Until Next Year

(Source)

The Fourth of July (Independence Day for you "purists") is on the wane as I write this. While the holiday is a pretty big deal in most of the United States, it's huge in the little town by the Bay where I live. No doubt the planning for next year is already underway.

Seems that the town held an event on the Fourth back in 1785, it was popular, so they just kept doing it. According to the Pedia of Wiki -

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. (Source)

It's a big deal here in town, a really big deal.

Traditionally the Navy has a presence at the parade, even so far as to bring a warship (this year it was the USS Farragut, DDG 99). Often mine own old service is represented with an aircraft belonging to the USAF performing a flyby down the parade route. Sometimes the Army takes that honor with a helicopter or two doing the flyby.

This year it was a C-130 Hercules booming through the skies as low as safety and FAA regulations permit. Which, for an aircraft that size, looks much lower than it really is. One year we had a B-2, all the way from Whiteman AFB out in Missouri, come down the parade route. I was in attendance that year and let me tell ya, a B-2 is big and scary looking, no lie. I would not want to piss one off.

Memorial Park at Whiteman AFB, MO

I don't always go to the parade, which rather chaps the hides of certain locals of my acquaintance. While it is a big deal, and it's really cool and kind of awesome, it is, when all is said and done, a parade. A big one to be sure but it's "just" a parade.

There isn't a big military presence in the parade, a few cannon, some soldiers, some sailors and Marines to be sure. But it isn't a military parade. Those I enjoy, a lot. Especially if I'm not actually marching in it. I did march in this parade one year, decided that once was enough. That's a long route to be sure. Both The Nuke and The WSO have been in the parade when they were in high school as members of the high school band and flag squad (respectively).

The Nuke claims to have gotten turned around after her first parade and walked "all the way to Warren" (the next town over) before noticing her navigational error and returning back to the manse. The WSO and I tend to doubt her story. For which The Nuke chides us yearly.

Oh, the high school band is another huge thing here in Bristol. Truth be told, they are quite good. We don't live very far from the high school and can hear them practicing for the parade most years.

The lead up to the parade can be a great deal of fun. Concerts and such with music for all ages. (Depending on which concert you go to!) As Bristol is a wee sma' town, we can hear the concerts fairly well from Chez Sarge, not oppressively loud, just loud enough to recognize the tune being played, should one pause to listen.

The fireworks are now held on the 3rd of July, which rather bugs the historian in me, but I like the logic of the thing. Hold them on the Fourth, which is traditional, but everyone has to go to work the next day? Or hold them on the 3rd, as a parade-prep, if you will. That way those who tend to do that sort of thing can get good and liquored up while watching the aerial exploding thingies, and not have to go to work the next day. Hungover.

Not that I would know anything about that...

This year was a quiet one for us as none of the progeny or grand-progeny were in town, more's the pity. Having the younger crowd around tends to liven things up quite a bit. Without them around, The Missus Herself and I pretty much lay low and listen to the traditional post-parade police sirens running about the town.

Drunks, hot weather, and explosives don't really mix.

Not that I would know anything about that...