Summer ’ s Promise
AVAILABLE AT RHODE ISLAND DESIGN CENTER IN W . WARWICK & CARDI ’ S FURNITURE & MATTRESSES IN S . ATTLEBORO
MEAGHAN SUSI
No , it ’ s not time for new eyewear .
No need to retire your prescription shades .
No , you haven ’ t had too many Zoom calls .
What is on the cover of this month ’ s issue is not an illusion , but a photo of Rhode Island ’ s version of the World ’ s Largest Boat Party .
Aquapalooza was founded in 2009 as a sales promotion event for Sea Ray boats and now boasts a party in more than 100 locations attracting more than 12,000 boats annually . It ’ s ironic that the residents of Prudence Island ( a quiet refuge year-round ) are the unwitting hosts of this annual event in Potter ’ s Cove .
Senior editor Jamie Coelho chronicles her family ’ s venture into boat ownership and the adventure of attending the event for the first time ( full disclosure : This was in 2018 ). And yes , it has continued — even in 2020 in a diminished form — despite dire warnings during the pandemic ’ s rise .
But let us focus on the hopes that many have for the summer of 2021 and a return to some level of normalcy . In blissful moments there ’ s talk of outdoor gatherings , festivals , parades , albeit with a health and safety theme . And , be still my heart , a backyard gathering with family and friends once again is more than an outlandish dream .
While I have no doubt the cacophony of Aquapalooza will ripple the still waters of Potter ’ s Cove this summer , truth be told , we really don ’ t know what I often call “ the best ten weeks in Little Rhody ” will be like . Will the Gaspee burn once again off the shores of Pawtuxet Village ? Will drum and bugle corps shatter the calmness of a bucolic Bristol ? Will WaterFire ’ s flames illuminate the cityscape of Providence ? Sadly we know there will be no crack of the bat and childhood dreams ignited by fireworks at McCoy Stadium , their fiftieth and last season in Rhode Island stolen from us by the pandemic .
No one knows for sure , but on a bright summer day , basking in the meteorological glory of where we live , we might celebrate that the clouds of doubt , despair and longing are finally diminishing .
To the Rhode ahead . – J . J . P .
10 RHODE ISLAND MONTHLY l JUNE 2021