Constitution Day Celebration To Take Place At Town Hall Theater
The event will feature Laureate Bianca Stone and take place on September 17th.
Vermont students will take center stage at a free Constitution Day celebration on Thursday, September 17, from 1–2:30 p.m. at Town Hall Theater in Middlebury. The event marks the culmination of America 250: Expressions of Liberty, a statewide student poetry and art contest exploring the question: “What Does Freedom Mean to Me?”
Presented in partnership with the United States District Court for the District of Vermont, Vermont Poet Laureate Bianca Stone and Town Hall Theater, the celebration will bring together students, educators, attorneys, federal judges, artists and community members to reflect on the meaning of liberty during the nation’s 250th anniversary year.
Vermont Poet Laureate Bianca Stone will read from her own work and reveal the first-, second- and third-place middle and high school poets selected through the statewide contest. This year’s winners represent Woodstock Union High School, Essex High School, Franklin West Supervisory Union, Woodstock Middle School and North Country Supervisory Union.
The program will also feature performer Bill Wiles; student and community readings from the Declaration of Independence and the Bill of Rights; a performance of the national anthem by high school vocalist Eve Menguc; readings by the winning student poets; and more.
The young poets responded to the theme through their own experiences, observations and hopes for the future. Their work was evaluated for creativity, originality, thoughtfulness, depth of reflection, connection to the prompt, clarity of expression and craftsmanship.
“This project asks young people not simply to study the ideals of freedom, but to interpret those ideals through their own lives and imaginations,” said organizers. “As we commemorate the nation’s first 250 years, it is essential that we listen to the students who will help shape what comes next.”
The celebration is part of Town Hall Theater’s America 250: Expressions of Liberty initiative, which has used poetry, visual art, music and public gatherings to invite Vermonters into a broader conversation about freedom and civic life.
The project is made possible through generous support from the Vermont Arts Council, with funding from the National Endowment for the Arts as part of a nationwide initiative supporting creative projects commemorating America’s 250th anniversary. This investment recognizes the essential role of the arts in helping communities reflect on shared history, engage with civic ideals and imagine the future.
The Constitution Day celebration is free and open to everyone. Community members of all ages are warmly invited to attend and support Vermont’s young poets. Refreshments will be served following the program. For more information, visit townhalltheater.org
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