Delicious frights await those brave enough to board the riverboat and learn the legend of the swamp monster that lurks in the depths of the Blackstone River.
The Blackstone Valley Tourism Council and Vision Media Productions invented an entirely new Halloween event this year — a socially distant 20-minute cruise down the Blackstone River full of surprises and scares.
Costumes are encouraged! All COVID-19 precautions are taken: the riverboat is cleaned between trips, capacity is limited to 15 passengers and all passengers are required to wear masks. Tickets must be purchased in advance at swampscare.com
“Let’s throw a par- … I mean, a movie,” decided Kaitlyn Frolich, head spook at Barnaby Castle.
Barnaby Castle — the grandiose, gothic mansion on Broadway in Providence that has gathered national attention at times for its ornate, baroque interior design and history dating back to the industrial revolution — including acclaim as a murder house — normally throws one heck of a shindig to raise money for restorations, right around this spooky time of year.
This year, of course, COVID’s reality is even scarier than Barnaby’s fantasies, so the famous West Side fete won’t be happening. Instead, the party planners are trying their hand at something new. “We’ve never been involved in something like this — but there are so many talented people around Providence who have, and who are generous with their time, volunteering to help restore this historic site,” says Frolich. The concept pays homage to anthologies like “Tales from the Crypt,” with Frolich herself in the role of grande dame / narrator / party hostess. All the shorts — there will be six or seven — are written by local authors and will be shot during September and October in the Castle. Local actors and filmmakers will be operating on a skeleton-crew basis in honor of quarantine. The whole project is a joint venture involving Barnaby Castle and its residents, the Spectrum Theater Ensemble, Red Fork Empire, Death Drop Gorgeous Films, Motif magazine and New York’s Venezuelan Film Festival, among others.
“I hope we’ll be able to creep some people out, and make some laugh. We’re already having a great time pulling this together,” says Frolich.
You can download the film in real time when it’s launched on Sat, Oct 24. The $15 charge will go to benefit the renovations at Barnaby Castle (all participants are working for free). fb.com/barnabycastlepvd
Despite budget shortfalls and an ever-evolving state-mandated gathering limit, the Pawtucket Arts Festival will go on for 10 days this September as planned. And even though organizers are struggling with pandemic-related limitations, there are plenty of fun events on the Fest schedule.
The Fest kicks off on Friday, September 4, with the unveiling of a mural by artist Jennifer Boyle-Hebda at SHRI Urban Outreach Yoga Studio. The mural was one of 10 local arts projects selected to receive funding from the annual competitive arts panel grants program offered by the City of Pawtucket. Pawtucket Arts Fest director Anthony Ambrosino said of the evening, “It will be a small celebration of the arts panel program. We’re going to celebrate with the mayor, the panel and past winners of the panel, and highlight that the city has this program in the hopes of getting even more applicants involved next year.”
Jennifer Boyle-Hebda
The Fest and Pawtucket Restaurant Week begin in tandem, giving festival-goers an opportunity for a delicious local meal. Ambrosino hopes their tandem events will lead to a joint event in 2021. “We want to have a Taste of Pawtucket in the park where people will be able to taste items from different Pawtucket restaurants,” he said.
Also planned for this year is a virtual exhibition from Gallery 175 that highlights Pawtucket artists; view it through the end of October at gallery175.com. And don’t miss the virtual Outsider Art Show, which takes place on September 12 and featured the work of artists who are neurodiverse. For those who prefer their art more hands-on, Art in the Park, which is geared toward elementary-aged kids and includes a story, a craft and a dance party (socially distanced, of course), will take place several times throughout the festival’s 10 days. “There’s not a lot going on for kids this summer, so we’re looking forward to offering them this program,” said Ambrosino.
Outsider Art Show
Live entertainment will be a major part of this year’s festivities. The living statues of TEN31 Productions will take over Slater Park, and fans can view a documentary about the organization at the Veterans Memorial Amphitheater. The amphitheater will serve as a central hub of live entertainment throughout the 10 days, with a different performer — from comedy to folk to ensemble — on stage each night. “It’s a perfect outdoor venue,” said Ambrosino.
TEN31’s Enchanted Garden at Slater Park
Ambrosino is particularly excited for Mixed Magic Theatre’s Exult choir to put on two performances at the amphitheater on September 5. The choir was supposed to perform last year with the Rhode Island Philharmonic, but their performance was rescheduled and then cancelled due to fears of EEE. “It’s really exciting to be able to partner with them and put this on,” Ambrosino said.
One of the biggest draws of the Pawtucket Arts Festival, the dragon boat races, had to be cancelled this year, but the Taipei Economic and Cultural Office, who helps organize the annual event, wants to keep the Taiwan Day celebration alive by planning a mini Taiwan Day celebration on the grounds of Slater Mill on September 12. After celebrating, Fest attendees can head back to their cars and check out the drive-in that will take place at Jenks Junior High.
Mixed Magic Theatre – Greatness of Gospel
Ambrosino recognizes the important role of the Pawtucket Arts Fest at this particular moment in time. “Art has a tremendous ability to distract people from their lives, but also allows them to highlight and interpret their experiences. Whether you want to immerse yourself in what’s happening around you or get away from it all, a festival like this allows you to choose your level of disconnection or connection.”
The Pawtucket Arts Festival takes place September 4 – 13 at various locations in Pawtucket. For more information, go to pawtucketartsfest.org. The Pawtucket Arts Festival will observe all social distancing protocol and state guidelines for gathering restrictions. Masks are required at all events.
Although three of our four local observatories are currently closed to the public, you can still get a glimpse of the stars on Friday nights at Frosty Drew Observatory. The telescopes are available for use about 30 minutes after dusk until around 11pm. Due to COVID restrictions, advance tickets are required.
Frosty Drew Observatory, 61-62 Park Lane, Charlestown; for tickets and event information, go to frostydrew.org; read about one writer’s pre-COVID stargazing adventure at motifri.com/stellaradventures
Like superheroes momentarily defeated by a seemingly unbeatable enemy, comic book fans screamed a dramatic, “Nooooooo!” when RI Comic Con announced it was cancelling its November 2020 event. But every superhero fan knows that even if the bad guy wins, his victory is temporary — RI Comic Con will triumphantly return in 2021, and Susan Soares of Altered Reality Entertainment, the organization behind Comic Con, was excited to talk about it.
Because summer’s Terror Con and fall’s Comic Con both were cancelled, Altered Reality created an entirely new event called RI Comic Con, Summer Edition, which will take place June 18 – 20, 2021. “Everyone’s sitting at home this year. There’s nothing. Conventions across the country have been cancelled, and we didn’t want to make our RI Comic Con fans wait a whole year for an event,” said Soares.
RI Comic Con, Summer Edition, although smaller, is going to be like the traditional fall Comic Con, in that there will be celebrities, vendors and an artists alley, but there also will be horror and paranormal content. “We’re taking what’s great about both events and making it one event,” Soares said. “It’ll be interesting to have both groups of fans together, sharing the same space.”
Soares described the Summer Edition as a preview of what fans can expect at the fall 2021 RI Comic Con when the event celebrates its 10th anniversary. “We’re very excited about it,” Soares said. “We’ll start to make announcements about it in November when this year’s Comic Con should have taken place.”
The people behind RI Comic Con are working hard to keep fans engaged. “Everyone’s going through a lot right now. We have been doing this for six months, and everyone’s motivation is down. We’re announcing these events to give people something to look forward to.”
Keep an eye on RI Comic Con’s socials. Announcements about the June event will be made in September, and announcements about the November 2021 event will be made in November 2020. You also can stay on top of celebrity birthdays and watch snippets of guest panels from previous years: @riccomiccon and fb.com/rhodeislandcomiccon
It’s time for a New England fall and this year, you probably can’t do most of your favorites, especially if it involves a ghost, being scared, being around people and being scared to be around people. But, have no fear — not all hope is lost! There are multiple spooky events being hosted by Providence Ghost Tour.
First, of course, is their classic haunted Providence Ghost Tour, which is currently being held every Saturday, but additional dates may open in October. The tours have been limited to eight per tour, which is substantially smaller than their normal size, and offers an intimate walk around Providence to hear some haunting stories about famous past residents who might just happen to still be around. Guests and your tour guide (who will be dressed-up!) are required to wear masks. Tours last an hour and a half, and you should be prepared to walk or stand that entire time.To book, go to providenceghosttour.com
Second are the Haunted Boat Tours that Providence Ghost Tours are doing in conjunction with Providence River Boat Company. These tours allow for a leisurely float down the Providence river (the boat leaves from the dock next to Hot Club) and gives participants an open-air ghost tour that lasts 50-55 minutes. Masks are required, and capacity has been limited to a maximum of 10, with the allowance of one to two more for smaller children. These tours run until November 1, which for those of you keeping track, is Día de los Muertos, or Day of the Dead. If you really need a Halloween party and are desperate to figure out how to pull it off this year, the two organizations are partnering up for a 75-minute haunted boat tour that features booze. They’re calling it their Haunted Boozy Boat Tour and it will only be around for three nights — the weekend of Halloween. Find out more at ProvidenceRiverBoat.com/boat-tours/haunted-tour.
And last, but not least, if you’re looking for a spooky time but want to limit your group size even more, Providence Ghost Tour and La Gondola have partnered for Viaggio di Fantasme, which translates to “Trip of Ghosts,” a six-person gondola ride, along with the gondolier and ghost tour guide, who provide lore, singing and a private ride down the river. Guide and gondolier will be masked, but your party does not have to be. It’s $180 for the ride, which lasts 50 minutes and runs on Tuesdays and Thursdays. You can book online at GondolaRI.com/viaggio-di-fantasme.
Courtney Edge-Mattos, owner of Providence Ghost Tour said of the events, “We’re taking all precautions, so that we can have some fun activities this fall.” She did, however, warn that due to the limited number of participants in each activity, they suggest that you book as soon as you can. Tours (both nautical and not) are filling up quickly.
Rhode Island Relics, owned by Nathan Matthews, is dedicated to helping Rhode Islanders with the hobby of relic hunting. Think metal detectors and finding actual treasure in our tiny state. The business has been operating online, and just recently opened a storefront in Pawtucket.
Nathan Matthews says of the hobby: “Metal detecting has become extremely popular. It was already growing substantially over the last few years and now due to COVID I have seen a massive influx of beginners.” He connects the hobby to kids looking for treasure in their backyards, and I can assure you, the shop definitely makes you think back to those days.
And for your naysayers who are convinced that there isn’t anything left to find, Nathan says differently. “I have uncovered incredible history in RI. From gold coins to Revolutionary War relics, Civil War relics, Battle of RI relics and so on. I have also found gold nuggets, diamond rings, silver coins, Victorian era broaches, wrist cuffs and a plethora of other amazing finds, all of which are on display at the store. You would be surprised what comes out of the ground.”
With a wide community, this is the perfect socially distanced and fun hobby to pick up. Plus, um, if you missed it, the possibility of treasure. And there’s an upcoming event hosted by RI Relics to get your feet wet, so to speak. They have buried more than $6,000 in silver in the ground, and it’s up to you to find it. Friday, October 2 will feature a clambake, fire pits and an ET-themed forest night hunt. Saturday, October 3, is a literal treasure hunt with treasure seekers being able to claim those coins that have been hidden, as well as look for historic treasures. All the details can be found on their Facebook page.
Rhode Island Relics is located in The Lofts in Pawtucket (211 Columbus Avenue) and they are open Monday-Saturday. Find out more online at rhodeislandrelics.com. They are also on social at Facebook.com/RIRelics and on Instagram @RhodeIslandRelics.
The live event scene, decimated for months by the COVID-19 shutdown of the economy, is holding a #RedAlertRESTART event on Tuesday, September 1, from 9pm to midnight, to illuminate the exteriors of publicly visible buildings with red light to draw attention to their desperate economic plight. “The hope is to get as many people involved as possible… We are trying to engage lighting professionals as well as the greater live events industry,” said Michael Moore, on behalf of Local 23 in RI of the International Alliance of Theatrical Stage Employees (IATSE) trade labor union.
According to information provided by Moore to Motif, “Thousands of events have been canceled, 77% of the people in our industry have lost 100% of their income, 96% of companies have cut staff, [and] 97% of [non-employee contract] workers have lost their jobs.” In addition, “Over half of businesses expect to lose 70-100% of their income for 2020.”
Supporting the lighting, there is a “Red Alert March” beginning at 6pm in Downcity PVD: According to its Facebook event page, “we will be gathering [near the Providence Performing Arts Center (PPAC)] on the corner of Pine St and Richmond St in Providence, and walking to the front steps of the Dunkin Donuts Center for a brief rally. Since the support we are asking for benefits everyone, we are asking you to join us in this call to action, no matter your industry.” The march will observe physical distancing, mask wearing, and other public health rules.
The RI effort is part of a synchronized international effort as the 9pm – midnight local time window rolls across Europe and North America. “The goal is to raise public awareness that the live events industry is on Red Alert for its very survival, and create congressional pressure to act now,” wrote Ellen Lampert-Greaux in the trade publication Live Design. “#WeMakeEvents #RedAlertRESTART and #ExtendPUA represent a major call to action on Tuesday, September 1, 2020, imploring the US Congress to pass the RESTART Act (S.3814) as quickly as possible, offering economic relief to the live events industry, which has been shuttered since March 2020, putting millions of people out of work. Additionally, the movement is to support ExtendPUA.org in their efforts towards continuation and extension of the Pandemic Unemployment Assistance to provide relief to those without work due to COVID-19.”
Moore said, “The focus of the event is to make as many people as possible aware of just how much the live events industry has been devastated by the pandemic. The hope is that public awareness will encourage political awareness and the need for continued support… the general public does not understand how many are affected, including technology providers, caterers, designers, manufacturers, event planners, logistics and transportation teams, entertainers, producers, show crews, exhibit builders, decorators, and all of the support staff at venues of all sizes.” Moore asked that tech providers who can light their own buildings do so, and invited anyone interested in collaborating with others to let him know at the Local 23 Facebook page. He encouraged everyone who sees the lightings to take and share pictures on social media with hashtags #WeMakeEvents and #RedAlertRESTART.
#RedAlertRESTART #WeMakeEvents
(Source: IATSE)
The RESTART (“Reviving the Economy Sustainably Towards A Recovery in Twenty-twenty”) Act is a bipartisan bill, proposed in the US Senate (S.3814) by Michael Bennet (D-CO) and Todd Young (R-IN), that would create a new program similar to the Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) but with fewer restrictions on the purposes of the money, allowing it to be used to pay fixed operating expenses such as rent and other essential non-payroll expenses. “The PPP has worked well for some businesses, but is often less effective for the businesses that should be receiving the most assistance – the smallest businesses or those who have seen revenues decline the most. Its limited duration will also leave many of the most-affected businesses without support in the difficult months ahead,” Young said in a statement. In an interview on NPR in May, Bennet criticized the PPP more directly. “And importantly, unlike PPP, our bill is focused on the hardest-hit businesses. These are businesses that have lost 25% of their revenue or more. It’s focused on our smallest businesses as well as our small and medium-sized businesses. Too much of the PPP money went to businesses that didn’t need it. I think we need to be more – at the same time more focused and a little more generous in terms of who receives it.”
Over 2,000 small event venues throughout the country face imminent bankruptcy without additional federal government assistance, according to the newly formed National Independent Venue Association, running a #SaveOurStages campaign, noting that, according to the National Endowment for the Arts, “arts and culture contributed $877.8 billion, or 4.5 percent, to the nation’s gross domestic product (GDP) in 2017. That same year, there were over 5 million wage‐and‐salary workers employed in the arts and cultural sector, earning a total of $405 billion.”
On Saturday and Sunday (Aug 7 and 8), stand-up comedian, actor, radio personality and podcast host Robert Kelly returns to the Comedy Connection in East Providence for four weekend performances.
Robert Kelly’s comedy is deeply rooted in his own life and relationships, which makes it honest and abrasively funny, yet refreshingly vulnerable. For years, he’s toured clubs, colleges and theaters, and most recently was seen on The Degenerates season 2 on Netflix. Kelly currently hosts the podcast “You Know What Dude?” that can be found on iTunes.
Robert Kelly performs Sat, Aug 7 and Sun, Aug 8 at 8pm and 10:30pm at the Comedy Connection, 39 Warren Ave, East Providence. For tickets, social distancing policies and more information, ricomedyconnection.com.
PVDFest is an annual event that typically transforms The Creative Capital into a boisterous celebration of art and culture. Unfortunately, the dumpster fire that is 2020 necessitated its cancellation this summer. But PVDFest’s commitment to public art hasn’t wavered. People out taking a socially distanced stroll through the city’s streets might have noticed three pieces of PVDFest-commissioned art pop up this season: “Head in the Clouds, Feet on the Ground,” by Jerold Ehrlich; “Bee Violet,” by Allison Newsome and Deborah Spears Moorehead; and “Dream Weave,” by Karin Giusti. These pieces will be on display until fall. For more information, go to pvdfest.com/public-art
