By Mark  Coester

Recently I had the pleasure of attending America’s 250th anniversary celebration in Washington, D.C. Thanks to the generosity of a local Vermont couple, I caught a ride to Alexandria, Virginia, then took the metro into the city for this historic event. Some folks had complained that nobody from Vermont was there, so I decided to go.

It turned out a few Vermonters had stopped by briefly but couldn’t find the Vermont booth at the Great American State Fair. Thankfully, some friends got me a pass so I could get through security carrying as much maple syrup as I could comfortably manage.

I was surprised to find that none of the New England states had official representation. One dedicated lady—a private citizen from Boston—showed up in a full Revolutionary War uniform and single-handedly began representing New England. Others soon joined in the fun. I met the woman from Massachusetts and thanked her for getting things started. When I told her that New England was now fully represented thanks to her efforts, it made her Fourth of July.

Vermont ended up sharing a booth with Kentucky and Rhode Island, with no visible flag at first. It took me 1.5 hours in 100-degree heat to find it. When I arrived, a man who had previously lived in Vermont was tending the booth on our behalf. He was very helpful and stayed an extra hour. The Kentucky folks handled stamping the little state passports for all three states.

I had a great time talking with visitors and sharing maple syrup samples. About 20 Vermonters passed through on the 3rd. We were evacuated at 1 PM due to the extreme heat and allowed back in around 5 PM. It was wonderful meeting people from all over America, Canada, and the world—everyone was delighted with the maple syrup.

July 4th was just as hot, with lines stretching 2.5 to 3 hours long. Once again I slipped through to work the booth. Kentucky couldn’t make it back, so I stepped in to help. There was plenty of joking and good humor. “Where is Vermont?” people would ask, then laugh when they discovered we were covering for Kentucky and Rhode Island. “Ayup, that’s the facts!” Over 1,000 people came through that day. The event staff and National Guard worked hard to keep everyone safe and cool with water misters and free ice water. I filled my hat with a handful of ice—it felt great for about 30 minutes.

My friends never made it back in on Saturday—the lines were simply too long. Yet spirits stayed high all day. Despite the heat, there was almost no bickering. People were courteous and kind.

While I missed a few things back home in Vermont, this was unquestionably a once-in-a-lifetime event. It showcased the very best of America and humanity.

God bless America—may it prosper for another 250 years. And God bless Vermont for its wonderful people and generous spirit.

For anyone planning to attend, you can find the Vermont booth at the end of the Fair grounds closest to the Capital on the northeast side of the Mall. 

Festivities continue to July 10.  

The author is a Westminster resident and candidate for Congress.