Suggested events for November 19-20, 2016 Weekend
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WEEKEND OF HOLIDAY SEASON DREAMS AND HISTORIC EXPERIENCES
With the festive Holiday Season fast approaching, and with many residents and visitors looking to escape the life stresses of recent news events, many people are eager to get a jump start on their cheerful happenings.
You can do that, plus experience unique heritage, in Rhode Island???s Blackstone River Valley National Historical Park, over the November 19-20 weekend.
This is an exciting time, just before the busy Thanksgiving holiday, to settle in with family and friends to enjoy the captivating wonders of the Holiday Season where wishes and dreams can come true!
And, noted unique places and spaces offer everyone a great opportunity to discover their historical connections and learn about history or sample live music.
All aboard!
Once again the Blackstone Valley Tourism Council (BVTC) offers their popular Holiday Season THE POLAR EXPRESS Train Ride, with the excursions to the North Pole happening Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays, November 18-December 23, 2016.
Step into the enchanted world of THE POLAR EXPRESSTM??Train Ride as the conductor shouts, “All Aboard!” A family favorite becomes reality during this three hour event that includes a 90-minute train excursion, inspired by Chris Van Allsburg’s Christmas classic. Join us for an experience unlike any other!??
Trips operate from the historic Woonsocket Depot, One Depot Square, Woonsocket, RI, offering festive family fun oriented public happenings and interests.
Your journey includes a 90-minute train??excursion with??a reading??of The??Polar Express, sing-a-longs,??hot chocolate and??cookies, games, and a special visit from Santa where he personally delivers the first gift of Christmas to each child. Arrive an hour before train departure to see our beautifully decorated historic train depot and pose with the Conductor and??chefs??in front of custom-made special Polar Express backdrops. There is??a special kids area for coloring and??writing a letter to Santa. Visit our??official Polar Express Gift Shop which features a wide-array of the latest Polar Express items.??
Along with your journey to the North Pole on the Providence & Worcester Railroad, guests can shop inside the historic Train Station for various event themed Holiday Season gifts, souvenirs and memorabilia.
And, visit the many small shops, merchants, dining and entertainment venues located nearby on Woonsocket???s Main Street Arts & Entertainment District.
Be sure to reserve advanced tickets now, as these popular train tours sell out quickly and are one of the most popular Holiday Season events in Southern New England.
Each year, over 15 thousand people experience a family fun, interactive and captivating Holiday Season journey on The POLAR EXPRESS Train ride in Woonsocket, RI
Since 2000, when the Blackstone Valley Tourism Council introduced THE POLAR EXPRESS Train Ride, thousands of children and their families from across the country have taken the magical journey.
Based on Chris Van Allsburg???s award winning book, each trip features a holiday sing-along, a visit from Santa, who gives each child a commemorative silver bell, steaming cups of hot cocoa, holiday sugar cookies, and the Conductor punching each passenger???s Golden Ticket.
Because of the high quality production of the event, in 2014 Warner Brothers used Blackstone Valley???s THE POLAR EXPRESS Train ride to celebrate the 10th Anniversary of the movie The Polar Express. The train rides have also become recognized as a Southern New England signature Holiday Season staple.
For the public tickets are available for purchase by visiting the website at
http://www.blackstonevalleypolarexpress.com/ or call 401-495-1213.
A weekend of Valley heritage!
The Blackstone Valley Historical Society (BVHS), located in the historic North Gate Toll House, 1873 Old Louisquisset Pike, Lincoln, RI, presents two weekend events supporting local heritage.
Saturday, November 19, 10 am-3 pm, come to the BVHS Holiday Craft Sale, with proceeds to benefit the historic Valentine Whitman House. The Whitman House, located on Great Road, is a 17th century built ???stone ender??? home that was used to found the old Town of Smithfield in 1731, which consists of today???s communities of Smithfield, North Smithfield, Lincoln, Central Falls and part of Woonsocket.
Sunday, November 20, at 2 pm, C. Morgan Grefe, Director of the RI Historical Society, gives a presentation of triple decker housing in Rhode Island.
Based on historical resources, triple deckers were constructed as early forms of affordable housing for workers of nearby factories. During the late 19th and early 20th centuries, tens of thousands of triple-deckers were constructed, mostly in the??New England as an economical means of housing the thousands of newly-arrived immigrant workers who filled the factories of the area. The economics of the triple-decker are simple: the cost of the land, basement and roof are spread among three or six apartments, which typically have identical floor plans. The triple-decker apartment house was seen as an alternative to the??row-housing??built in other Northeastern cities of??United States??during this period, such as in New York, Philadelphia, Baltimore and Washington, D.C.
For more on these events, visit the website at www.bvhsri.org
History & entertainment
Saturday, November 19, 6-9 pm, historic Smith-Appleby House, 220 Stillwater Road, Smithfield, RI, invited the public to view the homesite and enjoy great live music!
Enjoy string quartet music, candlelight tours, wine, cheese, and more! The??Col ???Areo Quartet??will highlight the night, performing traditional string quartet music and featuring the museum???s newly restored 1897 chapel organ. Attendees will tour the museum by candlelight, and enjoy wine, cheese, and hors d???oeuvres ??? along with special soup shooters served at the hearth.
Volunteers from the Historical Society of Smithfield, dressed as and portraying Colonial-era characters,??will host the evening.??The cost for the evening is $25 per person.
The Smith-Appleby House, which dates to 1696, was built by Elisha Smith, the grandson of John Smith ???The Miller,??? a member of Roger Williams??? original party of six men who left the Massachusetts Bay Colony to settle in Providence. Expanded from its original construction as a one-room stone-ender cottage, the delicately restored 12-room historic farmhouse features beautiful cabinet work, varied architectural designs, original stencils, and furnished rooms showcasing an intriguing collection of antiques.????
Advanced reservations are required by calling for 231-7363, or go to the web at www.smithapplebyhouse.org