Living History
Relive one of America’s most
revolutionary moments at
Gaspee Days
The year was 1772. Under mounting tension
and increasing pressure from Britain to restrict
trade to the colonies, HMS Gaspee dropped
anchor in Rhode Island waters. Under the guise
of enforcing trade laws, the Gaspee made life
even more difficult for colonists, harassing
incoming ships and often unfairly delaying
shipments. After a particularly nasty run-in
with a sloop headed for Providence, the
Gaspee was left grounded in shallow water, giving
independence-minded Rhode Islanders their
chance to burn the ship. A revolutionary act of
defiance that spurred enthusiasm for American
ave
Date
East sidE
the
Drinking in
Style
Daily
Take a sip of Cocktail
Culture, a multidisciplinary exhibit at the
Rhode Island School of
Design Museum that
looks at the culture of
drinking in the 20th
century through vintage
liquor art, bar design
and designer cocktail
dresses. risdmuseum.org
downtown
Hit the Dance
Floor
Tuesdays
Turn up the heat on
Tuesday nights when
Salsa City hits the Celtic
Lounge on Westminster
Street. This weekly gath-
ering of novices and afi-
cionados alike welcomes
dancers of all skill levels,
with or without a partner.
meetup.com/salsalegre-
events-providence
CITY GUIDE
Providence
independence, the burning of the Gaspee was
one of the very first movements toward the
Revolutionary War.
Relive this seminal moment in American
history at Gaspee Days. From May 28—30, the
annual Gaspee Days Arts & Crafts Festival, set
in the hamlet of Pawtuxet Village, brings in
50,000 people a day. Gaspee Days Weekend
(June 10–12) is a Revolutionary-era festival
complete with a re-creation of a colonial
encampment, the Gaspee Days Parade June 11,
and the annual burning of the Gaspee June 12.
You don’t have to be a history buff to enjoy this
patriotic celebration ... but it helps. gaspee.com.
Say You Knew
Them When
Great artists aren’t
always rich and
famous artists—they
have to start some-
where. Providence’s
own Rhode island
school of design is
the preeminent art
school in the country,
and once upon a time
art giants such as
shepard Fairey and
dale chihuly honed
their skills there.
throughout May, the
school offers plenty
of opportunities to
invest in art from pos-
sible future greats.
graduating seniors in
apparel design display
their fashions at col-
lection 2011, a runway
show at Veterans
Memorial auditorium.
the next day, May 22,
you can purchase that
wearable art when
those fashions go up
for sale at the Risd
Museum. You’ll defi-
nitely find something
that you can’t live
without—and what
better way to shop
for art than to
invest a little
in some-
thing
that
could be
worth a
lot in the
future?
risd.
edu.
PawtuckEt
A New Kind of
Bedroom Farce
May 5–June 5
It’s a comedy of mistaken identities and
mistaken marriage as
the Gamm Theatre
presents the 2009
off-Broadway hit Why
Torture Is Wrong, and the
People Who Love Them, a
surprisingly funny, farcical take on the “war on
terror.” gammtheatre.org
downtown
Once Upon a
Midnight Dreary
May 6–June 5
Trinity takes on Providence’s most mysterious author in The
Completely Fictional—
Utterly True—Final
Strange Tale of Edgar
Allan Poe, a world première production by
company member
Stephen Thorne.
trinityrep.com
downtown
Feel the Magic
May 14–15
The magic of live ballet
meets the magic of fairy
tales as Festival Ballet
presents Sleeping Beauty,
the classic tale of awak-
ened love, with music
by Tchaikovsky.
festivalballet.com
