Discover the Heart of Cape Vincent

 The Village Green is now open for use to accommodate anyone who would like to host a private or public function on the Green. If you are interested in renting the space please review our Village Green Use Policy & Permit Application here. An officer of the Village Green Board will contact you to discuss a contract.

Village Green General Rules

Carry It In – Carry It Out

Please leave the Village Green neater and cleaner than you found it.

No driving or parking on the Village Green is allowed without an approved Use Permit.

No grilling or other food preparation equipment or tents/shelters may be set up without a Use Permit.

No digging; cutting or breaking foliage; movement or misuse of benches, displays, or the performance platform; or otherwise causing damage to the Village Green premises are permitted.

Pets are welcome, but owners must clean up after them. Please keep pets out of flowerbeds.

Activities should be conducted so as to preserve the peace and quiet of the area and quality of life of nearby residents and property owners.

 The Cape Vincent Village Green was founded in 1997 as a private, not-for-profit community project. Bounded by Upper James Street to the west, Gouvello Street to the north, Esselstyne Street to the east, and Broadway to the south, the land that is now the Village Green is believed to have been the site of United States military barracks during the early part of the 19th Century, during the War of 1812 era. Later on, as the threat of invasion from the North receded, the land was developed with both residential and commercial structures, including the Cape Motel, which provided accommodations to tourists and fishermen for much of the 20th Century. By the 1980's, however, with the railroad that once reached Cape Vincent having shut down thirty years earlier, and with the village's tourism and hospitality commerce flagging, all structures on the site had fallen into disrepair and been demolished, leaving an empty lot begging for a facelift. Although it was used a few times a summer for events like the Annual French Festival, the land was for-sale, under-utilized, and it had become, for many, an eyesore that cried out for attention.

In the early 1990's, the plot of land was identified by a Local Waterfront Revitalization committee as a potential hub for re-development of the commercial and waterfront districts in the Village. With a corner of the lot adjacent to the publicly maintained "Village Dock," and several hundred feet fronting on Broadway, a "Village Green" on this site was seen as a linchpin to revitalization, providing a shortcut from the main drag to the waterfront and preserving sightlines towards the St. Lawrence River. When the LWR plan was shelved, with the lot precariously available for purchase to the highest bidder, a small group of concerned citizens formed an ad-hoc committee to keep the dream of “The Green” alive. Their goal was to purchase the lot, develop it, and place it into a trust that would preserve it forever as a green space for relaxation, recreation, and special events. By the summer of 1996, a plan had been hatched.

Thanks to the generous donations of a large number of local residents, most notably Dorothy Aubrey, who resided for many years across the street from the lot, the Green was purchased in 1997 by a newly formed not-for-profit organization, Cape Vincent Village Green Inc. {CVVG}. Through a partnership with the Thousand Islands Land Trust, which provided temporary funding and stewardship, the Green was cleaned up, leveled, and officially opened for business in the summer of 1997. Subsequent landscaping, tree and shrubbery plantings, and the addition of a performance platform led to the evolution of the community asset that the Cape Vincent Green has become in the 21st Century: a place where residents and tourists, cyclists and boaters, picnickers and musicians all congregate throughout the year. Today the Green hosts a variety of annual events, including the War of 1812 Reenactment, the Cape Vincent Waterfront Concert Series, an annual Auto Show, Oktoberfest, and, of course, the regionally famous French Festival. Welcome to the heart of Cape Vincent!