BY STEVEN JUPITER
BRANDON—At a Brandon Selectboard meeting last year, a resident set off a minor firestorm when they said Brandon was becoming “Disneyland.” The comment was meant to be critical of Brandon’s emphasis on fun activities, but many Brandonites took it as a compliment.
And Colleen Wright, then Assistant to the Rec Director, thought the comment was so great that she had t-shirts made that said “Brandon: Disneyland of the North.”
“I thought it was funny as heck,” laughed Wright in a recent conversation. “What a great thing to be compared to! The most successful entertainment company in the history of the world!”
And Wright takes fun very seriously. For the past seven years she worked as the Assistant to the Brandon Rec Director Bill Moore, a 20-hour-a-week job that never seemed limited to 20 hours. Wright was everywhere all the time, organizing and planning, planning and organizing. For the last few years, it seemed like hardly a weekend went by without a party, a concert, a dance, or a fair. Even during the dark days of COVID, Wright did what she could to keep our spirits up: the stuffed-bear hunt, the Reverse Parade.
“COVID was wild,” she said. “People got used to staying home. Once it was over, I wanted to bring everyone out again.”
But though Wright recently left the Rec Department, she’s still determined to make Brandon an entertainment hub for the area between Middlebury and Rutland. She’s started her own entertainment and promotion company: Colleen Wright Events.
One of the big offerings of her new company is the bus trips she organizes to New York City. She’s been offering the trips since 2010, leaving Brandon in the early morning for a day in the city before returning at night. In May, she’ll be offering her first overnight trips to NYC, with accommodations at the Edison Hotel in the Theater District.
“It’s right in the middle of everything,” she said.
She’s also organized trips to Salem, Mass. She’s considering Lancaster, PA (home of Hershey) as well. Down the road, she’s thinking of organizing train trips from Whitehall, NY up to Montreal, maybe for some poutine and hockey?
In the immediate future, she’s got an art exhibit planned for the Brandon Inn featuring the work of Kyra Mallette on February 16 from 2 p.m. to 3:30 p.m.
“She’s a young artist, really talented,” said Wright.
Wright is also organizing “Bounce House Karaoke” for kids in the Town Hall. Kids will enjoy bouncing on their behinds while others take to the stage to belt out their favorite tunes.
In May, Wright will bring a new celebration to town: Halfoween. This new holiday is a joint venture with the Brandon Area Chamber of Commerce and the Downtown Brandon Alliance to provide some early-spring fun six months before Halloween. There will be a “Witches’ Walk” down Park Street (recall the Zombie Walk during Eclipse Weekend last April?), a street dance, a Haunted House at the Town Hall.
“We’ve got all these Halloween decorations but only use them once a year,” she laughed.
Wright has no intention of slowing down. The fun will just keep on coming.
“I love Brandon,” she said. “I will not leave the town without fun. When I started at Rec, there wasn’t much happening in town. Estabrook Park was just a hayfield! Now we’re ‘Disneyland!’”
And catch Colleen competing in “Real Rutland Feud” at the Paramount Theater on Saturday, February 15. “I don’t care what I say! It’ll be a blast!”
By the way, anyone who still wants one of those shirts should contact Wright directly. She can still hook you up.
Her website, colleenwrightevents.com, is in the works but should be online in the very near future. Check it out to find out what Colleen has going on!
