Rain Harvest Arts Festival

After months of virtual meetings on frigid afternoons, what better way to kick off the summer season than with a community celebration of art, education, and our shared environment?

To spotlight the community’s commitment to clean water in Roger Williams Park and surrounding neighborhoods, the Providence Stormwater Innovation Center is hosting the second annual Rain Harvest Arts Festival on Saturday, June 12. From 2:00 to 6:00 pm, join friends, family, and neighbors in the park to enjoy science, art, music, and food, all while showing your support for a healthy and beautiful Providence. The event is free—just check in at the Boathouse Lawn to receive a map and schedule of the day’s activities! Funding support for the Festival comes from the Providence Parks Department, the Rhode Island State Council on the Arts, and the Rhode Island Department of Transportation.

At the Festival, you’ll hear from local scientists, artists, students, and educators about the environmental topics that inspire them. Hands-on activities throughout the park will extend the learning (and fun!) even further—chalk drawings, scavenger hunts, stormwater project tours, and water testing demonstrations are just a few ways you’ll be able to engage with the park and its passionate stewards. Red’s Food Truck and Atomic Blonde Ice Cream Van will be available near the Boat House from 4:00 to 7:00 pm for dining convenience in the park.

New to the Festival this year are performances by internationally acclaimed storyteller Len Cabral, Narragansett storyteller and cultural educator Sherenté Harris, and spoken word poet Sussy Santana. Their stories will provide cultural and historical context to the land and environment at the focus of the Stormwater Innovation Center’s conservation efforts.

This year, the Stormwater Innovation Center collaborated with local schools to teach kids about stormwater issues and coordinate a series of storm-drain murals, designed by students and executed by teaching artists. One mural will be created at the Festival by the New Urban Arts program at Central High School (NUA Knights) in Providence. In addition, a video will be available for viewing that documents recent student murals from NUA Knights, Sophia Academy in Providence, and Eden Park Elementary School in Cranston. These murals will raise public awareness about the effects of stormwater management on people and wildlife.

At 5:30 pm on the Boathouse Lawn, a performance finale by art educator Lisa Abbatomarco and the Extraordinary Rendition Band will end the day in style—with music, celebration, and public participation.