The Bristol Fourth of July Committee was introduced to the chief marshal for its 2020 celebration by unusual means Wednesday evening.

In a brief ceremony held in a courtyard outside of Linden  Place, committee General Chairwoman Michele Martins introduced Suzanne Magaziner to a very small assembled crowd. A few town officials and Fourth of July Committee members joined with Ms. Magaziner's husband and three children. All wore masks for the majority of the ceremony, aside from Ms. Martins and Ms. Magaziner during their remarks. Hundreds more people, including many committee members, watched the proceedings via Facebook Live or a livestream on  Zoom (which included a few glitches as Bristol residents interrupted the proceedings without realizing their microphones were turned on).

The introduction of the chief marshal is a time-honored tradition in Bristol — typically a closely kept secret between just the chairperson and the honored citizen, usually for months, before a public introduction in front of a large crowd during a Fourth Committee meeting in April. Ms. Martins and Ms. Magaziner first discussed the honor back in November, and as the Covid-19 pandemic altered all plans and rearranged all schedules, they repeatedly decided to postpone the announcement for a better time.

In the end, they decided to go forward with the announcement, even as the celebration itself hangs in very uncertain status. There will definitely not be a parade similar to the grand celebrations of the past; whether there will be any parade of any kind remains to be seen. Most other Bristol Fourth events, like nightly concerts, the Miss Fourth pageant, the chief marshal's ball, etc. have been postponed or canceled.

But the two women pressed on, with Ms. Martins talking about why Ms. Magaziner has such an inspiring story and Ms. Magaziner talking about Ms. Martins' endless optimism and positive energy in the face of adversity.

Following the remarks, the Magaziners posed for photos and for a moment things seemed somewhat "normal."