Bristol RI- 4th of July Parade...on the 5th!

This parade is known as the longest running 4th of July parade in the nation. It has been running since 1785 and well attended by the neighboring towns and beyond. Because the 4th was on a Sunday it was held today on the 5th. I sat around the yard in various places and on a balcony to try to get a view. Of course, it was not possible to get it all, people and vehicles moved, bands marched and pipers played too. There were minute-men and Fife and Drum units, everything patriotic....very colorful and exciting. The spectators were apporpriately garbed in red, white, and blue as well. Here are some vignette sketches of the offerings....sadly I am way out of practice on sketching people (I desperately need a refresher course from Rita Stabler!) but I did my best. Here are a couple of warm-up sketches

Then some attempts to get the flavor of the day.