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As I mentioned in a previous article, I have big plans for this summer! I'm planning to go to many of the wonderful events and attractions througout the state, and I'm here to tell you how it went!
The first event I went to this summer was the 2019 Strolling of the Heifers parade in Brattleboro, VT. Unfortunately, my husband had to work, but my 5 year old daughter and I still had fun! We were fortunate to have wonderful weather all weekend, with beautiful blue skies. I'd wanted to go to this parade for several years and just never "got around to it" - until now!
"... inspired by Spain’s Running of the Bulls, the Stroll is just the opposite: a parade of friendly, ambling heifer calves, groomed to the nines, colorfully bedecked with hats and flowers, and led by future farmers from area schools and 4H club members."
We parked near the Retreat Farm just down the road, and we made it to the parade route with plenty of time to find a nice shady spot under a tree. Each year, the Strolling of the Heifers chooses a theme for their parade. Last year, it was "Star Wars" and many of the cows and their handlers dressed in various characters from the movies. This year, the theme was "Heifers Are Our Heroes" and everyone was dressed as superheros!
After the parade, we browsed the Common to see everything in the tents, and I have to say, I was impressed by how much there was to see and do! I honestly didn't realize how big of an event this is - there were so many vendors! We played some games, we ate ice cream (from Kingdom Creamery in East Hardwick, VT), and enjoyed some wood fired pizza & fresh lemonade. We also sat and watched a couple performances at the big gazebo in the middle of everything. There were a few tents for face painting, and a lot of food trucks (Tacos, Pizza, BBQ, and traditional "fair" food like cotton candy, popcorn, and funnel cake, etc).
There were also a few cows on the Common, under the trees, and people were allowed to pet them and take pictures with them. My daughter loved seeing the cows and we even bought a "Strolling of the Heifers" cow bell and a stuffed cow toy to take home (among other things).
With so many people there and having a small, young child, I was a little concerned of "losing" my daughter, so it was a little difficult to really "shop" at all the wonderful tents. But that's ok, we'll know what to expect next time. Overall, we had a TON of fun, and plan to return next year!
