Friday, November 8, 2024

HISTORIC BLACKSTONE RIVER VALLEY

Rhode Island???s historic Blackstone River Valley

Suggested events for January 28-29, 2017 Weekend

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HISTORIC BLACKSTONE RIVER VALLEY CELEBRATES ASIAN CULTURE

Asian heritage is spotlighted with a local flavor in Rhode Island???s Blackstone River Valley National Historical Park over the January 28-29 weekend.??

The weekend marks Chinese New Year, celebrating the Year of the Rooster, the tenth of the 12 year cycle of the Chinese zodiac.

According to folklore, the Rooster years represent fidelity, ambition and punctuality. The symbol also reflects trustworthiness and time keeping.??

During the weekend explore Asian themed connections through entertainment, food and education.

Music for Chinese New Year

Saturday night, January 28, at 8 pm, Blackstone River Theatre, 549 Broad Street, Cumberland, RI presents a special performance by members of Yo Yo Ma???s Silk Road Ensemble.

According to the theater???s website: ???This very special show will be a Celebration of the Chinese New Year as Blackstone River Theatre welcomes four members of Yo-Yo Ma’s Silk Road Ensemble??-??Yang Wei??on pipa,??Sandeep Das??on tabla,??Shane Shanahan??on drums & percussion,??Shaw Pong Liu??on violin en Erhu – along with special guests??Ed Sweeney??on 6 & 12 string guitar, 5-string banjo, and fretless banjo, and??Lorraine Lee Hammond??on Appalachian dulcimer.

Representing a global array of cultures, Silk Road Ensemble musicians co-create art, performance, and ideas. The Ensemble has been called “vibrant and virtuosic” by the Wall Street Journal, “one of the 21st century’s great ensembles” by the Vancouver Sun, and a “roving musical laboratory without walls” by the Boston Globe.

The Silk Road Ensemble was formed by Yo-Yo Ma in 2000. The Ensemble’s music is contemporary and ancient, familiar and foreign, traditional and innovative, drawing on many traditions from around the world to create a new musical language that reflects our 21st-century global society. “The Music of Strangers: Yo-Yo Ma and the Silk Road Ensemble,” a documentary about Silkroad musicians directed by Academy Award-winner Morgan Neville (20 Feet from Stardom), was released in June 2016 to great acclaim.???

Tickets are $16/person in advance and $20/day of show. Contact the box office now for reservations at 401-727-9252 or at www.riverfolk.org

Asian cuisine and jazz??

A popular museum interpreting local labor heritage, and a respected venue known for its jazz music concerts, team up for a special Chinese New Year event on Saturday, January 28, starting at 5:30 pm, in Woonsocket, RI

The Museum of Work & Culture, at Market Square, and Chan???s Eggrolls & Jazz Concerts, 267 Main Street, present a Movable Feast event.??

Jazz expert and author Tom Shaker hosts a talk at the museum on the history of jazz and swing in Rhode Island. Later, at Chan???s experience a Chinese style buffet followed by a concert with RI jazz pianist/singer Debra Mann, Brazilian musician Nanny Assis.

Tickets for this memorable event are $50/person and available by calling the museum at 401-769-9675 or online at http://shopmowc.com

China via learning and arts

With the Blackstone River Valley being the birthplace of America???s industrial development, it also hosts global connections to help grow and support Rhode Island???s international social, economic and cultural connections.

One such venue is the Bryant University US-China Institute, located on the campus, 1150 Douglas Pike, Smithfield, RI.

The university notes: ???The U.S.-China Institute at Bryant University forges academic, business, and cultural partnerships between Bryant University and higher learning institutions, business enterprises, and governmental offices in China.

Established in March 2005, the U.S.-China Institute provides students and faculty with broad global perspectives and experiences and offers China-related services to businesses and communities.??The Confucius Institute????was established in October 2006 to further promote U.S.-China exchanges for K-12 schools and communities in New England.???

Bryant University plans their Chinese New Year event for Saturday afternoon, February 4, 12 noon-3 pm, at the Chace Wellness Center on campus.

This FREE public event will offer family fun happenings including Asian Arts Exhibit; Chinese Arts & Crafts Fair; and cultural performances with dragon dances, folk music, face changing and more!

Details are available by calling Bryant University at 401-232-6000 or at www.bryant.edu ??

Also, visit www.tourblackstone.com for more daily events and visitor information.

Questions and comments on the Blackstone River Valley can be e-mailed at BVTourism@aol.com

For a complete listing of all events happening throughout the year in the Blackstone River Valley, visit our Calendar of Events on the web at www.eventblackstone.com

This interactive website is freshly updated daily and offers direct links to detailed information on each public event posted in the Calendar of Events.

Additional visitor information is available by contacting the Blackstone Valley RI Visitor Center, located at 175 Main Street, Pawtucket, RI 02860 Telephone 401-724-2200. Call for hours of operation.

Traveler Information Centers also located at the Blackstone River State Park Visitor Center, off Interstate Route 295 north, Lincoln, RI and at the Museum of Work & Culture at Market Square, Woonsocket, RI. Call 401-724-2200 for locations, operating hours and directions.