BY ERIC DICKERVITZ edickervitz@eastbaynewspapers.com Two weeks of concerts, galas, parties and celebrations set the stage for the main event Satur- day morning, when thousands of people poured into Bristol for America's oldest Fourth of July celebration. Long before Chief Marshal Raymond E. Gallison, Jr. cut the ribbon and took his first step on the two- and-a-half-mile parade route, lawn chairs, blankets and coolers filled with various refreshments sprung up like flowers along Hope and High streets. The day was warm, the skies were pleasantly cloudy, and the crowd was its typical happy, loud and red, white and blue. For some, arriving early to get a choice spot is just as much a tradition as being there at all. By 7 a.m., groggy parade goers began lining the street downtown in search of coffee. “We’ve been up all night,” said Monika Travis of Providence. While several viewing areas remained open nearby, she said the all nighter is something she and her friends have been doing “for years” to ensure “a good spot.” The first part of Saturday's celebration was the 230th        Patriotic Exercises, which took place on the steps      of      Colt School,    where this year’s patriotic speaker, Donald Farish, president of Roger Williams University, spoke about the qualities of a patriot. “Patriotism is not just an emotion,” he said in his address. “A true patriot is someone who cel- ebrates all that is good about America, but who also recog- nizes that democracy does not thrive when it is neglected.” As the crowd grew along Hope Street in front of Colt School, Mr. Farish also recognized the emo- tional aspect of patriotic display. “If love of one's country is measured by the frequency and depth of expression of that love, then Bristol has to be the most patriotic town in America. The Fourth of July in Bristol is not just a single day. Rather, it goes on for weeks,” he said. Precisely at 10:30, Chief Mar- shal Gallison cut the ribbon to start the parade, and the proces- sion stepped off. In keeping with the parade’s original design, local dignitaries, including the Gallison family, were among the first division, with representatives from the Bristol Police and Fire depart- ments leading the march. The enthusiastic crowd, some who only visit Bristol but once a year, cheered enthusiastically as members of Bristol’s town coun- cil, Warren’s town council and the Bristol Warren Regional School committee passed by. While marching bands regular- ly come from across the country to participate in the Summer Music Preview competition the night before the Fourth, this year one of the most impressive marching band efforts came from the Caribbean. The Royal Bahamas Defence Force Rangers Band, made up largely of impov- erished youth from the Bahamas who developed their musical tal- ents as a break from poverty, raised their own money to travel to Bristol to perform. The band was recognized earlier in the day, during the patriotic exercises, where emcee Judy Squires jok- ingly invited the tropical visitors to return during the winter months so they could see the “beautiful winters” in Bristol as well. The day after the parade, the band members were guests at a cookout at Bristol Town Beach. The Bahamian band may have walked the greatest distance in the parade. While the rest of the parade came to a periodic stop along the route, the Rangers Band played on, marching in a figure-8 for the appreciative crowd as they waited for the rest of the parade to move on. As in most years, the military division drew the most heartfelt reaction from the crowd. As the military units passed by him, Bobby Palmer of Rehoboth stepped out onto Hope Street to shake hands or high-five the sol- diers as they passed. In his 48 years, he has yet to miss a parade and shares his enthusiasm with his children. “I just like to have fun,” he said of his personal greeting with the marchers. Like Mr. Palmer’s pride of hav- ing never missed a parade, fami- lies make it a point to begin the Fourth of July tradition for the youngest family members so they too can one day boast that they’ve never missed a parade. For this year, Ella Lee Benevides, whose age is measured in weeks, not years, wore a red, white and blue dress for the occasion of her first parade. Ironically, the very people for whom the Firemen’s, Military and Civic Parade was fashioned, namely the firefighters and civil servants, the parade is the busiest workday of the year. Working throughout the week- end, members of the Bristol Vol- unteer Fire and Rescue Depart- ment, the Bristol Police Depart- ment and the Department of Public Works planned, executed and cleaned up after their deluge of guests, leaving the town as welcoming as is was when they arrived. For more photos by Rich Dionne click this link 2015 Bristol Fourth of July Parade photos