Angelica from “Rugrats.” Clam Cakes. A maze of corn. Fireworks. Five aerial dancers suspended from a crane. Pizza dough… That’s just some of the 401 Fun happening this week. Let’s go.
POLITICAL THEATER
In case you haven’t heard, it’s election season. Trinity Rep kicks off its 61st season with “POTUS: Or, Behind Every Great Dumbass Are Seven Women Trying to Keep Him Alive,” by Selina Fillinger, directed by Curt Columbus. It runs Sept. 5-22 and again Oct. 10-27. Trinity says the show, debuting shortly before the 2024 election, is a “naughty political farce.” Sept. 5 preview is pay-what-you-wish. Sept. 6 from $24. 7:30 p.m. 201 Washington St., Providence. Details here.
PVD FEST
Let’s do this. PVDFest runs Sept. 6 and 7, and the lineup is packed. It kicks off Sept. 6 at 4:45 p.m. at Spectacle Stage, Kennedy Plaza with Italian aerialists eVenti Verticali. Expect a “30-minute spectacle delivered by five aerial dancers suspended from a crane some 60 feet above the ground,” according to billing. Other Friday highlights: learn to salsa dance with Lulada Club, an all-women salsa band from New York, and the “PVD Fest tradition… the City Wide Electric Slide.”
Saturday is jam-packed with seven stages of non-stop performances from noon to 8 p.m., a parade at 3 p.m. (from Washington Street starting at Empire and ending at City Hall Main Stage) and “roving entertainment” including PVD’s own Big Nazo. Plus: a veritable food truck feast: from barbecue to burrito bowls, oysters, chowder, ice cream, Del’s and more. Details here.
RHODE ISLAND SEAFOOD FEST
Yes, we’ve got two Providence fests this weekend. Seafoodies, rejoice: The 14th annual Rhode Island Seafood Fest takes over PVD’s India Point Park Sept. 7 and 8. As I write this, the menu is not yet posted, but “to get an idea of what you can expect” they point to the ‘23 menu: think oysters, littlenecks, lobster rolls, lobster street corn nachos, clam cakes and chowder, burrito bowls, shrimp Mozambique Tacos, jerk chicken, Caribbean pineapple bowls with rice and peas, lobster bisque, deep-fried crab cakes, fried quartos, Rhode Island-style calamari… I’ll stop there. Put it this way: It’s a feast with live music. Sept. 7 from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m.; Sept. 8 from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. Food and drink sold separately from admission. One day admission $10, two-day $15. Ages 12 years and under free. 201 India St. Details here.
FALL FEST & FIREWORKS
Meanwhile, Pawtucket is also throwing down. The Slater Park Fall Festival kicks off Sept. 7 at 11 a.m. with an “arts marketplace, food court and other events,” plus the Rhode Island Philharmonic’s annual Slater Park performance with fireworks “at dusk,” according to billing. On Sunday, expect more family entertainment, artwork and local culinary treats. Free. 401 Newport Ave., Pawtucket. Details here and here.
RAPTOR WEEKEND
Take flight: It’s Raptor Weekend in Bristol Sept 7. Those majestic creatures of destruction and descendants of dinos get their weekend in the limelight at the Audubon Society of Rhode Island’s Raptor Weekend Sept. 7 and 8.
Owls, hawks, and falcons are featured in live presentations, educational programs, and activities for bird enthusiasts of all ages, according to billing. Expect flight demonstrations, presentations, activities and more. 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. One-day pass GA adults $20, kids $15. Two-day adults $35, child $25. Audubon Nature Center and Aquarium, 1401 Hope St. (Route 114), Bristol. Details here.
IT’S CORN!
Escobar Farm’s Corn Maze opens for the season Sept. 7. Dare to escape Portsmouth’s maize maze. Plus concessions and hayrides, according to website. Adults $10, ages 4-10 $8. Under 3 free. 255 Middle Road, Portsmouth. Details here.
CALLING ALL ‘80s and ‘90s KIDS!
This is not a drill, people. RetroXpo 2024 hits Tiverton Sept. 7 and it’s time to relive your childhood. I was today years old when I realized Angelica Pickles from “Rugrats,” Mrs. Pipe from “The Ren & Stimpy Show” and Mei in “My Neighbor Totoro” (and more) are all voiced by the same person: children’s book author Cheryl Chase.
Meet Chase and other stars — like Richard Maurizio, an artist whose licensing work includes “Looney Tunes,“ ”Animaniacs,” and more — plus comic books, vintage toys, movies, TV, gaming and more. Also: cosplay guests, cosplay contest, and photo ops. VIP/Early entry $20 online, $30 door. Adult GA from $8 online, $12 door. Ages 7-16, from $5 online, $7 at the door. 6 and under free. At the Longplex Family & Sports Center, 300 Industrial Way. Details here and here.
IRIS DEMENT
Iris DeMent is a voice from another time. Her songs have a “Grapes of Wrath”-like authenticity. Sung in her prairie-strong warble, DeMent could be a long-lost member of the Carter Family. As the late, great John Prine put it, she’s got a voice “like you’ve heard, but not really.” Before the two ever met — they were frequent collaborators — Prine wrote in the liner notes for her 1993 debut album, “Infamous Angel,” that he cried into a pan of frying pork chops and burnt his arm while listening to “Mama’s Opry.”
Don’t miss DeMent, now on her “Workin’ On A World” tour, Sept. 8 at Jane Pickens Theatre in Newport. When I interviewed DeMent in 2018, I asked her what she feels when she’s on stage:
“I feel really close to the world. Close to the people in the room. Unobstructed. I feel like everything’s going to be OK in a way I don’t really understand. I feel part of something that’s timeless and ancient. I feel a lot of love. That’s probably what I’m describing — love. I feel love.” Read more here. Show 7:30 p.m., from $49. 49 Touro St. Details here.
VINTAGE TREASURE
Vintage fans: Shop or trade vintage at “Faded,” a one-day vintage clothing convention in Providence Sept. 8. Expect some 150 vintage clothing vendors who welcome thousands of attendees annually for a one-day-only buy-sell-trade event. There will also be a rooftop party with DJs and an outdoor food court available. You can also in bring in clothes to sell and trade, according to info. GA tickets from $10. 11 a.m. to 6 p.m at the WaterFire Arts Center, 475 Valley St. Details here and here.
MAKE-YOUR-OWN-PIZZA WITH BEER
No, beer is not an ingredient, but a bonus. Sip while you learn how to make your own awesome pizza. Some Rhode Islanders may be shocked to learn: cheese is involved. And it can be triangle-shaped (…I know!)
Head to Bravo Brewing Company in Burrillville to take a lesson from The Sticks Pizza Co on Sept. 8, 1-3 p.m. All levels are welcome, from “The Bear”-level down to me. Ticket includes a pizza kit to use on site, a pizza kit to take home, your first pour from Bravo, with non-alcoholic options, and light refreshments. 75 Pascoag Main St., Burrillville. From $40. Details here.
HOW DO YOU LIKE THEM APPLES?
It’s apple-picking season, baby. From Jaswell’s Farm, to Steere Orchard in Apple Valley, it’s time to skip the supermarket and pick from treats. Obviously, check online before you hit up any farms — Mother Nature is in charge here — but I rounded up some Ocean State orchards for apples, cider, donuts, pumpkins and peaches here.
WATERFIRE’S STARTS AT SUNSET
WaterFire’s “Starts at Sunset” brings the fun to the Michael S. Van Leesten Memorial Pedestrian Bridge Sept. 12. Starting at 6:30 p.m., with sunset at 7 p.m. and five braziers aglow from 7:05 to 9 p.m. According to event billing, expect live music, plus poetry on the spot with PVD Poetry, telescopes to observe the night sky, and “Artists …are invited to gather with their sketch pads and easels to draw and/or paint the scenes of the city.” The Providence Children’s Film Festival hosts an “Autumn Screening” at 195 District Park: see the short film “Comm-YOU-nity,” at 7 p.m. Full details here.
BY DESIGN
Call us RISD: Rhode Island, State of Design. Yup, The 11th Annual DESIGN WEEK RI featuring Rhode Island designers and entrepreneurs offers eight days of events. According to billing, DESIGN WEEK RI offers talks, tours, panel discussions, parties, and more, aiming to showcase the state’s design talent. It’s organized by DESIGNxRI, a nonprofit organization with a mission “to create a vibrant and opportunity-driven environment for R.I. designers, design businesses and the design sector to thrive.”
I’ll have more next week, as this bleeds over into next week’s column-territory here, but on Sept. 13, things get going with a free-admission kick-off party at Moniker Brewery, 5-8 p.m. (432 W Fountain St., Providence.) According to a press release, you can network and mingle with event hosts, the DESIGNxRI team and board, as well as design enthusiasts and win raffle prizes. Also starting on Sept. 13: an Open Studios tour. Learn more here and here.
FALL FEST WITH SUMMER VIBES
Soak up the last of the summer at a fall fest on the beach: the 14th Annual Misquamicut FallFest Weekend hits Misquamicut State Beach in Westerly Sept. 13-15. Head to the beach for live music, carnival rides and games, food and craft vendors, family entertainment, and more, according to billing. $12 per day, kids under 7 free. 257 Atlantic Ave., Westerly. Details here, sense of vibe here.
BUT WAIT! THERE’S MORE: ONGOING FUN
BIG BEAUTIFUL BAMBOO BIRDS: You’ve heard of the Charlestown trolls — now get ready for the big beautiful birds of Bristol. Noted artists Donna Dodson and Andy Moerlein are talented artists in their own right. When they team up, they are The Myth Makers, and they’ve created big beautiful bamboo birds at the 33-acre Blithewold estate in Bristol. Each bird ranges from 15 to 30 feet tall, and each has a story to tell. Free to see with admission through next summer. Tuesdays through Saturdays, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., Sundays 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. General admission for adults, $22, ages 11-16 $11; children ages 6-10 $6; ages 0-5 free. 101 Ferry Road. Details here.
FOOD TRUCK FRIDAYS: Weather permitting, some 15 local food trucks park at Roger Williams Park at 5 p.m. each Friday through Sept. 27. Bring a chair or blanket and soak up live tunes from local artists, jump on the carousel, hop the train ride. Free admission; pay for what you eat. 1000 Elmwood Ave., Providence. Details here.
BROWN’S ART WALKING TOURS: Brown University now offers free public art walking tours led by Brown students every weekend. Learn about Brown’s public art collection with a 40-minute student-curated tour, exploring six works of art. All tours are outdoors, rain or shine. No registration required. Meet up at 1 p.m. On Saturdays, meet at the Eli Harvey sculpture, Bronze Bruno, on the College Green (79 Waterman St.) On Sundays, meet at Tom Friedman’s Circle Dance, on the Campus Walk. Tours run weekends through Nov. 17. Map and all details here.
FOOD AND ARCHITECTURE WALKING TOUR: Food, art, and architecture come together for Downcity Providence Food Tours, noon to 3:30 p.m., on Thursdays, Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays through November. Get an insider’s view of creative and lively Providence during a tour lasting more than three hours over 1.7 miles. Discover some of the city’s award-winning restaurants, its hidden art and historic architecture. Tickets $76-$94 per person. 1 Ship St., Providence. Details here.
Angelica from “Rugrats.” Clam cakes. A maze of corn. Fireworks. Five aerial dancers suspended from a crane. Pizza dough… -mile walking tour. ($76 per person, or $94 per person with alcohol.) Or join a Newport Neighborhood Food Tour May 17, or Downcity Providence Food Tours May 17. All details here.c
Until next week, Rhody: Keep rockin.’
Lauren Daley can be reached at ldaley33@gmail.com. Follow her on Twitter @laurendaley1.
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Publish date : 2024-09-05 11:16:00
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