Everyone belongs to a community. As we become more involved in a community, we can share our voices in different ways. One important way to make our voices heard is voting. Please help us elect our Museum Commons Mascot by voting this summer!
There is a lot to learn from voting. Not only can we practice our civic duty, we can learn to listen to different opinions, discover what causes matter to us, and decide what kind of leaders we want to represent us. In 2026, the United States will turn 250 years old. Voting has changed a lot in 250 years and many more people are able to share their voices now. Through the voting process, the Fairfield Museum hopes to teach visitors of all ages more about civic engagement and how we can work together and make change.
This summer, meet the nine candidates from three different parties who will be running for Museum Commons Mascot during Summer Saturdays between June 1 and August 17. Each candidate has something different to offer. Be sure to read about the candidates and decide which one can best represent the Fairfield Museum and the Museum Commons. In September, the top candidate from each party will be featured in the new exhibition Building an American Voice. On Election Day on November 5, 2024, you can cast your final vote for the Museum Commons Mascot in person at the Fairfield Museum.
Voting Schedule
June 1-August 17, 2024
- Meet all 9 candidates during Summer Saturdays on the Museum Commons.
- During your visit, vote for 1 in each party:
- Insect Party
- Bird Party
- Mammal Party
Caucus: July 20, 2024
- Stop by to cast your ballot! The top 2 candidates from each party will move on to the Primary Election.
Primary Election: August 17, 2024
- Stop by to cast your ballot! Only 1 candidate from each party will run in the General Election for Museum Commons Mascot.
General Election: November 5, 2024
- Visit the Fairfield Museum on Election Day, November 5, 2024, to cast your vote for the Museum Commons Mascot.
Note: All votes will take place in person.
Bird Party
Red-Tailed Hawk
Red-Tailed Hawk is running to be the Museum Commons Mascot to extend his reach (and access to new nests.) Red-Tailed Hawk is pushing for the town-wide planting of more trees and for limiting the height of new homes to three floors maximum. Red-Tailed Hawk is also aware of the strain of parents when there are newborns at home—and is proposing universal daycare and paid family leave for parents when eggs are in the nest.
Monk Parakeet
Monk Parakeet recently relocated from South America and is running for Museum Commons Mascot. Monk Parakeet is the owner of BirdBnB—a company that rents bird nests out to new birds in town (sometimes without the permission of the nest owners). Monk Parakeet would like to increase the amount of communal housing available in Fairfield and invite more out-of-town birds to move into the area.
Robin
Robin is running for Museum Commons Mascot after holding the office of state bird for over 80 years. Robin is working to implement universal daycare for Fairfield’s bird parents. Robin wants to reduce pesticide use in Fairfield, providing more homes for birds and insects. Robin is interested in increasing the worm population to provide a more reliable diet for local birds.
Insect Party
Monarch Butterfly
Monarch Butterfly is running for Museum Commons Mascot in order to bring awareness to other migrating insects that spend their summers in Fairfield. Monarch Butterfly will use her longstanding relationship with Mexico to increase awareness of the journey her family makes to winter in the Southern Hemisphere. Monarch Butterfly also wants to increase the milkweed supply in Fairfield and provide more public transportation in town.
Praying Mantis
Praying Mantis has state-level experience as the official state insect of Connecticut. With this experience, Praying Mantis hopes to become the mascot for the Museum Commons. Praying Mantis believes that there should be tai chi classes in all Fairfield schools, all food production in Fairfield should support the farm-to-table movement, and all stoplights should have Mantis 3D installed to prevent the running of red lights.
Cicada
Cicada is running for Museum Commons Mascot as a local small business owner and because it is a big year for cicadas. Cicada owns a music store in Fairfield. Cicada is looking to increase rights for absentee voters—voters not able to make it to the polls on Election Day—especially those housed underground for years at a time. Cicada is also running in order to improve the soil in town by increasing the compost budget in Fairfield and to ban lawn mower use on weekdays.
Mammal Party
Deer
Deer is running for Museum Commons Mascot to represent the very large population of deer in Fairfield. Deer is working to limit the number of cars and to limit the high fencing around yards, especially fences around gardens in Fairfield. Deer is proposing a requirement for all families to have a vegetable garden and looking to enforce quiet hours for humans in the early evening and early morning.
Bobcat
Bobcat is in the running for Museum Commons Mascot for a chance to represent all animals that prefer to live under the radar. Bobcat is working to enforce quiet hours for humans and to create spaces throughout Fairfield just for mammals. Bobcat wants to increase the town budget for tree care in Fairfield. Bobcat would also like to appoint five security bobcats throughout town to help maintain human-bobcat relations.
Red Panda
Red Panda is putting his global perspective to use in his campaign to be Museum Commons Mascot. Red Panda would like to require fruit and vegetable gardens in each yard throughout Fairfield. Red Panda supports the farm-to-table movement coming to Fairfield. Red Panda also wants ten new patches of bamboo planted each year in Fairfield. Red Panda owns a chain of climbing gyms around the world and would be delighted to have you visit.