East Providence Featured in Blackstone River Valley Destination Guide

East Providence, R.I. (July 12, 2022): The Blackstone Valley Tourism Council has published its latest Destination Guide featuring the 10 cities and towns that encompass the Valley’s 240-square mile region: Burrillville, Central Falls, Cumberland, East Providence, Glocester, Lincoln, North Smithfield, Pawtucket, Smithfield, and Woonsocket.

Pictured on the front cover is East Providence’s Pomham Rocks Lighthouse (photo credit: Charlie Gruetzner), an 1871 historic landmark located just offshore in the Riverside section of the city.

Earlier this year, East Providence joined the regional tourism development efforts of the Blackstone Valley Tourism Council. “The Pomham Rocks Lighthouse graces our front cover as one of the many destination assets that East Providence has to offer to residents and visitors alike,” notes Bob Billington, president and CEO of the Blackstone Valley Tourism Council. “It’s the only remaining lighthouse in our region of the Bay and we’re excited to say that is now open for tours to the public by boat this summer on select days. We are proud to feature it on our front cover and, quite possibly, introduce it to those who may not know of it.”

The 76-page Destination Guide contains information on places to go, things to do (including no cost fun ideas), events, accommodations, culinary listings, maps, and more. Each town or city in the Blackstone River Valley has its own four-page spread in the Guide filled with colorful photos and descriptive highlights to entice visitors. “The Valley is filled with historic treasures and beautiful landscapes to be explored,” adds Mr. Billington. “Even lifelong residents of Rhode Island can peruse the Guide to see what sights they can plan to visit that they may not have known about or been to before. Our region has something for everyone whether it’s history, culture, the arts, nature, farms, or sporting activities. We boast quite a few national historic landmarks where visitors can get their National Park passports stamped. Our hope is that our publication can serve as a guide to planning destination trips and travel to the Blackstone Valley.”

East Providence Mayor Roberto DaSilva and Friends of Pomham Rocks Lighthouse Chair Dennis Tardiff (who served as the last Coast Guard Keeper of the lighthouse from 1971-1974) joined Billington in a short promotional video to express their pleasure in having the City included in the Destination Guide and their pride in the lighthouse being a prominent historic feature on the waterfront along the East Bay Bike Path. The video, produced by R.I. filmmaker David Lawlor, captures the beauty of the lighthouse and its unique location on a rock outcropping via stunning aerial drone footage.

The Blackstone River Valley Destination Guide is available in hard copy at the Tourism Council main office in Central Falls (1420 Broad Street, 3rd floor); the Visitor Centers in Pawtucket (175 Main Street) and Lincoln (between exits 9 and 10 on Route 295 North); the East Providence Area Chamber of Commerce (1011 Waterman Avenue in East Providence); as well as attractions, town/city halls and libraries around Rhode Island. A digital version can be found at www.TourBlackstone.com.