Tractor parade returns with colorful splash
Although the October tractor parade is an iconic Charlotte event, it was enjoyed this past Sunday by newcomers to town, people from other Vermont towns and from other states.
After a hiatus of three years, the tractor parade may not have been as big as it was in its heyday, but it was a very encouraging turnout for the continuation of the event. (Yes, that is the correct spelling; although in this context, “hay day” may be more appropriate.)
Organizer Carrie Spear said there were almost 40 tractors in the parade. The last Charlotte Tractor Parade had at least 60 tractors.
Spear was confident that next year’s parade will have twice as many tractors as this year. She dreams of turning the event into a weekend full of activities honoring farmers and farming, with events stretching into West Charlotte as well.
At least 300 people attended the fall farming festivities.
Everyone who volunteered to help with the Charlotte Tractor Parade gave 100 percent, Spear said.
As is usual, the celebration of Charlotte’s agrarian roots began with a farmers’ appreciation lunch at a barn deep on the property of Green Mountain Hay at 3278 Spear Street in East Charlotte.
Around 1 p.m., when the tractors began their slow trek from that barn up to the parade route, they could be heard rumbling in the distance for a good bit before they broke out of the trees and could be seen in the distance, traveling north on a dirt road running along the horizon line before turning and heading east to Spear Street.
This view, with the tractors traveling in the distance and the brilliant autumn colors of the Adirondacks as a backdrop, was a sight most parade spectators have missed in the past. But, from the vantage of the newly introduced Field of Fun and the barns on Spear Street, it was a treat many got to see this year.
This year’s tractor parade was such a success that next year’s has already been announced on social media. Mark your calendars; it’s scheduled for 11 a.m., Sunday, Oct. 12, 2025.