Todd’s Liberty Parade has always been a special celebration, but this year felt particularly exceptional for a number of reasons. First, it was the return of the Parade following its multi-year cancellation due to the pandemic. This fact alone added to the sense of excitement and anticipation. Second, it required enormous effort from many members of the Todd community and the TCPO to organize, advertise, decorate, document, and (for some) even perform in the Parade. Consider that all of this was done without any certainty about who would show up, whether it could regain its pre-pandemic popularity, and, if it did, how many people the small historic district of Todd could actually contain. Finally, for us personally, the event was imbued with all the weight of transitions and new beginnings. July 1 marked our first day open, after working for over a year to figure out how to turn the dream of The Todd Mercantile being for sale into the reality we envisioned for our future. While we were too busy working to get to be in the Parade, we loved the chance to run out from the kitchen and watch from the parking lot, and thanks to Will’s parents and sister, our daughter was able to fully immerse herself in the experience with every ounce of her toddler wonder. The entire day reminded us of how incredibly privileged we are to be part of such a vibrant, creative, and playful community.