Bristol Fourth of July Parade

Last updated
The Military, Civic and Fireman’s Fourth of July Parade
Bristol Fourth of July Parade 2017.jpg
The 232nd parade in 2017
Genre Parade
Date(s) Independence Day
FrequencyAnnual
Location(s) Bristol, Rhode Island, United States
Years active238
Inaugurated1785
Most recentJuly 4, 2023
Next eventJuly 4, 2024
Attendanceup to 100,000 [1]
Patron(s)Bristol Fourth of July General Committee
Website Bristol 4th of July

Bristol Fourth of July Parade, or Bristol Fourth of July Celebration (officially known as the Military, Civic and Firemen's Parade), founded in 1785, is a nationally known Fourth of July parade in Bristol, Rhode Island. The parade is part of the oldest Independence Day celebration in the United States of America. [2]

Contents

History

The annual official and historic celebrations (Patriotic Exercises) were established in 1785 by Rev. Henry Wight of the First Congregational Church and veteran of the Revolutionary War, and later by Rev. Wight as the Parade, and continue today, organized by the Bristol Fourth of July Committee. The festivities officially start on June 14, Flag Day, beginning a period of outdoor concerts, soap-box races and a firefighters' muster at Independence Park. The celebration climaxes on July 4 with the oldest annual parade in the United States, "The Military, Civic and Firemen's Parade", an event that draws over 200,000 people from Rhode Island and around the world. These elaborate celebrations give Bristol its nickname, "America's most patriotic town". In 1785 the Bristol Fourth of July Celebration (beginning as the Patriotic Exercises) was founded and the Fourth of July has been celebrated every year in Bristol since that date, although the parade itself was canceled several times. [3] [4] On years when July 4 falls on a Sunday, the parade is held on Monday the 5th. [5]

Buddy Cianci and the parade

Buddy Cianci returned after serving his jail sentence to march again in the 2009 parade Buddy Cianci 4 July 2009 Bristol RI.jpg
Buddy Cianci returned after serving his jail sentence to march again in the 2009 parade

Buddy Cianci, Providence's longest-serving mayor, had a long and controversial history with the Bristol parade. In the 1970s, parade rules stipulated that only elected federal, state, and Bristol town officials were invited to participate; mayors of Providence were not invited. [6] In spite of this, Providence mayor Buddy Cianci marched in the parade every year after his 1975 election, in violation of the rules, until parade organizers sent a letter censuring him after the 1979 parade. [6] The Bristol Town Council explicitly voted to ban Cianci from the 1980 parade, a year in which Cianci was running for governor against J. Joseph Garrahy, who, as sitting governor, was welcome to march. [6] The Bristol police chief vowed to arrest anyone who caused a disturbance. [6] A record 300,000 spectators showed up for the 1980 parade, waiting to see what would happen. [6] In the end, when Cianci's helicopter touched down at Colt High School, [7] officials backed down in the face of overwhelming crowd support for Cianci; he received bigger cheers than any other guest that day. [6]

In 1984, after pleading "no contest" to a charge of assault, Cianci skipped the parade; a clown dressed in a prison uniform, carrying a ball and chain, mocked him in his absence. [7] In 1991, Cianci caused some controversy by marching in front of the parade marshal, which prompted the parade chairman to comment, "Cianci is rude and he doesn't deserve to be invited back." [7] In 1997 and 1998, Cianci marched with a "small army" of police, including police rescue boats on trailers, a bicycle patrol, and police officers squirting spectators with water rifles. This proved too much for the parade subcommittee, who unanimously dis-invited Cianci from the 1999 parade. [7] Cianci skipped 1999, but returned in 2000 to shouting and cheers, despite having been indicted this time on federal corruption charges. [7] Cianci's last appearance as sitting mayor was in 2002, after his conviction. [7] Instead of riding his usual horse, Cianci walked this time, and he was frequently stopped by fans along the route to take photos and to shake his hand. [7]

In 2003, new Providence Mayor David Cicilline marched in the parade, accompanied by a more modest contingent than his predecessor. [7]

2009 parade

The Rhode Island Tea-Party Association applied to enter the parade with a float featuring a representation of the British ship Beaver, which was ransacked by colonists dressed as Native Americans in 1773 at the Boston Tea Party. Staffing the float was Helen Glover, a radio personality from Providence, RI–based WHJJ 920 AM.

The Bristol Fourth of July Committee ejected the Rhode Island Tea-Party Association float from the 2009 parade and permanently banned them from all future parades for distributing pocket copies of the Declaration of Independence, the U.S. Constitution and Bill of Rights along the parade route. Such handouts are prohibited at the Parade on the grounds that people (especially children) running up to floats to get them pose a danger. [8]

2014 parade

Attendance at the 2014 parade was reportedly "much lighter than usual" due to bad weather from Tropical Storm Arthur. [9] The parade was ended abruptly at 1 p.m. with a sudden thunderstorm. [9] Marchers included Rhode Island's congressional delegation at the front of the line, including Senators Jack Reed and Sheldon Whitehouse and Reps. Jim Langevin and David Cicilline. [9] Former Providence mayor Buddy Cianci and Gubernatorial candidate Gina Raimondo also attended. [9]

The head of the 2016 parade. 231st Bristol RI 4th of July Parade.jpg
The head of the 2016 parade.

2015 parade

An estimated 50,000 people attended the parade in 2015. [10]

Michael Rielly becomes Bristol's official Town Crier after Gerry MacNeill retires from the position after 23 years. [11]

2016 parade route change controversy

In early January 2016, the Bristol Fourth of July Committee voted to shorten the parade route from 2.4 miles to just under two miles, in order to clear roads to make it easier for first responders to react in the event of an emergency. [12] Another reason given was that a longtime drum corps threatened to drop out because the route was too long. [13] The revised route would begin with the 231st parade in July 2016, and was said to be a return to the "traditional parade route". [12] After an outcry from the public and a complaint to the Rhode Island Attorney General, the committee voted one week later to restore the longer route. [13]

2020-2021 parades

United States Navy Band Northeast at the 236th parade in 2021 United States Navy Band Northeast at the 2021 Bristol Fourth of July Parade.jpg
United States Navy Band Northeast at the 236th parade in 2021

The 2020 parade was held in a reduced format due to the 2020 coronavirus pandemic. [14] Parade marchers wore masks and mostly rode automobiles, instead of walking on foot. [14] Spectators consisted of small groups of dozens, rather than the usual throngs of thousands. [14] The concert series and "Longest Traveled Award" were not held, as organizers wanted to keep the celebration local in scale. [15] [14] The parade returned with a "full slate of events" on Monday July 5, 2021 (as July 4 was a Sunday), though with fewer marching bands. [15] The parade returned to "full strength" in 2022, after two years of pandemic-related scaling back. [16]

Celebration traditions

Crowded street scene prior to the parade in 2007. The town's unique red, white, and blue center line is also visible. BristolParade.jpg
Crowded street scene prior to the parade in 2007. The town's unique red, white, and blue center line is also visible.

See also

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Buddy Cianci</span> American politician, radio host, convicted felon, and Mayor of Providence

Vincent Albert "Buddy" Cianci, Jr. was an American politician, attorney, radio talk show host, political commentator, and convicted felon who served as the mayor of Providence, Rhode Island from 1975 to 1984 and again from 1991 to 2002. Cianci was the longest-serving mayor of Providence, having held office for over 21 years.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Bristol, Rhode Island</span> Town in Rhode Island, United States

Bristol is a town in Bristol County, Rhode Island, US, as well as the historic county seat. It is a deep water seaport named after Bristol, England.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">David Cicilline</span> American lawyer & politician (born 1961)

David Nicola Cicilline is an American lawyer and politician who served as the U.S. representative for Rhode Island's 1st congressional district from 2011 to 2023. A member of the Democratic Party, he was the 36th mayor of Providence from 2003 to 2011, the first openly gay mayor of a U.S. state capital.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Amica Mutual Pavilion</span> Indoor arena in Providence, Rhode Island

The Amica Mutual Pavilion is an indoor arena located in downtown Providence, Rhode Island. It was built in 1972, as a home court for the Providence College Friars men's basketball program, due to the high demand for tickets to their games in Alumni Hall, as well as for a home arena for the then–Providence Reds, who played in the nearly 50-year-old Rhode Island Auditorium. Current tenants include the Providence Bruins ice hockey team, of the American Hockey League (AHL) and the Providence College Friars men's basketball team, of the Big East Conference. The center is operated by the Rhode Island Convention Center Authority, which also operates the Rhode Island Convention Center and Veterans Memorial Auditorium.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">WLNE-TV</span> ABC affiliate in New Bedford, Massachusetts

WLNE-TV is a television station licensed to New Bedford, Massachusetts, United States, serving as the ABC affiliate for the Providence, Rhode Island area. The station is owned by Standard Media, and maintains studios in the Orms Building in downtown Providence; its transmitter is based in Rehoboth, Massachusetts.

Jack White was an American journalist. He won the 1974 Pulitzer Prize in National Reporting for his coverage of President Richard Nixon's underpayment of income taxes. White's investigative article prompted Nixon to utter his famous line, "I am not a crook" to White's colleague Joseph Ungaro at a newspaper editors' conference in Florida. White also won Emmy Awards for his reporting on fugitive banker Joe Mollicone and Providence tax officials who violated the city's residency requirement. On his death, the Cape Cod Times called him "the dean of Rhode Island journalism."

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Pawtuxet Village</span> Village on Rhode Island, United States

Pawtuxet Village is a section of the New England cities of Warwick and Cranston, Rhode Island, United States. It is located at the point where the Pawtuxet River flows into the Providence River and Narragansett Bay.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Providence City Hall</span> United States historic place

Providence City Hall is the center of the municipal government in Providence, Rhode Island. It is located at the southwest end of Kennedy Plaza at 25 Dorrance Street in Providence. The building was constructed between 1875 and 1878, and designed by Samuel J. F. Thayer in the Second Empire style. In 1975, the building was listed on the National Register of Historic Places. It is also a contributing structure to the broader Downtown Providence Historic District.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Angel Taveras</span> American lawyer and politician

Angel Taveras is an American lawyer and politician who served as the 37th mayor of Providence, Rhode Island, from 2011 to 2015. Taveras was the first Hispanic mayor of the city and the third elected and fourth serving Dominican-American mayor in the United States.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2014 Rhode Island gubernatorial election</span>

The 2014 Rhode Island gubernatorial election took place on November 4, 2014, to elect the Governor of Rhode Island, concurrently with the election of Rhode Island's Class II U.S. Senate seat, as well as other elections to the United States Senate in other states and elections to the United States House of Representatives and various state and local elections.

The following is a timeline of the history of the city of Providence, Rhode Island, United States.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Thomas A. Doyle (mayor)</span> American politician

Thomas Arthur Doyle was mayor of Providence for three intervals : 1864–1869; 1870–1881; and from 1884 until his death in office in 1886. His eighteen years in office was the longest until Vincent "Buddy" Cianci, over 100 years later.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Jorge Elorza</span> American law professor and mayor of Providence, Rhode Island

Jorge O. Elorza is an American law professor and who served as the mayor of Providence, Rhode Island from 2015 until 2023. He defeated former mayor Buddy Cianci in the 2014 mayoral election and on January 5, 2015, was sworn in as mayor of the city.

Jonathan Aaron Regunberg is an American progressive activist and politician who served as the member of the Rhode Island House of Representatives for the 4th district from 2015 to 2019. He was a candidate for the Democratic nomination for lieutenant governor of Rhode Island in 2018. He was a candidate for the Democratic nomination for the RI 1st Congressional District 2023 Special Election.

<i>Crimetown</i> True crime podcast

Crimetown is a serial documentary podcast hosted by Marc Smerling and Zac Stuart-Pontier and produced by Gimlet Media which looks at how organized crime has shaped particular American cities. The first season started in 2016 and focused on the city of Providence, Rhode Island.

Cyd McKenna is an American political operative, civil servant, author, public policy researcher and public relations consultant from Providence, Rhode Island, who was campaign manager for Buddy Cianci's 2014 mayoral campaign, and community outreach director for the 2015 campaign by the Pawtucket Red Sox ownership group to build a new stadium in Providence. Later that year she was hired by City Council President Luis Aponte to be chief of staff of the Providence City Council, and left that office after Aponte was indicted for felony embezzlement and resigned.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">COVID-19 pandemic in Rhode Island</span> Ongoing COVID-19 viral pandemic in Rhode Island, United States

The COVID-19 pandemic in the U.S. state of Rhode Island is part of an ongoing worldwide viral pandemic of coronavirus disease 2019, a novel infectious disease caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2. As of August 18, 2022, there has been 414,931 confirmed cases of COVID-19 in Rhode Island, 89 of which are currently hospitalized, and 3,636 reported deaths. Rhode Island's COVID-19 case rate and death rate per capita are the highest and twentieth highest, respectively, of the fifty states since the start of the pandemic.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2022 United States House of Representatives elections in Rhode Island</span> Election results

The 2022 United States House of Representatives elections in Rhode Island were held on November 8, 2022, to elect the two U.S. representatives from the state of Rhode Island, one from each of the state's 2 congressional districts. The elections coincided with other elections to the House of Representatives, elections to the United States Senate and various state and local elections. It followed a primary election on September 13, 2022.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Mayoral elections in Providence, Rhode Island</span>

Elections are held in Providence, Rhode Island to elect the city's mayor. Such elections are regularly scheduled to be held in United States midterm election years.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Brett Smiley (politician)</span> American politician

Brett P. Smiley is an American politician from Rhode Island. A member of the Democratic Party, he is the mayor of Providence, Rhode Island.

References

  1. ↑ "Historic 4th of July parade returns to Bristol". YouTube .
  2. ↑ "Founder of America's Oldest Fourth of July Celebration". First Congregational Church. Archived from the original on 23 March 2014. Retrieved 23 March 2014.
  3. ↑ Anonymous (3 July 2008). "Borne with the Fourth of July: Bristol carries on a rich tradition". The Providence Journal . p. B.1. Retrieved 6 July 2012.
  4. ↑ Simpson, Richard V. (1989). Independence Day: How the Day is Celebrated in Bristol, Rhode Island. Middletown, RI: Aquidneck Graphics. OCLC   22001850.
  5. ↑ WPRI staff. "Historic 4th of July parade returns to Bristol". WPRI. Archived from the original on 5 July 2021. Retrieved 5 July 2021. The 236th annual Bristol 4th of July Parade was held on a Monday this year, which happens whenever the 4th falls on a Sunday.
  6. 1 2 3 4 5 6 Stanton, Mike (2004). The prince of Providence: the life and times of Buddy Cianci, America's most notorious mayor, some wiseguys and the Feds (2004 Random House trade pbk. ed.). New York: Random House. pp. 147–150. ISBN   0-375-75967-0.
  7. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 Simpson, Richard V. (2008). Historic Bristol : tales from an old Rhode Island seaport. Charleston, SC: History Press. ISBN   978-1596293526 . Retrieved 5 January 2017.
  8. ↑ Macris, Gina (9 July 2009). "Tea Party gets dumped from Bristol parade". The Providence Journal . p. A.1. Retrieved 7 July 2012.
  9. 1 2 3 4 Borg, Linda (4 July 2014). "Marchers, spectators at Bristol Fourth parade pay little mind to the rain". The Providence Journal. Retrieved 18 April 2017.
  10. ↑ Pelletier, Jenna (29 June 2016). "Everything you need to know about Bristol's Fourth of July parade". The Providence Journal. Retrieved 25 July 2016.
  11. ↑ "Bell passes to new Bristol Town Crier". EastBayRI.com. Retrieved 2019-01-10.
  12. 1 2 Tomison, Bill (7 January 2016). "Bristol's 4th of July parade route being shortened". WPRI News. Retrieved 3 November 2016.
  13. 1 2 Shalvey, Annie (14 January 2016). "Committee votes to maintain original Bristol parade route". WPRI News. Retrieved 3 November 2016.
  14. 1 2 3 4 Amaral, Brian (4 July 2020). "Driven by patriotism: Bristol keeps July Fourth streak alive with scaled-down parade". The Providence Journal. Retrieved 5 July 2020.
  15. 1 2 DaSilva, Melanie (8 June 2021). "Bristol's 4th of July celebration is back with a full slate of events". WPRI. Retrieved 9 July 2021.
  16. ↑ Reed, Jodi (4 July 2022). "Bristol's 237th Fourth of July parade returns to full strength" . Retrieved 6 July 2022.
  17. ↑ "Past Button Contest Winners". Bristol 4th of July. 4th of July Parade Committee. Retrieved 25 July 2016.
  18. ↑ "Miss and Little Miss Fourth of July". Bristol 4th of July. Bristol 4th of July Committee. Archived from the original on 11 May 2016. Retrieved 25 July 2016.
  19. 1 2 Gentile, Isabella (3 July 2019). "Why Miss Rhode Island isn't invited to the Bristol 4th of July Parade". The Providence Journal. Retrieved 4 July 2019.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.