Activities abound for July 4

ADDISON COUNTY — “Independence Day” will take on new meaning on July 4, with the resurrection of some traditional holiday favorites following a 15-month moratorium on public celebrations due to COVID-19.One of the state’s largest July 4 parades, in Bristol, has already been canceled out of an abundance of precaution, but the fireworks will again light up the skies for 5-Town folks at around 9:45 p.m. on Friday, July 2. They’ll be set off at the usual spot — the Mount Abraham Union High School sports field o … (read more)

Salisbury’s Ice Cream Social is back for the 46th year with this annual Fourth of July tradition. The 2021 version will be held at the Salisbury Church from 2 to 4 p.m. on Sunday. However, since the church is replacing its heating system, the lower level … (read more)

BRISTOL — The 2021 Bristol Fourth of July parade may have been canceled because of COVID-19, but the town’s annual fireworks display will return this year, along with the ever popular Outhouse Race.The fireworks show will begin around 9:45 p.m. on Friday, … (read more)

ADDISON COUNTY — With the coronavirus pandemic still dragging on, organizers of three big annual parades have decided to call them off again his year. American Legions in Vergennes and Middlebury have canceled their respective Memorial Day parades. Then w … (read more)

BRISTOL — Typically the Great Bristol Outhouse Race is the Grand Prix of portable potties. For good reason the Bristol Fourth of July Committee bills its annual Independence Day event as the World Championship of the competition. That reason is for 43 con … (read more)

2020 will not see a typical Fourth of July. Thanks, coronavirus. Public fireworks displays in Vergennes, Bristol and Brandon have all been called off to ensure that crowds don’t gather and potentially spread COVID-19. Likewise the street dance in Brandon … (read more)

BRISTOL — It’s official — Bristol’s wonderful Fourth of July parade and fireworks will not be held. The Bristol Fourth of July Committee was scheduled to meet Wednesday evening and, as reported by the Independent, the group decided to cancel this year’s e … (read more)

“We have to do with the past only as we can make it useful to the present and to the future.” Frederick Douglass said that in a speech he delivered on July 5, 1852, in Rochester, N.Y. As a historian, I think a lot about the past. I am trained to study it, … (read more)

I remember how, for so many years, I was desperate to “do something” on the 4th of July, mainly to escape from New York City, where the ever-putrescent smell of summer in the city rises from baking black asphalt, the heat and smell shimmering together in … (read more)

ADDISON COUNTY & BRANDON — This is the week for booming fireworks, riveting parades, mouthwatering treats and inspiring displays of red, white and blue. The Land of Milk and Honey will be awash in Fourth of July sights, sounds and activities — enough that … (read more)

Now that summer is here, the Fourth of July is right around the corner. While this is generally a favorite holiday for people, it can be very stressful and dangerous for pets. Firework shows, barbeques, and high temperatures can all pose issues for our co … (read more)

As we approach the nation’s Fourth of July celebration this year, it’s worth noting the reason: the 13 colonies declared their independence from Great Britain, to escape what they considered the heavy hand of the British empire. In the ensuing struggle to … (read more)