June 27, 7:30pm, Waterplace Park, Free And Open To The Public. Combining the tradition Malian melodies of rock, reggae, and Saharan blues, Vieux Farka Touré continues the musical legacy of his internationally famous late father, Ali Farka Touré. Blending old and new styles, Vieux adds pop and Caribbean influences to these traditional tunes. For more information please click here.

July 6 - 12, Various Locations Downtown, Pricing Varies By Performance. Providence Sound Session '08 draws performers from all over the world to Providence for a weeklong, multi-stage celebration of music from July 6th through July 12th. Created to transcend musical genres, the festival includes free outdoor concerts at Waterplace Park, intimate performances at The Providence Black Repertory's Xxodus Café, and a Carnival-style parade ending in a vibrant block party in the heart of downtown. This year's festival features diverse and exciting artists, with headlining acts from Jazz legend Jon Hendricks, R&B sensations 112, Dance Music pioneer Wunmi and up and coming Jazz star Maurice Brown. For more information and the full line up please click here.

June 28, 8:25pm, Sponsored By Cox Business & APC by Schneider Electric. WaterFire Providence, the award-winning sculpture by Barnaby Evans, installed on the three rivers of downtown Providence, has been praised by Rhode Island residents and international visitors alike as a powerful work of art and a moving symbol of Providence's renaissance. For more information please click here.

RiverWalk: Providence Walking Tour

Evenings Of Full WaterFire Lightings, 5:30pm, Departs From John Brown House Museum, 52 Power Street, Tickets Are $10. This walk shares the stories of the Providence waterfront and its early development while introducing the phenomenon known as WaterFire. For more information please click here.

June 25 - June 29, Various Locations Downtown, Tickets Are $10 Per Event, Discounted Passes Also Available. The Annual Providence Improv Fest has turned five years old and is running June 25 through June 29, with performances and improv workshops in downtown Providence at Trinity Repertory Company, Perishable Theatre and AS220. Since its humble beginnings in 2004, the PIF has grown in stature and national reputation, with the number and quality of participating groups consistently increasing. This year's line-up of improvisational acts, which once again represents an international artistic base, continues this trend. For more information please click here.

June 26, 6:30pm, Lawn Of John Brown House Museum, 52 Power Street, Tickets Are $8 For Adults, Free For RIHS Members And Children Under 12. The Rhode Island Historical Society will kick-off its Concerts Under The Elms outdoor summer concert series with the patriotic music and "pop" repertoire by The American Band. Concerts Under The Elms are held Thursday evenings through August 7th. Bring chairs and blankets to spread out on the grass and enjoy a picnic dinner during the concert. Sandwiches, salads, and light snacks from Eastside Marketplace, as well as a variety of beverages, can be conveniently purchased onsite. For more information please click here.

June 26, Dusk, Corner Of Westminster Street & Union Street, Free And Open To The Public. Bring your friends and family to watch your favorite flicks on Providence's only outdoor movie screen. Every Thursday during the months of June, July, August and September movies will begin at dusk. As always, introducing the show are International shorts presented by the Rhode Island International Film Festival. Don't forget the picnic blankets and snacks! Parking is available in the adjacent lot. This week the film is Fletch. For more information please click here.

June 27, 8pm & 10pm, Firehouse 13, 41 Central Street, Admission Is $8. Sit back and soak in the Kitsch'n Sink Cabaret. A one-night-only Vaudeville-style event featuring local songstress Victoria Lester, The Adventures of Fat Nancy & Crisco, the DangerDanger Birds, BellaMinx Burly-Q, Miss Honey May and other local favorites! For more information please click here.

Greater Kennedy Plaza is being transformed into a lively public square, rich with activity. The area includes Burnside Park, Kennedy Plaza, the Skating Center and Biltmore Park. Stay tuned here each week to find out what's going on!

Week of June 26 - July 2, 2008:

EVENTS

Market Bazaar Thursday, 11am - 6pm
Check out tasty barbecue from Amos House's Not Just a Meal, along with lovely antiques, art and more. Join us each week this summer as Market Thursday grows! Location: on the sidewalk along the Washington Street side of Burnside Park.

Rhythm & Soul Sunday, 2pm - 8pm
Chill with friends at the weekly gathering inside Burnside Park to celebrate culture, community and the city. Featuring music DJ's with the AfroSonic Collective and resident drummers!

Public Square Tuesday, 11am - 3:30pm
Come on down to find out what volunteer opportunities local non-profit agencies have to offer and grab a slushie while you're there! This week: United Negro College Fund, Street Sights, URI Providence, All Children's Theatre, Department of Public Works, City of Providence, Direct Action for Rights and Equality, Planned ParentHood of Rhode Island, Make-A-Wish Foundation of RI, RI HUD Tenant Project, Community Congress/ Feinstein Institute, Heritage Harbor, RI Foster Parents Association. Location: on the sidewalk along the Washington Street side of Burnside Park.

UPCOMING
July 8th - August 15th
Department of Recreation basketball in the Bank of America Skating Center. High school and adult leagues!

PARTICIPATE

If your company or organization is interested in participating in Market Thursdays free of charge please click here. If your company or organization is interested in participating in Public Square Tuesdays free of charge please click here.

For more information please click here.

June 28, 11am - 4pm, RISD Museum, 224 Benefit Street, Free And Open To The Public. Check out the Styrofoam exhibition and find out how artists create imaginative and beautiful works using this material. In workshops, held both inside and outdoors (weather permitting), make your own cool styro-art to take home. Rhode Island's own Big Nazo puppet creatures will animate the day's program with their outlandish costumes and zany antics. For more information please click here.

Call To Vendors And Artists - Market Thursdays Through August, 11am - 7pm, Kennedy Plaza, No Fee - Kennedy Plaza is undergoing a facelift full of vibrant activity and we want you to be a part of it! Please join us for Market Thursdays on the sidewalk along Burnside Park for a great opportunity to reach new customers - free of charge! Food, antiques, books, records, art, merchandise and fun! To download an application please click here. For more information please contact Deb Dormody via email at ddormody@providenceri.com.

Call To Vendors Providence Sound Session 08, July 12, 5pm - 12am, Grants Block, Fee Applies. Be a part of Downtown's biggest event of the year. We have created a special "Vendor Village" this year to accommodate the 50,000 + who flock into Downtown wanting to spend their money on your product! For more information and to obtain a vendor application please contact Michael Christofaro at 401.421.2489 x759 or via email at mchristofaro@providenceri.com.

Call For Parade Participants. The centerpiece of Providence Sound Session is the extraordinarily colorful nighttime parade, themed Divine Providence, that winds its way through Providence's downcity neighborhood on July 12 at 10pm. This ritual is inspired by the cultural traditions of Carnival celebrated in such places as Brazil, Trinidad and New Orleans. For more information and to obtain an application please click here.

Call For Volunteers: Providence Sound Session Masquerade Parade. This years parade takes place on July 12 and they're looking for your help. For more information please call Noel 401.654.7421 or email her at soundsessioncarnivalparade@gmail.com.

Call For Submissions: Latin American Film Festival. Feature narratives, documentaries, shorts and animation films by, about or representing the reality of the Hispanic and Portuguese Diaspora are welcome to participate. The deadline for submissions is July 15. For more information and to download an application please click here.

FirstWorksProv Call To Musicians. As part of the FirstWorks Festival this Fall, Chris Turner and Friends will perform Terry Riley's iconic minimalist piece, In C. Chris would like to invite any and all high school (possibly advanced middle school), college and community bands, orchestras, and choirs to join in. For more information please email Siobhan at Siobhan@firstworksprov.org.

Artists Needed For IndieArts Martketplace. IndieArts Festival, July 19, 1pm - 11pm, Burnside Park, $25 Fee For 10x10 Space. Calling all painters, sculptors, printers, ceramists, jewelers etc. for this juried marketplace. All artwork must be of your own creation, any size or medium that can be carried and displayed within the park. The deadline is July 4. To download an application please click here. For more information via email please click here.

Call For Vendors And Artists. The 2008 Italian Arts And Music Festival is fast approaching! From August 7 - 11, Providence will be the destination for thousands of fun-loving food, art and music fans, as the Italian-American community of Providence and the surrounding area shows the best that the culture has to offer. For vending and artist submissions please call 401-808-5614 or click here.

Festival Ballet Providence 2008 SummerDance Child and Adult Classes. All classes take place in Festival Ballet Providence's three state-of-the-art sprung-floor studios, 825 Hope Street in historic Providence. Chaperoned dormitory housing and transportation is available for out of state students with full boarding. For details please click here.

Rhode Island Philharmonic Music School Camp. Program 1 Runs July 21 - July 25 From 10am - 2:45pm, Program 2 Runs July 23 - From 10am - 2:45pm, July 23 - August 1 From 10am - 2:25pm, Nathanael Greene Middle School, 721 Chalkstone Avenue. A concentrated workshop for middle and high school age music students who are interested in jazz and/or rock performance. Students may attend either one or both weeks of the camp. The deadline to apply is July 1. For more information please click here.