City of Providence Mayor Angel Taveras is pleased to announce Hey Providence, It’s Your Birthday! at the Providence Performing Arts Center on November 22, 2011 from 6:00 — 10:00 p.m. Everyone is invited to come together for this 375th anniversary celebration. The evening will have plenty of fun stuff for kids along with performances by some of our best home-grown musical talents, a birthday cake competition, food truck face-off, fireworks, and more! Tickets are $3.75, $13.75, $37.50 and are available at the Providence Performing  Arts Center Box Office, 401-421-ARTS, or www.ppacri.org. All proceeds will benefit the Providence Community Library.
In 1636, the Narragansett Sachems Cononicus and Miantonomo deeded land to Roger Williams to found Providence as a safe harbor for new ideas and all religious beliefs. This agreement between the native peoples and Williams, and the lively experiment that followed, has infused our local identity ever since.
Since last spring, over 200 events have explored Roger Williams’ legacy and ideals through song, dance, exhibits, public art projects, performance, cultural programming, walking tours, talks, and more. “Over the past year, community members have created experiences that allow us to look back at our history, exchange ideas, and imagine a future for our capital city that celebrates the radical thinking, creativity, and robust civic dialogue that has characterized Providence’s 375 years,” said Mayor Angel Taveras. “Hey Providence, It’s Your Birthday! will close out the festivities with a celebration of our rich cultural history, contemporary arts community, and our reputation as a center for dining.”
The Providence 375 themes — hope, roots, freedom, and ingenuity — set the stage for Hey Providence, It’s Your Birthday!.
In addition to the fireworks display, families will enjoy children’s activities from 6:00-8:00 p.m. Providence Children’s Museum, RIMOSA, and the Roger Williams Park Zoo will all have special Providence 375 related activities that will be fun for all ages! Don’t have a birthday hat at home? Don’t worry! Make your own silly hat with Festival Fete. Kids will also take pleasure in the creation of balloon animals and a face painting station.
Ticket holders will also enjoy performances by some of our Capital City’s most popular performers: Deer Tick, South By Southwest and Bonnaroo favorites, a band Rolling Stone Magazine has called the Country-Rock break-through of the year; Area 401, the Dominican musicians who bring danceable and romantic new wave Bachata music; R&B superstar Jeffrey Osborne who has won five gold and platinum albums as a solo artist and scored an international hit with “On the Wings of Love” in 1982; The Barr Brothers, the brothers from Providence previously known as two-thirds of the rock trio The Slip, have teamed up with a harpist and multi-instrumentalist to create a truly unique sound; The ‘Mericans, 2009 Providence Phoenix “Best Band” winners are touring in support of their latest album which the Providence Journal called “moody & powerful” and Twangville “impressive”; the Extraordinary Rendition Band (ERB) plays songs that celebrate the heritage and joy of marching/roving band shows while having a great time playing together and with their audiences; The Minsky Sisters, 1920s styled tap sensations, will bring a vintage flair to the evening. In addition, several artists will share work they created especially for Providence’s 375th: Christopher Johnson, Providence’s preeminent spoken word artist, will read his poem “Divine Providence.” Members of the Rhode Island Songwriters Association will perform songs they wrote based on the Providence 375 themes.
In the lobby, local bakeries will serve birthday cake and compete for the honor of becoming the official Providence 375 bakery. AS220’s Photographic Memory has created a fantastic photo booth that will allow attendees to capture their own memories of this once-in-a lifetime experience. History buffs will test their knowledge on trivia created by the Rhode Island Historical Society. The City of Providence’s Archives Department will display of images of Providence over time alongside a participatory community history project and the Providence Fire Department will offer a look back on its history. Outside the Providence Performing Arts Center, Providence’s food trucks will face-off vying for the Providence 375 people’s choice award, the Dancing Cop will be there to direct traffic, and Waterfire will have a display.
Hey Providence, It’s Your Birthday! is sponsored by the City of Providence, the Providence/Warwick Convention and Visitors Bureau, the Roger Williams National Memorial, Providence Monthly, Providence Performing Arts Center, Dominion Energy, Dunkin Donuts, WBRU, and Colonial Fireworks. For more information visit http://providenceri.com/ArtCultureTourism/hey-providence-its-your-birthday-celebrate-375.
I was wondering if I’d be able to see them from my 2nd flr porch on the East Side or from Prospect Park…..
Meet outside of PPAC at 6pm to see fireworks.
Are the fireworks really right on the street outside PPAC? I can’t seem to find any details about that.
I know Tuesday night is tough and right before the holidays. But should be fun even if families only stop by for an hour.
Alas, why on a tuesday night?????