Vacation Diary - This Place Is So Garrison Keelor!

Every summer Friday night in Chathan, is band night. The whole town shows up in Kate Gould Park to hear the Chatham Band, dressed in smart uniforms that looked really hot - and I mean sweat pouring down your face hot. I mean picollo sliding all over a sweat covered chin hot.

It didn't matter what they sounded like. It was about watching hundreds of familes from this New England town gather at the band shell, kids, dogs and folding chairs in tow.

They played some medlies - from The Wizard of Oz, Mama Mia and Hootnanny. Then they did a floot stomping Sousa march, inviting all of the children in the audience to march in step around the band shell.

It's the kind of thing that I imagine happening on summer nights in Lake Woebegone!