@laurakmorton

Members of the Catocin-Aires Twirling and Color Guard Corps prepare to perform in a parade through downtown Emmitsburg, Maryland as part of the festivities to celebrate the Emmitsburg Community Heritage Day in June 2021. These photos are from a new project, “America’s Homecoming,” I began last summer, documenting the ways that, all across the country, communities celebrate their shared histories and customs with annual, traditional events. At a time of political division and pandemic isolation, I wanted to photograph how Americans were coming together to celebrate community with their neighbors. These events – the county fair, the fireman’s carnival, the annual parade – rarely make the national news, but they are important to the fabric of life in small towns across the country. I began this work using my parent’s home in Gettysburg as a base, photographing around South-Central Pennsylvania and Western Maryland and I’m looking forward to continuing the work this summer. #Americashomecoming #Maryland #Emmitsburg #parade #batontwirling