Visitors come to Bristol despite no concert series July 4th weekend

BRISTOL, R.I. (WLNE) — Independence Park would normally be packed with people Friday for the concert series, but despite the pandemic, some still couldn’t miss being here.

Pamela Rampolla comes all the way from New Jersey to see family here in Bristol and celebrate the 4th of July festivities.

“It’s exquisite,” she said. “here’s a lot of things going on, there’s food trucks and concert series.”

The latter  is a major draw for her family, who would often come here to Independence Park and spend the day.

“Park a little chair, and then just watch the concert, get some food, mingle,” Rampolla said. “It’s just a really great celebration.”

She’s raving about a steel drum performance.

“It was fantastic, they really got the crowd involved,” Rampolla said. “I still have it recorded on my phone, because I loved it that much.”

She knows all of that won’t be part of Bristol’s 4th of July festivities this year, and says she initially had some concerns about making the trip.

But Rampolla decided — even if it’s different this year — it’s still worth it to be here.

“Of course I miss the normal celebration, which was always fun, but it wasn’t going to stop me from coming,” she said. “I think as long as those guidelines are followed, then we can all celebrate – just in a different way.”

Rampolla says she would even consider making the trip here again for the rescheduled concert series — currently set for the end of August.