Not Quite Independence Day 2021 turns on the charm
By Jackson Moffett | Community News Service 
With bright sunshine and mostly maskless people lining Main Street, Waterbury celebrated its long-awaited Not Quite Independence Day with a parade and party and fireworks regardless of it being July 10 last Saturday.
After calling off the annual festivities in 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic, organizers from the Waterbury Rotary Club this year aimed for a date when public health restrictions were bound to be lifted. As it turned out, the customary weekend before July 4 would have worked given Vermont’s progress on vaccinations that led Gov. Phil Scott to lift mandates around mask-wearing and gathering sizes in mid-June.
But the community turned out nonetheless with perfect parade weather and a date that attracted firetrucks from miles around and some favorite Vermont celebrities.
The governor in short sleeves, khakis and a cap took a leisurely roll down Main Street on a motorcycle well-suited for the occasion. Its side car was perfect for longtime friend and WDEV Radio patriarch Ken Squier to ride along. The pair smiled and waved to cheers from the crowd along the route. The 86-year-old Squier’s health was a topic of concern last winter when he was hospitalized with COVID-19.
WDEV patriarch Ken Squier rides along with Gov. Phil Scott in Waterbury's Not Quite Independence Day parade last Saturday, July 10. Through Scott's career as a racecar driver at Thunder Road Speedbowl, he and Squier, a NASCAR Hall of Fame sportscaster, are old friends. Photo by Sarah Milligan
Despite NQID missing a year, Waterbury community members assembled for the big event in short order ahead of the 4 p.m. parade start. Before the first parade float started rolling, preparations were under way. The Wesley United Methodist Church put large bins full of cold water bottles for passerbyers to take free of charge. Empty lawn chairs were planted along the street as people claimed their viewing spots and vendors set up in Rusty Parker Memorial Park.
Waterbury Fire Department Lt. Em Lamson surveyed the scene at the staging area near the State Office Complex. “It’s nice that without COVID, things have opened up to where we can have a parade,” she said. “I think a lot of people in general are looking forward to going out and seeing people and seeing people's faces without a mask on and doing something community-oriented.”
Up and down the street as people awaited the first flashing lights at the front of the parade, people stopped to greet each other, exchanging hugs and snapping photos under the large flag hoisted by a ladder truck in front of the firestation.
NQID usually falls on the Saturday before the Fourth of July, serving as the kickoff for the holiday celebrations in the area. This year, it wrapped up the holiday with a theme of “The Roaring 20s” featuring many floats adorned with art deco designs and participants dressed in flapper dresses and throwback suits and suspenders.
Waterbury Volunteer Fire Department took their Seth Warner Engine Co. vintage pumper out for NQID in a nod to the parade's theme of "The Roaring 20s." Photo by Jackson Moffett
The Waterbury Fire Department celebrated the theme by showcasing the Seth Warner Engine Co. pumper during the parade. Lamson described the vintage engine as “an old, horse-drawn pumper which now is an antique kept in the station in a museum-like” display. Nine firefighters escorted it down Main Street.
Numerous other firetrucks and apparatus joined the parade with their crews waving from Stowe, Moretown and Bolton, some of Waterbury’s closest neighboring towns.
And while some of the usual activities of the day were skipped this year – the Green Mountain Mile fun run foot race and the larger carnival-type attractions were postponed – a last-minute decision by organizers to allow parade parade participants to toss candy and trinkets to onlookers sparked a great deal of joy and excitement as the parade got under way.
Not to disappoint as Waterbury’s parade often involves more than candy flying through the air, giveaways along the route included Cabot cheese squares and Darn Tough socks. Waterbury Rotary’s entire float promoted their fundraiser raffle to win an electric bike.
Waterbury Ambulance Service celebrating its 50th anniversary and its recent honor as Vermont’s ambulance service of the year was chosen to be the grand marshall of the parade. Afterward on Facebook, WASI thanked Rotary for the honor and posted photos of crew members in and after the parade.
“We could not believe the number of cheers and thank you’s we heard from the crowd. Our crew was so grateful after a long, wild year,” their message said. “We even got a couple photo ops with U.S. Senator Bernie Sanders and Governor Phil Scott who were such great leaders through the pandemic.”
Fireworks rain down over Waterbury village as seen from River Road in Duxbury. Photo by Gordon Miller
Many community organizations entered floats, walking groups, and even several ensembles playing live music. The Waterbury Community Band packed its flatbed trailer with many musicians. Band member Janet Fuhrmeister said she was excited to be there. “[It’s] so nice to be able to see everyone again and play again,” she said.
Other musicians included the high school band The Dew and a band with Zenbarn promoting their weekly live music events.
With no other parade conflicts on the 10th of July, state and local political leaders joined in the celebration. In addition to Sanders and Scott, U.S. Rep. Peter Welch walked alongside Lt. Gov. Molly Gray. State Reps. Tom Stevens and Theresa Wood and several state senators were in attendance as well.
Now a popular former presidential candidate as well as one-third of Vermont’s Congressional delegation, Sanders walked along stopping for numerous handshakes, photos and even a few hugs. Behind him supporters carried banners and signs looking to bring attention to policies being proposed in Washington.
New this year was an entry from the Waterbury Area Anti-Racism Coalition formed last year to bring awareness to issues of racial and social justice. Another sign of the times was the winner of the youth float category from MakerSphere. Student artists created a COVID-themed float with a larger-than-life bottle of hand sanitizer, a giant Zoom screen with their faces pictured in squares, and one participant dressed in a virus molecule costume.
Other youth groups included youngsters from Waterbury Rec’s summer camp and Green Mountain Performing Arts dance students.
Likely for the final year, J.A. McDonald rolled some heavy equipment with workers and their family members tossing candy to the crowd. The contractor is in the final year of the Main Street reconstruction project. ST Paving’s pavement machine on a trailer rumbled along as well, a reminder that there’s still some paving left to do.
Thanks to Madeline Sullivan Drake who recorded this clip as she watched the fireworks from her house on Randall Street.
Others took the opportunity to bring attention to timely issues like Eric Chittenden, the founder of the Cold Hollow Cider Mill, who had a booth at Rusty Parker Park with a display to bring attention to the damage invasive species and improperly discarded fishing lines have on the environment around the Waterbury Reservoir where he lives.
The park bustled after the parade as people converged for cold drinks, ice cream and food. Rotary Club members accepted donations to support the event. They also could be found selling food and drinks to attendees to the park.
“I love it, love it. Finally – especially after last year,” said vendor Maralee Smith about being able to attend this year's NQID celebration with her Rainbow Ice stand.
The finale of the night was a fireworks show that lit up the sky over Waterbury village, bringing a colorful end to Not Quite Independence Day 2021.
Community News Service is a collaboration with the University of Vermont’s Reporting & Documentary Storytelling program.
