S Faire Crowns a New Monarch,Racing
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Clash of the Eras: Jewelry City Steampunk Festival returns to Attleboro The former Jewelry Capital of the World is about to turn back time for the third annual Jewelry City Steampunk Festival. On Saturday, October 27, the heart of Attleboro will be filled with a clash-of-eras science fiction style that incorporates Victorian attire with industrial-era steam-powered machinery. All ages are welcome to join and learn about the history of the city and its cultural influence. The non-profit festival kicks off with the welcome tea party at 9:30am, then expands across the city. Panel discussions will take place at the Attleboro Public Library and the Attleboro Area Industrial Museum. Indoor and outdoor vendor tables with be set up at the Ezekiel Bates A.F. & A.M. Masonic Lodge. The popular remote-controlled teapot races will take place at Balfour Riverwalk Park, and live performances will take place at the Park Street Ale House & Eatery. The Centenary United Methodist Church will also play host to additional programs and performances to be announced. Those 21+ can end the day with a grand finale — the Steampunk After Hours Bash — which takes place at the masonic lodge. Featured performers include musical acts Victor and the Bully (U.K.) and The King’s Busketeers, along with belly dancing troupe Amalilia Lotus and Friends. How does one navigate the sprawling festival? Festival director and founder, Heather Rockwood, revealed the festival has teamed up with sponsors Attleboro Jewelers to arrange a dedicated trolley that will aid all attendees in traveling between locations. “We’re trying to improve [the festival] every year,” said Rockwood. “And with the trolley, you’ll get a better chance to catch more this year than last year.” The schedule is still being assembled, and Motif was given the exclusive by Rockwood on some of big names and groups participating, including the famous international steampunk guru Bruce Rosenbaum. Also attending will be members of Watch City Steampunk Festival, Splendid Teapot, Tiny Box Theater and the literary collective Citizens of Antiford. Also on display will be pieces from the closed Women At Work Museum and Mount Washington Cog Railway’s own Peppersass (the first ever mountain-climbing train). For more information and updates, search Facebook or visit jewelrycitysteampunk.com Long Live the King: King Richard’s Faire crowns a new monarch In 2018, the long-running King Richard’s Faire welcomed a new Queen Anne. One year later, there’s another shakeup in the kingdom: a fresh King Richard will preside over the fictional Carvershire this fall. Now in its 38th season, the popular Carver, Mass., renaissance faire runs weekends and holidays through October 20, and this year, the monarch’s robe will be donned by Kirk Simpson, an actor and graphic designer from Berwick, Maine. The regime change is a, historic one; Simpson’s predecessor, Tom Epstein, ruled for more than 15 years. Simpson may be new to the throne, but not to Carvershire. As the monarch explained in an email, the faire strongly influenced his high-school self three decades ago, leaving him “overwhelmingly inspired.” “The faire launched me into the world of acting,” Simpson wrote. “It’s like coming home.” King Richard XI is not the only authority in Carvershire, however. PVD’s own Adam Morris typically serves tables, but in Carvershire he serves the commoners with song as the in-universe “foppish mayor,” one of several characters in the faire’s numerous musical numbers. IRL, Morris is also powerful behind-the-scenes, now entering his seventh year as the faire’s village director. He’s in charge of six other directors, each of them a tutor in the essential skills: singing, acting, dancing, improv, stagecraft and sword fighting. Morris and his assistant coordinate all these talents, drawing up schedules for auditions and rehearsals. “It takes a village,” Morris says, adding a faux chuckle, “to make King Richard’s Faire go on, right from the villagers down to the producers.” Speaking of villagers, Morris helps select the costumed personalities you’ll see throughout the fairgrounds. Auditions are held yearly in April, with a song and a monologue required of each aspiring peasant. Successful auditions get to participate in what Morris calls “a very interesting and quick form of theater,” as villagers improvise with fairgoers. Morris sees this on-the-fly acting as vital to the faire experience. “We add life to the village,” he says. “We give the wonderful feel of that first scene in Beauty and the Beast,” wherein Belle strolls past colorful townspeople, nose stuck in a book. You may want to lift your eyes, however, given the faire’s new attractions this year. You can expect a variety show’s worth of acts, from Moon Chariot’s music to Sir Guy of Warwick’s storytelling comedy to the Accidental Acrobats, a contortionist-cum-comedian duo. The requisite merchants of swords, crystals, leather goods, tarot readings and other goodies will be in attendance as they are every year. Also returning is West Greenwich’s Elizabeth Clouse as Queen Anne III. The costume designer and Minnesota native will be joining Simpson, Morris and other actors on stage in staged musicals and scenarios throughout the faire. For a less choreographed experience, there’s not one but two objectifying (and, yes,18-plus) contests of bodily prowess. The cleavage contest on September 7 promises prizes for not only “Most Buxom Wench” but also the “Most Authentic 16th-Century Renaissance Dress Revealing Cleavage.” The masculine counterpart — the perhaps even more chest-baring “Clash of the Tartans” for “highland hunks” — is on October 5. For those not worrying about their figure, there’s plenty of food, and the offerings are definitely more luxurious than a renaissance peasant’s typical diet of endless soup. Salt may have been scarce and expensive back then, but it’s bountiful in the faire’s cuisine, from the cartoonishly big turkey legs to shepherd’s pie and “dragon wings ’n fryes.” Should you fall in love with the faire’s signature mix of fantasy and history, why not join the unwashed masses and audition next year? It’s certainly what Morris recommends. People sometimes recognize him, asking, “Hey, aren’t you from King Richard’s Faire?” His usual reply: “‘Why don’t you come and audition?’” Apparently what’s demanded of the vassals hasn’t changed much since the 16th-century. All it takes is some work ethic and an allegiance to staying in character. Says Morris to hopeful villagers: “We look for enthusiasm and we look for drive… You don’t need to be a theater person.” King Richard’s Faire runs weekends through Oct 20. Kids 3 and younger get in free. Racing Through Pawtucket In Style: The Rhode Island Chinese Dragon Boat Races and Taiwan Day Festival returns for the 20th year Soon, 12 Taiwanese-style dragon boats will be speeding through Pawtucket’s Festival Pier. For this can’t-be-missed event, racers will operate artfully crafted Taiwanese-style fiberglass boats gifted from the Republic of China (Taiwan) and will vie for the cash prizes. Attendees can watch the fun from the sidelines and munch on food from local vendors and food trucks, or can even participate themselves in the amateur and corporate division, for those looking for team bonding and business promotion. The Rhode Island Chinese Dragon Boat Races & Taiwan Day Festival, which will be returning on September 7 and is now in its 20th year, is an unparalleled opportunity to enjoy dragon boat races and cultural performances, and even gorge on savory dumplings in a dumpling eating contest. Brought to you by the annual Pawtucket Arts Festival, Taiwan Day is fun for the whole family and a terrific occasion to celebrate the rich arts and cultural communities in Pawtucket. For Anthony Ambrosino, the festival director, “One of the most exciting aspects of this job is giving a platform and a voice to Pawtucket artists and Pawtucket communities.” At the event, food appears to be a gateway to culture and tradition. Attendees can participate in the famed dumpling contest, where the male and female winner will each receive a ticket to Taiwan, thanks to China Airlines and EVA Air. But there will also be a beer garden, on behalf of Narragansett Beer, yo- yo performances, lion dancers, boat cruises through the Blackstone River Valley Historical Park via The Explorer, interactive performances and more. The Rhode Island Dragon Boat Races & Taiwan Day Festival on September 7. For info, go to dragonboatri.com Throw Wide the Doors: Open Doors RI gives locals a different view of their own state Let’s face it: Central Falls and Pawtucket don’t get the respect they deserve. Many know of them, but know little about them. This September, we have an opportunity to change that through Open Doors RI. The two cities will be on showcase for a day, providing a glimpse into centuries of industry and the ensuing architectural wonder, all for the low, low cost of just showing up. Caroline Stevens, director of Open Doors RI, shed some light on the goings-on planned for the curious and adventurous among us. Her pep and passion for history is contagious. Back in 2017, she helped put on Open Doors Providence, which saw 4,000 visitors enter 24 sites normally closed to the public. Now Pawtucket and Central Falls, two cities with histories just as rich as the capital, will have their chance to shine, thanks in no small part to her diligence. Stevens admits freely that part of her motivation for organizing such events is selfish.