The Downtown Providence Parks Conservancy, in conjunction with Providence Art Culture Tourism & FirstWorks, invites you to Burnside Park during PVD Fest for a celebration of local arts, culture and play designed to entertain and engage all ages. Enjoy performances, participate in activities, and interact with artists from around our creative RI community.
Performances include family-friendly theatre, puppets, storytelling, music and dance – featuring an open drum circle, a Chinese Lion Dance parade, a Camper Spotlight from Girls Rock! Rhode Island, and so much more!
All of our events are FREE, family friendly, and open to the public.
Check out the schedule below and please note that times may change and many activities happen simultaneously, so follow us on Twitter and Facebook to stay up to date on any changes that may occur.
PERFORMANCES
12:30 – Miss Katie, founder of playSCIENCE (and a Play in the Park partner this July + August!) will be performing, making instruments with kids and leading a musical parade around the park.
1:00 – The Ricky Rainbow Beard Show with Dr. Sound will put on its first live performance, a celebration of color and sound that involves a lot of audience participation.
1:30 – Valerie Tutson, a regular at our KidoInfo Storytime, will tell stories and perform songs drawn from African traditions.
2:00 – Sidy Maiga, Malian percussionist and PVD Fest featured performer (also a favorite at our summer music events!) hosts an open drum circle.
3:00 – Kung Fu Lion Dancers will perform a Chinese Lion Dance, a traditional dance that symbolizes good luck, cultivation of positive energy and warding away negative energy.
3:30 – Marc Kohler will perform a puppet show as well as host a puppet workshop for all ages.
4:00 – Sylvia Ann Soares is ‘Silvy Tory’ telling “Silvy Tory Stories” drawn from RI slave narratives.
4:30 – Steven Porter leads local authors from the Association of Rhode Island Writers to come together to share poetry, prose, and kids stories.
5:30 – Eleanor Borge, Director of Ocean State Soul, will be teaching novice, beginner, and advanced line dancing. Everyone is welcome!
6:00 – Elizabeth Keiser presents Family Fairy Tale Theater where fairy tales are told from different angles and have surprise endings.
6:30 – Girls Rock RI! Camper Spotlight features alums from their Girls Rock RI camps.
7:00 – Emeline Easton Emerging singer, songwriter, poet.
ACTIVITIES
Activities for all ages – all over the park – all afternoon!
12-6pm – Imagination Playground at the Imagination Center. Build, create + collaborate with our Big Blue Blocks!
1-4pm – Remix Mural: local artist Scott Lapham presents The Live Interactive Remix Mural, where festival goers create human sized portraits collaged together from hundreds of photographs taken of people in downtown Providence.
1-4pm – Miss Katie from playSCIENCE will work with kids to build their own musical instruments to play in a parade around the park!
2-4pm – Ricky Rainbow Beard and Dr. Sound’s Interactive Light and Sound Booth!
2-4pm – Marc Kohler’s puppet-making workshop
2-5pm – Imagination Play Project will be taking place with play curator Linda White. People of all ages can create interactive sculptures using found objects and colorful sculptural materials.
12-6pm – Story Rooms from our Art in the Park Program will also be open. Step into life-sized pages from some of your favorite stories, like Where the Wild Things Are, Goodnight Moon, and Oh, The Places You’ll Go! Sit under the shade of Truffula Trees. Meet our Moon Man!
12-6pm – Our Open Air Reading Room with books featured at the past 5 years of Kidoinfo Storytime will also be open for those who’d like a little down time.
Check out our Facebook event page for details and updates. Please note that times may change. Will you be in the park? Tag your photos with #BurnsidePark so we can find and share them!