Bristol Fourth of July concert fans hopeful after raising $20K to keep music on downtown waterfront

A crowd is seen at an Independence Park summer concert in Bristol, Rhode Island. The size of crowds and traffic congestion led to a decision to relocate this year’s performances to Roger Williams University. (Photo by Alexander Castro/Rhode Island Current)

For some Bristolians, it is unthinkable that the popular Bristol Fourth of July concert series could happen anywhere else but Independence Park — 4 acres of open space on the water, with views of the sunset at showtime. 

The summer concert series, one of many long standing traditions in the Bristol Fourth of July celebration, typically spans the last two weeks of June leading up to the nation’s oldest continuous Independence Day parade. But as the crowds of music lovers have grown in recent years, so have public safety concerns, prompting a lengthy discussion last November by the volunteer committee that runs the parade and its attendant festivities.

At the Bristol Fourth of July Committee’s meeting on Nov. 19, 2024, Bristol Chief of Police Kevin M. Lynch testified that a security budget of between $17,000 and $19,000 was needed to keep the concerts at Independence Park.

That led to a decision to move the concert to an isolated hillside two-and-a-half miles away on the Roger Williams University (RWU) campus. The site with ample parking and open space served as the concert series venue during the COVID-19 pandemic in 2021 when the Rhode Island Department of Health denied Independence Park as a suitable venue at the time.  

But Allison Borges, a local teacher and Bristol resident, believes the concert series would “lose that hometown vibe” if held over at RWU, given that the bulk of Independence Day activities are held downtown.   

“It would just really be pretty devastating to move [the concerts] to an area that isn’t as accessible as the downtown is,” Borges said. Independence Park is “accessible from the bike path, it’s accessible for people who live downtown,” she added. “People come over by boat.”

Borges, along with fellow Save Bristol 4th organizer Mark Overy, took Lynch’s comments as a challenge and set out to raise at least $17,000 to cover the security budget Lynch cited at the Nov. 19 meeting and in a Jan. 30 article in the Bristol Phoenix. The group organized a GoFundMe and threw a fundraiser party last Sunday at Portside, a restaurant across the street from Independence Park. 

Their hard work paid off: They ended up raising $20,000. Save Bristol 4th now plans to present the money raised at the Bristol Fourth of July Committee’s next meeting on Thursday at 7 p.m.

The agenda for Thursday’s meeting allows time for public comment with some stipulations: Groups of people “will assign one person to speak for group,” and there’s a two-minute time limit. The agenda notes that the opportunity for feedback is “not a question-and-answer session.” 

“Unfortunately, we haven’t been able to communicate with any members on the committee,” Borges said in a phone interview. “They have not been willing to discuss anything with us.” 

Minutes from the Nov. 19 meeting show Mount Hope High School was suggested as an alternative venue, but it was shot down because of subpar parking and “not great logistics for band and spectators.” 

Ultimately, 32 members of the committee voted to approve relocating concerts to the RWU campus, and nine abstained, according to the minutes.   

“We want to set up a press conference to announce this,” the minutes read. “Please keep this information confidential at this time.”

673 comments

Chair Camille Teixeira responded to requests for comment for this story with a statement that had been previously issued on the committee’s Facebook and website on Jan. 24, offering an explanation of the rationale for the location change. 

“This decision was made with careful consideration, prioritizing security, safety, and emergency access, as well as accommodations for large crowds,” Teixeira wrote. “By relocating to Roger Williams University, we will be able to provide more accessible parking, with over 800 available spaces, and improved accommodations for individuals with disabilities.” 

Vendors would be located near the campus’ upper fields for easy access to refreshments, Teixeira wrote, and added that this year’s outing at RWU would be superior and better planned than the 2021 iteration.    

“As a team of dedicated volunteers, we work tirelessly to keep this beloved celebration alive, putting in long hours with great heart and commitment,” Teixeira wrote.

The Facebook post garnered a mix of reactions: 207 likes, but also 147 “angry” reactions and 104 “sad” reactions. The post’s 673 comments ranged from commendation for the improved parking and accessibility for emergency services and audiences alike, to condemnations like “Horrible decision!” and “Absolute travesty.”

“Your reaction to this will be a major indicator of whether you’re a Bristol native or not. LOL!” wrote Matt Allen, a WPRO radio host, in the comments.

Traffic congestion, handicap access

Safety concerns from last year’s concert series were detailed in a 2024 report by Bristol Police Capt. Stephen St. Pierre, cited by Lynch in a Jan. 27 letter to media outlets. Most of them were related to overcrowding.

A traffic safety emergency on July 2 that led to traffic getting shut down on Thames Street, an oversaturation of people around the vendors’ area, and a lack of accessibility. “Many handicapped patrons left and vented their frustrations to police officers on-site,” Lynch wrote.

“I respect and humbly understand the disappoint echoed by many in social media,” Lynch wrote. “I would simply be negligent in my duties if I didn’t highlight these concerns to final decision makers to keep you and your families safe.”

Bristol Town Administrator Steven Contente said he supports the “difficult decision” made by Bristol Fourth of July Committee volunteers to relocate the concerts in an email Monday.

“Similar to the move from the front of Colt School, the Fourth of July concert series have outgrown the Independence Park location. The fields at Roger Williams University overlooking Mt. Hope Bay provide the space needed to continue to deliver a high-quality experience,” Contente wrote.

Asked about the safety concerns, Borges said she was hoping her group’s fundraising could make the Fourth of July committee “mitigate” some of those concerns and ultimately feel comfortable about keeping it in Independence Park. 

But she was still unsure whether Lynch was on board: “I personally hope that he supports the relocation but I don’t actually know. But he did say they could make it work,” she said. 

Said Lynch in an email Monday: “The Bristol Police Department wasn’t involved in the final decision-making process as to location of the concert series. Notably, this is the function of the Bristol 4th of July committee.”