Jef Nickerson
Photo © boliyou
Usually, I start feeling Pride-ie once the rainbow flag goes up at City Hall. Is the flag up at City Hall?
Whatever, Pride is this weekend, Saturday to be precise. There is a new location for the festival this year. Previous years it has been bouncing back and forth between Kennedy Plaza and Station Park. This year it will be on South Water Street near Wild Colonial, starting at noon.
The nighttime parade will still follow it’s familiar route along Washington, Empire, and Weybosset Streets, with the reviewing stand at PPAC. The parade starts at 8:30pm.
Greater City Providence
Don’t forget the Providence Roller Derby PRIDE bout on Sunday! 3pm at the Bank of America Skating Center at Kennedy Plaza. ALL AGES FREE ADMISSION!!
Ok, wtf is it with the location for the festival? Used to be perfect in Station Park until we got ejected by the kiddie festival a couple years back.
Station Park is a total dust-bowl in the summer heat. Besides, across from the Mall?? Government isn’t even open at the State House across the way on Saturdays… so no political purpose there either.
Downtown at Burnside Park was the best.
Contained.
Facilities.
Great for Downtown Businesses.
Easy accessibility.
South Water St. looks be a great venue.
City skyline in the background; along the river walk; views of the Providence River Bridge lit-up at night.
Remember when the festival was at India Point Park?
Now only if we can get the parade route to start on South Main St. and end at the State House… AND fireworks along the river!
Its going to be a great weekend to be in Providence!
Happy Pride.
Be Safe!
… Forgot to mention.
The whole of Station Park is owned by three separate entities:
State of Rhode Island and Providence Plantations, City of Providence and Amtrak?
ALSO, Pride parade NEEDS more barriers along the entirety of its route. Potential risk and safety issues with swelling crowds…
Just a thought or two.
HAPPY PRIDE!
My understanding about not having it at Station Park is the nightmare bureaucracy going on between Amtrak and the city who own various portions of the park. It is just too much bother to deal with.
Personally, I never liked the Skating Center/Burnside option. Burnside is just too cramped, and the Skating Center is hot, crowded, uncomfortable, standing there on the concrete surface. And I felt penned in at both location, and buses going by… It just was very unpleasant in my opinion.
I think South Water Street will work out very well.
The issue here, for an urbanist, is the realization that the city doesn’t really have any very great options for a large festival in the downtown area. Roger Williams Park and India Point Park are great venues for events, but they are not downtown. Station Park seems good in theory, but the issues I alluded to above, make it too bothersome for organizers. K. Plaza has no grand grassy area that a festival environment wants.
I wonder if the park on the west bank of the river to built after the demolition of Route 195 will be the location we need for this type of event.
I didn’t notice any flags when we drove by last night, but the dome is lit and looking great: http://www.flickr.com/photos/boliyou/4711218415/
I was just editing the post to use your much better photo instead of mine as you were posting. 🙂