Rhode Island

401 Fun: The best things to do in R.I. Sept. 20-27 – The Boston Globe

Published

2 years ago

September 19, 2024

401 Fun: The best things to do in R.I. Sept. 20-27 – The Boston Globe

My friends, it’s that weird week when we have one foot in summer, one foot in fall. As your loyal 401 Fun columnist I’ve hunted high and low for fun from both seasons: From a seafood fest and outdoor jazz, to a pumpkin trail and a Portuguese Oktoberfest (Oktobahfésta! It’s real.) Let’s go.

ONE PROVIDENCE PLACE: A MALL MUSICAL

Peak Rhode Island. The Providence Place Mall just keeps serving inspo. First, artists lived there. Then, a podcast about the artists. Then a documentary about them called “Secret Mall Apartment.” Now, a musical:

“One Providence Place: A Mall Musical” runs Sept. 19-29 at the AS220 Black Box Theater. According to billing: “Don’t expect this to be a straight-up retelling of the mall apartment saga. The folks behind this production… used the concept as a jumping off point” to talk about art, grief and family. $20. 95 Empire St. Providence. Details here and here.

NEWPORT JAZZ

BYO picnic to this Portsmouth vineyard to enjoy jazz from Kenya. Newport Live x Greenvale Vineyards Present “Aaron Rimbui: Jazz From Kenya” Sept. 20. Multi-instrumentalist and composer Harun Kimathi Rimbui, who was born in Nairobi, is regarded as one of the greatest pianists in East Africa, according to African newspaper Nation. $35. 7p.m. 582 Wapping Road, Portsmouth. Details here.

NEWPORT MANSIONS WINE & FOOD FESTIVAL

This annual Rhody staple is mostly sold out. But the festival also includes a series of wine dinners at participating restaurants Sept. 20 and 21. Details on those events here.

PORTUGUESE OKTOBAHFESTA

I love this so much. Head to Vigilant Brewing for their 3rd annual Oktobahfésta Celebration Sept. 21. Think beer, Portuguese food from Casa Tia Rosa food truck, malassadas, live music, and a Portuguese Azulejo Tile Painting Workshop. The ticketed event includes two tiles, lunch, dessert, and Vigilant beer. 44 Ballou Blvd., Bristol. Tile painting 2-4 p.m., $50. Otherwise free admission. Details here and here.

SOCCER TIME

Get your Ted Lasso on. The Ocean State’s pro men’s soccer team, Rhode Island FC, takes on FC Tulsa Sept. 21 at 7:30 p.m. Ticket prices vary. At Beirne Stadium at Bryant University. 1150 Douglas Pike, Smithfield. Details here.

DAVID SPADE

Whether you know him from “Tommy Boy,” “Grown Ups,” “Joe Dirt,” “Saturday Night Live”… you all know him. The comic plays PVD’s The Vets Sept. 21 at 8 p.m. From $45. 1 Avenue of the Arts, Providence. Details here.

GETTIN’ SQUIDDY WITH IT

Saturday is the last day of summer, and fittingly, the Ocean State is closing the season with one last seafood fest: It’s squid time. The 7th Annual Rhode Island Calamari Festival in Narragansett is Sept. 21, and typically draws thousands from across southern New England to dig into 1,500 pounds of calamari, according to billing. Local restaurants compete for top honors and the “calamari crown” in three categories: Best Overall, Most Inventive, and Most Spirited Team, according to billing. (If you win the Calamari Crown, please send me a photo. I’m picturing golden tentacles.) Don’t like squid? Fear not: There will be food trucks. Adults $20 advance, $25 door. Free admission 12 and under. 35 Ocean Road, Narragansett. Details here.

LAST WATERFIRE OF SUMMER

It’s tradition, on the last day of summer, for Rhode Islanders to gather by river banks in Providence to light pyres. We’ve got a special WaterFire on Sept. 21.

As the daughter of two Rhody teachers, I love this: “WaterFire: A Salute to Rhode Island Educators,” includes an awards ceremony and torch procession honoring Rhody educators at Memorial Park at 4:30 p.m. At 6:40 p.m., some 90 District Teachers of the Year and educators will take part in the lighting ceremony.

Meanwhile, Washington Street Bridge will see “Robots on Fire” 5:30-10 p.m. Don’t be scared: it’s just 20+ robotics teams showing us their latest projects. Plus fire-spinning, stargazing, and more WaterFire Fun. Details here.

RHODE ISLAND HERITAGE FEST

Get to know your neighbors at the free-admission 46th Annual Rhode Island Heritage Fest Sept. 21 at the WaterFire Arts Center. Billed as a lively celebration of our state’s rich cultural heritage, expect culture, music, and dancing from around the world. Explore cultural exhibits, visual art, craft demonstrations, dance, music, and food trucks. It’s a jam-packed schedule, including a Puerto Rican drum group, a Bavarian folk dance group, Bollywood Dance, Rhode Island Black Storytellers, singing from the French American School of Rhode Island, dancing from the Colombian American Cultural Society, Swedish Folk Songs, Irish dancing, Korean harp, and much more. Plus face-painting, arts and crafts for kids. 475 Valley St., Providence. Details here and here.

HISTORIC HOMES

If you love historic homes, head to Bristol for the Bristol Historical & Preservation Society’s House Tour Sept. 21 from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. The rain or shine event features 11 houses in downtown Bristol, according to billing. Shuttle vans will be available to take visitors to the homes. Advance tickets $45; day of $55 at 48 Court St. Details here.

BALLET IN THE PARK

Leap into fall — literally. Sept. 22 is the first day of fall, and Ballet RI is hosting a free day of dance at Roger Williams Park Temple to Music. According to billing, you can take an “open creative movement class at noon,” then watch a performance from the Ballet RI Company Dancers at the pet-friendly event. Plus local artists, vendors, and food trucks. Free. Noon to 3 p.m. 1000 Elmwood Ave., Providence. Details here.

AUTUMN NIGHT MARKET

Rhode Island Night Market hosts an Autumn Marketplace Sept. 26, 6-9 p.m., at the Event Factory in Warwick. Hit up a local artisan makers market, with full bar, music, line dancing, paint and sip, giveaways and more. The first 100 attendees receive a $5 Dunkin’ card, according to their Insta. Free entry. 144 Metro Center Blvd. Details here.

HOPOSIUM: BEERS OF OKTOBERFEST

You think you know beer? Hop-heads, School yourself for Oktoberfest season and head to Westerly’s United for “Hoposium: Oktoberfest & Festive Fall Brews” Sept. 27 at 7 p.m.

Hosted by master beer judge Max Finnance, you’ll explore seasonal beers like pumpkin ales, and learn more about the history of the world’s biggest beer festival. (I think I can get an A in this class.) 21+ Tickets include “3-4 beer tastings.” $32. 5 Canal St., Westerly. Details here.

LAST FOOD TRUCK FRIDAY

Say it ain’t so! Summer truly is over when the last of the food trucks in Roger Williams Park migrate to their winter homes. The final #FoodTruckFriday is Sept. 27. Bring a chair or blanket and soak up live tunes from local artists, jump on the carousel, or hop the train ride. Free admission; pay for what you eat. 1000 Elmwood Ave., Providence. Details here.

PUMPKIN TRIVIA TRAIL

What WaterFire is to Rhody summer, Roger Williams Park Zoo Jack-o-Lantern Spectacular is to Rhody fall — part of our customs and rituals. Yes, my friends, it’s time to see thousands of pumpkins as the Jack-O-Lantern Spectacular returns Sept. 27. This year’s theme: “Trivia Edition.” Show off your trivia knowledge as you wander through the display filled with thousands of carved pumpkins. Open nightly 6-10:30 p.m. Online purchase only. Mondays through Thursdays: $19 adult, $16 child (babies 1 and under free). Fridays through Sundays: $22 adult, $19 child. 1000 Elmwood Ave., Providence. Details here.

BUT WAIT, THERE’S MORE: ONGOING FUN

MAIZE MAZE: Escobar Farm’s Corn Maze is now open for the season. Dare to escape Portsmouth’s maize maze. Plus concessions and hayrides. Adults $10, ages 4-10 $8. Under 3 free. 255 Middle Road, Portsmouth. Details here.

HOW DO YOU LIKE THEM APPLES?: It’s apple-picking season, baby. From Jaswell’s Farm, to Steere Orchard in Apple Valley, it’s time to skip the supermarket and pick your own treats. Obviously, check online before you hit up any farms — Mother Nature is in charge here — but I rounded up some Ocean State orchards for apples, cider, doughnuts, pumpkins and peaches here.

BIG BEAUTIFUL BAMBOO BIRDS: You’ve heard of the Charlestown trolls — now there’s the big beautiful birds of Bristol. Noted artists Donna Dodson and Andy Moerlein are talented artists in their own right. When they team up, they are The Myth Makers, and they’ve created big beautiful bamboo birds at the 33-acre Blithewold estate in Bristol. Each bird ranges from 15 to 30 feet tall, and each has a story to tell. Free to see with admission through next summer. Tuesdays through Saturdays, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., Sundays 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. General admission for adults, $22, ages 11-16 $11; children ages 6-10 $6; ages 0-5 free. 101 Ferry Road. Details here.

BROWN’S ART WALKING TOURS: Brown University now offers free public art walking tours led by Brown students every weekend. Learn about Brown’s public art collection with a 40-minute student-curated tour, exploring six works of art. All tours are outdoors, rain or shine. No registration required. Meet up at 1 p.m. On Saturdays, meet at the Eli Harvey sculpture, Bronze Bruno, on the College Green (79 Waterman St.) On Sundays, meet at Tom Friedman’s Circle Dance, on the Campus Walk. Tours run weekends through Nov. 17. Map and all details here.

FOOD AND ARCHITECTURE WALKING TOUR: Food, art, and architecture come together for Downcity Providence Food Tours, noon to 3:30 p.m., on Thursdays, Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays through November. Get an insider’s view of creative and lively Providence during a tour lasting more than three hours over 1.7 miles. Discover some of the city’s award-winning restaurants, its hidden art and historic architecture. Tickets $76-$94 per person. 1 Ship St., Providence. Details here.

Until next week, Rhody: Keep rockin.’

Lauren Daley can be reached at ldaley33@gmail.com. Follow her on Twitter @laurendaley1.

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Rhode Island

RI Lottery Powerball, Numbers Midday winning numbers for June 8, 2026

Published

6 hours ago

June 9, 2026

Press Room

The Rhode Island Lottery offers multiple draw games for those aiming to win big.

Here’s a look at June 8, 2026, results for each game:

Winning Powerball numbers from June 8 drawing

03-24-34-43-49, Powerball: 20, Power Play: 3

Check Powerball payouts and previous drawings here.

Winning Numbers numbers from June 8 drawing

Midday: 5-1-4-9

Evening: 6-0-8-6

Check Numbers payouts and previous drawings here.

Winning Wild Money numbers from June 8 drawing

02-04-17-22-32, Extra: 16

Check Wild Money payouts and previous drawings here.

Winning Millionaire for Life numbers from June 8 drawing

20-25-40-50-55, Bonus: 01

Check Millionaire for Life payouts and previous drawings here.

Feeling lucky? Explore the latest lottery news & results

Are you a winner? Here’s how to claim your prize

Prizes less than $600 can be claimed at any Rhode Island Lottery Retailer. Prizes of $600 and above must be claimed at Lottery Headquarters, 1425 Pontiac Ave., Cranston, Rhode Island 02920.
Mega Millions and Powerball jackpot winners can decide on cash or annuity payment within 60 days after becoming entitled to the prize. The annuitized prize shall be paid in 30 graduated annual installments.
Winners of the Millionaire for Life top prize of $1,000,000 a year for life and second prize of $100,000 a year for life can decide to collect the prize for a minimum of 20 years or take a lump sum cash payment.

When are the Rhode Island Lottery drawings held?

Powerball: 10:59 p.m. ET on Monday, Wednesday, and Saturday.
Mega Millions: 11:00 p.m. ET on Tuesday and Friday.
Lucky for Life: 10:30 p.m. ET daily.
Millionaire for Life: 11:15 p.m. ET daily.
Numbers (Midday): 1:30 p.m. ET daily.
Numbers (Evening): 7:29 p.m. ET daily.
Wild Money: 7:29 p.m. ET on Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday.

This results page was generated automatically using information from TinBu and a template written and reviewed by a Rhode Island editor. You can send feedback using this form.

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Rhode Island

With time running out, fervor to pass RI Voting Rights Act is heating up

Published

16 hours ago

June 8, 2026

Press Room

With time running out, fervor to pass RI Voting Rights Act is heating up

Advocates are urging Rhode Island lawmakers to pass a state-level Voting Rights Act.
The bill was introduced to counter federal efforts to require proof of citizenship to vote.
Concerns from the Attorney General’s office and a recent change in House leadership have delayed the bill’s progress.

With time running out and no action scheduled yet, advocates are escalating their campaign to convince lawmakers to pass the Rhode Island “Voting Rights Act” introduced by Senate President Valarie Lawson and House Majority Leader Katherine Kazarian.

But it appears the bill has already been declared dead for the year.

Lawson, House Speaker Christopher Blazejewski and Secretary of State Gregg Amore issued this joint statement on Monday, June 8:

“From the beginning, we have all understood the importance of passing a strong Rhode Island Voting Rights Act. But we also understand that as the federal administration continues to work to make it more difficult to access the ballot box, we have to do it right.”

“Advocates and other parties raised several concerns,” the statement said. “It is imperative that we enact as strong, enforceable, and defensible a bill as possible. With those priorities in mind, we recognize there is more work to do.”

“As drafted this year, the provisions of the Voting Rights Act would not take effect until the 2028 election cycle. Therefore, we will work over the course of the off-session to put forward as strong a bill as possible for consideration in 2027 and will continue to prioritize the Voting Rights Act in the upcoming session,” the statement continued.

The reaction from one angry advocate, Sen. Tiara Mack: “I’m not done fighting.”

How did we get here?

The legislation was introduced in response to thwarted Republican efforts to pass a federal SAVE Act to require proof of citizenship to register to vote and came weeks before the U.S. Supreme Court hollowed out a landmark Civil Rights-era law that has increased minority representation in Congress and elsewhere, opening the door for more redistricting across the country that could aid Republican efforts to maintain control the House.

“This is not abstract. This is about power,” Shahidah Ali, chairwoman of the political arm of the Rhode Island Coalition of Black Women, said at a voting rights rally that packed the State House Library on March 31.

“This is about who gets to participate in our democracy, and who is pushed out of it.”

On Sunday, June 7, Ali reiterated that warning and her frustration that the bill appears, despite its high-powered sponsors, to be in limbo going into the expected final days of the legislative session, saying she didn’t understand why the bill wasn’t moving as quickly as she thought it would.

“I feel like when you’re in a super majority and it’s something that’s needed after … the gutting of the Federal Voting Rights Act, I would think that this would be a no-brainer, that the Democrats in this state would understand the importance and the urgency of a bill to protect voters, especially Black voters,” she said.

Why hasn’t the bill moved?

As of Sunday, Rep. Kathy Fogarty, a co-sponsor of the House version of the bill (H8334), has not given up hope the bill would still pass. But, she said, “my understanding is that they were concerned …. [and] wanted to review” some of Attorney General Peter Neronha’s comments about the bill after Secretary of State Gregg Amore asked him for his input.

Fogarty said the May 7 leadership change in the House put the newly elected Speaker Blazejewski and Kazarian, in her newly elevated role as majority leader, in front of a proverbial “fire hose,” with the finalization of the proposed new $15.2 billion state budget their first priority.

With the need to finalize the budget, which won House approval on June 5, “I think that this just kind of got pushed to the side,” Fogarty said of the voting rights bill.

The backdrop

The proposed Rhode Island Voter Rights Act was introduced to enshrine federal protections against voter suppression, vote dilution and “racially-based gerrymandering” in state law.

The legislation was introduced in response to the push by President Donald Trump and his GOP allies in Congress for passage of the Safeguard American Voter Eligibility Act, known more familiarly as the SAVE Act.

While Rhode Island already has its own Voter ID law requiring prospective voters to show a photo identification to cast their ballot, the SAVE Act would require proof of citizenship – such as a valid U.S. passport and certified birth certificate – to register to vote.

If the U.S. Senate were able to muster the votes to pass the SAVE Act, critics say millions could be disenfranchised, including married women whose adult names do not match the names on their birth certificates.

Speaking at the March 31 Rhode Island rally, U.S. Rep. Seth Magaziner said not enough attention has gone to the proposed requirement that a voter present the same level of documentation to obtain a mail ballot, “but only if they showed up to their board of canvassers in person to prove their citizenship.” This would obviously be problematic for people too ill to leave their homes, hospitalized, out of the country or even, out of state on business.

As currently drafted, the proposed Rhode Island Voting Rights Act would take effect on January 1, 2027.

What were the concerns about the bill?

The edits Neronha’s staff suggested to the Secretary of State’s Office were largely cosmetic – the deletion of an extraneous word here or there, or clarification of a potentially muddy sentences.

In a June 6 letter to John Marion, executive director of the citizens-advocacy group Common Cause Rhode Island, Neronha said: “I do not view our comments on the proposed Act as particularly extensive nor burdensome nor time-consuming to implement, in whole or in part, should there be a desire to do so.”

Neronha’s letter said that his comments on the bill shouldn’t impede its passage, or be taken “even as a suggestion” that he doesn’t support the bill. His office’s role, he said, was to make a “laudable piece of legislation better if we could.”

“We undertook that task because we were asked to, and I agreed because I believe that passage of a Voting Rights Act is important to protecting the rights of Rhode Islanders and our democracy,” Neronha said.

Advocates are not giving up

In recent weeks, Ali said she went on radio to make an appeal to Black and brown men, in particular, to support the legislation, while she and other advocates distributed 3,300 postcards to be mailed to state lawmakers.

The message: “Dear Senator (Representative), The Voting Rights Act is one of the most important statutes we have in this country as it protects everyone’s right to vote and allows our country to function as a true democracy. Until it is codified into Rhode Island state law our fundamental Civil Rights are at risk.”

“We cannot afford to lose our Civil Rights with an election coming.”

This story has been updated with new information.

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Rhode Island

Providence’s ‘Superman’ building: 13 years of empty promises over a state landmark – The Boston Globe

Published

1 day ago

June 8, 2026

Press Room

Providence’s ‘Superman’ building: 13 years of empty promises over a state landmark – The Boston Globe

What Providence is going through is an unusually visible example of a problem facing many cities, especially since the COVID-19 pandemic: What combination of carrots and sticks can officials use to turn unwanted office space into something that suits a changing city’s needs?

Even if the building cannot be revived to its former glory, when office workers once poured out of the stunning marbled lobby during lunchtime to create a downtown buzz, surely developers and political leaders can do better.

“This becomes a symbol of this anxiety about Providence and its economic strength,” said Marisa Angell Brown, executive director of the Providence Preservation Society. “It raises that question: Has Providence turned the corner? Are we going to turn the corner?”

For years, the plan has been to redevelop the empty office tower into about 300 apartments, 20 percent of which would be below market rents, set aside for low- and moderate-income Rhode Islanders, along with commercial space on the ground floor. Ongoing squabbles about the size and scope of tax abatements from the city and state have delayed the project repeatedly. The redevelopment now hinges on a low-interest loan of up to $236 million from the US Department of Transportation, green lit for eligibility under former president Joe Biden then held up by the Trump administration.

Adding to the recent troubles, David Sweetser, the principal of High Rock Development and owner of the building since 2008, died unexpectedly last summer. The developer tapped its legal counsel, Michael Crossen, to continue with the project. A spokesperson for High Rock, Bill Fischer, told the editorial board that the firm is focused on finalizing funding details and remains “optimistic the project will proceed.” Fischer said once financing is in place, construction will be complete within 24 to 30 months.

Providence Mayor Brett Smiley is urging patience. “I think it’s fair to say that the situation is frustrating and probably that many people, myself included, are anxious to see something happen, but big historic complicated buildings sometimes require complicated solutions,” Smiley told the Globe’s editorial board.

It’s a scenario playing out in commercial spaces across the nation, with office towers selling at deep discounts as owners struggle with low occupancy rates. If Providence can find a path forward to address a housing shortage while also reviving such a high-profile building, it could become a model for cities across the nation.

Transforming office space into apartments is notoriously tricky. Office configurations come with little interior natural light and plumbing that’s largely incompatible with residential layouts. Still, studies have shown that single-room occupancy units that ring the edge of the building — with shared kitchens, bathrooms, laundry, and living rooms in the center of the building — can work.

This type of low-cost downtown housing has traditionally carried a stigma, but it could be an option for students, young professionals, new arrivals to a city, or retirees. It could also reduce homelessness. Yes, it would not be a huge money generator for a landlord hoping to charge higher rents, but public subsidies could make it work.

Most agree: Tearing down the Superman building is not a great option. In 2017, former Providence mayor turned developer Joe Paolino floated the idea of replacing it with a modern office tower for an anchor tenant, a concept that sent shudders across the city and still reverberates.

“To tear down that building in the middle of city, it would be an absolute sin,” Michael Sabitoni, the president of the Rhode Island Building and Construction Trades Council, told a Globe columnist in 2021.

Construction on the Art Deco building began in 1927. The building featured plaster, bronze work, and the very latest in modern elevator mechanics.

In 2019, the building was listed on the National Trust for Historic Preservation’s annual list of America’s 11 Most Endangered Historic Places.

The plight of the building has captivated Providence for too many years now.

In 2020, seven graduate students studying adaptive reuse at the Rhode Island School of Design reimagined uses for the Superman building. Ideas included several theaters and performance spaces, senior housing, a vertical farm, laboratories, and even an amusement park.

A recent op-ed in the Globe suggests: Stop trying to solve, and pay for, the whole building renovation at once. Activate the bottom four floors with a civic space, then let the apartments above follow.

Locals commonly ask why nearby Brown University, which has a massive endowment and needs building space, including graduate student housing, can’t make something happen.

Mayor Smiley said he thinks it’s best to stick with the current developer’s vision for apartments. “There’s a lot of external factors that unfortunately, and somewhat coincidentally, have complicated the timeline. But that doesn’t mean that it’s still not the best plan for the building.”

The mayor says he’s in regular touch with the developer. But few others seem to know what’s going on as they walk past scaffolding in the heart of downtown, and tolerance after more than a decade of delays is running thin. If the the building’s owner can’t get things moving, it should move on and let somebody else take a try at building something.

“It’s a shame that it just sits there and nobody is taking care of it,” said Behrouz Sarlak, owner of Loominous Rug Gallery, which sits a few blocks away from the Superman. “A lot can be done. You just have to be creative.”

Editorials represent the views of the Boston Globe Editorial Board. Follow us @GlobeOpinion.

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