BLACKSTONE RIVER VALLEY SHOWCASES WEEKEND CONVERGENCE OF PERFORMING ARTS, CULTURAL ENTERTAINMENT AND WOMEN???S HERITAGE MONTH
??Rhode Island???s Blackstone River Valley, America???s new National Historical Park, presents a lively weekend March 12-13 offering residents and visitors alike a tapestry of arts and ethnic cultural entertainment experiences.
Especially over the last two decades Blackstone River Valley has transformed into one of Southern New England???s premier destinations for visual and performing arts. From galleries and design studios, to venues hosting captivating stage shows, concerts and headliners, the region is your ideal location for live and local entertainment!
??Also, during the weekend explore sites in the region that relate to the national celebration of Women???s History Month.
??Pawtucket Arts
??The city of Pawtucket, RI, known for being the actual birthplace of America???s manufacturing legacy, is now known as a major revitalized urban center for arts and entertainment. Over the weekend the city has a number of venues hosting a diverse array of arts happenings.
??March 10-April 6, Pawtucket Arts Collaborative hosts a visual multi-cultural exhibit Art Unites Communities, at the PAC Gallery, 560 Mineral Spring Avenue, in the Lorraine Mills complex.
??This traveling art show reflects the participating artists??? perspectives of ethnic heritage, cultural experiences and native languages.
??For more details long on to
www.pawtucketartscollaborative.org
??March 8-April 12, The Rhody Center for World Music & Dance, located inside the historic Pawtucket Armory Arts Exchange, 172 Exchange Street, presents the launch of its Community Steel Pan (“Steel Drum”) Ensembles.
??There are two ensembles, one for adults and one for youth, to participate in. The ensembles will be led by percussionist Kyle Forsthoff.
??For more details and schedule contact The Rhody Center at 401-475-5955 or at
And, Slater Mill Historic Site, 67 Roosevelt Avenue, the birthplace of our nation???s Industrial Revolution, showcases a new event, with the debut of its Jazz at Slater Mill Concerts.
Sunday night, March 13, at 7:30 pm, catch the music of the Bobby Keyes Trio. Guitar instrumentalist and composer Bobby B. Keyes dazzles with his??American roots fusion. Best known for co-writing and recording with??Billboard chart-topper Robin Thicke, and his original score for the??documentary For the Love of Movies, Bobby performs with RI Music Hall??of Fame 2015 inductees Marty Richards on drums and Marty Ballou on bass.
Tickets are $12/person, ($10/Old Slater Mill Assn. Members) Call Slater Mill at 401-725-8638 for reservations or go to
Valley culture convergence
Two Woonsocket, RI locations present a look at ethnic cultures, as seen on film and live on stage through performing arts.
Thursday evening, March 10, at 6:30 pm, the Museum of Work & Culture, located at market Square, offer a Cine Quebec presentation of French language film shorts, presented by the RI International Film Festival.
The screenings also include a wine and cheese reception at the museum, where the work and life of French Canada immigrants to the Blackstone River Valley from Quebec is proudly interpreted.
Tickets are $15/person and available by calling 401-769-9675 or at
And, all weekend, March 12-13, Stadium Theatre, at Monument Square, presents the exclusive appearance from the renowned New Shanghai Circus showcasing their amazing acrobatic talents.
See the group execute breathtaking feats as they stretch the limits of human ability in this spellbinding show. Fearless performers with boundless energy bring you more than two thousand years of Chinese circus traditions!
Tickets are on sale now by calling the box office at 401-762-4545 or online at
Women and history
Over the weekend come and discover some of the many historical places and spaces that tell the many facets of Blackstone River Valley???s people and places that impacted the making of America so close to home.
Sunday, March 13, 1-4 pm, as part of honoring the national Women???s History Month, take a tour of the historic Hearthside House located on the Great Road Historic District, Lincoln, RI.
The mansion is starting its 15th season of public tours with a look at how women lived during the 19th century, including their fashion and customs.
Built in 1809 by Stephen Hopkins Smith, Hearthside House tells the unique story of the owner and families who lived here. The site is on the National Register of Historic Places.
For admission and more details on this and other upcoming events contact 401-726-0597 or online at
Another fascinating hidden piece of Blackstone River Valley heritage is that the region was a key stop in the ???Underground Railroad???, where African-American slaves escaped their oppression in the southern US in the mid 1800???s for freedom in the non-slavery states of the northern US.
Here in Blackstone River Valley, Elizabeth Buffum Chace, the wife of a wealthy mill owner, was an influential leader in the anti-slavery movement in Rhode Island. In fact, the Chace home, located on Hunt Street, in present day Central Falls, RI was a passage on the ???Underground Railroad.??? Mrs. Chace also helped many mill workers in educating them in literacy and helping their families with day care for their children, among her humanitarian concerns.
Over the weekend, learn about the Chace family, their factories and the community with a self guided Walking Tour of Valley Falls, where you can discover the local history of the village, spanning the northern part of Central Falls and the southern portion of Cumberland.
The FREE interpretive tour guide highlights the importance of the Valley Falls Companies and their sites, along with other noted buildings. Download the tour guide online at
www.nps.gov/blac/planyourvisit/upload/ValleyFalls_2012.pdf
Special Note; Daylight Saving Time starts at 2 am on Sunday morning, March 13. Remember to set all your clocks AHEAD ONE HOUR!