Bristol's 4th of July: A Celebration of History and Independence

The red, white, and blue lines in the middle of Hope Street are freshly repainted and the porches and doorways of the historic homes will soon be festooned with bunting, flags, and swags of stars and stripes. It’s the spirit of Bristol, Rhode Island, “America’s Most Patriotic Town,” and home of the longest running Independence Day celebration in the country.

Rhode Island PBS film crew captured the behind-the-scenes preparations for the 2007 Fourth of July celebration, and traced the origins and evolution of more than 225 years of commemorative ceremonies and traditions. Bristol’s Fourth of July: A Celebration of History and Independence was produced by Bristol native Mary Lou Palumbo, and will air on Thursday, July 4 at 7 p.m., and on Saturday, July 6 at 7 p.m. and Sunday, July 8 at 11 p.m., as part of the ongoing Rhode Island PBS series, Rhode Island Stories. 

Vintage photos and archival film take viewers back in time to witness some of the early observances. The documentary also explores the origins of the patriotic exercises, the historic parade, the Miss Fourth of July pageant, and other key events and ceremonies, and why the tradition is still going strong more than two and a quarter centuries later. 

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Rhode Island PBS Commemorates
Independence Day 2013

July 4 

7 p.m. - Bristol's Fourth of July: A Celebration of History and Independence

8 p.m. - A Capitol Fourth 2013

9:30 p.m. - 3, 2, 1 Fireworks

July 6

12:30 a.m. - A Capitol Fourth 2013

2 a.m. - 3, 2, 1 Fireworks

noon - 3, 2, 1 Fireworks

12:30 p.m. - A Capitol Fourth 2013

7 p.m. - (Rhode Island Stories) Bristol's Fourth of July: A Celebration of History and Independence

July 7

11 p.m. - (Rhode Island Stories) Bristol's Fourth of July: A Celebration of History and Independence

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WSBE Rhode Island PBS transmits standard-definition (SD) and high-definition (HD) programming over the air on digital 36.1; on Rhode Island cable services: Cox 08 / 1008HD, Verizon FiOS 08 / 508HD, Full Channel 08; on Massachusetts cable services: Comcast 819HD, Verizon 18 / 518HD; on satellite: DirecTV 36 / 3128HD, Dish Network 7776.

WSBE Learn transmits over the air on digital 36.2; on cable: Cox 808, Verizon 478, Full Channel 89, Comcast 294 or 312.

Three new Hummel Spotlight reports

Here is this week's Rhode Island PBS TV schedule for the following Hummel Spotlight videos:


Much More Than Music 
featuring Community Music Works:
Sat 06/22/2013 at 9:46 PM
Wed 06/26/2013 at 9:50 PM
Fri 06/28/2013 at 02:17 AM

Discovering Their Potential 
featuring Sophia Academy:
Sat 06/22/2013 at 5:51 PM
Thu 06/27/2013 at 2:47 PM
Fri 06/28/2013 at 1:46 PM

Shaking It Up 
featuring San Miguel School:
Sat 06/29/2013 at 7:00 PM

'Making War Horse' - Great Primer for Live Show at PPAC

Making War Horse is the story of how Michael Morpurgo's children's novel became one of the most popular and acclaimed productions in the National Theatre's history. Rhode Island PBS presents the film on Wednesday, May 29 at 10 p.m., with encore broadcast on Sunday, June 2 at 7 p.m.

From its early development in the National Theatre Studio, see how Handspring Puppet Company created the groundbreaking techniques that brought a lifelike horse to the stage. Behind the scenes and into the rehearsal room, featuring interviews with the cast and creative team, Making War Horse documents this unique theatrical collaboration and the creation of a stage classic.

The stage production is coming to the Providence Performing Arts Center, and Rhode Island PBS has tickets for the opening night performance on June 5.

Maple Syrup in Rhode Island

Saturday night, May 25 at 7:30 p.m., Rhode Island PBS presents Maple Syrup in Rhode Island, as part of its ongoing series, Rhode Island Stories. The 2013 SENE award winner for Best Regional Documentary, Maple Syrup in Rhode Island tells the story of Bill Livingston, who has been making maple syrup for close to 50 years. Bill explains the maple syrup process from tapping the trees to bottling the syrup.