Fireworks still on but parade, market, car show and more called off
May 16, 2020 | Lisa Scagliotti
The Not Quite Independence Day fireworks show is still planned for Saturday, June 27, at dusk from the field behind the state office complex in downtown Waterbury. Photo by Gordon Miller.
UPDATE: This story was updated May 20 with news that Montpelier’s July 3 festivities were called off.
Not Quite Independence Day will take on a whole new meaning this year in Waterbury as plans for the annual celebration have been officially scaled back.
The Waterbury Rotary Club’s Board of Directors announced Wednesday that festivities planned for Saturday, June 27, will be limited to the fireworks show at dusk.
The annual parade that closed Main Street along with the festival of food and games throughout the afternoon and evening have been technically “postponed” with a hope of rescheduling later in the year.
“We still need to celebrate our communities and freedoms in appropriate ways. Fireworks can easily be enjoyed while social distancing, so the show will go on!” wrote current Rotary President Tami Bass and President-elect Dan McKibben. “More details on the fireworks show and guidelines for safe viewing will be shared closer to the event.”
The Independence Day event joins a growing list of summertime celebrations in Waterbury and around Vermont that are being called off and postponed due to public health concerns about the COVID-19 virus.
The Not Quite Independence Day Parade won’t be held as planned for June 27. Organizers are open to rescheduling in the fall if the public health guidelines allow it to go ahead safely. Photo by Gordon Miller.
The announcement came on the heels of Monday’s word from the Waterbury Farmers Market that it has “suspended” operations for this summer. Market manager Ariel Mondlak on Monday posted on the market’s Facebook page the announcement “with heavy heart.”
It was a tough call, she said, “but ultimately we felt this was the best course of action to keep our community safe.”
Two more big local cancellations of events that are big draws from around the region: Waterbury ArtsFest organized by Revitalizing Waterbury for July 17-18, and and the Vermont Antique & Classic Car Meet organized by the Vermont Automobile Enthusiasts that was set for August.
The summer events dominoes are falling as a new season arrives but public health guidelines from the state still call for people to exercise caution against gathering in large groups to prevent the spread of the COVID-19 virus.
Decision time comes as as curve flattens
In recent days, Gov. Phil Scott in consultation with state Health Commissioner Dr. Mark Levine and other officials have eased some restrictions to permit gradual reopening of some businesses such as retail and construction, youth summer recreation programs and child care.
More industries are teed up to resume business in June such as hair salons and lodging. Yet each recommendation comes with a host of requirements to remain vigilant against sparking new outbreaks of the virus.
As of May 16, Vermont has had 934 cases of coronavirus, 53 reported deaths, and three people in hospital, according to the state health department. Medical facilities which never saw a surge are starting to return to more normal levels of patient visits, health officials report.
Meanwhile summertime is prime season for large outdoor public gatherings such as parades, farmers markets, festivals and fairs. Organizers of those not yet canceled or postponed are agonizing over whether and how to move ahead with even modified plans.
John Farr owns Farr’s Field along U.S. Route 2 in Waterbury which hosts the Waterbury Flea Market into the fall. He said he’s willing to make adjustments in the setup to allow for more space among vendors and provide handwashing stations but it’s unclear what category of businesses flea markets fall into and which regulations from the state will apply. “We haven’t gotten word yet,” he said.
While Farr holds out hope for a modified flea market, he already knows he won’t be hosting what has been the biggest tourist draws to Waterbury for the past two years.
Organizers for the Vermont Antique & Classic Car Meet planned for August have pulled the plug on their giant annual that moved to Waterbury in 2018 after years in Stowe. The meet draws hundreds of antique car enthusiasts and thousands of spectators.
After 60 years in Stowe, the Vermont Antique & Classic Car Meet moved to Waterbury in 2018 and organizers were looking forward to their third year at their new location on Rt. 2 at Farr’s Field. Now they are looking ahead to 2021. Photo by Gordon Miller.
“It has been a very difficult decision for us to make but after analyzing advice from the state of Vermont and our health professionals, we feel we have no choice,” car meet officials explain on their website. “Bigger and Better will be our 2021 theme and we will be working for the next 15 months to make it a reality.”
Farr said he hopes to complete work this season to improve infrastructure at the events field such as upgrading restrooms and handwashing stations.
Mame McKee of MakerSphere does a clay demonstration at Waterbury Arts Fest. Organizers are now looking to 2021 to shut down lower Stowe Street for the two-day block party, craft market, food and performances again. Photo by Gordon Miller.
With NQID in June and the car show in August, July’s big draw is the two-day Waterbury Arts Fest that closes part of Stowe Street for a street party, dozens of food and craft vendors and entertainment. “See you in 2021,” is the message on its website. “The Waterbury Arts Fest is cancelled for 2020 due to the uncertainty surrounding the safety of events due to COVID-19.”
Organizers of the popular community events don’t want to rule out any plans for fun this summer. Farmers market manager Mondlack said she is open to considering “pop-up markets” later in the season. “Until then, we are working to create a ‘virtual market’ so you can still support our vendors and get everything you need,” she said.
Likewise Rotary and Revitalizing Waterbury leaders are keeping the door open to hosting some sort of community event later in the year.
“Revitalizing Waterbury and the Rotary Club are hoping to hold a community celebration this fall, which may include the parade and other festivities that have been postponed. We won't be able to make that decision until August and it will be based on the Governor's directions,” the Rotary news release said.
Two other events that go hand-in-hand with the larger gathering are the Green Mountain Mile footrace held just before the NQID parade and the Rotary’s Concerts in the Park held on Thursday evenings along with the Waterbury Farmers Market.
Race organizer Tom Thurston this week said there would be no footrace without the parade. Meanwhile Rotary President Bass said no call has been made yet regarding the summer concert series. “We are still in a wait-and-see mode. June 4 is the date of the first concert and we shall wait and see what the social gathering rules are as that date approaches,” she said.
No official word yet on whether the family-friendly and popular Waterbury Rotary Concerts in the Park will happen in some way this summer. Photo by Gordon Miller.
Regional festivals, fairs pass on 2020 dates
The Champlain Valley Fair’s website’s homepage is a giant countdown clock displaying 104 days until the popular end-of-summer event is to open. Behind the scenes, however, organizers are puzzling out the details having sent out an online survey May 1 to gauge public opinion on whether people are likely to attend large gatherings in the near future.
“As Governor Scott continues to slowly reopen the Vermont economy, venues and event promoters such as ourselves want to get a sense of how concerts, festivals, fairs and other gatherings will be impacted in the next 6-18 months,” the expo’s message said.
Participation would be anonymous, the survey says, with feedback intended to help venues and event promoters “better prepare for the return of public gatherings in the Green Mountain State.”
Others aren’t waiting for surveys:
The Warren July 4 Parade was called off this past week. The parade draws a crowd larger than the town’s regular population, leaving people to just park and walk to enjoy the sights and sounds of the day. The town Select Board and Mad River Rotary officials made the call to cancel.
“With continued uncertainty surrounding the status of the virus in adjoining states, coupled with the inevitable crowds in the village, cancellation was the prudent decision,” they said in a joint statement. “The health and safety of our community and our guests is our highest priority. … Be well and be safe.”
Burlington Discover Jazz Festival scheduled for June 5-14 is “Indefinitely postponed,” a first in the popular event’s 37-year history. “For now, we wish you and your loved ones health and strength in these challenging times. We can’t wait to see you again,” wrote Managing Director Chelsea Lafayette in announcing that decision.
Just Friday, the announcement was made that the Lake Champlain Maritime Festival with boats, food, music and more on Burlington’s waterfront July 23-26 is off.
Organizers of the Do Good Fest one-day music festival scheduled for July 18 in Montpelier made the call March 31 to quit planning their event. Hosted by National Life and The Point FM radio station, the festival is a fundraiser for cancer patients served by Central Vermont Medical Center.
On May 20, organizers for Montpelier’s July 3 Independence Day celebration announced they would not go forward with this year’s even which includes a food truck festival, a mile-long road race, community parade, musical performances, and a fireworks show — enough to land on the Vermont Chamber of Commerce’s Top 10 Summer Events. “This was a heartbreaking decision to make,” said Dan Groberg, executive director of Montpelier Alive, which organizes the festivities that attract some 15,000 people to the State House lawn. “We know how much our community loves to come together for this event. This was not a decision we made lightly, but one that we needed to make to protect the health and safety of our neighbors. We can’t wait to celebrate together again in 2021.”
Montpelier plans to redirect resources into an event this fall, with tentative plans to expand its annual Moonlight Madness celebration in October.
In Stowe, which celebrates on July 4, the websites for this year’s events has not noted any changes yet.
Not business as usual for some markets
The Waterbury Farmers Market will not be held as planned on Thursdays this summer although organizers say they will consider “pop-up” events featuring favorite vendors. Photo by Gordon Miller.
In one category of public events -- farmers markets -- a variety of organizers have decided to take new state guidelines and revise their operations and open for the season.
The Waitsfield Farmers Market opened today and is scheduled to run on Saturdays through Oct. 10. It announced a slate of new procedures for market-goers to follow.
“We find ourselves with a different farmers market. We expect to take a huge financial hit,” market organizers said in their statement announcing the guidelines and appealing for donations.
Billed as “not business as usual,” the new approach outlines a market without children under 18 and just one person per family entering. There’s an online order and payment form customers are encouraged to use to reduce time on site.
Shoppers are asked to maintain six-foot separation from others, not to eat on site and to reserve 9-9:30 a.m. for high-risk individuals.
Likewise the Stowe Farmers Market plans to open May 24 on Sundays through Oct. 11 with 10-10:30 a.m. reserved for high-risk shoppers and a requirement that attendees wear face masks; it also has an online form to preorder and pay.
The year-round Saturday Capital City Farmers Market reopened May 2 with preordering encouraged and face coverings required, a limit of 10 people in the market space at a time, and a set-up for curbside pickup and even home deliveries. Specific details such as a layout map with directional arrows and vendor lists are posted on the market’s Facebook page.
They’ve enlisted a team of volunteers to help things run smoothly from spacing people apart as they wait in line to making sure there are face masks for those who forget theirs. Each step is explained in detail: “Shop with your eyes, and allow vendors to package your order for you. Once they have placed all items on the empty table and returned to their booth, you may approach the table, collect your goods and drop payment in the box.”
One tip applies to the market but could just as easily apply to every concert, parade or summer block party now scratched from the calendar: “We will have time to catch up when Covid is gone.”