SPRINGFIELD, Vt. - With a bowling alley, a pub, a prison and a nuclear power plant just down the road, Springfield, Vt., likes to think itself a real-life version of the home of "The Simpsons."

Now, the town is going all out to prove it, joining 13 other Springfields from across the nation in a contest, with the winner hosting the big-screen premiere of "The Simpsons Movie" July 26. The public will choose the winner in a USA Today online vote.

The competition is stiff.

Springfield, Ill., has its own power plant, run by a man who looks a lot like Mr. Burns, head of the nuclear plant on "The Simpsons," said Tim Farley, executive director of the Illinois\' Springfield Convention and Visitors\' Bureau. The school is identical and the city is not far from Shelbyville, the town next to Homer Simpson\'s Springfield, he said.

"We feel like Springfield has a lot of curious similarities," Farley said.

But folks in Springfield, Ore., the home state of "Simpsons" creator Matt Groening, always thought it was their Springfield on the Fox TV show. "It was a shock, that we had to prove it," said Niel Laudati, community relations coordinator.

Every Springfield in the nation was invited to take part, submitting a three- to five-minute video showcasing their towns. Some had a cow over the idea.

Springfield, Minn., declined, saying it was nothing like the dysfunctional town on the TV show.

As the June 28 submission deadline approaches, the Springfields aren\'t giving away many details, just upping the ante.

"We just got Senator Kennedy to be in our Simpsons video," said David Horgan, producer of the effort in Springfield, Mass. "I can\'t give it away, but he\'s hilarious."

Last week, more than 300 people showed up to be in the final scene of the Massachusetts entry. "We had a hair salon dyeing hair blue," and piling it up like Marge Simpson\'s do, said Azell Murphy Cavaan, community relations director.

Illinois and Massachusetts got local input online for how to show their "Simpsons spirit." Oregon held a public meeting with the mayor. Companies have volunteered their video-editing services, food and beverages.

Vermont\'s Springfield planned to show off buildings with "Springfield" in them ? the bank, a movie theater ? in a scene in which Homer (Burlington talk show host Tim Kavanaugh) runs through town chasing a big, pink, rolling doughnut.

On Tuesday, 17-year-old volunteer cameraman Alex Campos of Barre filmed Homer charging after the doughnut through a Little League diamond and plowing into his son, Bart.

The southeastern Vermont town\'s preparations went so far as to include a doughnut double ? in case anything happened to the inflatable plastic pastry.

Later they planned to film the final scene, in which Homer is chased by a mob into a movie theater.

"We tried to keep within the spirit of the movie," said producer Brock Rutter, of the Vermont Film Commission, who also plays Bart. "Homer wrecking things and everything turning out in the end."

The town doesn\'t plan to emphasize anything that might be offensive, said Patty Chaffee, head of the Springfield Chamber of Commerce.

We\'re not "looking at it (as) being compared to. I think more for us it\'s a promotional piece, just getting our name out there."

Voting ends July 9, with the winner announced the next day. The movie hits theaters July 27.

Simpson\'s Yahoo!

Interesting to see how much the Simpson\'s has influenced the American culture and life.

To think Matt Groening created the Simpson\'s 15 minutes before he was to pitch the idea to the networks, scrapping his original idea of pitching Life in Hell.

I agree Todd. This will be interesting and should be fun to see which Springfield will win.

I just want to see Springfield, MA\'s entry to see "Diamond" Ted Kennedy........Hes gotta be wearing the mayor sash....."vote quimby"

Regardless of what anyone says, I dont believe that Springfield was supposed to be anywhere but anywhere, usa.

Regarding of Springfield, KY, I wonder if there is an Ogdenville and North Haverbrook in Kentucky as well..........and the big clincher for this contest would be if any of the springfields ever had a monorail built and then destroyed because the monorail salesmen was a scheister.....

the northern kentucky thing was just part of the running gag. when the episode reaired they changed it so it said southern missouri.

The Simpsons movie reveals its location.

The Simpsons movie reveals its location.

I\'m pretty sure it doesn\'t and they said that it is "anywere, USA".  They chose springfield because there are so many of them.  In the movie previews it shows them standing on a mt. in springfield and they can see 4 landmarks spread out in the country (I.E. to the right is the grand canyon/left is Mt. rushmore).

That being said, if Springfield DID happen to get ted kennedy to make a cameo in the video, we would have it in the bag.  I know they did a filming for it on sunday and I don\'t think it went that good, so I wouldn\'t bank on Springfield, MA winning (still could cause Mike Scully grew up in West Springfield, so we might get bonus points for that)

I gotcha....I was thinking you meant that would reveal the "real" city