There was a Gaspee Days parade. There was the playing of the fife and drums. There was the firing of muskets. There were people in colonial dress.

The Pawtuxet Rangers were in uniform … and they were wearing red masks. And there was a parade grand marshal. In fact, there were five of them – four more than any other Gaspee Days parade since the first one 53 years ago.

But something was missing. This parade was without spectators except for those who happened to come upon the event at Trinity Church on Ocean Avenue in Pawtuxet by some circumstance Saturday at 10 a.m.

That’s the time a parade would have stepped off from the intersection of Spring Green and Narragansett Parkway had the pandemic not caused the cancellation of Gaspee Days celebrations. It was a perfect day for the parade, remarked Col. Ron Barnes, commander of the Pawtuxet Rangers – cool, sunny and a gentle breeze. It would have been a great day for a march down Narragansett Parkway, across the bridge and to the Shriners, even in a woolen uniform.

That would have drawn thousands.

People would have lined the route. They would have staked out their preferred spots with lawn chairs, maybe even caution tape, the night before. The line of march would have included colonial militia units from across the region, high school marching bands, the Shriners in their crazy little cars, Boy and Girl Scouts, school floats, police and fire units from Warwick and Cranston, and congressional, state and local officials.

The parade, and so much more, was in place to happen. The Arts & Crafts Festival on Memorial Day weekend would have signaled the start, followed by the historic tour of the village where students dressed in colonial attire would have portrayed colonial tradesmen, merchants, teachers and residents. There would have been the concert in the park followed by fireworks, as well as the colonial militia encampment and the defining conclusion with the burning of the Gaspee in Pawtuxet Cove.

Gina Dooley, president of the Gaspee Days Committee, agreed that this was both the easiest (in terms of the work that needed to be done) and the most difficult of Gaspee Days celebrations.

In retrospect, the committee made the proper decision when it acted in early March to call it off. Had they waited, more work would have been done and funds spent for naught. Dooley, who is in the first of two years as president, fretted. The tradition of observing the nation’s “first blow for freedom” couldn’t go unobserved. She readily agreed to the proposal that certain features of the celebration be held, but all in keeping with the distancing and lack of gatherings set forth to combat the spread of the coronavirus.

The committee held a virtual 5K with more than 210 participating. T-shirts were distributed to participants Friday evening from the Aspray Boathouse. While participants could choose to do the 5K however and wherever they pleased – their basement treadmill, on a bike or out on the bay in a kayak – Dooley feared many would not want to break with tradition and show up in the village Saturday morning to do the run. A few did, but rules are rules and distances were kept.

Then there was the placing of a wreath at the overlook on Narragansett Parkway, the firing of a salute at the historic cemetery on Post Road and the ecumenical service at Trinity Church.

All three events were held Saturday – streamed on Facebook Live for those who wanted to follow – but otherwise kept a secret so as not to draw crowds.

Surely the parade was the shortest in Gaspee Days history. Following musical selections by the Pawtuxet Rangers, closing out with “Amazing Grace” and the firing of muskets, the five honorary grand marshals led no more than a total of 25 into the church.

The grand marshals, all valedictorians of their graduating high school classes, wore their graduation attire, including caps and sashes declaring their distinguished status. During the service, Dooley introduced Jamee Salisbury from Pilgrim, Kaylah Staknis from Toll Gate and Logan Cuthill from Hendricken, who shared in reading remarks from Mayor Joseph J. Solomon. Eden Fisher of Cranston East and Isabella Corso of Cranston West brought the remarks of Mayor Allan Fung.

Dooley still has hopes of a Gaspee event before the end of the year. What and when will, to a large extent, be determined by the virus.

And then there’s next year.

Dooley isn’t making any promises.

“It’s got to be bigger and better.”

Let’s hope she is right.