Event Ideas

[Doug Smith]

What kinds of events would you like to see next year to help celebrate Portsmouth's 375th anniversary?

[JaneR]

A children's birthday party with cake, face painting, balloons and old-fashion games.  Maybe it could be held at the Glen Park.  Maybe it could be an easter egg hunt/birthday party and do it between the compact signing date, March (?), 2013 and Easter Sunday, March 31, 2013.

 

re-enactment - there are so many possibilities with this one. 

 

winter activity - ice skating party hosted by the abbey.  Maybe the entrance charge for the day could be $3.75.

 

summer activity - I love the sailing regatta or swim across the river idea that Doug had.  There is an individual in my neighborhood that organizes kayak excurions and races maybe he could doing something as an event for the 375. 

 

What if we had a pig roast in the summer at the glen and invited Chris Cosentino from the Next Iron Chef as a celebrity.  I would assume there would be a fee for him but since he from here maybe not....unlikely.

 

This town has so much to offer already that we need to approach the polo organizers, common fence point music series, the vineyard, the abbey, green valley.  All of which could host a commerative 375 event that would benefit both their business and our effort.

[CEC]

I would also like to see a trolley tour that would take people along the Washington and Rochambeau Route and have someone (on the trolley) to describe the events along the route.  It is, approximately, a 2 mile route that all or a portion could also be a possible parade route (high school parking for the trolley tour and/or parade).

 

On Saturday, August 11, 2012 4:09:20 PM UTC-4, Doug Smith wrote:

[Richard Talipsky]

CALENDAR - who puts out the Portsmouth calendar that we get in the mail each year? We need to find out the drop dead date for info. The cover should be “celebrate the 375^th . I hope we are not too late.

MAP - We also need to start a map of “things” in Portsmouth. We need to assemble a map that can be produced to show colored “dots” for places and events in Portsmouth (e.g. blue for “historical”, green for “recreational”, etc.).

By the way, when is the actual “birth date”

INFORMATION KIOSK – Most towns have an information Kiosk somewhere. We probably can’t afford a dedicated shack, but we are small enough that we can vector people to Town Hall and have one of the windows or offices be the “information kiosk”. As a minimum, we should have one of those “racks”in the Town Hall lobby for information like they have in the Highway welcome centers.

On Saturday, August 11, 2012 4:09:20 PM UTC-4, Doug Smith wrote:

[Gary Gump]

Doug, I think the premier event could be an day long event mid-summer with a cookout and band and fireworks.. The cook-out can be at the Glenn Park centered around the covered event area starting mid to late afternoon then moving to the Glen Manor House area for a band concert and finally a  full fledged fireworks display off the end of the dock or even from Sandy Point. Maybe even throw in a sailboat event off of Sandy Point earlier in the day.

 

gary

 

 

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[CEC]

In keeping with this idea, I have contacted Tiverton Yacht Club to ask about a Youth Regatta that could be part of our celebration as they have a number of Portsmouth residents in their program and they were thrilled to participate in an event.  Carolyn E-C

[Christopher Myers]

I would love to see a parade.  There are so many great organizations, clubs, and schools in town that I'm sure could make lovely floats for the celebration.
I have connections in the Fife & Drum community (I belong to two different groups) and could help to organize a Fife and Drum muster in conjunction with a parade.  I'm sure I could convince a few groups to participate.  Gary's suggestion below of a cookout with fireworks could be part of the same event.  I do think a single culminating event should be a focus, while other events should indeed happen along the way.

I'd love to be able to attend the next meeting, but 3pm on a Thursday?  Real world job off island prevents that, sadly.

-Chris

On Saturday, August 11, 2012 4:09:20 PM UTC-4, Doug Smith wrote:

[Gloria Schmidt]

The Friends of the Leonard Brown House have an annual Easter Egg Hunt.  We could work with that group to expand the event.  There is a great lawn there to enjoy.

[J. Lane McMahon]

Doug,

Is the steering group going to have oversight as to which events are chosen?  Or is this more of a open enrollment kind of thing?

On Saturday, August 11, 2012 4:09:20 PM UTC-4, Doug Smith wrote:

[judybob.gessler]

On Saturday, August 11, 2012 4:09:20 PM UTC-4, Doug Smith wrote:

What kinds of events would you like to see next year to help celebrate Portsmouth's 375th anniversary?

Before I forget them my three ideas are a Portsmouth float in the Bristol July 4 parade, tasking the tree commission to plant a large commemorative tree (site and date TBD), and update and reprint the Portsmouth driving tour pamphlet originally developed by a joint effort between the  historic society and the conservation commission.

 

[carolyn.magnus]

How about a secret garden tour?  Several people in Portsmouth are URI Master Gardeners.  Not historical but interesting nonetheless.

 

On Saturday, August 11, 2012 4:09:20 PM UTC-4, Doug Smith wrote:

[ham.print]

Following are a few of many possibilities to explore, implement or discard that I have passed on to events committee. May give idea to someone to run with one!!

Some suggested 325th Celebration happenings

Kickoff – Plunge in the Sakonnet) January 1st, noon – (fund raiser, pledges)

Parade

Fireworks

Raffle (major fund raiser) – Trip to Portsmouth, UK drawing Dec. 31??

Art/Craft Festival

Reading of Portsmouth Compact at Founders Grove (Newport Artillery Company)

Chicken BBQ (fund raiser)

Clambake (fund raiser)

Band Concerts (fund raisers) (example--Fall River Symphony 60 members $5,000) +sound system RI Symphony, Chamber Concert in Glen Manor House, Jazz Concert

Essay Contest – theme?

Tour colonial built houses (fund raiser

Historical Society lectures (fund raiser)

Proclamations from:

            Town Council

            State Legislature (House and Senate)

            White House

            Portsmouth, UK (Boston UK Consulate-General to present)

Punishment Stock (fund raiser)

             (Arrest town officials (not limited to) and jail until fines are paid, once monthly??)

Children Events

Square Dance, (fund raiser) Town Howlers sponsor

Contra Dance, (fund raiser) Town Howlers can arrange

Portsmouth Senior Chorus (fund raiser) music through the past 375 years)

Rubber Duck race (major fund raiser) (release numbered ducks off island off Island Park, winner first duck through old Stone Bridge opening

Scavenger Hunt (weekly clue (10 weeks?) for finding a “number” at clue location)

Cow pie raffle (major fund raiser) sell numbered ticket, grid on field w/one cow during the 4-H Fair

Escobar Maze – 375 theme

Conclusion – December 31 Brunch (committee or open?) Raffle drawing for trip to Portsmouth, UK)

[Gloria Schmidt]

For the Historical Society I did a draft of a driving tour of the colonial houses in town. I'm willing to work on that with someone from the conservation commission.

[Gloria Schmidt]

Part of the idea is to encourage groups in town to focus on Portsmouth themes for the events they would do.  I think things should be listed in the calendar if they add to the celebration of Portsmouth  past, present and future.  The event committee would decide which events you actively promote or fund.

[etcipolla]

Esay Contest theme -

Bographies of the original 14 famlies; major theme - why should we care?

include where did they settle, what contributions did they make, why did they emigrate, are there any descendents still in Portsmouth? Perhaps the local civic organizations

[etcipolla]

On Saturday, August 11, 2012 4:09:20 PM UTC-4, Doug Smith wrote:

[Bob Gessler]

On Saturday, August 11, 2012 4:09:20 PM UTC-4, Doug Smith wrote:

What kinds of events would you like to see next year to help celebrate Portsmouth's 375th anniversary?

A short video on the founders of Portsmouth, similar to the video at the Roger Williams National Memorial in Providence.  The video would be 5-8 minutes in lenght and cover the founders leaving Boston, meeting with Roger Williams and coming to Aquidneck Island.  This will be a big undertaking and perhaps a senior project for someone who wants to create a documentary.