UPDATE: Due to heavy rains, we will be opening Saturday, November 21st to allow sufficient ice freezing.

This Saturday, November 21st is opening day at the Bank of America City Center Skating Rink! Please join us for a very special fundraising event for Skate for Joy to launch our season:

Saturday, November 21, 2009
11am - 2pm

A portion of every admission and skate rental this morning will benefit the non-profit organization, Skate for Joy. Skate for Joy teaches children ages three to 16 the U.S. Figure Skating’s Basic Skills Program for both hockey and figure skating. “Being one of only five programs in the country, Skate for Joy takes great pride in the lessons we teach children both on and off the ice. At this event, we hope to gather enough donations so we can invite more kids onto the ice this year,” said Carolyn Drumm, founder & executive director of Skate for Joy.

Tonight at the Bank of America City Center from 5-9pm - just $5!

We are pleased to present the final installment of the Burnside Park Afterwork Music Series this Thursday.

• Beer garden by Trinity Brewhouse goes from 5-7pm
• Extra Golden starts at 6pm

http://www.myspace.com/extragolden

Extra Golden is an international collaboration between members of two bands: Otieno Jagwasi and Onyango Wuod Omari of the Nairobi, Kenya based benga band Orchestra Extra Solar Africa, and Ian Eagleson and Alex Minoff of the Washington D.C. based rock band Golden. The musicians met as a result of Ian’s doctoral research on Kenyan music.

Free! free! free!

Burnside Park at Kennedy Plaza
September 20, 2009
3:00 to 6:00 pm

On Sunday, September 20, 2009 from 3:00 to 6:00 PM, the Peace Flag Project (PFP) is sponsoring Providence’s fifth annual celebration of the UN International Day of Peace in Burnside Park, Kennedy Plaza, downcity Providence. The American Friends Service Committee of Southeast New England, First Unitarian Church of Providence, Peace Alliance/Department of Peace, RiverzEdge Art Project and rpm voices are also sponsoring the event. It is free and open to the public.  This is a peace event, not an antiwar event.

For more details about the event, check out www.thepeaceflagproject.org or email info@peaceflagproject.org .

The Rhode Island Blood Center is holding a blood drive at the Bank of America City Center from 11am-3pm and offering plenty of incentives to donate! Get a free 6-inch sub from Subway for donating. Bring a friend, and be entered to win a 4-pack of tickets to the Patriots, Celtics, Red Sox, and Bruins!

Stick around at the Skating Center until 6pm and watch the Providence Roller Derby! The Sakonnet River Roller Rats will be duking it out with the Old Money Honeys for supremacy of the pavement!

Join us in Burnside Park tonight from 5-7pm to enjoy a FREE concert featuring the DJ BlackDove of AfroSonic Collective! There will also be a beer garden hosted by Trinity Brewhouse!

After the concert, head over to the corner of Westminster and Union where you can catch a FREE screening of the all-time classic Rain Man as part of Movies on the Block sponsored by Shop Downcity!

Come down to the Bank of America Skating Center for the Rhode Island Bolivian-American Association’s music, performances, dancing, food and amazing costumes to celebrate the Bolivia Festival De la Vergen De Urkupina! On Saturday, the festivities start with a procession from St. Patrick’s church on 244 Smith Street and end up at the Bank of America Skating Center from 2pm through 9pm. Then, on Sunday, the fun begins at 2pm and lasts until 6pm. Free admission!

Wind down after work in Burnside Park with a rare performance by Steady Bongo - renowned pop star from Sierra Leone!  In addition to producing songs that promote peace and reconciliation, he has also teamed up with NGOs and USAID for awareness campaigns regarding HIV/AIDS. He’s performed for such audiences as the Sierra Leone National Government, and is known for his contributions toward bringing peace to Sierra Leone. This concert is FREE and runs from 5:30-6:30pm. Don’t miss it!

In addition to the FREE concert, enjoy the BEER GARDEN hosted by Trinity Brewhouse from 5-7pm! See you there!

Join us this Thursday, July 23rd, for several fun activities in Burnside Park!

First, from 12:15-1:00pm, we have BEACH BODY BOOT CAMP — a FREE session with a personal trainer from Boston Sports Clubs!

Then at 5:00pm, join us at Local 121 at 121 Washington Street for a FREE show featuring the band Javelin and the audio documentary “That Job Sucked Anyway.” For directions, call Local 121 at (401) 274-2121

The IndieArts Fest is a free arts & music festival located in Greater Kennedy Plaza, beginning at 1:00 PM and running throughout the day until 11:30 PM. IndieArts Fest features over 25 performers on 3 stages including live bands, DJ’s, spoken word, and dance.  The Red Bull Music Academy hosts one of the stages which features an eclectic mix of DJ’s. In addition to the stage, RBMA will also be running a workshop covering all aspects of music including production, DJ-ing, and the business

of music.

The IndieArts Fest is also home of The Arts Exchange, a bazaar featuring artists, crafters, music, posters, collectables, art objects, food, and beverage. We are proud to host our Indie Brew Beer Garden featuring independent and regional breweries.

Start growing your facial hair so you can compete for prizes in this year’s General Burnside’s Best Facial Hair Contest.  Did you say cat fight?.. Well The Providence Roller Derby will be bringing a specially arranged bout to this year’s festival.  Before the Derby, test out your ability to skate in the Fountain of Youth Skate Park.  After dusk, ACME Video, a local staple of Independent film, will be hosting a film showcase in Grant’s Block.