specialty Shop, The Spirited Hand; Best Beauty, Health & Wellness, The Hair Loft of Avon. Voters were also encouraged to suggest businesses that were not included in the list – so for organizations looking to increase exposure, inquire about becoming an FVVA member!

Along with the awards presentation, guests were treated to an announcement of an exciting new FVVA program, “Farmington Valley Discovery Tours: Fall Family Fun.” The Farmington Valley Discovery Tours program was designed as a way to showcase FVVA member businesses in seasonal themes, in a ‘passport’ format. Fall Family Fun is the first theme, and will include seven participating organizations offering family fun: The Bicycle Cellar (Simsbury); Cake Gypsy (Avon and Canton locations); Farmington Miniature Golf & Ice Cream; Flamig Farm (W. Simsbury); New England Air Museum (Windsor Locks); Roaring Brook Nature Center (Canton); and Tulmeadow Farm Store & Ice Cream (W. Simsbury). Patrons are encouraged to visit and experience at least five of the participating businesses between 9/17/2015 and 11/1/2015, where they will collect a colored wristband before they leave. Once they have collected at least five different colored wristbands, they will drop them off at a designation location and fill out a brief form to be eligible to win two tickets to a UCONN Women’s Basketball game. The drawing will be held November 1, 2015. For details on drop-off and drawing locations, please visit http://www.fvva.com/temppages/discovery_tours.html or call 860-676-8878. All participating businesses, as well as the FVVA office, will have informational flyers for people to take. Information about the program is also available on the website.

Finally, to top off the festivities, drawings were held for the member and non-member survey prizes: two lucky survey respondents were chosen, one member and one non-member, each of whom received 4 tickets to the 8th annual hair-raising, fiendishly fun Haunted Miniature Golf Fundraiser at the Farmington Miniature Golf & Ice Cream Parlor, running October 22-25 and 29-November 1, 2015. See http://www.fvva.com/temppages/golfbenefit.shtml for details.

About FVVA: The Farmington Valley Visitors Association is a non-profit corporation whose mission is to promote the eight towns of the Farmington Valley by serving as a resource and information center for residents and individuals or businesses relocating to the area, and by enticing visitors to experience all that the valley has to offer. Founded in 1994 by a group of private sector businesses and the towns of Avon, Canton, Farmington, and Simsbury, the FVVA has strengthened the local economy by packaging and promoting the valley as a destination for visitors. In the last twenty years, FVVA has grown to encompass Granby, East Granby, New Hartford and Burlington, and has been a resource for residents and for those wishing to relocate to the valley. Its members include the area towns, historic sites, recreational sites, farms, lodging, shopping malls, restaurants, and many other professional and specialty businesses. The organization’s signature annual Haunted Miniature Golf fundraiser at the Farmington Miniature Golf & Ice Cream Parlor draws thousands of people statewide to the valley each October (10/22-25 and 10/29-11/1/2015). FVVA’s Historic Sites group presents fascinating lectures and bus tours featuring one-room schoolhouses, working farms, historic taverns and more. Every year, FVVA publishes its Guide to the Farmington Valley, distributing 50,000 copies throughout the valley, the state of Connecticut and beyond, including 9 foreign countries in 2014. For more information, visit www.fvva.com or find us on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/FarmingtonValleyVA.

For information on membership, sponsorship or advertising, please call 860.676.8878 or email fvva@snet.net.

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Photo caption: Winners of the 2015 “EF-VEE Best of the Farmington Valley” Awards accept their certificates at Farmington Valley Visitors Association’s Annual Meeting September 16 at Farmington Gardens. Pictured left to right are representatives from The Shoppes at Farmington Valley; The Coffee Trade; Antiques on the Farmington; Flamig Farm; The Spirited Hand; Robert Hensley & Associates, LLC; and Farmington Miniature Golf & Ice Cream Parlor.