‘Lexington smells fantastic!' SNL alum Rachel Dratch kicks off Lexington's 250th celebration with humor, hometown pride.

Boston Globe

18-04-2025

Next came Dratch, blending humor with nostalgia. She quipped about one of Lexington's lesser-known charms—'Lexington smells fantastic!'—and, with true Lexingtonian fervor, reminded the crowd where the shot heard 'round the world was
really
fired: 'Right here in Lexington! Lexington!'
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More importantly, Dratch spoke warmly about the tight-knit town's spirit and commitment to service.
'I come back here a lot. Lexington is just so near and dear to my heart,' she said to the crowd, some of whom wore tricorn hats. '...And the people that make Lexington so special, that's what tonight is about.'
Four awards were presented during the ceremony.
High school seniors Isabelle Barbesino and Siya Setty received the Pat Flynn Outstanding Youth Award. Community elder Fred Johnson was honored with the Minuteman Cane Award. And for the final award, Dratch pulled a name from a white envelope, like an Oscar presenter, announcing Sue Rockwell—a retired attorney and longtime member of the town's historical society—as the recipient of the White Tricorne Hat Award, given each year by the town's Lion's Club.
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'It was great to see people getting these awards and to feel how connected everyone is, because that's how it felt growing up here,' Dratch said in an interview after the ceremony.
Dratch's family moved to Lexington when she was five, and she downplayed any deep revolutionary ties—'my connection to town is more like, you know, fun childhood memories,' she said, laughing.
Still, her reflections captured the community and volunteerism that shaped those memories. She recalled how her parents were familiar faces around town and how she's stayed close with childhood friends. 'You know, you hear people say, 'I couldn't wait to get out of my town!' or whatever,' she said. 'But in places like Lexington, these places in Massachusetts... a lot of people stay.'
While the ceremony honored the town's Revolutionary roots, it ultimately highlighted values that persist today: civic engagement, service, and a strong sense of community.
Officials announced VO250 - an effort to have town residents volunteer for 250,000 hours of community service -- over the next 12 months.
Mona Roy, vice chair of the Lex250 Commission, put it: 'We're the birthplace of America, the start of the American Revolution. But it's also true that we make history every day. I always say, let it continue here.'
While Dratch playfully waived off the town's Revolutionary fervor with a laugh, she still remembers being moved by it as a kid. She called the bicentennial reenactment 'amazing to see.'
'It's oddly moving,' she said. 'Not to sound cliche, but it really does make history come alive.'
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