What Is It About a Parade? - Dr. Ed Iannuccilli

What Is It About a Parade? - Dr. Ed Iannuccilli

I grew up in Rhode Island and never saw the Bristol  4th of July parade until I bought a house in the town some thirty years ago. Our house is on the parade route, so we became totally immersed in, and engaged with, Bristol’s parade culture. And we love it.

When I was a kid, our families spent many a summer Sunday at the Narragansett shore in the southern part of Rhode Island. For some of those years, we rented a beach house for the first two weeks of July.

So, with beaches ever-present, we oft heard the adults bleep, “Why would we ever go to a parade on the hottest day on the year?” Today, I would answer, “Why not?” The Bristol parade is a destination unto itself. I had to buy the house to realize it.

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I don’t have the space to discuss all the marvelous events that happen in Bristol in the two weeks before the 4th. Suffice it to say that there is a near showstopper every day . . . from nightly music, a carnival, a fireman’s muster, a road race, antique cars, flags, etc. etc. And fireworks, of course.
This town throws a party capped off with people lining the streets to watch bands, Clydesdales, Mummers, our servicemen, floats, balloons, muskets, drums bugles and this year added value . . . a robust cortege of vintage Corvettes.

My favorite parade when I was a kid was the spectacular, most exciting Columbus Day Parade that wound its way through the streets of Providence. From those proud and happy days, there were many years of my parade vacancy until Bristol.

There’s something about waiting for a parade to come round the corner. Because you’re both sure and never sure of what you’re going to see, the unknown adds to the anticipation. We adults were just as wide and teary-eyed as the kids. Why, I love it all, even Elmo (though he was missing this year).

Two helicopters and a transport plane opened the parade with an intimate flyover. Was it last year’s pandemic and its restrictions that had so many lining the route and dancing in the streets this year? Families applauded as young break-dancers broke from the crowd to do their thing with dancing parade-ers. 
The march is a procession of excited, organized and engaged people, becoming one with the street, a sidewalk sea of encouragement with American flags waving their approval. 

The Bristol parade of march honored a special occasion, taking on its meaning because of that occasion; the celebration of America’s independence. How nice to see so much pride in our country. How refreshing. How loyal. Would that we did more celebrating of America. Thank you, Bristol. 

Have you been to a parade lately? What was your favorite part? The marching bands? This year, some bands were absent because, with the pandemic, they apparently had too little time for rehearsal. No matter. The spirit prevailed.

What is it about a parade? Why, all of it, of course.

Dr. Ed Iannuccilli is the author of three popular memoirs, “Growing up Italian; Grandfather’s Fig Tree and Other Stories”, “What Ever Happened to Sunday Dinner” and “My Story Continues: From Neighborhood to Junior High.”  Learn more here.