Why I Love Small-Town Vermont

The Charlotte Flea Market on Sunday was a huge success—and exactly what it was meant to be: a community coming together. On a brisk but sunny spring morning, neighbors bundled up in down jackets and filled the Charlotte Central School parking lot, browsing antiques, vintage finds, local art, and homemade goods, swapping stories, and picking up free books and trinkets along the way. The energy was warm even if the air wasn't.

But the Flea was about more than buying and selling. In a moment when the national mood can feel fractured and overwhelming, the organizers chose to focus close to home—bringing Charlotters together around once-loved items worthy of new homes, and reminding us what it feels like to simply be neighbors. Profits from booth fees went to the Charlotte Grange, keeping the community spirit going well beyond the parking lot.

For me, events like this are at the heart of what makes Vermont special. I love hearing neighbors' stories—their struggles, their wins, and everything in between. As a state senate candidate, these moments of genuine connection are exactly why I got into this work, and exactly what I hope to protect and strengthen.

Revived after a long hiatus, the new generation of the Charlotte Flea was sweet, funky, and uniquely Charlotte. We hope this is just the first of many more to come.