(July 22) - Isolated thunderstorms are forecasted for our area today. Because of the threatening weather, this afternoon's event at the Norman Rockwell property has been CANCELLED.

The 4 FREEDOMS FESTIVAL℠ returns home to close the weekend events with an Interfaith ceremony at the original Norman Rockwell home and studio in West Arlington, at 1:00pm. The event brings together spiritual and religious leaders, with a non-denominational focus on Freedom of Worship.  FESTIVAL organizers join regional Interfaith leaders in their commitment to Grateful Hearts, community food cupboards and local food banks by encouraging the attending community to donate food, upholding Freedom from Want. 

Grateful Hearts, an all-volunteer not-for-profit gleans produce from local farms and culled produce from grocery shelves to create meals that nourish and energize the hungry in our greater community. Meals are distributed through school backpack programs and local Community Food Cupboards. The interfaith community, concerned citizens, farmers, local businesses and not-for-profit organizations have come together to support the Grateful Hearts mission to provide local food for local hunger. In 2017, Grateful Hearts produced over 30,000 meals from food that would otherwise have gone to waste. 

A full weekend of FESTIVAL events between Manchester, Arlington, and Bennington commences at 4:00pm Eastern with the first ever state-wide RING 4 FREEDOM℠.  Town and Church Bells will ring across the state of Vermont for 4 minutes, to recognize and remember The Four Freedoms.  RING 4 FREEDOM℠ encourages Vermonters and visitors to record the RING 4 FREEDOM℠ in their towns with short videos reflecting FREEDOM; using the FESTIVAL’s official hashtag #4freedomsfestival.

As part of the lineup for the 1st Annual 4 FREEDOMS FESTIVAL, Manchester Community Library's Summer Wednesdays Series presents a special presentation celebrating iconic illustrator Norman Rockwell through storytelling.  Rockwell was known for depicting scenes of his every day life in Vermont, and in many cases, he called upon his neighbors to model for him.  Local models come together to share their personal first-hand stories of working with Rockwell in his Arlington studio.  Art Historian and Rockwell model, Don Trachte, Jr. will facilitate this session, including stories and images.  If you are a Rockwell enthusiast, this is a rare event that you won't want to miss! 

Norman Rockwell's "kid" models are no longer kids, but their mischievous humor and charm are more present than ever. This special gathering will take place at Arlington Memorial High School from 11:00am-2:00pm. The models will share stories of their time in Rockwell's studio and reflect on their youth in Arlington, Vermont. 

The location for this year's reunion carries extra significance as selected by the reunion organizers. Arlington’s high school burned to the ground in November of 1940. In January of 1941, an emergency town meeting was held to debate whether or not to re-build what stands today as Arlington Memorial High School. Rockwell attended the Town Hall meeting and witnessed his neighbor standing up and exercising his Freedom of Speech. He was inspired to create the first of his four iconic Four Freedoms paintings. 

A presentation by local art historian Don Trachte, Jr. is scheduled to take place at the high school's MACK Performing Arts Center from 11:00am-12:30pm. In keeping with tradition, The Arlington Lions Club will again prepare a fundraising barbecue luncheon at the high school immediately following the models reunion presentation from 12:30pm-2:00pm. This event is open to the public and subject to limited seating.