By VDC staff

Vermont’s first-ever Navy Week will bring sailors, military musicians, precision drill teams, patrol boats, naval history programs and business outreach to the Burlington area Aug. 24-30, with activities stretching from the Burlington waterfront to Vergennes and the Champlain Valley Fair in Essex Junction.

The week will give Vermonters a rare up-close look at the U.S. Navy in a state without a major Navy installation. Sailors associated with the nuclear-powered attack submarine USS Montpelier and civilian mariners from the USNS Burlington are among those expected to participate.

Activities begin Monday, Aug. 24, including programming at the Lake Champlain Maritime Museum in Vergennes. The museum opens its Navy Week activities at 10 AM, with a free museum tour scheduled from 10:30-11:30 AM.

Navy activities move prominently onto the Burlington waterfront Tuesday, Aug. 25, with a waterfront exhibition scheduled from noon to 5:30 PM in the ECHO Leahy Center and waterfront area.

The Navy Ceremonial Guard Drill Team, known for precision military drill performances, will be among the units appearing during Navy Week. Navy Band Northeast’s Jack Tar Brass ensemble also will give public performances.

One of the week’s major non-entertainment events comes Wednesday, Aug. 26, when Vermont businesses will have an opportunity to learn how to become Navy contractors.

“Doing Business with the Navy and Marine Corps” is scheduled from 8:30 AM to 1 PM at Main Street Landing in Burlington. The free workshop includes a networking lunch and presentations from the Department of the Navy Office of Small Business Programs, Naval Sea Systems Command, the Submarine Industrial Base and Naval Facilities Engineering Systems Command.

Topics will include Navy procurement opportunities and programs designed to help small businesses compete for military contracts.

The Lake Champlain Maritime Museum will offer another free tour at 10:30 AM Wednesday. At 6 PM, the museum will present “Deep Dives: The Howell Torpedo,” a free program examining the historic Howell torpedo and its connection to naval history and archaeology.

Northeast’s Jack Tar Brass also is scheduled for 6 PM Wednesday as part of Navy Week activities.

On Thursday, Aug. 27, Navy outreach will continue in Burlington, including activities around downtown and Church Street. The Lake Champlain Maritime Museum will offer a Shipwreck Tour beginning at 10:30 AM. The boat tour takes visitors to historic Lake Champlain shipwreck locations and includes underwater imagery and interpretation from museum experts. Admission for that tour is normally $25-$45.

Navy Week expands into Essex Junction on Friday, Aug. 28, with the opening of the Champlain Valley Fair. Navy exhibits at the fair are scheduled from noon to 9 PM Friday, with a Navy Week kickoff concert scheduled for noon.

Friday also includes more activities at the Lake Champlain Maritime Museum. A free museum tour begins at 10:30 AM, followed at 11 AM by a Navy Week children’s storytime featuring Commander Bond, a PTSD service dog. The program is free and is geared primarily toward children age 5 and younger.

One of the more visible attractions of Navy Week will be a 34-foot Sea Ark harbor patrol boat operated by Maritime Security Squadron 8.

The unit is scheduled to provide displays, tours and tactical demonstrations during the week, giving the public a look at equipment and techniques used by the Navy for maritime security. Patrol-boat activities are expected on Lake Champlain and along the Burlington waterfront, including Friday.

Navy Week continues at the Champlain Valley Fair Saturday, Aug. 29, with Navy exhibits scheduled from 10 AM to 9 PM.

The fair will provide opportunities to meet sailors and learn about Navy careers and operations. Participating organizations are expected to include the U.S. Naval Academy, Navy medicine and recruiting personnel, Naval History and Heritage Command and other Navy units.

Navy displays at the fair continue from 10 AM to 9 PM Sunday, Aug. 30, the final official day of Burlington Navy Week.

The Navy presence will continue for one more day, however. On Monday, Aug. 31, Navy Band Northeast’s Rhode Island Sound rock and popular-music ensemble is scheduled to perform at the Champlain Valley Fair as part of Military Appreciation Day.

Other Navy Week activities will be held around Waterfront Park, the Burlington Community Boathouse, ECHO Leahy Center, Church Street Marketplace and downtown Burlington.

Naval History and Heritage Command archaeologists will participate in historical programming, along with representatives connected with USS Constitution, “Old Ironsides,” the world’s oldest commissioned warship still afloat.

Navy meteorologists also are expected to participate in STEM activities and make guest weather forecasts, while Naval Academy representatives and Navy medical personnel will take part in educational and career outreach.

Rear Adm. Brett W. Mietus, commander of Joint Region Marianas, is scheduled to participate in meetings with Vermont community leaders. Chief Warrant Officer Jason T. Senecal, identified by the Navy as a hometown sailor from Essex Junction, also is expected to participate.

Burlington is one of the communities selected for the Navy Week program, which was created to bring sailors and Navy activities to areas of the country that do not normally have a large Navy presence. The program began in 2005 and has since reached more than 100 U.S. markets.