The Warren Select Board is meeting on August 25 to discuss the Warren Fourth of July parade. This may include a review of parade planning. It may include criticism of how the Rotary planned the parade. It may include a response by the Rotary. The public will be invited to speak.
The public can show up in person and be heard. Because so few might be heard in the limited time, I suggest people put their thoughts in writing and give copies to the board, media and the public. Here is part of what I’d like to say to the select board, Rotary and citizens of Warren.
I objected to the Rotary’s choice of theme. It was political, divisive and inappropriate for the parade, especially a parade commemorating the 250th anniversary of the signing of the Declaration of Independence.
I begin with a suggestion for a solution to the problem of the theme and a suggestion on how we can do a better job organizing and planning the parade, beginning with the 2027 parade. The parade must be returned to the people of Warren and the people of The Valley, the people who live here, work here, vote here. The people who make Vermont special.
Over the course of 10 years, the Warren Select Board has outsourced Fourth of July parade planning to the Mad River Valley Rotary. The role of the Rotary in planning has grown to the point where the Rotary promotes itself as the parade planner and organizer of the event. That was not the case when Susan Klein was the lead organizer. As the principal, Susan worked for Warren and The Valley. She did not use her position to promote the interests of the Rotary. Over time, the select board’s role in planning and promoting the parade has been reduced to such an extent that this year the board could honestly say that they had little to do with the celebration, the signature event in Warren for more than 70 years.
As recently as a few years ago, the select board supervised the Rotary’s parade planning but in 2026, they had stopped even that. This was a mistake. The time has come for the select board to regain control over the planning of the 4th of July Parade. I am suggesting a new structure for parade planning, one in which the select board retains supervisory oversight while a cadre of volunteers handles planning.
Recently, while cleaning out a house in Warren, I found a box of programs from the 1960s. The programs were produced by the Warren 4th of July Committee. A group of citizens, all full-time, year-round residents in Warren, planned and organized the parade. They raised money to cover the town’s costs by publishing a program and selling advertising space to businesses and individuals in Warren, The Valley and Barre/Montpelier. The estate where I found the programs has agreed to donate them to the Warren Historical Society. They are stored in the vault of the Town Clerk’s Office.
I propose that the select board appoint a committee to plan the parade. I suggest that the appointed citizens form a new organization called The Friends of the Warren 4th of July Parade. They can apply for 501(c)3 nonprofit status or can piggyback on the town’s tax-exempt status.
This work can be promoted using existing mailing lists, word of mouth and by placing public notices and ads. Those who join will be asked to make a contribution to support the organization. As many of you already know the MRV supports other similar groups including Friends of the Warren Library and Friends of the Mad River. A non-profit group would be the ideal vehicle to manage the 4th of July Parade planning.
The select board could establish the group and fund it but after that the group would be a self-perpetuating organization, making its own rules and electing its own board. One member of the select board could serve as an ex officio member and act as a liaison to the full select board. The document establishing the group would empower members to plan the 4th of July parade and related events, but give the select board the final say in all important decisions.
One of the shocking developments of the last 20 years is how many locals, my friends and neighbors, choose to avoid the parade, the crowds and the politics. They feel it is no longer their parade, so they stay home. This is not right. The parade should be honoring these people, their values and their lives.
The Friends of the Warren 4th of July parade could include anyone who wants to see the parade return to its roots and honor its history. Everyone is eligible. The first board members will be appointed by the select board for one year. Future board members will be chosen by a vote of the committee members. Eligibility for board membership could be restricted to ensure that the majority of the board are Warren residents and registered voters. Other communities in The Valley will also be represented on the board. The board may form committees to plan various aspects of the parade, including security, parking, food vendors, float management and judging, musical events, post-parade events at Brooks Field, buddy badge sales, production of a commemorative t-shirt and most importantly, publication of a souvenir program. The program could potentially be the best way to raise money with ads from local businesses, including Sugarbush, Mad River Glen, NSB, Mehurons, Waitsfield Telecom, The Valley Reporter, real estate brokers, retail stores, restaurants and more. I have many years of experience selling program advertising for the Mad Dash, the Mad River Path and the Warren Library. I am eager to get to work raising money for the 2027 Warren 4th of July Parade.
Lobel lives in Warren.
