By Kolby R. LaMarche

The Burlington Progressive Party is set to host a vibrant fundraiser on Wednesday, July 16, at 6:30 PM at the ONE Community Center (20 Allen St.), featuring a screening of the documentary Open Country.

In an email from Progressive City Councilor Gene Bergman, the event is described as supporting the Progressive Party’s efforts to expand its political reach and advocacy for working people and marginalized communities across Vermont. Admission is $12, though organizers say no one will be turned away for lack of funds.

The evening will begin with live performances by DJ Melo Grant, former South End Progressive council candidate Mia Monroe Zakaras, and the local country band Swampytonk.

Following the music, attendees will enjoy a screening of Open Country, a film that organizers say “reclaims [country music] as the creative, often progressive, musical expression of working people of all colors from its conservative captors.” The documentary features archival footage, interviews, and performances with figures like Billy Bragg, Hazel Dickens, Roxanne Dunbar-Ortiz, and Pete Seeger. Open Country has been making the rounds since February of last year, with showings in Spain, the U.S., and the U.K.

Open Country has garnered strong reviews. Peter Coyote, narrator of Ken Burns’ 2019 Country Music documentary, praised it as “an antidote to the right-winging of country music.”