This year the City of Pawtucket is celebrating its 24th annual Pawtucket Arts Festival together with the 6th annual Pawtucket Restaurant Week from September 9th – 18th 2022.
The Pawtucket Arts Festival celebrates the City’s creative and cultural life by presenting vibrant arts events to Pawtucket residents and visitors to the Blackstone River Valley over 10 days, including dance, music, theater, film, visual and folk-traditional arts that evoke the City’s historic legacy and diverse communities.
Pawtucket Restaurant Week not only features a number of local eateries offering menu specials and great deals but two interactive events that celebrate our local eateries, culture and cuisine.
The Arts Festival kicks off on Friday, September 9th with Lorraine Mills Fest at 560 Mineral Spring Avenue where attendees can eat from a variety of food trucks, have a drink or two from a brewery and distillery, shop local art and crafts from studios and residents of the mill, and enjoy a variety of live entertainment.
The festival’s opening weekend (September 10th & 11th) Downtown LIVE!, presented in association with The Pawtucket Foundation, will feature music, exploration and celebration, which will showcase a broad range of the arts, featuring concerts, arts installations, gallery tours, street performers and culinary events including- PCF Empanada-Fest asks the question, who best exemplifies the authentic empanada flavors from across the globe! You be the judge as the best of both cities compete to be named best of the fest.
Monday through Friday (September 12th-16th) will feature exciting events throughout the City including interactive crafting, exhibits and live performances highlighting not only New England’s tremendous arts talent but the many beautiful locations featured within the Blackstone Valley.
Our second weekend features the Slater Park Fall Festival presented by its new sponsor Coastal1 Credit Union. The fall festival is a celebration of art and culture set on the grounds of historic Slater Memorial Park. The festival’s open-air market, opening at 11 a.m., highlights over one hundred crafters, artisans and creators of original handmade items. The surrounding areas are filled with fun, food and entertainment for the whole family, including face painting, crafts and entertainment for the kids.
The festival is highlighted by the Rhode Island Philharmonic Orchestra as they perform their legendary “Pops in the Park” free concert at Slater Memorial Park on September 17th. Presented by the Pawtucket Teachers’ Alliance, 2022’s concert marks the 20th performance by the Philharmonic since its festival debut in 2003.
The Saturday evening performance will be followed by a spectacular fireworks presentation presented by Bristol County Savings Bank at dusk.
We close out our 24th year with Family Fun Day presented by Collette Travel, which features activities, rides and games completely free of charge and will feature the counterpart to Empanada fest, Pizza Palooza, which will highlight the many excellent pizzerias in Pawtucket and is a must-visit for all the pizza lovers out there!
The festival concludes with The Times “Best Of” award show live!
For a full listing of Pawtucket Arts Festival and Restaurant Week events, please visit
under the 2022 Events tab.
The 2022 Pawtucket Arts Festival and Restaurant Week is presented by the City of Pawtucket, The Pawtucket Teachers’ Alliance, Coastal1 Credit Union, Navigant Credit Union, Centreville Bank, and The Times.