Visiting for this weekend’s full WaterFire? Check out these other events happening in Rhode Island!
Wednesday, August 26
Windmill Wednesdays at Prescott Farm: 3:30- 5:30 p.m. Have you always wanted to see the inside of the 1812 Prescott Farm windmill? Now is your chance at this windmill open house! Explore how this amazing machine works and learn about the importance of grist milling on Aquidneck Island. Enjoy a family-friendly evening with johnnycake tasting and hands-on activities for kids.
National Night Out: 5:00-8:00 p.m. Family oriented fun with prizes, rock wall, raffles, food samples, bouncy house for the kids, antique firetrucks, meet and greet with police officers, demonstrations and so much more! National Night Out is an annual community-building campaign that promotes police-community partnerships and neighborhood camaraderie to make our neighborhoods a safer, better place to live.
Providence offers many options for buying local and fresh. Check out our recommendations below. For a complete list of farmers markets and more informations about buying local, visit Farm Fresh Food.
Healthy Foods Healthy Families Program
Farm Fresh Food’s Healthy Foods, Healthy Families program has been empowering low-income Rhode Island families with the tools to shop for and cook affordable fresh foods for five years and counting. This works through a series of hands-on activities, offered in English and Spanish, at the farmers market that run from July 6- October 31. Parents go with their children to the market where the Healthy Foods, Healthy Families staff offers free samples, games, recipes, financial incentives, and giveaways. The farmers markets that are currently participating in this program include Armory Park (Providence’s westside), Broad St. (Providence’s southside), Neutaconkanut Park (Providence’s westside), Pawtucket, West Warwick, and Woonsocket markets.
If you’re in town for this Saturday’s Clear Currents Full WaterFire, check out what else is happening this weekend! There are lots of exciting events happening in RI for the whole family this week.
Wednesday, August 12
Clothing Optional: A Figurative Show: 5:30 pm Opening reception. “Clothing Optional” will feature works by a number of local, national and international artists, including: Jeff Bye, Ted DiLucia, Elizabeth Frank, Ted Gall, Kristy Goggio, Jeff Hall, Daniel Koterbay, Azamat Kuliev, James Paterson, Eleanor Rahim, Jeff Schneider, and David Witbeck.
Origami Workshop with Rod Nice: 6:30 p.m. Rod Nice (aka “Sensei”) is returning to the Providence Public Library to enchant us with his origami teachings…learn how to fold an Origami Rose in this special workshop!
Providence is known as the “Creative Capital,” and for good reason. The city is home to many art galleries and museums that display artwork from all over the world. And if you’re visiting at the end of the month, Gallery Night is not to be missed. Every third Thursday of the month, from March to November, galleries across Providence open their doors. This free event, which celebrates art ranging from contemporary multi-media installations to one-of-a-kind functional artworks, is called Gallery Night Providence.
Founded in 2011, Yellow Peril Gallery is a contemporary art gallery located at The Plant, a historic mill complex in the Olneyville neighborhood of Providence, Rhode Island. The Gallery fosters modern art critiques on popular culture and society from emerging, mid-career and established artists in the United States and abroad. Their inventory comprises of works of art from critically-acclaimed artists who have been featured in biennials and museum exhibitions, participated in top tier art fairs and acquired by private collectors worldwide. Artists represented share their commitment to social responsibility, and 10% from the sale of all artwork is donated to a charitable organization of the Artists’ choice.
Thursday and Friday: 3 p.m.- 8 p.m. Saturday and Sunday: 12 p.m.- 5 p.m.
Founded in 1880 to stimulate the appreciation of art in the community, the Club has long been a place for artists and art patrons to congregate, create, display and circulate works of art. Located along Thomas Street, in the shadow of the First Baptist Church, the Providence Art Club is a picturesque procession of historic houses, home to studios, galleries and the clubhouse. Through its public programs, its art instruction classes for members and its active exhibition schedule, the Providence Art Club continues a tradition of sponsoring and supporting the visual arts in Providence and throughout Rhode Island.
Monday- Friday 12:00 p.m.- 3:00 p.m.
RISD Museum
RISD Museum, photo via mhcari.org
The RISD Museum acquires, preserves, exhibits, and interprets works of art and design representing diverse cultures from ancient times to the present. Distinguished by its relationship to the Rhode Island School of Design (RISD), the Museum educates and inspires artists, designers, students, scholars, and the general public through exhibitions, programs, and publications. The RISD Museum houses more than 91,000 works of art, ranging from ancient Greek and Roman sculpture to contemporary art in every medium, including textiles, ceramics, glass and furniture. Part of the Rhode Island School of Design, the museum offers a full schedule of special exhibitions, lectures, tours, concerts and other programs.
Tuesdays- Sundays 10:00 a.m.- 5:00 p.m.
ArtProv Gallery
ArtProv is a gallery of contemporary art that displays an evocative collection of works centered around color, texture and expression by local, national and international artists. Constructed in a converted loft space in the Jewelry District’s historic Doran Building, ArtProv’s inspired location features three viewing spaces open for private showings.
Wednesday – Friday 11:00 a.m. – 2:00 p.m.
The Chazan Gallery
Chazan Gallery, photo via chazangallery.org
Chazan Gallery @ Wheeler is a nonprofit artists’ space which exhibits a wide range of contemporary work by artists living or working in the area. Providence is a city with a very large community of artists, and the gallery provides an excellent space for these artists to exhibit their work. Through an open jury process, the gallery shows work from among the strongest artists in the area in a series of varied and intresting exhibitions each year. Bill Van Siclen, the Providence Journal’s art editor, has called the gallery “a model of quality and consistency. The artists have been among the best the state has to offer.” Located on the East Side of Providence near Brown University and RISD, the gallery is totally supported by Wheeler School, a gift to the Providence arts community from the school.
GRIN is a contemporary art gallery located at The Plant in the historic Olneyville District of Providence, Rhode Island. Directed by Corey Oberlander and Lindsey Stapleton, GRIN was founded in 2013 as a space for artists to develop and exhibit their work, with a steady curatorial hand.
The David Winton Bell Gallery is Brown University’s contemporary art gallery and home to an important part of the university’s permanent art collection. The gallery hosts four to five major exhibitions each year, as well as annual exhibitions of student artwork and a triennial exhibition of artwork by Brown faculty members.
The Dryden Gallery at Providence Picture Frame stands as the city’s largest and most versatile space of its kind. It is comprised of two distinctly structured, equally appealing venues. The ground floor Red Gallery is an intimate setting ideal for showcasing individual artists, while the Grand Gallery encompasses the cavernous third floor of one of Providence’s most celebrated restored mill buildings. Providence Picture Frame, in continuous operation since 1889, is the oldest and largest frame store in New England. Dryden Gallery manifests its commitment to support, provide common ground for, and indeed celebrate local visual artists and their peers from all points of the compass.
Monday-Saturday 8:30 a.m. -6:30 p.m.
Gallery Z
The Atwells Ave. location currently displays an extensive and diverse selection of small-to-medium-sized original Fine Art works (paintings, photographs, drawings, glass, sculptures, collages, assemblages) from Gallery Z‘s deep stable of Fine Artists: locally, nationally or internationally renowned, along with a selection of jewelry, pottery and unusual specialty handicrafts from Armenia and around the world.
The Haffenreffer Museum of Anthropology is Brown University’s teaching museum. A resource across the university, we inspire creative and critical thinking about culture by fostering interdisciplinary understanding of the material world. The museum offers exhibits, public lectures, performances, symposia, festivals, and a broad range of programs and events for all ages.
Tuesday-Sunday 10:00 a.m. – 4:00 p.m.
Peter Miller Fine Art Photography Gallery
Peter Miller Fine Art (PMFA) photography gallery opened in March 2015 in Providence, Rhode Island. The gallery is the only venue dedicated exclusively to fine art photography in Providence and Southern New England.
Visit by appointment
AS220
AS220 offers artists opportunities to live, work, exhibit and/or perform in its facilities, which include several rotating gallery spaces, a performance stage, a black-box theater, a print shop, a darkroom and media arts lab, a fabrication and electronics lab, a dance studio, a youth program focusing on youth under state care and in the juvenile detention facilities, four dozen affordable live/work studios for artists, and a bar and restaurant.
Main Gallery: 115 Empire St. Performance Space
Youth Gallery: 115 Empire Street (Second Floor)
Open Window: 115 Empire Street
Project Space (and Reading Room): 93 Mathewson St. (Dreyfus building)
Resident Gallery: 131 Washington (First floor of the Mercantile building)
Open the first Saturday of the month from 5:00 p.m. – 7:00 p.m.
For a full list of Art Galleries in Providence and the entire State of Rhode Island, please visit the Discover Rhode Island website.
Rhode Island offers so many great activities for the whole family to enjoy. Here are our recommendations for kid-friendly activities!
Providence Children’s Museum
Photo Courtesy of Providence Children’s Museum
Providence Children’s Museum, Rhode Island’s only hands-on museum especially for children and their families, inspires learning through active play and exploration. The Museum presents interactive exhibits and hands-on programs that explore the arts, culture, history and science and embrace a wide range of learning styles and forms of expression. Open Tuesday-Sunday 9:00 a.m.- 6:00 p.m.
Roger Williams Park Zoo
Dubbed “the finest zoo in New England” by the Boston Globe. Walk through this beautifully landscaped 40-acre zoo – one of the nation’s oldest – and encounter an African elephant, a Masai giraffe, zebras, a red panda, snow leopard, moon bears, a gibbon, giant ant eater and more in naturalistic settings. Open 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. April – September and 10 a.m. – 4 p.m. October – March with last admission one half hour before closing. Closed Thanksgiving, Christmas and Christmas Eve. Check our website for any additional early closings. The nationally acclaimed Jack-O-Lantern Spectacular runs evenings during October; check their website for dates and details.
Flutterby: Butterflies in Bloom
While visiting the Roger Williams Park Zoo, don’t miss this butterfly exhibit. This summer-long special exhibit that thrilled tens of thousands is back at Roger Williams Park Zoo for its second and final year! Flutterby: Butterflies in Bloom provides an immersive experience inside the Zoo’s beautifully landscaped greenhouse filled with hundreds of free-flying native North American butterflies. A delight for butterfly and gardening enthusiasts alike, this enchanting experience invites visitors to discover a deeper appreciation for some of our earth’s most imperiled species – butterflies, in bloom. The exhibit will be open May 23 – September 7, and requires a nominal admission fee in addition to Zoo admission.
Pawtucket Red Sox
Photo credit to familyfriendlyboston.com
The Pawtucket Red Sox, in the neighboring city of Pawtucket, is a great place to see baseball the way it should be played – by eager young talents in a small gem of a ballpark. Tickets to games in McCoy Stadium are affordable and are sure to offer a great experience at the ballpark.
Providence Bruins
The Providence Bruins are the American Hockey League (AHL) affiliate for the Boston Bruins. A team filled with the hockey stars of tomorrow, the P-Bruins’ home ice is at Providence’s Dunkin’ Donuts Center, affectionately known as “The Dunk” to locals.
WaterFire Providence
This award-winning sculpture by Barnaby Evans installed on the three rivers of downtown Providence, has been praised by Rhode Island residents and
Photo credit to Tom Lincoln
international visitors alike as a powerful work of art and a moving symbol of Providence’s renaissance. WaterFire’s over eighty sparkling bonfires, the fragrant scent of aromatic wood smoke, the flickering firelight on the arched bridges, the silhouettes of the firetenders passing by the flames, the torch-lit vessels traveling down the river, and the enchanting music from around the world engage all the senses and emotions of those who stroll the paths of Waterplace Park. WaterFire has captured the imagination of over ten million visitors, bringing life to downtown, and revitalizing Rhode Island’s capital city. Check the schedule to see when the next event is!
The RISD Museum
The RISD Museum houses more than 91,000 works of art, ranging from ancient Greek and Roman sculpture to contemporary art in every medium, including textiles, ceramics, glass and furniture. Part of the Rhode Island School of Design, the museum offers a full schedule of special exhibitions, lectures, tours, concerts and other programs. The RISD Museum offers different tours and programs geared toward different age groups. To find out when programs that will be the best fit for your family are, look at their events calendar.
KidInfo Storytime and Art in the Park
Thursdays in Burnside Park in Providence hold something for everyone in the family! Storytime in Burnside Park is at 10:30, when local authors, illustrators, storytellers and performers bring stories and books to life! Stay for Art in the Park, where resident creative genius Ricky Katowicz leads listeners into The Great Green Room! Here the stories of Margaret Wise Brown – such as Goodnight Moon, Runaway Bunny, The Important Book and others – will be transformed into magical experiences using all of the 5 senses! Katowicz will be hosting several guest artists to lend their specialties to the playful and rhythmic styles of Margaret Wise Brown.
Friends of Ballard Park Children’s Workshop
Friends of Ballard Park is holding a nature workshop for children! The one and a half hour program will feature hands-on activities focusing on the natural elements found in Ballard Park. The class is best suited for children six to twelve years old. Younger and older siblings welcome. This event occurs weekly on Thursdays in Newport’s Ballard Park.
Other Recommendations
If your family enjoys spending time outdoors, check out our biking and hiking recommendations. Or, if your family is looking to spend the day at one of the many beautiful beaches in Rhode Island, check out our beach recommendations. For more information about family-friendly events occurring in Rhode Island, visit KidInfo.
There’s so much to do this weekend in Rhode Island. It’s Providence Restaurant Week all week long with great deals on great food, and there is a WaterFire full lighting on Saturday. Check out what other events are going on!
Wednesday, July 15
Ways of Looking for Artists: Making and Meaning: 10:30 a.m. How can art in a museum setting illuminate one’s own artistic process? Through sustained looking, conversation, and writing, artists deeply engage with art and consider their own practice. Museum educator Hollis Mickey provides contemplative moments and opportunities for generative dialogue.
Brown St. Summer Concert Series: 5:30 p.m. Our July 15 concert feature the amazing sounds of the local band, Roz and the Rice Cakes, plus include a Play at the Park activity with the Providence Children’s Museum.
Thursday, July 16
KidInfo Storytime and Art in the Park: 10:30 a.m. Join us for STORYTIME in Burnside Park while local authors, illustrators, storytellers and performers bring stories and books to life. As always, a mobile playground, faceprinting and food trucks for lunch add to the all-ages fun and make for a perfect picnic in the park
Burnside Music Series: 4:30 p.m. Join us every Thursday this summer for beautiful times in Burnside Park, replete with delightful bevs by Trinity Brewhouse, delicious food by Rhode Island’s greatest food trucks, casual jams by celebrity DJs, and, of course, the finest tunes Rhode Island has to offer, courtesy of a kaleidoscopic array of astounding musicians
Concerts Under the Elms Concert Series: 6:30 p.m. Join us for the Concerts under the Elms, an annual outdoor summer concert series held Thursdays under the canopy of elms at the John Brown House Museum.
Children’s Museum Bubble Blowout: 11:00 a.m. The Museum’s Children’s Garden bubbles over with fun as families blow billowing bubbles of all shapes and sizes! Kids use a wide array of wacky tools to blow giant bubbles, stretch them into astonishing shapes, and explore their amazing properties.
Design the Night: It’s Elemental: 4:00 p.m. The evening features discussions with local artists, art-making for adults and children, gallery talks, refreshments, and music—all incorporating elemental themes of fire, water, air, and earth.
Beaux Arts Ball at Newport Art Museum: 6:00 p.m. The Museum’s Gala Party will entice the eye and the palette with theatricals, dinner by Russell Morin Fine Catering inside the Griswold House galleries, a silent auction and lively After Party dancing. Imaginative and colorful attire is encouraged.
Hands-on-Art at the RISD Museum: 6:00 p.m. Inspired by works on view, create art in the galleries with the guidance of art instructor Paul Carpentier. No experience necessary. Materials provided. Free.
Shakespeare in the Spirit: 7:30m p.m. This year’s Mixed Magic Theatre Exult Choir concert, Shakespeare in the Spirit, blends gospel music to scenes from Shakespeare and both soar to new and unique heights.
WaterFire Full Lighting: 8:20 p.m. To start this Waterfire there will be a 100 person torch procession surrounding the circle of fires in the basin in honor of Navigant Credit Union’s 100th Anniversary “Celebrating a Century, Looking forward to the Next 100″.
Alex and Ani Sunday Jazz Series: 1:00 p.m. Attention jazz fans! Get ready to make your Sundays a little more musical with The Alex and Ani Sunday Jazz Series at Carolyn’s Sakonnet Vineyard
Shakespeare in the Spirit: 3:00 pm, 7:30m p.m. This year’s Mixed Magic Theatre Exult Choir concert, Shakespeare in the Spirit, blends gospel music to scenes from Shakespeare and both soar to new and unique heights.
From farmers markets to outdoor music performances, there is plenty to do with your family in Rhode Island this holiday weekend. The Bluegrass on the Pawtuxet music festival is ongoing from Saturday to Monday. On Saturday, check out the annual parade in Bristol, and Sunday is the Cape Verdean Independence Festival.
Concerts Under the Elms 6:30- 8:00 p.m. Concerts under the Elms, an annual outdoor summer concert series held Thursdays under the canopy of elms at the John Brown House Museum.
McCoy Stadium Fireworks 6:15 p.m. Join the Pawtucket Red Sox as we celebrate our countries independence! Fireworks begin immediately following the game. Game starts at 6:15.
Friday, July 3
Summer Soiree Gallery Event 6:00 p.m.- 9:00 p.m. An evening of art, live music and delectable summer savories at the Jamestown Art Center. $150 for non-members, $125 for members.
Bristol’s Annual 4th of July Parade 10:30 a.m. The Bristol 4th of July parade is one of the longest running parades in the country! The parade is made up of color guards, fire trucks, bands, and floats. The parade is led by the “Grand Marshall” being carried by the historic horse drawn coach.
Bluegrass on the Pawtuxet 5:00 p.m. A brand new bluegrass festival in New England! Angry Lobster Events, In association with the Rhode Island Bluegrass Alliance, presents: 1st annual Bluegrass on the Pawtuxet, Pawtuxet Village, Cranston/Warwick RI 4-6 July 2014 “Celebrating America’s music on America’s birthday”
Independence Day Beach Ball Join Ocean House for a fabulous oceanside celebration of all things American. With live music and delicious summertime classics like fresh seafood, grilled meats and ice-cold refreshments, the annual Independence Day Beach Ball is not to be missed. After dinner, enjoy a colorful fireworks display over the Atlantic.
Sunday, July 5
The Providence Flea 10:00 a.m. – 4:00 p.m. Featuring all the cool vendors from last summer’s Flea plus a slate of new vendors for even more one-of-a-kind Flea finds! Shop Local this season at the Flea.
Rhode Island Cape Verdean Independence Festival 12:00 p.m. The RI Cape Verdean Heritage group has the pleasure to invite you to join them in celebrating their 40th Anniversary. July 5th is the date of Cape Verdean Independence, and this year’s festival is dedicated to one of the greatest Capeverdean Icons, Norberto Tavares. Join for an afternoon of music, dances, food and tons of surprises.
Alex and Ani Sunday Jazz Series 1:00 p.m. Get ready to make your Sundays a little more musical with The Alex and Ani Sunday Jazz Series at Carolyn’s Sakonnet Vineyard.We invite you to bring lawn chairs and blankets and visit Carolyn’s Café for a bite to eat and the perfect glass of wine. Please note that parking is $10 per car and allows you to receive $10 off a bottle of estate wine.
Bluegrass on the Pawtuxet 5:00 p.m. A brand new bluegrass festival in New England! Angry Lobster Events, In association with the Rhode Island Bluegrass Alliance, presents: 1st annual Bluegrass on the Pawtuxet, Pawtuxet Village, Cranston/Warwick RI 4-6 July 2014 “Celebrating America’s music on America’s birthday”
Bluegrass on the Pawtuxet 5:00 p.m. A brand new bluegrass festival in New England! Angry Lobster Events, In association with the Rhode Island Bluegrass Alliance, presents: 1st annual Bluegrass on the Pawtuxet, Pawtuxet Village, Cranston/Warwick RI 4-6 July 2014 “Celebrating America’s music on America’s birthday”
This week celebrates the anniversary of the attack and burning of the HMS Gaspee in Providence. Throughout the weekend, there will be several events to commemorate this day including, guided tours and a Full WaterFire lighting. Also, this weekend is the Providence International Arts Festival, an experience like no other! Come join us for performances and art installations throughout the city Thursday-Sunday.
Wednesday, June 10
Thursday, June 11
Providence International Arts Festival Discover the city center as it comes to life with firsts in arts, culture, music, food, and spectacle. Experience an extravaganza of performances and art installations throughout the city and join the parade converging on Kennedy Plaza during this signature showcase event. 8:30 a.m.- midnight
2015 Festival of Historic Houses 10:00 a.m. – 4:00 p.m. Since the first Festival, more than 50 years ago, The Providence Preservation Society has showcased contemporary living in historic homes.
Imagination Playground Providence Children’s Museum presents Imagination Playground where kids invent their own ways to play as they stack and build with huge blue foam blocks of all shapes and sizes. Event is from 10:00 a.m. – 2:00 p.m.
Rock ‘N’ Roll Yard Sale The Providence Public Library downtown will host a Rock ‘N’ Roll Yard Sale from 12:00 p.m. – 8:00 p.m. Enjoy live music and dj while browsing the vendors’ tables.
Gaspee Day at the John Brown House John Brown, the Providence merchant who promoted the attack on the Gaspee, later built and resided in a magnificent 18th century mansion. The John Brown House Museum at 52 Power Street will be open from 10 a.m. – 7:30 p.m. with guided tours at 10:30 a.m., noon, 1:30 p.m., 3:00 p.m., 4:30 p.m. and 6:00 p.m. Self-guided audio tours are available on a first-come, first-served basis. We will emphasize John Brown’s role as organizer of the Gaspee event and will make sure that everyone sees the painting in the museum that records the burning of the Gaspee. 10:00 a.m- 7:30 p.m.
Gaspee Day at the Governor Stephen Hopkins House Make time to see The Governor Stephen Hopkins House located at 15 Hopkins Street (off Benefit Street) and open for tours between 1:00 and 9:30 p.m. Admission is free, donations are always welcome. 1:00 p.m.- 9:30 p.m.
Waterfire: Full Lighting Sunset: 8:21 p.m. Lighting time: 8:46 p.m. The fires will remain lit until 12:30 a.m.
Hao Ni “Ghost Hit Wall” Reception Yellow Peril Gallery is pleased to present “Ghost Hit Wall” by Hao Ni, featuring an eclectic series of video, mixed media installations, sculptures, and drawings from June 11 – July 19, 2015. The opening reception is Saturday, June 13 from 6PM – 9PM.
Imagination Playground Providence Children’s Museum presents Imagination Playground where kids invent their own ways to play as they stack and build with huge blue foam blocks of all shapes and sizes. Event is from 10:00 a.m. – 2:00 p.m.
The Providence Flee Shop Local this season at the Flea. Every Sunday, rain or shine, from 10 am – 4 pm, June 7 through September 13 on the Providence River Greenway, South Water Street (across from 345 South Water Street) in Providence, RI. (No admission fee)
