Despite Rain, Gaspee Days a Success

This weekend’s Gaspee Days festivities culminated on Sunday in Pawtuxet Village and a spirit of celebration prevailed despite the dreary weather.

The traditional colonial encampment took place throughout the weekend, giving visitors a feel for colonial military life. Dozens of militia camped out for the weekend in authentic military garb, erecting white canvass tents and cooking over open fires.  Both militia members and civilians dressed in Revolutionary War era fashion, donning traditional military uniforms and colonial bonnets and dresses.  

The family-oriented events in Pawtuxet Park on Sunday afternoon allowed dozens of children to experience the importance and excitement of their local history. Children were allowed to tour the encampment and observe the nature of colonial life.  Attendance was sparse in the early afternoon but several children wore colonial attire to the events. 

One local boy, Brady, donned a coon-skin hat and toted his own plastic rifle, saying he was ready for the action.  Visitors expressed a sentiment of appreciation for their local heritage.

“It’s a really great tradition.  I’ve been coming for over twenty-five years,” said Mary Kay, an Edgewood resident.

At about 2:30 p.m., the Red Coats began practicing their military maneuvers by marching in formation, wielding their muskets at precise angle, and firing into the shrubbery. Children plugged their ears as plumbs of smoke billowed from the gun powder. 

After the demonstration, about a dozen children learned how to re-enact a bayonet charge. The children were given model bayonets and cartridge boxes to carry as they received orders from officers to get in a straight line. The children then marched in formation and when ordered, pretended to fire their bayonets, yelling “Boom!” 

Major Kenneth Gilbert of the Rhode Island militia described the events to an on-looking parent: “History is 20/20 hindsight but it’s also a very interesting perspective. I’m looking as an officer and an officer of the crown, I’m not really looking at this as a war. I’m here to protect the loyal citizens of the crown. From the treason”.

After a battle re-enactment, crowds gathered on the shore of Pawtuxet Park and the pier of the Aspray Boathouse to watch the burning of the Gaspee, the final event of the weekend’s festivities. The crowd watched in anticipation as staff members poured gasoline on the ship and the Warwick Fire Marshal traversed the bay preparing for the blaze. 

Katie Hickey, who recently moved to Warwick from Massachusetts, said she likes how Cranston pays homage to its history.

“I come from a historical town myself and I really appreciate that Cranston celebrates their history in such a fun way,” Hickey said.

Militia members fired thundering cannons which reverberated across the bay, signaling the finale. As the ship went up in flames, the crowds on the shore cheered.  The tradition of burning the Gaspee as part of Gaspee Days started by coincidence.

Though Gaspee Days has been celebrated since the event first transpired, the first modern Gaspee Day Parade was organized in 1966. In 1968, a small group of local citizens, who called themselves, “Crew 72” decided build a float for the parade—a boat made of mostly chicken wire and paper napkins.  The float was constructed in the garage of a man named Nick Agresti, and after the parade it was brought back to his house where it stayed for a week until it was disassembled.

The next year, “Crew 72” again asked Agresti to use his garage to build the float. Agresti agreed on condition the float wouldn't be returned to his property after the parade.

When that year’s parade concluded, “Crew 72” took the float to Salter Grove for the night before deciding what to do with it. The next day, the group determined that the best way to get rid of the boat was to burn it and thus the tradition of reenacting the Burning of the Gaspee began. 

Despite the unfavorable weather, the weekend was a success, according to Gaspee Days Committee President John Concannon. 

“Though the rain threatened the afternoon events, there was good attendance despite the weather," he said. "And everyone had a good time.”