Socks in the Frying Pan returns to BRT

Blackstone River Theatre will present Ireland’s Socks in the Frying Pan on Sunday, March 10, at 7:00 p.m., at Blackstone River Theatre, 549 Broad St., Cumberland, RI. Admission is $28 advance, $31 day of show. For tickets visit www.BRTri.org or call in reservations to (401) 725-9272.

Making their only New England appearance on their March tour, Blackstone River Theatre brings back Socks in the Frying Pan, a multi-award winning trio from County Clare on the West coast of Ireland, the universal hub of Irish traditional music. Their dynamic vocal harmonies, virtuosic musical ability and their onstage wit has captured and captivated audiences the world around making them one of the most sought after groups in Irish music today.

Socks in the Frying Pan features Aodán Coyne on guitar and vocals and the accomplished Hayes brothers,

Shane Hayes on accordion and Fiachra Hayes on fiddle & banjo. This youthful trio blend Irish traditional melodies with their own personal flair which has gained them critical acclaim and accolades including ‘New Band of the Year’ by the Irish Music Association. The group have been embraced in the United States, having been booked by every major Irish festival and praised for their modern traditional style and energetic approach to music.

The Woonsocket Rotary club has chosen River Falls restaurant on S. Main St. to be its new home for weekly club meetings. The first meeting at the new location will be Thursday, March 7 at 12:15 PM. River Falls co-owner Kayla Saucier noted that besides being a full service restaurant, River Falls also wants to be a community resource and hosting the Woonsocket Rotarians is one way to be part of the local scene. Rhode Island author John Houle will be the guest speaker commenting on his two books the “King Makers of Providence “and the “Siberian Candidate”.

The Museum of Work & Culture, a division of the Rhode Island Historical Society, will present its annual Salute to Spring ~ Bonjour Printemps event on Sunday, March 24th, at 1:30 pm. Guests will have the chance to celebrate French Candian culture with a live concert from the acclaimed trio from Québéc, É.T.É. With lovely vocal harmonies, deep grooves, and rich instrumentation featuring fiddle, cello, bouzouki, and more, they bring new life to traditional Québécois music. Visitors will also have the opportunity to celebrate other aspects of French Canadian culture, including traditional French-Canadian quadrille dancing, as taught by Brown University Ph.D. student Chanelle Dupuis. Poutine prepared by 6-year poutine competition champion Adeline’s Speakeasy Kitchen Bar will be served throughout the afternoon, along with beer tasting and other refreshments. Pastries prepared by Wright’s Dairy Farm & Bakery will also be served. While guests enjoy refreshments, they will enjoy local favorites The Good Living Band. Crafts and other activities will be available as well throughout the museum, including calligraphy demonstrations by local artist and Vice President of hand-lettering organization Masscribes, Paula Howard. The afternoon will culminate with the announcement of the museum’s annual raffle. Tickets are $30 for adults, $10 for children 5-11, and free for children 4 and under. Tickets can be purchased at rihs.simpletix.com.

Woonsocket High School’s Class of 1974 will hold its 50-year reunion on Saturday, October 12, 2024 beginning at 5:30 p.m. at Savini’s Pomodoro, 476 Rathbun Street, Woonsocket, RI. WHS’ 50th Reunion Committee has been updating its Class address list to account for changes that have occurred since the 40th reunion. Members of the Class who have not yet reported their mailing address are kindly asked to do so on Facebook at “Woonsocket High School Class of 1974”. Alternatively, please provide address information to either Paul Pierannunzi (401-636-1417) or Muriel Desmarais (Dansereau) (401-837-1865). Invitations will be mailed in late May/early June. Live entertainment at the 50th Reunion will be provided by The Porch Rockers.

Learn about one of your local national parks and six other unique National Park Service (NPS) sites this winter through the “Parked at Home” virtual series. Blackstone River Valley National Historical Park is made up of six different sites in Massachusetts and Rhode Island. Through “Parked at Home” programs, Blackstone Valley rangers take virtual participants on a journey that stretches the continent and includes one of the country’s newer NPS sites. These talks offer Blackstone Valley residents a chance to learn about their local park communities as well as fascinating places far beyond New England. Participants are encouraged to discover the histories of hidden gems in their own backyard—or destinations they may dream of visiting. Each hour-long program includes a presentation and opportunities for questions and answers. The 2024 lineup includes NPS staff working at the following sites: First State National Historical Park in Delaware (March 7, 2024), Everglades National Park in Florida (March 14, 2024), Amistad National Recreation Area in Texas (March 21, 2024), Gates of the Arctic National Park and Preserve in Alaska (March 28, 2024), Thomas Edison National Historical Park in New Jersey (April 4, 2024), Saugus Iron Works National Historic Site in Massachusetts (April 11, 2024). The “Parked at Home” series begins on Thursday, March 7, 2024, and runs on consecutive Thursday nights through April 11, 2024, at 7:00 PM Eastern. This series is free and open to all. To register, visit the National Historical Park’s website at www.nps.gov/blrv. For more information, contact Park Ranger Allison Horrocks at Allison_Horrocks@NPS. gov.

March 10th, 2024, 2:00 P.M.,, North Gate Toll House, 1873 Old Louisquisset Pike (Route 246), Lincoln, RI Before many of our major detective novels, there was Nancy Drew. She, along with her faithful friends Bess, George, and Ned, traveled in her roadster, solving mysteries that baffled everyone else. Her fame has continued through the generations. But, there are mysteries concerning Nancy herself: Who first came up with her? Who actually wrote all her books? Was there such an author as Carolyn Keene? Why is Nancy Drew still popular after so many generations? Alicia Mello has studied the history of this most famous sleuth, and has collected Nancy related memorabilia for years. She will explain the popularity of these books, which began close to a century ago, and still remain readable to this day. Also, if you have books or other Drew related items you’d like to show, please feel free. Is there any of us who have not read at least one Nancy Drew mystery? Come join the rest of us who have. The Blackstone Valley Historical Society is dedicated to the history and antiquities of the Northern Rhode Island communities of Pawtucket, Central Falls, Lincoln, Cumberland, North Smithfield and Woonsocket. All interested persons are invited to join.