Have you ever joined us to enjoy a free activity in Burnside Park? Did a friend invite you, or were you walking through the park and happened upon live music?
However you found us, we’re glad you did! Were you left with some questions about how these programs came to be? Let us try and answer some of those for you!
Who is responsible for putting this on?
We are, not the city! We’re the Downtown Providence Parks Conservancy, a public-private partnership formed to revitalize downtown Providence’s public spaces. Sometimes we partner with the city on big events like PVDFest or Winter Lights Market, but mostly it’s our small staff. We plan the programs, book the bands, coordinate the food trucks and so much more!
How is this all free?
It’s amazing, right? Live music, storytime, art days, all of our events are free to attend and everyone is welcome. This is made possible thanks to grant opportunities from large organizations such as Southwest Airlines and Hasbro, and from local organizations such as RISCA. These events are also free thanks to the generosity of many individual donors who give what they can, big or small, to invest in this work.
Was this playground always here?
No, it wasn’t, although it fits in so well it feels like it’s been here forever! Brandon’s Beach at Burnside Park was built over the summer of 2017 and opened that August. The DPPC worked with Hasbro and a number of private donors to build the only playground in the heart of downtown Providence.
Photo by James Lastowski
Were these statues always so clean and nice?
The answer is probably not. Over the years, the DPPC raised money and worked with a restorer to clean monuments and statues. General Burnside and The Hiker are both examples of statues that we worked on to restore.
But you’re the city, right?
Nope, we are not the city. We are an independent, public-private organization that is a project of The Providence Foundation. We operate as a 501(c)(3) nonprofit, which means that any donations you make are tax-deductible to the extent of the law.
Thank you, and we’ll see you in the park in 2019!
