Every year, we look forward to attending the Washtenaw County Vet Fest at Washtenaw Community College. For us, it is much more than an outdoor event with food, music, activities and community resources. Vet Fest gives veterans and their families an opportunity to come together, reconnect and feel recognized.
The 2026 Washtenaw County Vet Fest was held on Saturday, August 1, at Washtenaw Community College. Hosted by the Wadhams Veterans Center, the free, family-friendly event welcomed veterans, active-duty service members, members of the National Guard and Reserve, military-connected families and community supporters from across Washtenaw County.
This was my third year attending Vet Fest, and I hope it remains an annual tradition for Dominique and me. Each year reminds us that the veteran community is not defined only by a person’s years of military service. It is also built through family, shared experiences, community connections and the decision to continue showing up for one another.
Bringing My Military Story to Vet Fest
This year, we brought two meaningful pieces of my military history: my framed Cold War Recognition Certificate and a 16-by-20 canvas featuring my military photograph.
I served in the United States Air Force and earned the rank of Staff Sergeant. Although many years have passed since I wore the uniform, my service remains an important part of who I am. Bringing my military photograph to Vet Fest allowed me to make that part of my story visible.
We displayed the certificate and canvas in my wagon as we walked around the event. The photograph attracted more attention than we expected. Many people stopped to thank me for my service, compliment the picture or ask how we created the canvas.
Other people responded without saying anything. They would look at the military photograph, look at me and then look back at the photograph again. It was almost as if they were connecting the young woman in uniform with the woman standing in front of them.
Those quiet reactions were meaningful. They reminded us that a photograph can preserve more than a moment. It can open the door to conversation, curiosity and connection across generations.
What Vet Fest Means to Me as a Veteran
As a veteran, Vet Fest gives me a place where my service is understood and appreciated. Veterans do not always have opportunities to share their military stories during everyday life. At Vet Fest, however, those stories belong.
The event creates a welcoming environment where veterans can learn about benefits, medical care, employment opportunities and community services while spending time with their families. Visitors were also able to meet veteran service providers and explore resources from organizations throughout Michigan.
What stands out most to me is the feeling of belonging. I can attend as a veteran, a WCC student, a business owner, a mother and a member of the local community. I do not have to separate those parts of my identity.
Returning to college after more than 40 years has made the veteran connection at WCC even more valuable. The Wadhams Veterans Center and events such as Vet Fest show that veterans continue learning, building businesses, supporting their families and creating new goals long after leaving the military.
Finding Belonging Through Military Service
My decision to join the United States Air Force was about more than employment, education or seeing the world. At that point in my life, I was also searching for a place where I could belong.
I often felt as though I were standing outside my own family, trying to find where I fit. I needed direction, stability and an opportunity to build a life beyond the circumstances surrounding me. The military became the place I chose to go.
Military life was not always easy, but it gave me structure, responsibility and a new sense of identity. It introduced me to people from different backgrounds who had to work together, depend on one another and become a team. In many ways, I was not simply beginning a military career—I was searching for connection and discovering another kind of family.
That history helps explain why Vet Fest means so much to me today. When I am surrounded by veterans and military-connected families, I feel a connection to people who understand experiences that can be difficult to explain. Vet Fest reminds me that the community I went searching for as a young woman is still part of my life.
Now, I get to share that community with my daughter. Attending Vet Fest with Dominique connects the family I once went searching for with the family and future we are building together. That makes our annual tradition deeply personal.
What Vet Fest Means to Dominique
For Dominique, Vet Fest is an opportunity to experience the veteran community alongside me and learn more about an important part of my life.
Although she did not serve in the military, she is part of a military family. Attending Vet Fest allows her to see how my Air Force service continues to influence our family, our values and the way we are building Dee & Dee Brown LLC.
This tradition also gives us time together outside our regular responsibilities. As a mother-daughter team, we spend much of our time working on college assignments, developing our business, managing our Poshmark closet and planning our future. Vet Fest gives us a chance to slow down, walk through the event together and simply enjoy being part of the community.
Sharing the event with Dominique makes it more meaningful to me. I am not only looking back at my military service. I am sharing that history with my daughter while we create new memories of our own.
Enjoying the Community Experience
During Vet Fest, we walked around the WCC campus and visited different booths. We learned more about available services, greeted community members and enjoyed plenty of free water, ice cream, popcorn, cookies and chips.
We also greeted the commander of American Legion Post 46, who spent much of the event working at the grill. Before we left, he even asked whether I would be willing to take home some of the burgers that were still frozen. That simple gesture reflected the generous and welcoming spirit we have experienced within the veteran community.
The event included live music, games, raffles, children’s activities, military-related displays and veteran-owned businesses. It created a comfortable setting where people could seek assistance, make professional connections or enjoy an afternoon with their families.
There was something available for almost everyone, but the most valuable part could not be placed inside a booth: the opportunity to connect with people who understand the meaning of military service.
Representing Dee & Dee Brown LLC in a Different Way
We originally hoped to distribute flyers or secure a booth for Dee & Dee Brown LLC. That did not happen this year, but it did not prevent us from representing our business.
Dee & Dee Brown LLC is a veteran-owned, mother-daughter business shaped by our experiences as students, entrepreneurs and lifelong learners. Our business is part of our larger story, and we carried that story with us throughout Vet Fest.
The attention given to my military canvas also taught us something important about marketing. People connect with authentic stories. The photograph naturally started conversations before we ever introduced our business.
That experience gave us an idea for future events: our military history, mother-daughter partnership and business journey should be presented together. These are not three unrelated stories. They explain who we are, what we value and why we created Dee & Dee Brown LLC.
Not having a booth this year was not a failure. It showed us how we can prepare earlier and create a stronger display for the future. Next year, we would like to explore vendor or veteran-owned business opportunities in advance, develop a clear event handout and create a display that connects my Air Force service with our business journey.
Why Veteran Events Matter
Veteran events matter because the transition from military life does not end the need for connection. Veterans may need assistance understanding benefits, finding healthcare, exploring employment, returning to school or starting businesses. Families may also need resources and opportunities to connect with others who understand military life.
Vet Fest brings many of those connections together in one accessible location at Washtenaw Community College.
It also gives the broader community an opportunity to recognize veterans as individuals. Every veteran has a life story beyond the uniform. Veterans are parents, students, caregivers, entrepreneurs, employees, mentors and community leaders.
When someone stopped to look at my military photograph, they were not simply looking at an old picture. They were seeing one chapter of a much larger journey.
Continuing Our Mother-Daughter Vet Fest Tradition
We plan to continue attending the Washtenaw County Vet Fest every year whenever possible. It has become part of our mother-daughter tradition and our connection to the WCC veteran community.
Each year may look a little different. We may attend as guests, share our business materials or eventually participate as a veteran-owned business. Regardless of how we take part, we want to keep showing up.
Our 2026 Vet Fest experience reminded us that community is built through presence. Sometimes the most meaningful connection begins with a conversation. Other times, it begins with a photograph displayed in a wagon and a person pausing long enough to recognize the story behind it.
We are grateful to the Wadhams Veterans Center, Washtenaw Community College, American Legion Post 46, the participating organizations, volunteers and community members who helped create another memorable Vet Fest.
Most of all, we are grateful for the opportunity to honor the past while building our future—together.
About Dee & Dee Brown LLC
Dee & Dee Brown LLC is a veteran-owned mother-daughter business founded by Donnetta and Dominique Brown. Our journey combines entrepreneurship, resale, education, lifelong learning and community connection.
Follow our journey as we continue transforming our personal experiences, college education and business development into resources and encouragement for other families, veterans, students and aspiring entrepreneurs.
Visit us at www.deeanddeebrown.com.
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