Via Community News Service, a University of Vermont journalism internship for The Charlotte News.
EAST CHARLOTTE – Last Sunday, Green Mountain Hay was chocked-full of mopeds, golf carts, lawn-mowers, minivans, and of course, tractors.
The East Charlotte Tractor Parade is a hallmark fall event for Charlotte and its neighboring towns.
Drivers corralled themselves in a field behind Green Mountain Hay, lining their tractors up neatly. As they performed last-minute checks on their equipment, attendees noshed on a potluck lunch in a nearby haybarn.
Bryan Curtis helped organize the food and donations for the event. He passed out tractor knick knacks to an accumulating crowd while eating potato salad.
That’s what it’s all about for Bryan, “getting together with people.”
But Bryan’s participation in the parade wasn’t limited to the hay barn lunch. He fired up his 1947 Ferguson tractor to rumble in the procession. He said the tractor was his grandfather’s and he’s kept it in pristine condition since it was passed down to him.
The tractors on display were a spectrum from modern behemoths to vintage classics.
New Yorker Earl Brant — who ferried his tractor across the lake — sported a 1931 Ford Model A which he built himself from the ground up.
He’s been making the trek to East Charlotte every year. His reasoning was simple for his consistent attendance: “It’s fun!”
Dyan Law made her way to Charlotte from Pennsylvania. She travels to Shelburne every year for a family reunion, but it was her first time seeing the parade. She went in blind.
“It’s pretty cool to see all the tractors lined up,” she said.
At around 12:45pm, drivers were notified to get their vehicles ready.
A chorus of sputters and whirs blended to one hum of engines as the drivers and passengers settled in.
The parade was on.
Viewers lined either side of Spear Street, snapping their lawn chairs in place and finishing their last dregs of their coffee.
One by one, the tractors made their way onto Spear Street, looping through the town and eventually returning to Green Mountain Hay.
It took 14 minutes for the vehicles to leave the parking lot, but it was not a race. Drivers were focused on enjoying the moment, not speeding to the end.
Neighbors, friends and strangers alike snapped pictures and waved to the drivers as the tractors passed by.
As the parade rumbled down the road, things grew quiet. The sounds of creaking axles and grumbling engines faded. Chattering children and crowing roosters replaced the noise.
The tractor parade was more than a display of machinery. It was a reminder of what many Vermonters believe is the best thing our state has to offer: the people.