Rain or shine, Waterbury revels in its Not Quite Independence Day tradition
June 28, 2023 | By Lisa Scagliotti
Fireworks light up the sky in a relatively quiet downtown Waterbury on Sunday night. Photo by Gordon Miller
Editor’s note: Special thanks to contributors Sarah Milligan, Gwenna Peters and Tori Taravella for adding to the NQID photo galleries alongside shots from photographer Gordon Miller and reporter Lisa Scagliotti. Read a message from Gwenna Peters, outgoing president of Waterbury Rotary Club, in the Opinion section.
The recent spell of soggy weather didn’t let up for Saturday’s Not Quite Independence Day celebration in Waterbury, but Waterbury Rotary Club organizers and spectators partied on with raingear, some extra pop-up tents, and good nature. The crowd was thinner than usual along Main Street as people placed their folding chairs along sidewalks before the festivities began. Some improvised by putting tents overhead for cover. Others just relied on umbrellas and rain jackets.
Runners signed up for the 14th Green Mountain Mile foot race didn’t balk at the conditions. Dozens of participants ranging from age 4 to 72 laced up their running shoes for the quick race from the Ice Center to Stowe Street. Kyle Fleury made it in 4:53.6, crossing the finish line first followed by Robby Kelley and Ethan Swain. Eleven-year-old Gigi Graves was the top female runner crossing in fifth place in 6:10.1.
Spectators come prepared for the NQID parade with rain gear. Photo by Gordon Miller
Showers tapered off for the parade itself. Shorter than usual, it was missing musical entries — some bands bowed out given the weather — and in an off year for elections, politicians were in short supply. Still, groups managed to keep some candy supplies dry to pass out lollipops and even popsicles along the route. Darn Tough’s group carried socks in bags to hand out rather than tossing them to land on wet pavement.
NQID parade judges left to right: WDEV’s Brady Farkas, state Rep. Theresa Wood and NQID theme contest winner Lisa Sholk. Photo courtesy Tori Taravella
Parade prize winners
Judging the parade entries from a covered porch on South Main Street were Rotarian and state Rep. Theresa Wood, WDEV Radio host Brady Farkas, and Waterbury resident Lisa Sholk whose entry in the theme contest was chosen this year. They bestowed honors on six groups for their presentations in the parade. All come with bragging rights and a certificate. The Best Overall winner receives a trophy that they keep until NQID 2024.
Click to enlarge the photos of the winners below.
Green Mountain Mile
The Green Mountain Mile starts 15 min. before the parade and as usual, it attracted multiple families who ran together with perhaps a touch of sibling rivalry. A supportive crowd cheered them on until the last runners made it to the top of Bank Hill — 4-year-old Macy LaRocca’s burst of energy at Elm Street fueled her ending sprint with dad, Matt, at her side. Organizers Tom Thurston, Tom Strasser and Ed Ziedens tracked the 111 finishers’ times and posted them online at webscorer.com.
The field was less-crowded than usual this year, Thurston said. The race usually sees 150-200 runners sign up, sometimes even more. Proceeds from registration fees support the cross country ski program at Brookside Primary School to buy equipment and groom downtown trails in the winter.
Click to enlarge the images below
NQID Parade
Party in the park
Following the parade, the party in the park drew a crowd for food, music by The Hitmen in the band shell and multiple games for little ones.
NQID Day 2: Fireworks
Fireworks were postponed until Sunday evening. A modest but appreciative crowd brought chairs and blankets to the State Office Complex lawn to watch the lightshow.
Photographer Gordon Miller captured the sights from Stowe Street.
And at the State Office Complex
Photos by Lisa Scagliotti
NQID video extras
Watch a few video highlights from NQID below or on our YouTube channel:
Green Mountain Performing Arts dancers in the parade
A young runner stops to tie a shoe in the Green Mountain Mile, then passes off the competition
The fireworks finale at the State Office Complex
Videos by Lisa Scagliotti