August 1, 7:30pm, Waterplace Park, Free And Open To The Public. Greg Abate, who averages 150 performances a year, is coming off a month long tour of the United Kingdom. The Woonsocket native, known globally as the "prince of bebop," takes nothing for granted. Work is a constant - always has been and always will be. Greg Abate is widely considered among jazz writers and aficionados to be one of the "best post bebop alto players out there today." For more information please click here.

August 7 - 11, Various Locations Downtown, Free And Open To The Public. Non-stop live musical entertainment will run from opening until closing each day of the festival. While all the live entertainment has an Italian connection, there is a wide variety of approaches, including classical opera and arias, hard-driving swing, jazz accordion and many others. Vendors of food, beverage and souvenir goods will be set up along the river, and in park spaces surrounding the stages. For more information please click here.

Mayor David N. Cicilline, the Department of Art, Culture + Tourism, Lynne McCormack, Director, and the Department of Public Parks, Robert F. McMahon, Superintendent, are pleased to announce the Celebrate Providence! 2008 Neighborhood Performing Arts Initiative. This program brings music, dance and theatre into neighborhood parks throughout the city. All events are free and open to the public.

This week's events
WBNA - Dear Providence- Puppetry, Poetry, Stop Motion Film And More, July 31, Dexter Training Grounds Park, 6pm

Friends of Elmhurst Presents the Providence Mandolin Orchestra, July 31, Fargnoli Park, 6pm

Friend of Brown Street Park Presents Infusion Experience, August 5, Brown Street Park, 5pm

Jump Dance Company, August 7, Steps Of Providence City Hall, 12pm

Friends of Elmhurst Presents Napua O Polynesia Dancers, August 7, Fargnoli Park, 6pm

For more information about all of the events please click here.

August 5 - 10, Times & Locations Vary, Ticket Prices Vary. The Rhode Island International Film Festival has secured its place in the global community as the portal for the best in international independent cinema; earning the respect of domestic and foreign filmmakers, filmgoers and trend watchers. This confluence of art and commerce brings together world-class celebrities, award-winning filmmakers, new talent and audience members. RIIFF is a qualifier for the Short Film Academy Awards and ranked as one of the top 12 Festivals in the US. For more information please click here.

August 2, 8:16pm, Sponsored By Amica Insurance. 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.

August 7 - 17, Thursdays - Saturdays @ 8pm, Sundays @ 3pm, Perishable Theatre, 95 Empire Street, Tickets Are $10. An experimental theatre extravaganza bringing new works from local and not so local artists and different performing art genres together. Experience performances from Fledgling Festival curator Peter Deffet, artists Nancy Hoffman, Angela Conte, Philip Goldman, Khym Carmichael, Kellie Lynch, Slipperyfish Dance, Angela Colford, Kevin Delaney, Leigh Hendrix plus much more. For more information please click here.

August 1 & 2 @ 7pm, Trinity Rep's Chace Theater, 201 Washington Street, Tickets Are $10. Trinity Rep has opened its doors for boys and girls in grades 5-12 to explore a world of creativity and theater under the instruction of Rhode Island's most knowledgeable theater professionals with the Young Actors Summer Institute. The Summer Institute culminates with two days of final performances for parents, guests and the general public on the Trinity Rep stage. 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 July 31- August 6, 2008:

EVENTS

Thursday July 31 - Market Bazaar, 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.
Basketball - Boys League; 5:45-8pmCome on down to the Bank of America Skating Center to check out Boy's league basketball sponsored by the Department of Recreation!

Friday August 1 - Farmers' Market, 11am - 2pm Shop for tasty harvests from RI farms here along the sidewalk at Burnside Park. Choose from a selection of foods fresh from the fields and meet the people who grow your meal!

Saturday August 2 - 4-7:30pm; Performance - Rhythm & Blues Heritage Month; Location: Burnside Park.

Sunday August 3 - Rhythm & Soul Sunday, 2-8pm Chill with friends at the weekly gathering inside Burnside Park featuring music DJ's with the AfroSonic Collective and resident drummers. Sponsored by the Providence Black Repertory Company.

Monday August 4 - Men's league basketball, 6-8pm Come on down to the Bank of America Skating Center to check out Men's league basketball sponsored by the Department of Recreation!

Tuesday August 5 - 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 Del's lemonade while you're there! This week: All Children's Theatre, Community Congress/ Feinstein Institute, DARE, Meals on Wheels of RI, Mt. Hope Learning Center, New Urban Arts, Providence Animal Rescue League, Rhode Island Housing, Rhode Island HUD Tenant Project, RI Foster Parents Association, The Apeiron Institute for Sustainable Living, United Negro College Fund, University of Rhode Island Providence Campus; Location: on the sidewalk along the Washington Street side of Burnside Park.
Basketball - Dept. of Recreation, Boys League; Location: Bank of America Skating Center; 5:45-8pm

Wednesday August 6 - Hiroshima Day Vigil In commemoration of the dropping of the first atomic bomb on the Japanese city of Hiroshima on August 6, 1945 as hosted by the Quaker Peace and Social Concerns Committee. Location: Burnside Park; 12-2pm
Basketball - Dept. of Recreation, Girls League; Location: Bank of America Skating Center; 6-8pm

PARTICIPATE
If your company or organization is interested in participating in Market Thursdays or Public Square Tuesdays FREE of charge, please click here to download an application.

For more information please click here.

Fundraiser At TSETSE Gallery

August 1, 5:30pm, TSETSE Gallery, 101 Orange Street, Tickets Are $15. This is an exciting opportunity to enjoy art works expressing feelings, thoughts, life views and experiences related to the blind and visually impaired community. To reserve your door tickets, please mail a check made out to the TSETSE Gallery, 101 Orange Street, Providence, RI, 02903.

Savor Providence: A Benefit For Trinity Rep

August 23, 12pm - 4pm, Various Locations Downtown, Tickets Are $37 For 10 Tastes. A new twist on the usual "taste" event will take place in Providence this summer on Saturday, August 23rd from 12-4pm. For just $37, you will receive a book of 10 Tastes to redeem at participating restaurants in Providence. No tents, no standing in lines - with our handy restaurant map, Savor Providence will lead people right to the doorsteps of many of the hottest restaurants in and around the city. 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 Artists For Knight Gallery Exhibition. The object of this event is to display good quality, low cost art to the public by a variety of artists. The dimensions of each entry MUST add up to 100 inches total. The deadline for entries is Auaugt 25. For more information please click here.

PPSRI Walking Tour Leaders Neened. The Providence Preservation Society is looking for individuals interested in leading walking tours for elementary and middle school students. Upon completing a 2.5 day training provided by PPS, docents are asked to make a one-year commitment to the program. This year's training will take place September 23-25 and will concentrate on the College Hill and Fox Point neighborhoods. For more information please contact Kathleen McAreavey at 401-831-440 X 103 or click here.

RISD Museum Seeks Visitor Services Manager. Part of the job description includes promoting and ensuring positive visitor and program experiences by coordinating front desk activities, supporting efforts to improve visitor access and recommending and implementing enhancements and/or changes based on feedback. For a full list of qualifications, a detailed job description and to submit a resume and cover letter, please click here. No phone calls please.

RISD Fall Continuing Education Classes. RISD offers a rich variety of classes, lectures, workshops, gallery talks and other events designed to engage young artists and adults. Registration begins July 28th. For more information please click here.