BURLINGTON, Vt. — Bernie Sanders’ presidential campaign event Tuesday will be equal partshomecoming and political spectacle.
The independent senator has pulled together plenty of Burlington symbolism: At 5 p.m. ET, Sanders expects to stand on public land he fought for in the 1980s as he announces his presidential ambitions — while spectators munch Ben & Jerry’s ice cream at the free, non-ticketed event in Waterfront Park.
Burlington-based band Mango Jam will play in the park. Ben Cohen and Jerry Greenfield, of ice-cream fame, and Bill McKibben, the Vermont environmentalist and author, are expected to speak.
Plans for the event came together less than week before the big day, as Sanders campaign staffers unpacked a national campaign headquarters on Church Street. Volunteers on Friday had begun to call New Hampshire residents. The workers were surrounded by cardboard boxes and “Join the political revolution today” T-shirts.
The Vermonty kickoff is likely to draw people from across the state and beyond for the start of what Sanders and staff have described as a grassroots campaign for the Democratic nomination.
Richard and Margy Gerber of New York state plan to drive five hours to catch Sanders’ hometown announcement. They also want to visit family in Burlington.
“I don’t think I’ve ever been at a campaign announcement event in my life,” Richard Gerber said.
Gerber remembers marching into Sanders’ office during a visit to Burlington several years ago and telling a staffer that Sanders should run for president. Elevator doors opened, and Gerber suddenly found an opportunity to share the same message face-to-face with the senator himself.
“He sort of looked at me like I was crazy, I think, and just sort of thanked me for my support and got off of the elevator and went into his office,” Gerber said, adding that he’d like to think his encouragement had something to do with the senator’s decision.
Does Sanders have a shot at the presidency? “I’m realistic that it’s not likely to happen,” Gerber said, “but it’d be nice if it did.”
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