[Vision2020] July 4th in America's Most Patriotic Town

Sun Jul 4 08:07:36 PDT 2010

"Indeed, what started out in 1785 as a church meeting of about 1200 people
offering patriotic speeches and thanks for their deliverance from the
British (the royal forces bombarded and looted the town during the
Revolutionary War) has ballooned into an extravaganza."

Courtesy of Parade Magazine at:

http://www.parade.com/news/2010/07/02-the-most-patriotic-town-in-america.htm
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July 4th in America's Most Patriotic Town

by Lynn Schnurnberger, Parade Magazine

When U.S. Army Staff Sgt. James Pepoon stepped onto the dais to be honored
as the hometown person who'd traveled the farthest to return to Bristol,
Rhode Island's July Fourth festivities last year, he got a standing
ovation-and more than a few people had to push back their tears. It was the
young soldier's first visit home since the end of his 15-month tour of
combat duty in Iraq. 

All across America, people paint the town red, white, and blue on
Independence Day with parades, fireworks, and backyard barbecues. But
Bristol, a picturesque coastal community halfway between Providence and
Newport, holds the distinction of hosting the country's longest continuously
running celebration-earning it the nickname of  "America's Most Patriotic
Town." 

Staff Sgt. Pepoon, 28, who had been stationed in Hawaii following his combat
deployment, actually went so far as to postpone his long-awaited homecoming
until parade time. "Airfares aren't cheap, and I knew I could only afford
one trip back," he says. "July Fourth in Bristol is bigger than Christmas." 

Indeed, what started out in 1785 as a church meeting of about 1200 people
offering patriotic speeches and thanks for their deliverance from the
British (the royal forces bombarded and looted the town during the
Revolutionary War) has ballooned into an extravaganza. These days, visitors
swell the ranks of this 23,000-person hamlet to more than 100,000 to cheer,
among others, the bands, bagpipers, and drum-and-bugle corps that troop down
the "Civic, Military, and Fireman's Parade" route, a 2.5-mile-long course
marked by a patriotic tricolor stripe created with meticulous care-and 75
gallons of paint. Crowds assemble as early as daybreak to vie for good
viewing spots. (In Bristol, which the National Trust for Historic
Preservation selected as one of 2009's 12 Distinctive Destinations, it's
more desirable to live along the parade route than on the waterfront.) 

If you don't count the year-round fund-raising events like tennis
tournaments and macaroni suppers-and the organizing meeting that starts the
week after the last parade-the official celebration kicks off on June 14,
Flag Day, followed by concerts, carnivals, and vintage baseball games. 

"Putting the celebration together is harder than planning a wedding," laughs
Judy Squires, 58, the committee's general chair. She should know-her
daughter Heidi is getting married in the fall. 

Participants and residents pull out all the stops. Paul Sousa, 42, owner of
the Cake Gallery, lovingly spent more than 30 hours creating one of the 26
floats in this year's parade, which takes place on Monday, July 5, to avoid
conflicting with church services. A Marilyn Monroe look-alike will ride
Sousa's 6-foot-tall wooden cake, singing "Happy Birthday" in honor of the
225th jubilee. Residents bedeck their Greek-columned mansions and stately
colonial homes in stars-and-stripes bunting and paint American flags on
their garage doors. But despite all the hoopla, the citizens exude an
innocence that harkens back to simpler times. 

"There's such a genuine outpouring of patriotism and community spirit," says
Sen. Jack Reed (D., R.I.), who has joined in on the festivities for more
than 20 years. "It's as if the town was created by Norman Rockwell." 

"At the heart of the celebration are the speeches," says de facto town
historian Richard V. Simpson, 74, referring to the orations by Senators,
judges, and other prominent people which have covered such wide-ranging
topics as immigration, flag-burning, and nuclear energy. "The oratory gives
the parade its meaning." 

Judy Squires recalls that her father held the very same post she does now,
back when she twirled a baton in the marching band and her mom was famous
for the fudge she served at fund-raising parties. "From generation to
generation, everybody in Bristol gets caught up in the celebration," Squires
says. "Sometimes, I just think our veins are filled with red, white, and
blue blood."

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Young revelers Jillian Borgia and Angie Mascena at Bristol, R.I.'s 2008
Fourth of July parade

http://www.parade.com/images/-v5/news/2010/0704/main-most-patriotic-town.jpg

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Our Towns, Our Parades

There's something for everyone at these unique Fourth of July parades. 

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Gatlinburg, Tenn.

For people who can't wait to start celebrating, the Midnight Parade starts
at the stroke of Independence Day. Over 80,000 people from all over the
southeast line the streets of this smoky mountain town to cheer floats,
twirlers and marching bands paying tribute to the military. Fireworks-22
hours after the parade begins-provide a big bang ending.  

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St. Louis, Mo.

The Veiled Prophet Parade is named for the civic organization behind the
themed event, which this year features 500 costumed characters, giant
inflatable balloons and floats tied to "A Night at the Movies." A free
performance by John Legend is capped off by fireworks along the banks of the
Mississippi River. 

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Chappell Hill, Texas

Kids up to 12 play in the self-named "World Famous Marching Kazoo Band."
Expect to see floats and the Texas Army Color guard and to hear at least one
rendition of "Yankee Doodle Dandy." This year's parade is on July 3. 

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Washington, D.C.

If you snag a spot across from the Washington Monument you'll have a great
photo op. Of course anywhere you stand it's hard not to feel roused by being
in the nation's capital for the National Independence Day Parade.
Afterwards, there's a festival on the Mall, a concert on the lawn of the
Capitol building, and one of the country's largest displays of fireworks. 

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Sonoma, Calif.

The two-hour parade takes place around the town's historic Mexican-pueblo
style plaza, and anybody can join the procession, even on the day of the
event. The wine-country town of 10,000 attracts up to 15,000 spectators-many
of whom come to see the ad-hoc 40-member band. The first time around the
plaza they're billed as "The Hometown Band." The next time, they call
themselves "The Other Town" band. 

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Long Beach, Calif.

Hundreds of 3- to 13-year-olds tie balloons to their handlebars and ride in
The Great American Fourth of July Bike Parade in Long Beach, Calif. "It's a
fun way for kids to learn about alternative energy and patriotism,"
organizer Justin Rudd says. Participants are encouraged to dress up as their
favorite figures from U.S. history. 

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Steamboat Springs, Colo.

Start off the day with a hearty community pancake breakfast, then see one of
the few parades in the country to feature cows and rodeo riders in full
regalia and lassos. 

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Murrells Inlet, S.C.

One hundred and fifty flag-flying boats-everything from kayaks to 40-foot
yachts-turn out for Murrells Inlet's 4th of July Boat Parade. There's music
and even a Boston Tea Party re-enactment

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My personal favorite . . . The Mutt Strut right here in Moscow, Idaho.

Seeya on the Square, Moscow.

Tom Hansen

Moscow, Idaho

"Patriotism is not a short and frenzied outburst of emotion but the tranquil
and steady dedication of a lifetime."

-- Adlai E. Stevenson, Jr.

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