Strolling of the Heifers

Probably Brattleboro’s biggest summer festival, Strolling of the Heifers is one of the things that made us want to move here. It’s not the Running of the Bulls, and it’s decidedly not focused on some martial holiday. Instead, it’s a celebration of spring, of the agricultural roots that still nourish the area, and of everything that small towns have to offer.

In some ways, it felt a little like being in a UU church service. If you just walk in to a UU church, you might easily think you were in any other Protestant denomination. The order of service is roughly the same, even the hymn tunes are familiar. It’s only when you listen to the words that you realize something’s different. That’s how this was… marching bands, the American Legion, a couple of elected officials, 4H, etc., just like any other small town parade. What’s different, though, is that the post-parade expo was full of tofu and solar panels (along with BBQ and more traditional exhibits). The alpacas wore mardi gras beads, and the Co-op synchronized shopping cart brigade performed without a trace of irony…

What else was different from the typical parade was the weather. It rained steadily and stayed chilly, and the poor paraders ranged from brave to miserable. Like the spectators…

It was great to be able to walk to and from the parade route (like less than a block), and it was great to go to the post-parade expo on the grounds of the Retreat, and see everything, and be back by noon…