Say what you will about the Chinese, they did invent fireworks. Opening ceremony 7:30 tonight on nbc. The rehearsal went well.

This is sure to mean a tourism bonanza!

In recent years, Providence has not only seen a new convention center and a revitalized waterfront, but historic corridors have also been restored to their Revolutionary-era glory, giving the Rhode Island capital an architectural sense of place. But these cultural trappings, more commonly associated with overcrowded metropolises, have not caused this city of 200,000, near the banks of Narragansett Bay, to lose its small-town flavor. Drivers still request their initials on license plates, sandwich shops let regulars run a tab and Mayor David N. Cicilline greets residents by name and lists his home number in the phone book.

For the record, the Times ended their Friday and Saturday nights at the Black Rep and Local 121, which sounds pretty true-to-life. And did you know that the original State House, “where, in 1776, Rhode Islanders declared independence two months before the rest of the country,” used to be on Benefit Street?

Espresso at Caffe Dolce Vita, brunch at Nick’s on Broadway, and dinner, oh so predictably, at Al Forno. Sounds like a typical weekend!

The Providence Preservation Society is hosting its 29th Annual Festival of Historic Houses on Friday and Saturday, June 6 and 7, 2008. The Festival is the signature fundraising and educational event for PPS and is an opportunity to showcase well-preserved buildings in Providence’s varied neighborhoods. This two-day event will feature a spectacular array of diverse and unique properties in Providence’s Fox Point Neighborhood.

From the Projo:

This is a self-guided walking tour, from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m., with all the houses within about a half-mile loop. All the locations are disclosed when you purchase a ticket and pick up a map and guide at Brown University’s Maddock Alumni Center, 38 Brown St.