Ongoing Pawtucket
• The Empowerment Factory, in collaboration with the Rhode Island Department of Education, is offering free elementary youth art classes from January through May. Each participating child will receive a creativity kit to accompany live online classes taught by The Empowerment Team. These fun, free classes combine art, science, and social emotional learning. Starting Jan. 5, all Rhode Island elementary students are eligible to register for up to 2 sessions. Space is limited. Families are encouraged to visit www.empowermentfactory.org/free-art-adventures and sign up for an alert to be notified via email when registration opens.
• Pawtucket Open Market is held every Saturday from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. at the historic Hope Artiste Village for a fun shopping experience featuring local farmers, artists and vintage vendors. Sunnyside Food Truck will be serving up tasty meals and snacks all day.
April 5-12
Mayor Donald R. Grebien and the Pawtucket City Council have announced that yard waste collection and street sweeping will begin the week of Monday, April 5, 2021. Residents are asked to place leaf bags out on their normal trash pickup day. Leaves and yard waste must be placed in brown yard waste bags that are available at local hardware stores, or be put in a barrel (33 gallons or less) clearly labeled yard waste in order to be collected. Plastic bags are not allowed to be used for leaves or yard waste.
April 10
The F.I.T. Challenge obstacle course race will take place from 7 a.m. to noon at Diamond Hill Park in Cumberland. Visit www.fitchallenge.org for more information.
A Heritage Hike through North Smithfield’s Harkness Conservation area will take place from 9 to 11 a.m. Enjoy a woodland hike along old roads, trails and paths in the Harkness Conservation Area to view the scenic Blackstone and Branch River valleys as well as historic stone features. This is a rigorous two-hour walk. Not recommended for children. Meet at the Forestdale Schoolhouse, 190 School St. Comfortable hiking shoes and a bottle of water are suggested.
April 11
The St. Joseph’s Veterans Association is holding a Spring Craft Fair fundraiser on April 11, from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. at 99 Louise St., Woonsocket. The fair is an indoor/outdoor event with games, raffles and shopping with lots of local business vendors.
St. Grace Note Farm in Pascoag will host Colombian tenor David Rivera Bozon and pianist Leona Cheung, both artists in residence with Music at the Farm, in concert on Sunday, April 11 at 2 p.m. They will perform arias by Mozart, Flotow, Catan, Bizet, Verdi & Puccini, Neapolitan songs by Eduardo Di Capua and Broadway songs by Bernstein, Forrest, and Appell. These concerts are presented by Grace Note Farm and the Blackstone Valley Tourism Council. Complying with covid restrictions the audiences are small, spaced 6 feet apart. and asked to wear masks. Tickets are $40 call 401567-0354 for a reservation.
April 12
For anyone interested in spending a few hours of cleaning up the roadsides in the Manville area, please volunteer for the 5th annual (minus 2020) Yellow Bag Day. Due to last year’s cancellation, therer will be twice the trash to pick up. Meeting time and lcoation: Noon in the parking lot at Navigant Credit Union, 56 Railroad Street, Manville. We plan to clean trash along all the main roads and as many side streets as possible.
April 18
“Arts in the Parks” Plein Air Painting will take place from 1 to 4 p.m. at the Blackstone River State Park, located at 1075 Lower River Road in Lincoln. Enjoy painting in the media of your choice at Blackstone River State Park with views of the Blackstone River, the Blackstone Canal, the Kelly House Museum and replica barn, and a native pollinator garden. This will be a non-instructional event with limited space. RSVP at bit.ly/PleinAir41821.
April 24
In recognition of Rails-to-Trails Conservancy’s “Celebrate Trails Day,” Blackstone River Valley National Heritage Corridor and All Out Adventures bring adaptive cycling to the Blackstone River Greenway. The event will take place from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. on the Blackstone River Greenway. All equipment is provided, but you must pre-register for a time slot by calling All Out Adventures at (413) 584-2052 or emailing info@alloutadventures.org.