Strolling of the Heifers Parade
05-30-2008
Southern Vermont Town Known Nationally for Quirks Ranging from Resolutions to Arrest Bush/Cheney to Nudists on Main Street, Hosts Moo-nique Parade & Festival; New Event Twists Include Live Green! Expo and Miss VerMOOOOnt Beauty Pageant Emceed by Joan Rivers Look-A-Like
Brattleboro, Vermont –Some remember southern Vermont best for its cascade of maple leaf color in the fall or it popular ski resorts (Mount Snow and Stratton) in the winter. And who could forget the Green Mountain State’s world famous maple sugar or best known ambassadors – the founders of Ben & Jerry’s ice cream? Thanks to national media coverage over the past year, southern Vermont now also has become known as the land of maverick or quirky behavior. It all depends – politically -- on how you see it. With everything from nudists making periodic appearances in downtown Brattleboro (pop. 13,000) on Main Street to proposed resolutions to arrest President Bush and Vice President Cheney if they set foot in this small town, Brattleboro has become known as a place that’s chock full of surprises.
Then along comes the annual Strolling of the Heifers Parade during the first weekend in June, which is National Dairy Month. On Saturday, June 7th, at 10 am 100 baby cows will begin strolling up Main Street and turn small town USA into Cattleboro USA for the seventh year in a row. Every year, Vermont’s light-hearted version of Spain’s Running of the Bulls, gets bigger and better. More people (40,000 spectators in 2007) come to set up their lawn chairs along Main Street and enjoy a simple, all American pleasure -- a good parade. The Strolling of the Heifers is special because it captures the essence of this pristine, green gem of a state. Farmers and 4H-Club members proudly lead their heifers (female cows under age 2 that have never been bred or milked) up Main Street with flower garlands and their names lovingly laced around their necks. They are followed by nationally recognized entertainment. The whole point of the light-hearted, agricultural celebration is to draw attention to a serious issue – the rapid disappearance of family-owned farms all across Vermont and America. This Top Ten Vermont Summer Event, so named by the Vermont Chamber of Commerce for six years straight, raises public awareness regarding this troubling trend. The parade and the Dairy Fest that follows also raise money to fund educational projects that link local farmers and youth in hands-on agricultural learning experiences. Over the past seven years, the Stroll has donated over $125,000 to such projects.
This year the theme of the Strolling of the Heifers Parade & Festival is Live Green! Fittingly, many of the parade floats and weekend activities will focus on simple steps everyone can take to protect the environment. After the parade, the Dairy Fest & Market Place (11:00 am – 3:00 pm, Retreat Healthcare’s grounds) will offer entertainment, free samples and activities that echo the event’s environmental message. There also will be a Children’s Entertainment Tent, Best Chefs of Vermont Pavilion, Retreat Petting Farm, Fiddlers Tent and Vermont Cheese Pavilion.
Two brand new event highlights this year will be the Miss VerMOOOOnt Beauty Pageant, sponsored by Aubuchon Hardware (The Brattleboro Common), and Livestock Children Literature Tent (Retreat Healthcare’s grounds), sponsored by Hood. Emceed by Joan Rivers look-a-like actress Nan Mann, the beauty tongue-in-cheek beauty contest will be judged by a celebrity panel of judges, including Vermont’s Commissioner of Agriculture, Roger Allbee and William Aubuchon III.. The “Most Beautiful Heifer” will stroll down the red carpet surrounded by the paparazzi and throngs of fans. Awards also will be given for “Most Congenial Heifer” and a surprise category. Prizes, donated by Aubuchon Hardware will be awarded to all final contestants.
The idea of the beauty contest is to put the spotlight back on the icons – the heifers and the dairy farms -- the nonprofit organization (Strolling of the Heifers) was founded seven years ago to protect.
The beauty pageant will be followed by the always popular Celebrity Milking Contest. Bernie Sanders, a veteran who hasn’t missed one contest in seven years, will be joined by several other luminaries who will give him a run for the money. Hood’s Livestock will be rockin’ with book-related activities for kids, including performances, readings, drawing lessons, and treasure hunts. Nationally acclaimed book authors and illustrators, Scott Nash, David Elliott, Jarrett J. Krosoczka, Suzy Becker, Lori Korcheck and Marshall Taylor will be on hand to read to and greet their fans.
The Live Green! Expo, sponsored by Aubuchon Hardware, (on The Common) will feature roughly 30 exhibits. In addition to fuel efficient cars like Toyota hybrids and the Prius, there also will be booths with information on ways to live clean and eat green.
It all begins on Friday, June 6, with the Gallery Walk Night Reception for Local Agricultural Women (5:30 – 7:15 pm, Robert H. Gibson River Garden, Main Street),
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