PAWTUCKET – More events are coming to Centreville Bank Stadium and the city’s riverfront, and they’ll be drawing crowds.
This Wednesday, August. 5, the City Council’s Board of License Commissioners will consider a license for a holiday-themed event running from just after Thanksgiving and into January.
The Rhode Island Lights Festival, a winter wonderland immersive walk-thru light experience, will begin the day after Thanksgiving, Friday, Nov. 27, and run through Sunday, Jan. 3, seven days per week. Hours will be 5 to 9 p.m. Sunday to Thursday, and 5 to 10 p.m. Friday and Saturday. The price to attend is listed at $20.
According to General Manager Paul Byrne, they’re expecting up to 2,000 attendees Sunday to Thursday evenings, and up to 3,000 attendees on Friday and Saturday. In addition to the music festival and holiday events, he said, they’re also anticipating the arrival of college football this fall.
Byrne said in their application for the holiday events that there will be a light maze on the field with “holiday activations” around the concourse. They will use the club and suites for holiday parties, and the concourse will serve as a holiday market with food and artisans.
“We are anticipating between 500 and 1,000 cars for parking, which will be managed by our parking lot contractor,” he said. “We will use the T-Lots, D-Lots, and M7 lot to accommodate the event parking.”
Much nearer on the calendar, the Island Rhodes Music Festival, “New England’s grandest reggae festival with a heavy-hitting lineup you can’t see anywhere else in the region,” is planned to be held at Centreville Bank Stadium Aug. 15-16.
The Board of License Commissioners on July 22 unanimously approved an entertainment license for the festival as part of a growing array of events held at the stadium.
Some 14,000 people are expected to attend over two days, according to an application from the club. A parking map of various downtown lots is being distributed in advance of the event.
“Nestled in the heart of Rhode Island, on the banks of the Seekonk River, Centreville Bank Stadium, the new home of Rhode Island FC, is where reggae and vibes find a New England home,” states a promotion for the event. “We’ve curated a collection of artists that perfectly captures the spirit of the Ocean State. The exclusive New England performances for Sublime, Slightly Stoopid, and Rebellion this summer.”
