BRATTLEBORO — What started in 2002 as a parade of young cows down Main Street with a small “dairy festival” on the Common has blossomed into an major June event that draws thousands of people each year to downtown Brattleboro.
Thirteen years later, the little parade has turned into a procession with more than 75 units and the Dairy Festival evolved into the Slow Living Expo, with more than 200 vendors.
And the Strolling of the Heifers has grown from a one-day affair into multiple events over multiple days.
The parade and weekend theme this year is “Love Your Farmer.” The event starts on Friday, June 5, with the Friday Street Festival that coincides with Gallery Walk, with food, music, and dancing from 5:30 to 8:30 p.m.
The Strolling parade, with more than 100 heifers expected - steps off at 10 a.m. on Saturday, June 6. New to the parade this year is the Vermont National Guard 40th Army Band - a unit that dates back to 1907 and is based at Camp Johnson in Colchester.
The Slow Living Expo runs from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. on the Common and the Brattleboro Retreat grounds. It features a large assortment of food vendors of all kinds, including many specialty foods from throughout New England and beyond.
Performing at the Expo with be the New England School for Circus Arts, alongside the annual goat races and a new human foosball tournament.
Sunday, June 7, brings the Farmers Breakfast at the Marina Restaurant from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m., the Tour de Heifer bicycle ride that begins and concludes at Lilac Ridge Farm in West Brattleboro, and a self-guided tour of five area farms.
A complete guide to the weekend is inside this week's Commons , or visit www.strollingoftheheifers.com.