EAST PROVIDENCE, RI, May 2, 2017 – Waterfront Productions LLC, an event management/production and venue operations company based in Newport, Rhode Island, and music promoter, Live Nation, announce a limited number of events will be held this summer and fall at a new seasonal outdoor venue located at Bold Point Park on the East Providence waterfront. To date, the eclectic line-up of concerts and festivals includes: The Beach Boys on Wednesday, August 9th, The Waterfront Reggae Festival on Saturday, August 12th, the Blues & BBQ Festival on Saturday, August 26th and Oktoberfest on Columbus Day Weekend, Saturday, October 7th. Additional rolling announcements will follow. Tickets for The Beach Boys, Reggae Festival and Oktoberfest go on sale starting this Thursday, May 4th at noon; the Blues & BBQ Festival artist lineup and on sale date will be announced in the coming weeks.
Tickets can be purchased online at www.ticketmaster.com or www.riwaterfrontevents.com, by calling Ticketmaster at 800-745-3000 or by visiting Jordan Liquors at 199 Taunton Avenue in East Providence during regular store hours. Tickets will also be available the day of the events at the Waterfront Productions box office at Bold Point Park.
“We are excited about getting started with our first season at Bold Point Park in August with a diverse mix of outdoor entertainment,” said Michele Maker Palmieri, Founder and President of Waterfront Productions, the parent company of Rhode Island Waterfront Events and Newport Waterfront Events. “We want to thank the state, the City of East Providence, its residents and all the other groups and agencies who were instrumental in making this unique event venue in the center of Rhode Island a reality.” Palmieri added that the open-air venue has beautiful views of upper Narragansett Bay and the Providence and Seekonk Rivers, overlooking the Providence skyline while being very accessible from all points of the state and beyond.
Bold Point Park is an open-air seasonal event center with capacity for 3,500 people and, in addition to the heritage Rhode Island festivals and live performances by national, international and local artists, the venue will feature food and beverage options including full bars, lounge areas and local food trucks. Bold Point Park is located off Veteran’s Memorial Parkway on Waterfront Drive next to Tockwotton on the Waterfront (500 Waterfront Drive). It is directly across the river from India Point Park in Providence,
As the event schedule stands currently, kicking things off at Bold Point Park will be California’s epic Rock & Roll Hall of Fame band, The Beach Boys, led by original member Mike Love on Wednesday, August 9th with gates opening at 5:00 p.m. The 8th Annual Waterfront Reggae Festival, headlined by Freddie McGregor, Anthony B, Kabaka Pyramid, Junior Kelly and Taj Weekes & Andowa, will fire up on Saturday, August 12th from noon – 10:00 p.m, followed by the Blues & BBQ Festival on Saturday, August 26th featuring beer, bourbon, barbeque and, of course, the blues (lineup to be announced) from 2:00 p.m. – 10:00 p.m. Closing out the season will be the 25th anniversary year of Oktoberfest on Columbus Day Weekend, Saturday, October 7th from noon – 8:00 p.m. The celebration of German culture, food, history and beer, will also feature SPITZE!, the internationally popular German-American band that has always been a fan favorite at the event but will be performing for the last time at Oktoberfest due to its impending retirement.
Waterfront Productions secured final approvals in February for a three–year lease of land at Bold Point Park for a seasonal waterfront entertainment venue featuring annual concerts, music festivals and other events. Additional approvals and permits were secured from the Rhode Island Department of Environmental Management, the National Park Service and the Rhode Island Coastal Resources Management Council. Consistent with agreements with the City, the public waterfront access will remain open during all events.
“We are excited that Live Nation and Waterfront Productions chose Rhode Island for their new site,” said Lara Salamano, Chief Marketing Officer for the Rhode Island Commerce Corporation. “The opening will provide the state with significant benefits, including boosting tourism, spurring development and increasing economic activity.”
The East Providence City Council initially unanimously approved the venue for the Bold Point Park property in November 2016. “The City of East Providence is extremely pleased to have entered into a partnership with Live Nation and Waterfront Productions to bring a first-class performance venue to the East Providence waterfront,” said James Briden, Mayor of the City of East Providence. “We are confident that this new entertainment location will serve as the catalyst for creating the vibrant and exciting destination that our residents have long envisioned for our emerging Waterfront District.”
Added William Fazioli, Vice Chairman of the East Providence Waterfront District Commission and Hearing Panel member, “This is a pivotal project for the City of East Providence as it complements the current commercial, manufacturing and residential expansion taking root in the City’s Waterfront District. More importantly, the entertainment venue will add a vital component to the City’s future redevelopment efforts while enhancing the region’s tourism and hospitality industries.”
Waterfront Productions LLC, headquartered in Newport, Rhode Island, specializes in event management/production and venue operation and is the parent company of Newport Waterfront Events and Rhode Island Waterfront Events. The events Waterfront Productions owns and manages include the Great Chowder Cook-Off at Fort Adams in Newport, Rhode Island; the Waterfront Reggae Festival held most recently at India Point Park in Providence, Rhode Island; and the Providence Event Series which included a number of concerts and the International Oktoberfest at the ALEX & ANI City Center held in the heart of downtown Providence’s Kennedy Plaza. The Waterfront Productions team also owned and managed the Newport Concert Series at the Newport Yachting Center for years and co-produced a variety of other events, including the Newport Comedy Series, the WBRU Concert Series at Providence Piers, the Food Truck Festival, the Newport International Boat Show and the Newport Charter Yacht Show, and offers event management consulting services.
For more information, please visit www.riwaterfrontevents.com, contact Michele Maker Palmieri, Founder and President of Waterfront Productions via email at mmaker@newportwaterfrontevents.com or call (888) 900-8640, Ext. 709. To receive future Rhode Island Waterfront Events and Newport Waterfront Events announcements, presale opportunities or exclusive packages, sign up at riwaterfrontevents.com and become a fan on Facebook at facebook.com/RIWaterfrontEvents, Instagram and Twitte