If you’re in the Providence area this weekend, you might want to check out the Providence Rotary Street Painting Festival. This event, held downcity in the skating rink, is sure to be a day of family fun and artistic expression. Hundreds of artists flood Kennedy Plaza each year for this event, and take up sidewalk chalk to create large, detailed drawings that celebrate a specific theme. This year, the artistic prompt is “Reach Within to Embrace Humanity” in honor of the Rotary Club’s 100th anniversary.

One of the great things about Providence is the abundance of art and culture. Just think of all the venues—the Rhode Island School of Design, PPAC, Trinity Rep., The Providence Art Club, AS220. These haunts are a reason why the Creative Capital is such a wonderful place to live. Artists have the ability to see the beauty in their surroundings, enhance it, and create something worth keeping, and this is what they bring to our city on a daily basis.

Art makes areas more enjoyable to live in. The Street Painting Festival provides the opportunity for artists to create on an uncommon canvas, and for the public to see these detailed images come to life. This is a promising way to spend a bright autumn day.

Cumberland Manager, Holly Applegate and I are members of this group. More information can be found on The Rotary Club of Providence website.

With the tumultuous weather that the summer has bought us, it may have been hard for some of us to enjoy our coastline the way we normally do. Southern Rhode Island may have seemed a bit emptier than previous summers, but there are still ways to enjoy the coastline and South County as we head into the autumn.

Although there are many events, a few caught my eye. This Friday is your last chance of the year to venture out on the Lighthouse Cruises and Newport Harbor Tours, departing from North Kingstown. You will be able to view beautiful islands, light houses and the famous Jamestown and Newport Bridges one last time before cold weather hits. If the stars catch your eye while you are out there, another idea is heading over to the Frosty Drew Conservatory in Charsletown to stargaze and see the night sky in an entirely different way.

In addition to these events, Rhode Island Sea Grant is holding it’s 30th annual “CoastWeeks”. These weekend events are designed to raise awareness for the need to preserve the coastline. They also demonstrate and harbor a better understanding of coastal management, in different areas of Rhode Island. On October 1st, you can join fishery scientists on the URI research vessel and learn about the proper fishing methods utilized to preserve our aquatic ecosystem. This is sure to be educational and fun, so if you’re interested head to the Wickford Shipyard, this Saturday. Two weekends later, “CoastWeeks” is also leading a free Newport Harbor Walk, showing the community all that the harbor has to offer and the environmental challenges associated with it.

South County is not just for summer beach go-ers. Make the most of your weekend, and welcome the Autumn in a new way this year.

This Sunday, Residential Properties Ltd. is throwing a luxury open house event on the East Side of Providence and Edgewood. Agents will be opening up 13 very special properties between the hours of 11:30AM and 3:30PM, and we’ve created  some interactive maps to help you customize your tour.

Open Houses on the East Side:

View East Side Luxury Condo Event in a larger map

Open Houses in Edgewood:

View Edgewood Luxury Condo Event in a larger map

Individual open house times and details may be viewed either on the map or at ResidentialProperties.com, for a list of all open houses in the Edgewood and East Side areas.

If you’re looking for a home in the East Bay, Residential Properties Ltd. is opening up 26 single families in Barrington, Bristol, and Warren this weekend.

The homes will be open on Sunday, and display a variety of styles and price ranges. While individual open house times vary, most of the properties will be open for 1.5-2 hours between 11:00AM and 4:00PM. Click here for a full list of East Bay open houses on the Residential Properties Ltd. website. If you see any homes that interest you, you might want to create a personal open house tour viewing route, which can also be done on our website.