March 19, 2024

Commentary: My Message in a Bottle: Support EP Heritage Days.

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Support EP Heritage Days 2017

You asked for it East Providence and you got it. Now it's our turn to walk the walk. Since 1981 local residents like Junior Butler have been producing and scheduling the EP Heritage Days Festival. The festival is now entering its 37th consecutive year. Like most events of this magnitude it has seen ups and downs. For the first couple of decades there were only ups. "For the past three decades our mission has been to provide cultural and educational opportunities that recognize, promote, preserve and pay tribute to the Arts and our many cultural heritages," said Chairman Junior Butler. Butler, Alba Curti, Diane Sullivan, Joe Medeiros, the late Harry Mutter and a few other key persons have provided professional level entertainment as total volunteers - with no pay and minimal recognition.

Trying to keep up with rising costs, etc., the festival admission price rose to a level that locals balked at paying. The big oldies-type bands were getting "too old" and didn't wow the crowds as much any more. The past few years saw festival attendance drop. The committee tried a different approach for the 2016 festival which was not very successful.

The festival no longer receives any city funding as it once did. Former City Manager Richard Brown ended all appropriations in 2008. The city does provide some in-kind contributions but not much else. Privately, the rumors were building that the festival might not continue at all.

The festival's woes were not all self-induced. The small crowds in recent years may not be totally the fault of any planning style. When the Festival started in 1981 there was no commercially working public internet. Cell phones were not available as they are today and technology was a fledgling social tool. Social media didn't exist and the world was different. "Today's young people are difficult to entertain," said Butler. Yes it is a different society.

Butler and company were not ready to give up yet. They heard the people and decided to "go back to basics." Not only did they lower admission prices, they did away with them. The festival admission is now totally free with patrons only paying for food and refreshments from many popular vendors.

Further, the committee is returning to its Townie roots. Gone are the expensive big oldie's bands and in are many popular local entertainers. The July issue of The Reporter outlines the entire schedule.

Now billed as "A Townie Homecoming Weekend," indeed, local Townies like Pat Lowell, Sarah Leonard, Pete Silva, John Baldaia, Bruce Zarembka, Paul Furtado, Crushed Velvet and many more notables with local ties will entertain over the three day weekend July 14th through July 16th. All activities will be in the Pierce Stadium baseball field.

The committee still has many expenses such as police, fire and other logistics. Some sponsorships will help also. Some of the best Heritage Festivals were those early years. The committee has reacted to public sentiment and is turning back the clock.

East Providence Heritage Days will be held at Pierce Stadium on July 14, 2017 from 6-11 pm, July 15th from 3-11 pm and on July 16th from 3-10 pm.

"Free admittance, great music, delicious food vendors, family activities in a beautiful stadium and a full weekend of meeting old friends. Where else can you get all of that for zero," Butler asks.

Now it's our turn folks. We've talked the talk and now need to walk the walk (or dance the dance!). Back to East Providence's roots. Truly A Townie Homecoming Weekend.

(Bob Rodericks is a columnist and feature writer for the East Providence Reporter. This commentary does not necessarily reflect the views of this publication.)

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