Bristol (Rhode Island)

Bristol is a quintessential New England waterfront town. Part of the East Bay communities along with Warren and Barrington, it is on a peninsula in Rhode Island surrounded by Narragensett and Mount Hope Bays. This coastal community has a rich 325-year history and hosts the oldest continuous Fourth of July celebration in the United States. The town has plentiful year-round recreational activities, and a spectacular waterfront that provides beautiful views and many water sports. The town has not lost its historic "Main Street America" feel with many stately homes, tree-lined streets and old-town store fronts.

Understand
Bristol is a small and historic Rhode Island town with a population of about 23,000. Approximately including water, Bristol is a beautiful town right on the water that was founded by Roger Williams in 1636, and was named after Bristol, England. The town was eventually sold after 1685 to four Boston investors: Byfield, Wally, Oliver and Burton, three of whom went on to have schools named after them.

By the late 1700s, Bristol was a major nexus for the slave trade and was home to some of the richest men in the country. One famous family who participated in the slave trade were the DeWolf Colts, who lived in Bristol's Linden Place Mansion. As well, Colt School, next door to Linden Place and constructed largely from marble, was built and donated to the town as a memorial to Theodore DeWolf Colt by her son. Colt Farm and Colt State Park are two other donations that live on through the family.

Bristol also holds the first, longest and largest Independence Day parade in the country. Year round, the streets on the parade route are lined with a red, white and blue stripe down the middle, and there are concerts leading up to the holiday three weeks in advance. There is a carnival week where you can enjoy fireworks by the downtown waterfront, a performance by the Navy Band, and — of course — the parade.

By car
From Providence, go east on I-195 to exit 7. Follow Route 114 into Bristol. Alternate route;travel east on I-195 to exit 2 in Massachusetts. Follow Route 136 into Bristol.

From Boston I-95 south to Rt. 24 south. Take exit for Mt. Hope Bridge. Follow signs for Bristol and Mt. Hope Bridge. Go over the bridge and follow Rt. 114 north into Bristol.

By plane

 * T.F. Green Airport in Warwick offers many low cost and regular flights from many cities in the United States.
 * Boston's Logan Airport is much larger and is generally used for most international flights.

By bus

 * RIPTA, Phone: +1 401 781-9400. Services across all of Rhode Island. Bus #60 connects Providence to Newport. It passes through Bristol every hour with several stops along Route 114.

Get around
The town isn't too big, so walking or bike riding can be one of the easiest ways to get around. Most of the shops and restaurants are located in one general area making it easily accessible by foot.

Outdoors
Bristol is a great place to enjoy all the beauty of Narragansett Bay and Mount Hope Bay. The town is on the East Bay Peninsula, making it a water lover's paradise. Boating, kayaking and other water sports are popular activities along the coast. The harbor hosts approximately 800 moorings and several docks, so travel to the area by water is an option. Rentals of equipment are available at a few locations in town (See "Buy").





Fourth of July


Dating to 1785, Bristol's proud Fourth of July parade is the oldest in the United States. Bristol is enthusiastically patriotic. In early summer, many Bristolians decorate their houses in red, white, and blue in preparation for the big day- especially if their house is on the parade route!

The parade goes by in several divisions, filled with music, motion, and color. There is an abundance of sound; diverse bugle and drum corps from all over the US, including Bristol’s own Mt. Hope High School marching band, march and play in the parade, wearing their colors and twirling flags. Performers dressed in reverence to the American Revolutionary War's servicemen and women are spread throughout the route. Various floats, Rhode Island political figures, and characters like Elmo make appearances.

The parade begins on July 4 at 10:30AM, starting the corner of Chestnut and Hope Street, and runs down Hope Street (whose traffic lines are painted red, white, and blue) until High Street. Bring your own seating. Set up early, but not before 5AM, or your items might be confiscated. Parking is plentiful outside of Hope Street and bordering roads. You can bring your own food and drink or purchase refreshments from vendors along the parade route, but alcohol is strictly prohibited. Vendors along the parade route also sell a variety of knick-knacks and souvenirs.

Fireworks occur either one day prior to the parade or one day after. You can catch a glimpse anywhere from the Bristol waterfront or downtown. Street parking is free, but it will fill up fast- arrive at least an hour before the show if you want a spot. After the fireworks, stay patient; traffic congestion might make it tough to leave.