Day 5 Washington, PA

We spent all of day  5, Saturday, at the Whiskey Rebellion Festival in the historic downtown district of Washington, PA. We arrived early and found ample on street parking only a few blocks from the pavilion where most events were to occur.  At 10:00 the stage was vacant, but after 11:00 continuously occupied by bands mostly featuring Irish and Scottish music and some Cajun and Blue Grass. This was supplemented by other bands in several other locations along south main, mainly taverns and historical buildings.

Once things got going it was a non-stop family friendly festival for the entire day.  Late  morning all of south main street was closed for a rather long parade featuring the usual high school bands, fire and police, local businesses, state fair queens, Here are a couple of tough characters that were not usual parade fixtures.

 Every hour or two street actors would stage events relevant to the Whiskey Rebellion to the delight of all.  Muskets were discharged, tax collectors humiliated while mostly amused spectators looked on. Historic buildings staged informational open houses and tours. We especially enjoyed the tour of the magnificent courthouse and the David Bradford House Museum.

The highlight of the Saturday festivities was the street theater production of the tar and feathering of a tax collector. Fortunately the tar was chocolate syrup and molasses and the  dramatization was much more humane than historical accounts of the real event.

The afternoon crowd was quite a bit larger than the morning, but at no time did I feel too pressed. All in all this was a fine event and a credit to the community.

The highlight of the event for me was the chance to talk to a half dozen locals about the festival, taxation, public discourse on matters such as one's relationship to the federal government.  Included in these was a late teen who discussed her dilemma of carving a future in a would with few economic opportunities and the prospect of huge college debt. These provided exactly the kind of input I needed to make IRS Nation authentic.

There are a few more events tomorrow, but we are off to York, PA where we will spend a night before returning home.  See you then.