Floats rolled down Atwells Avenue near Harris Avenue starting at 11 a.m. Sunday as Providence's Columbus Day Parade marked the 41st Annual Galbani Columbus Weekend Festival, with the procession continuing toward Bradford Street as crowds lined the historic Federal Hill corridor.
The city of Providence held its Columbus Day Parade on Sunday morning, according to WPRI, which reported that the parade is part of the city's Annual Columbus Weekend Festival on Federal Hill. The parade procession featured floats, traditional music, dancing, classic cars and local organizations, as reported by WJAR. Per RI News Today, the parade began Sunday at 11 a.m. and traveled along Atwells Avenue from Harris Avenue to Bradford Street, with floats, music, dancing, classic cars and local organizations making up the route.
Four Days of Vendors, Rides and Live Music
WJAR reported that the broader festival ran for three days, October 10–12, celebrating Providence's Federal Hill neighborhood and continuing through Monday of the holiday weekend. The event is organized by the Federal Hill Commerce Association, which describes the 41st Annual Galbani Columbus Weekend Festival as running October 9 through 12 in the heart of historic Federal Hill, according to the Federal Hill Commerce Association. The festival stretched from Dean Street to Sutton Street along Atwells Avenue, the same source notes.
More than 80 food, art and retail vendors set up around the area, alongside games and amusement rides, WPRI reported. The festival also included food trucks and live entertainment, offering activities for the whole family, according to the WJAR account. Three entertainment stages filled the avenue with weekend performers, the Federal Hill Commerce Association's listing states.
Cooking Demonstrations and Expanded Restaurant Seating
One of the festival's recurring draws, the La Cucina Galbani Cooking Stage, was located at America Street and Atwells Avenue and featured live demonstrations from local chefs, the commerce association said. Local restaurants offered expanded and outdoor seating with special dishes for the occasion, according to the WJAR report, while the commerce association separately noted that more than 26 restaurants provided expanded seating and special menu items just for the celebration.
Traffic along Atwells Avenue between Dean Street and Sutton Street was closed to vehicles for all four days of the festival, per the commerce association's event page. The festival continued Monday from 11 a.m. to 8 p.m., according to the WJAR report, closing out a weekend that organizers and local coverage describe as a fall tradition for residents and visitors from Rhode Island and southern New England.
