Rhode Island's 44th Annual Heritage Festival will take place on September 17th at the WaterFire Arts Center

Published on Thursday, May 26, 2022

The Rhode Island Historical Preservation & Heritage Commission will host Rhode Island's 44th Annual Heritage Festival on Saturday, September 17th, from 12 pm to 5 pm at the WaterFire Arts Center in Providence.

Leave your passport at home and come "Explore the world through art and music!"

Join in a lively celebration of our state's rich cultural heritage! WaterFire Arts Center will be filled with culture, music, and dancing from around the world. We are honored to have Governor Dan McKee provide a welcome message and introduce our festival's emcees Kobi Dennis and Angela Sharkey. 

This unique festival bridges Rhode Islanders’ cultures and expressions of creative talent. Rhode Island heritage groups will present cultural exhibits, visual art, and musical performances. There will be food trucks offering an array of traditional foods and drinks. The children’s area will have free face painting, arts, and crafts.

The day begins with a parade of international flags from over 30 countries accompanied by the 88th Army “Coyote Brass” Band. The event features a world of cultural performances including singing and dancing from various heritage backgrounds including:

Aftab Dance Group - Iranian Dance Performance    

Arte Latino of New England - Storytelling      

Azama Dance Company - Middle Eastern Dance Performance          

Bavarian Brothers - Singing Performance    

Cambodian Society of RI - Dance Performance       

Dance BFF - Bollywood Dance Performance  

Elliniki Yperiphania Greek Pride RI - Dance Performance 

Falun Dafa - Meditation Instruction   

Fraternidad Folklorica Boliviana - Dance Performance    

India Association of Rhode Island - Dance Performance   

Kelly School of Irish Dance - Performance   

Lydia Perez and Yoruba 2 - Drum Performance  

Mohitosh Talukder Taposh - Bangladesh Musical Performance

Na Pua O' Polynesia - Dance Performance

Nazeli Armenian Dance Group - Performance 

PADAM - Classical India Dance Performance         

Phoenix Performing Arts - Chinese dance and song Performance     

Rhode Island Black Storytellers (RIBS) - Storytelling                

Scandinavian Women's Chorus - Singing

Seoyon Kim - Korean Harp Performance     

SheaFashion Multicultural Fashion Show     

Sidy Maiga - Drum Performance      

Venezuela in RI - Dance Performance 

For more information about the Rhode Island Heritage Festival please visit: https://preservation.ri.gov/heritage/44th-ri-heritage-festival