Council commits $2,500 and administrator adds $500 to support Battle of Rhode Island reenactment; organizers seek more grants

The Town of Bristol Town Council on Feb. 5 voted to provide up to $2,500 in sponsorship to support the Battle of Rhode Island Association reenactments planned for mid‑May, and the town administrator pledged an additional $500 from contingency funds, bringing the council’s immediate commitment to $3,000.

Catherine Zip, executive director of the Bristol Historic Preservation Society, asked the council to support a weekend of events marking the raid and bombardment of Bristol in 1775 and to guarantee reenactor participation. Zip told the council she requested $5,000 specifically to cover reenactor costs; she said regiments initially planned to send about 10 reenactors but had grown to roughly 28 participants, and that organizers had adjusted how payments would be handled to compensate regiments rather than individuals.

Zip said the overall event budget is substantially larger and includes costs for a visiting ship (she cited a $45,000 figure for the Oliver Hazard Perry element) and additional programming; she said the total budget for the weekend could be on the order of tens of thousands of dollars and that the reenactor funding was a time‑sensitive component. Zip said she had applied for several grants and expected further private and grant support.

Council discussion focused on available municipal sources and timing. One councilor said the town’s contingency account is an appropriate place for a partial sponsorship; another asked staff to check tourism budget lines for unspent funds that might supplement the council’s support. Several councilors described the reenactment as a potential tourism draw and asked staff to pursue additional grant and sponsorship opportunities.

After discussion the council voted to approve a sponsorship up to $2,500. The administrator announced he could transfer $500 from his contingency balance immediately. Councilors and staff also agreed to explore whether remaining tourism or budget funds could help cover additional costs or whether reimbursement from future budget allocations would be feasible. No binding commitment beyond the approved $2,500 and the administrator’s $500 was made at the meeting.

Zip said the reenactment weekend would include two morning reenactment events on May 17, ship arrival events, tours and educational programs for schoolchildren, and community activities tied to local agricultural demonstrations. Organizers said they would provide a more detailed funding breakdown and grant status to the council as planning progresses.

The motion to approve the sponsorship and the administrator’s $500 pledge passed by voice vote with no recorded opposition.