Michelle Martins doesn’t know what this year’s Fourth of July celebration is going to look like.

It’s not a position the Bristol Fourth of July Committee chairwoman anticipated finding herself in early May of her first year in charge of the group that organizes Bristol’s favorite holiday.

A week ago, Gov. Gina Raimondo made an announcement that big events like concerts, fairs, and festivals would not be happening in Rhode Island in the summer of 2020. She called out Newport’s Folk and Jazz Festivals and Bristol’s Fourth of July Celebration by name, sending ripples of shock through much of the community — particularly among people who missed the April 8 announcement by the committee itself, telling Bristolians to expect a massively downsized celebration.

But the governor’s announcement seemed to throw cold water on even that minimal plan.

So what will the Fourth of July look like in Bristol this year? The short answer is, they don’t really know yet.

Here’s what they do know: there will be a chief marshal, with the date of the announcement to be determined. “There has never been a year without a chief marshal,” said Ms. Martins, “though some were not recorded, and others served for consecutive years.”

The marshal-to-be-named-later is, according to Ms. Martins, a role model of whom Bristol can be proud, and someone who is happy to accept the honor, even though their year in the spotlight is marred by the pandemic. Ms. Martins intends to hold the announcement as soon as social distancing restrictions permit her to hold it with 10 to 15 other people in the room.

They also know there will be Patriotic Exercises. That hour-long event, traditionally held at 9 a.m. on the steps of the Colt School, is the foundation of the celebration and the “longest continuous” claim to fame. Where, when and with how many people in attendance, are the unknown variables at this date.

Please, no homegrown parades

Another thing of which Ms. Martins is certain: the Fourth of July Committee will follow the guidelines as issued by the governor and Rhode Island Department of Health.

That means that if today was July 4, there would be no parade, of any kind.

That includes efforts by some to encourage impromptu parades, car parades, or anything else of that nature. Ms. Martins is clear — that’s not helpful.

“It’s unsafe. The issue is not the parade itself. People would be attracted to the route,” she said. “We have been and will continue to adapt our plans based on guidance from the state. That is what we have been doing, and that is what we will continue to do.”

She would like people to leave the planning to the committee, with the assurance that they have not given up the ship, and they will continue to make the best plans they can within the official guidelines. “We have made plans, scratched them, made them again, and scratched those plans,” she said.

It’s the nature of this pandemic, and it mirrors official guidance.

After the press conference at which she called Bristol’s parade out by name, Gov. Raimondo was asked during the reporters’ follow-up session if she could imagine revisiting decisions if the data “perked up” in the next month or two. She did not close the door on a “very, very, very, very, very scaled back” version of something happening. (That’s five verys, her words).

Her announcement was to provide guidance about “huge (events) with thousands of people in July” — events that require months of planning. “I can’t look you in the eye and say you can do that,” the governor said. “So you should probably call your sponsors and vendors and let them know. I’m giving this guidance now because you can’t turn these events back on overnight.”

“We plan for the worst, and work for the best,” Gov. Raimondo said.

Waiting it out

Ms. Martins wants everyone to understand that the committee will not make decisions based on incomplete information about the status of a pandemic at a future date that is, today, unknown.

“We are waiting this out,” she said. “We are not going to be irresponsible. If things look good, we’ll adapt … Our deposits are paid, they’re non-refundable, so we can just wait it out.”

One thing they have been waiting for, along with everyone else, is May 8. Once Rhode Island enters “Phase One” of reopening the economy, there will be a better sense about what the future holds, and when. The Bristol Fourth of July Committee has a state liaison who will be helping them navigate the many unknowns ahead. “We’ve been respecting the fact that this has been an incredibly busy time for the state, and we will be meeting with our liaison next week,” said Ms. Martins.

Wait and see, plan for the worst, work for the best. It’s what individuals and institutions are wrestling with at this difficult time. As the mother of a high school senior, Ms. Martins is living this on several fronts. She’s trying to reframe an event for which there is no framework, coming home and running her thoughts by a supportive family that includes a daughter who is missing out on a very important time in her life.

“These kids are learning so much about patience, resilience, and managing disappointment,” she said. “It’s going to serve them well in life.”

Fireworks?

All are learning unexpected lessons in resilience, but for those who are still struggling with disappointment, Ms. Martins remains optimistic that celebration organizers will be able to look outside the box and spread joy this summer. Fireworks, for example, have not been ruled out. But, like graduations and weddings and virtually every other celebration planned for the summer of 2020, it’s the where, when and how that remain in doubt.

“We asked for continued funding [from the Town of Bristol] in case we can have fireworks, even if it’s not until Christmas,” said Ms. Martins. “And if not then, we’ll roll it into next year’s plan.”

Ms. Martins believes that, at this point, anything they can successfully and safely manage would be welcomed by the Bristol community. “These days, we are appreciating the simple things,” Ms. Martins said. “No matter what we do, it will feel pretty special because we have been through so much.

“We just need to wait it out.”