With sunshine and live music, crowds of people in Bristol’s downtown and dozens of vendors, the Bristol Merchants Association put on an event Saturday that went a long way toward dispelling the gloom of 2020.

“Artists were head over heels with the event,” said organizer Holly Dirks, a member of the Hotpoint Emporium artists’ co-op. “Everyone was smiling, and the weather was perfect.”

With 49 artists and artisans and four bands, the event outgrew its lower State Street space and flowed seamlessly into Rockwell Park, a half-block south on Thames Street. Artists at both locations reported brisk business and enthusiastic visitors.

By design, organizers invited an ice cream truck but no other mobile food offerings, focused on bringing business to the long-suffering brick-and-mortar restaurant industry. Their plan seems to have worked, with State Street restaurants like Bar 31 and Judge Roy Bean Saloon reporting up to two-hour waits around the lunch rush.

Entertainment was organized by Joe Caron of Caron’s Jewelers, and included Julio Amaro, Acoustic Dynamite, The Honk, and Killian Acoustic Voyages. “It was fantastic,” said Mr. Caron of the event. “An overwhelming response; both State Street and the park were filled with people.”

For sure, there were plenty of reminders of the last year — lots of masks, as the CDC’s new guidance only applies to fully vaccinated people (that’s about half of Rhode Islanders, to date). Hand sanitizer stations were prominently scattered through the venue, but the changes were equally notable. For one, unlike last September’s event which was held under the watchful eye and presence of the Rhode Island Department of Health, organizers simply submitted a plan to the Department of Small Business and it was approved. It no longer requires restrictions like one way traffic — all of which contributed to the sense that, locally at least, COVID is moving into the collective rearview mirror.

It bodes well for a festive season of summer events, including the next BMA events — a Folk and Food Fest in August, and the second Fair and Arts Festival in September.