My Backyard

Thursday-Sunday, December 24-27, 2009

Season’s Greetings from the Valley!

As families and friends gather to festively celebrate over the Christmas holiday period, December 24-27, experience the magic of heritage, culture and creativity inside Rhode Island’s Blackstone River Valley.

Explore the wonders of the region, as it becomes transformed in its winter finery to discover yesteryear traditions of an historic village, along with supporting up and coming performing artists and backing special needs handcrafters in bolstering the Holiday spirit.

Christmas traditions

One of the more popular annual displays reflective of a Currier & Ives setting occurs in the historic village of Slatersville, in North Smithfield, RI, with the Luminary Christmas Eve, set upon the Village Green on Thursday evening, December 24.

Brightly illuminated white candles span the walkways leading to the 170 year old Slatersville Congregational Church, and surrounded by 19^th century Colonial style homes.

Slatersville is known as America’s first planned mill village. It was established in 1806 by John Slater, the younger brother of Samuel Slater, who began our nation’s Industrial Revolution, a decade earlier with his textile mill in Pawtucket.

For more information on this event, contact the Slatersville Congregational Church at 401-769-2773 or go to the web at www.slatersvillechurch.org

In addition, for those who want to stroll around the village and scope out the area’s development, the Blackstone River Valley National Heritage Corridor has a self-guided walking tour brochure of Slatersville that can be downloaded at http://www.nps.gov/blac/planyourvisit/upload/slatersville.pdf

Musical stylings

Over the Holiday weekend, take in the sounds of young musicians and bands, as Music at the Mill; located at 711 Putnam Pike, (Route 44) in Greenville village, Smithfield, RI presents their Workshop Series at the Mill.

Saturday, December 26, see a concert with Knuff Said with Pen Epic.

The Mill is a popular music store that also offers programs where the public can interact with musicians and performers.

For more details on this and other upcoming music workshop concerts, call 401-949-8988 or log on to www.musicathemill.com

Arts for a special cause

Now through December 28, for those still looking for last minute Holiday gifts past Christmas, attend the 25^th Anniversary Art Exhibit and Sale at Flying Shuttle Studio, inside The Grant Complex, 250 Main Street, downtown Pawtucket, RI.

This event showcases the creative and talented works of artists with intellectual and developmental disabilities. Activities also include weaving demonstrations, group art show and art making. 

For show hours and details call 401-365-1781.