Nothing says summer like Independence Day. In New Hampshire, the events on display range from the traditional parades and fireworks to distinctive New England touches like public readings of the Declaration of Independence, fairs, Pots and Pans parades and Rubber Ducky races. Of course, the major parades of the day are in Amherst and Merrimack, but the story doesn’t end there. In New Hampshire, the "Fourth of July" extends from the night of July 3rd clear through to the July 8th, and every event has its own unique history, culture and crowd.
So this year, we decided to go to all of them.
Energized crowds of staff, interns, supporters, volunteers, and Obama fans showed up to over fifty of New Hampshire’s most important Independence Day events saw vocal and enthusiastic participation on behalf of Barack and our movement for change. Last night alone, over 40 supporters attended festivals and fireworks shows in Greenville, Rochester, and Portsmouth.
Today, this shared celebration continued as Obama volunteers fanned out across the state.
Over a hundred and fifty volunteers turned out to form an energized, boisterous contingent of Barack supporters for the celebrated Independence Day parades in Amherst and Merrimack. A makeshift marching band led the way as the sun beat down upon the thousands of people hugging the parade route with their lawn chairs and drink coolers.
The volunteers and staff danced to the band’s beat, handed out stickers, and blew bubbles as they made their way along the parade route. As the first parade in Amherst kicked off, Howard Morris, the “M” in a human “OBAMA” sign, told me he was here because Barack represented “change we deserve.”
I sprinted ahead of the Barack train in both Amherst and Merrimack to speak with parade-goers as our musical contingent approached. The Kunkel family of 6, natives of Amherst, tried to shake me down for stickers and shared that they viewed Barack’s candidacy as presenting an “exciting and refreshing” alternative to what they had seen before.
In Merrimack, Elizabeth P. of Nashua told me that Barack’s time working with communities gave him a “unique brand of experience that we need in the White House more than we need another Washington insider or big-state governor.”
There’s much more still to come, including fireworks across the state (weather permitting). Check back later for additional photos and video of the day's events. Happy 4th of July!
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