Most Tuesdays, a vivid assortment of musicians, acrobats, fire-spinners, life-size puppets, stilt-walkers, and hoopers, known as the Providence Drum Troupe, performs on the pedestrian bridge from 6pm to 8pm. For those who love percussion and a chance to dance about, this is a lot of fun. And by all means bring the kids; they may even get to drum a little. And it’s free.
The PDT had quite the weekend, parading in the rain with not one iota of gusto lost. The posted bridge schedule has them on for tonight, so go and check them out and do a little parading yourself (no one is looking at you).
This wildly kinetic crew is so hard to photograph that I finally just made these two stop and pose.
In 2020, the pedestrian bridge was renamed the Michael S. Van Leesten Memorial Bridge, after the civil rights activist, business leader, and economic change agent, who spent his life in service to the public. Last summer he was honored on the bridge with a figure by TEN31 Productions.
I mention this in response to a commenter who once complained that we did not use the official name, but this is just a practical choice so that readers know what we are talking about. No one calls the Jamestown Bridge, the Jamestown Verrazzanno Bridge. And no one calls the Newport Bridge the Claiborne Pell Newport Bridge. It’s just not practical and it’s not how people exchange information with one another. It is not a snub to Mr. Van Leesten who was a fine man and deserved the honor.
Free, 6pm to 8pm, Tuesday, June 20 & June 27, the pedestrian bridge, South Water Street, (directions)