‘Providence is reborn’: PVDFest hiatus ends with dancing in the streets

Artists painting murals in real-time, lines snaking up to food trucks and trumpet sounds blaring from the City Hall stage as crowds dance and sway to tunes straight from New Orleans — this is PVDFest.

The three-day fête returned to downtown after a quiet two years during which the pandemic kept the party away. From Friday to Sunday, nothing could rain on the revelry.

Rows of merchants and outposts filling plastic drink cups to the brim took over Providence’s streets where visitors roamed between musical acts.

For some, it was a step back into the way things used to be.

“It’s nice because this is the first time I think we’ve been out in a crowd like this and not felt a lot of anxiety about it,” said Mike Ferguson, who came from the city’s West End with partner Jennifer Leslie.

“I have a lot of social anxiety that was made worse by being in quarantine,” Leslie said, reflecting. “But at the same time it is really refreshing to get out and be a part of the community which we haven’t been able to do obviously.”

Among the crowd was Mayor Jorge  Elorza, who began the festival in 2015. On Saturday, he meandered through the festival with son Omar, who had taken a dip in a massive bubble pit stationed outside The Dark Lady.

“It’s great to be out here again,” Elorza said. “It’s especially nice to be out here with Omar. He’s about to be 4 years old, so it’s the first time he can enjoy the festival.”

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