Placemaking Initiative

Placemaking is a statewide economic development initiative that provides grants to transform public spaces through arts and culture investments that boost foot traffic, attract visitors, and support local businesses, especially businesses in the hospitality and tourism sectors. Eligible projects include infrastructure and other physical improvements that create destination spots in Rhode Island’s cities and towns as well as grants to support event programming (full program information linked below). Grants will range from $5,000 to under $100,000. Applications for 2027 projects will be accepted in November 2026.

Performances
Outdoor food festivals
Outdoor stage construction
Art and lighting installations
Public art installations and Performances
Outdoor food festivals
Outdoor stage construction
Art and lighting installations
Public art installations

Status: Applications for 2027 projects are being accepted through Wednesday, December 2, 2026 at 11:59 PM. Placemaking applications will only be accepted through the online application system. CLICK HERE TO APPLY

2024 Placemaking Initiative Summer Mini Grant Awards

Blackstone Valley Tourism Council ($25,000)
To support the creation of a “Pirates Lair” at Central Falls Landing for family fun and educational purposes on Saturday afternoons for fourteen (14) weeks from July – October 2024. Participants can board the riverboat Explorer for demonstrative pirate tours.

City of Central Falls ($30,000)
To support various summer events including Youth Kayaking, Salsa Nights, Fourth of July Celebration, Car Show and Food Truck Fest in the City of Central Falls.

City of East Providence 1 ($16,666)
To support the July 14th intertribal pow wow in the City of East Providence.

City of East Providence 2 ($25,000)
To support eight cultural feasts within the City of East Providence during the summer months. The events will occur between May – October 2024.

City of Pawtucket ($25,000)
To support the Cape Verdean Festival as part of the Pawtucket Arts Festival.

Cranston Cares ($20,000)
To support the creation of the “Night Market” series which will serve as a venue for local arts, crafts and foods during the summer months.

Downtown Providence Park Network ($20,000)
To support “Meet Me Downtown: A Music Series in Burnside Park ” which includes a concert series, beer gardens, wine tastings, family-friendly activities, crafts, storytelling and STEM activities for children.

Federal Hill Commerce Association ($25,000)
To support two overlapping events: (1) A 7-week Al Fresco on Federal Hill featuring outdoor dining, shopping, and music festival; and (2) Summer Festival for dining, shopping and music.

Festival Ballet Providence ($20,000)
To support free or donation-based performances featuring live music with Aurea Ensemble at the Temple to Music in Roger Williams Park and the creation of a temporary outdoor performing arts venue.

FirstWorks ($20,000)
To support the expansion of the FirstWorks Summer Beats concert series in South Providence and Roger Williams Park. Includes concerts, street performers, food trucks and activation of nearby attractions, libraries and museums.

Newport Contemporary Ballet ($20,000)
To support the five-day Newport Dance Festival that is marketed as genre-defying contemporary dance. Food trucks will be available on the premises.

Roger Williams Park Conservancy ($30,000)
To support the Kick-off to Fall Weekend in Roger Williams Park which includes a signature live-music evening concert, an interactive art installation and extends food truck offerings through the weekend. The anticipated weekend for this event is the last weekend of September.

The Crescent Park Carousel Preservation Association ($18,225)
To support five events: (1) Summerfest; (2) The Great Townie Pumpkin Festival; (3) Trunk or Treat; (4) Movies in the Park; and (5) an additional event to be announced at a later date.

The Empowerment Factory ($20,000)
To support the 8th Annual Healthy Living Community Event (HLCE), an extension of the Pawtucket Arts Festival on Saturday, September 7, 2024. The HLCE includes a Baldwin Loop Walking Path Scavenger Hunt, vendors, installations, yoga and fitness coaches, family activities, petting zoo and ice cream.

Town of Warren ($20,000)
To support the Town of Warren’s annual summer events at Burr’s Hill Park which includes: (1) Summer Outdoor Concert Series; (2) Summer Outdoor Movie Series; and (3) Community Take it Outside Night.

WaterFire Providence ($30,000)
To support the annual WaterFire Clear Currents Community Paddling Night on August 3, 2024. Event to celebrate the return of aquatic life to the rivers of Providence.

2022 Placemaking Initiative Awards

OUTDOOR AND PUBLIC SPACE CAPITAL IMPROVEMENTS

Town of Smithfield – To construct an outdoor amphitheater, stage, electrical work, landscaping, a restroom facility and garbage receptacles in addition to family friendly summer and early fall programming.
- Grant amount: $150,000
City of East Providence – To implement the recently completed citywide interpretive signage plan for the City’s 31 historic resources. Funding would support research, writing, image acquisition and graphic production for signage.
- Grant amount: $75,000
City of East Providence – For the capital investment of lighting including receptacles along the East Bay Bike Path to enable small and large events to be held in the evening hours. This request is also for the procurement of a portable stage, portable audio system and two pop-up Canopies. These elements can also be used throughout the City to support additional events that will bring tourism and revenue to support other local establishments.
- Grant amount: $75,000
City of Cranston – To finalize construction drawings and construct an ADA accessible gazebo in Knightsville Pocket Park.
- Grant amount: $150,000
Town of Cumberland – To improve Diamond Hill Park amphitheater purchase lighting and sound equipment and create a portable stage.
- Grant amount: $150,000
Town of Glocester – To construct a large, covered picnic area with tables for outdoor seating to supplement restaurant outdoor dining and a small parking area to facilitate accessibility and wayfinding signage.
- Grant amount: $150,000
Town of Bristol – To support the design and construction of an outdoor performance stage at Bristol’s Town Beach and Sports Complex.
- Grant amount: $150,000
City of Woonsocket – To demolish and rebuild the existing stage that is located at World War II Memorial Park.
- Grant amount: $150,000
Friends of Linden Place Mansion – For lights to expand outdoor programming. Funding request also includes benches for outdoor spaces, project management, audio tour creation of the gardens and grounds, audio tour script development and installation of power throughout the gardens.
- Grant amount: $34,536.38

PUBLIC ART INSTALLATIONS

Town of South Kingstown – For design, installation and future maintenance of an outdoor public art piece in conjunction with the Town’s 300^th Anniversary Celebration.
- Grant amount: $150,000.
The City of Providence Department of Art Culture & Tourism (ACT) – To create three immersive cultural heritage installations along Broad Street in Providence.
- Grant amount: $75,000
Partnership for Providence Parks, Recreation Centers, and Streetscapes – To build ARTCarts that will promote creativity and facilitate placemaking by attracting residents of Providence back into the public spaces, neighborhoods and businesses around them.
- Grant amount: $61,691.10
The Avenue Concept – For temporary lighting events, permanent public art light in downtown Providence, as part of the Three Nights of Light Providence experience.
- Project will align with two other events-based projects recommended for funding below: Providence Warwick Convention and Visitors Bureau and WaterFire Arts Center.
  - Grant amount: $152,500
South County Tourism Council – To create public art trail, with art focused on sustainability set up in rural locations near Blackstone Valley throughout South County.
- Grant amount: $50,000

EVENT PROGRAMMING

City of Central Falls-Blackstone Valley Tourism – For funding of a food truck festival, salsa dance night, 4^th of July celebration, a river cleanup program, car show.
- Grant amount: $42,150
Town of North Providence – To expand their Centredale Village Festival, successfully hosted in 2021, a three-day festival that attracted a crowd of approximately 500 each day to the Smith Street corridor.
- Grant amount: $150,000
Town of Lincoln -To improve and expand programming amenities at Chase Farm and to expand public event programming to consist of outdoor events throughout the year. Expanded events include second annual Memorial Day Parade and Post-Parade, a weekend Farmer’s Market, Fall Festival and Holiday Tree Decoration and Lighting Festival.
- Grant amount: $26,423
WaterFire Arts Center – For 3 nights of light to take place December 1-3, 2022. Funding would support activation of basin for 3 nights of WaterFire and additional illumination/activation of the State House.
- Project will align with two other events-based projects recommended for funding below: Providence Warwick Convention and Visitors Bureau and Avenue Concept.
  - Grant amount: $86,250
Providence Warwick Convention and Visitors Bureau – To develop citywide Three Nights of Lights to take place from Dec 1-3, 2022 in partnership with WaterFire (also Placemaking applicant) and The Avenue Concept (also Placemaking applicant). Funding request is for advertising, collateral production and public relations.
- Project will align with two other events-based projects recommended for funding below: Avenue Concept and WaterFire Arts Center.
  - Grant amount: $40,000
NeighborWorks Blackstone River Valley – To expand Levitt AMP Woonsocket Music Series, now entering its 5^th season. The initiative will expand the 10 weeks of diverse, free, live music, to include extensive food offerings, a vendor fair, cultural activities, youth activities and other opportunities to engage small businesses.
- Grant amount: $15,000
Federal Hill Commerce Association – For Christmas on the Hill event spanning December 1-31, 2022, with the aim of expanded dining and retail footprint for restaurants and retailers in a month that is vital to closing out the calendar year in a positive way. Request includes staffing, production, performers and other equipment, trolleys, signage and marketing.
- Grant amount: $133,200
Wilbury Theatre Group – To support the production of outdoor performances at the 9th annual Providence Fringe Festival, July 17-30, 2022.
- Grant amount: $59,235.78
Grow Smart RI -To develop and present a series of professional and community education workshops, events and materials that will increase the capacity of local organizations and individuals to implement a variety of placemaking strategies in traditional commercial districts that support Rhode Island’s tourism and hospitality industries.
- Grant amount: $36,206
Dirt Palace Public Projects – To create Post Pandemic Picnics, which will focus on public art, preservation, poetry and music.
- Grant amount: $87,492
East Greenwich Chamber of Commerce – For a series of outdoor events (new and proposed enhanced existing) as an extension of the work that the Chamber has done for many years, particularly during 2020 and 2021 to enhance the East Greenwich business community.
- Grant amount: $44,840
Newport County Development Council – To deliver a range of one-day to series events including hosting the Aquidneck Growers Market, Broadway Street Fair and Outdoor Art Biennial Exhibition.
- Grant amount: $88,358.64
Rhode Island Zoological Society (Roger Williams Park Zoo) – To enhance outdoor Holiday Light Spectacular (HOLS) event for 2022 and beyond, all designed to attract additional new visitors to the zoo’s HOLS event from Rhode Island and visiting states.
- Grant amount: $59,989.95
Firstworks – For two Urban Carnevale projects to activate Providence public spaces, the bandstand at Roger Williams Park and Downton Providence (via video projections).
- Grant amount: $138,338
Island Moving Company – To expand reach and help to produce the Newport Dance Festival.
- Grant amount: $77,280

COMBINATION OF EVENTS AND CAPITAL IMPROVEMENTS

Hope Street Merchant Association – To continue beautification projects and to bring back revenue generating events including landscaping, outdoor pop-up spaces, small business Saturday valet parking, marketing and public relations, neighborhood decorative initiative and a holiday winter stroll.
- Grant amount: $96,600
The Providence Foundation – For an initiative focused on activating 8 parks in downtown Providence and creating planned programming in those spaces.
- Grant amount: $132,000
Woonsaquatucket River Watershed Council – For pocket parks, greenspace amenities, public art tours and river based events.
- Grant amount: $75,000

RI Rebounds - Placemaking Phase 2 Initiative Updated Awards List

OUTDOOR AND PUBLIC SPACE CAPITAL IMPROVEMENTS

City of Central Falls ($200,000) – to support capital improvements in the form of restoring the Cogswell Tower in Central Falls for future-planned catalytic placemaking and tourism initiatives.

Woonasquatucket River Watershed Council ($68,000) – to support capital improvements in the form of constructing and installing six (6) sculpture foundations, three (3) RainKeep sculptures, and three (3) metal sculptures throughout the Woonasquatucket River Watershed area in Providence and Johnston to increase foot traffic, remove blight, and attract commerce to those communities.
City of Providence ($150,000)– to support capital improvements in the form of constructing and installing an immersive lighting installation above the City of Providence Parks Department’s City Center Rink for year-round event programming initiatives.

Discover Newport ($200,000)– to support capital improvements in the form of constructing and installing an elephant sculpture trail in either the East Bay Bike Path, Weetamoo Woods in Tiverton, or the Sakonnet Greenway Trail in Portsmouth and Middletown.
South County Tourism Council, Inc. ($107,500) – to support capital improvements in the form of expanding the South County Troll Trail by constructing and installing a third Thomas Dambo troll structure in South County.

Town of North Kingstown ($107,500) – to support capital improvements in the form of constructing and installing a Thomas Dambo troll structure in North Kingstown.
City of Pawtucket ($100,000) – to support capital improvements in the form of site preparation, installing lighting, and installing various landscaping items to the Riverwalk Sculpture Park in Pawtucket in 2025.
New Shoreham Tourism Council, Inc. ($81,900) – to support capital improvements in the form of creating a “Mobile Greenway Guide” to Block Island walking trails in 2025.

OUTDOOR AND PUBLIC SPACE CATALYTIC EVENT PROGRAMMING

Newport Film, Inc. ($15,000) – to support newportFILM Outdoors, a ten-week summer film series in Newport throughout 2025.

The Contemporary Theater Company ($68,877.) – to support a three-day renaissance fair in South Kingstown from August 22, 2025, through August 24, 2025.
FirstWorks ($75,000) – to support the FirstWorks Summer Beats concert series in Providence and its expansion into Central Falls in 2025.
Roger Williams Park Conservancy, Inc. ($75,000) – to support Illuminated Summer: A Summer Spectacle in Roger Williams Park from May through September 2025.
FirstWorks ($75,000) – to support the Global Journeys event series occurring in Providence in 2025.
Providence Children’s Film Festival, Inc. ($25,000) – to support the 2025 Children's Film Festival occurring in Providence throughout February 2025.
Providence Cultural Equity Initiative ($75,000) – to support the Meshanticut Cultural Placemaking Confestival occurring in Providence from August 20, 2025, through August 23, 2025.
The Wilbury Theatre Group ($66,800) – to support Providence Fringe Fest and the Southern RI Encore Series in 2025.
Newport Festivals Foundation, Inc. ($46,860) – to support the creation of the Newport Folk Festival Baseball Classic as part of the Newport Folk Festival on July 24, 2025, at Cardines Field in Newport.
The Empowerment Factory ($$52,175) – to support the 9th Annual Healthy Living Community Event in Pawtucket in 2025 as part of the Pawtucket Arts Festival.
Town of Warren ($75,000) – to support the Town of Warren's Family Fun Day, Summer Outdoor Concert Series, Summer Outdoor Movie Series, and Community Take it Outside Night throughout 2025.
The Westerly Land Trust ($50,000) – to support the Outdoor Environmental Film Festival in Westerly, RI in 2025.
The Wickford Art Association ($13,000) – to support the 62nd Wickford Art Festival in North Kingstown in 2025.
AS220 ($50,000) - to support Foo Fest, an all-day summer street festival in downtown Providence featuring art and music in 2025.
City of East Providence ($50,000) – to support eight (8) cultural feast events in the City of East Providence in 2025.
Providence Children’s Museum ($40,950) – to support various event programming throughout 2025 including and limited to: a museum exhibit opening event, April School Vacation Week, Cultural Connections, Children’s Theater Program, Summer Fest, Play ON!, and Boo Bash.
Federal Hill Commerce Assn., Inc. ($75,000) – to support Christmas on the Hill in December 2024 and the 40th Anniversary Columbus Festival from October 10, 2025, through October 13, 2025, on Federal Hill in Providence.
Town of North Providence ($72,640.82) – to support the Centredale Village Festival in North Providence in September 2025.