Things to Do in East Providence

Awarded Best Comedy Club in Rhode Island in 2009, 2010, 2011, and 2012 by the Providence Phoenix, Comedy Connection lives up to its accolades by populating its stage with a slew of both burgeoning and established comedians. Throughout shows, bartenders sling domestic and imported brews while mixing both basic drinks with Jack Daniels and dessert substitutes, such as s'mores and caramel-apple martinis. Aside from regular shows, Comedy Connection’s fundraising program helps members of the community host charitable events that benefit non-profit organizations, youth sports teams, and families in need.

Artist Deenie Pacik, armed with nearly two decades of crafting fused-glass artwork and teaching at schools such as Franklin Pierce University, imparts her expertise during a variety of classes. In Deenie's fully equipped home studio, small groups of students learn to fuse dichroic glass and powder into everything from shiny pendants to new work boots for Cinderella's cousin. Projects transform into translucent objets d’art in the glass kiln, which, as Deenie tells the Warwick Beacon, heats glass at three times the temperature used to bake a pizza, or eight billion times the heat used to glaze an ice sculpture.

It takes a village to plan a wedding. Engaged couples need a lot of help planning their nuptials, a quest which can include finding a hairstylist that can mold the perfect pin curl or reserving a reception space that can accommodate an enormous guest list. Rhode Island Wedding Group streamlines the wedding research process by allying 38 local wedding-industry vendors into one unstoppable wedding taskforce. Brides- and grooms-to-be can call upon their assistance via email or by tossing a bouquet into the night sky to act as a homing beacon. Couples only need to fill out a brief request form to get a steady stream of information on vendors that meet the couples' nuptial needs.

The Rush Hour series serves those who are curious about symphonic music but have never had adequate time to attend a show. Conducted by Music Director Larry Rachleff, these short, informal concerts will swiftly capture the ear’s attention by breezing through two or three classical pieces and providing educational information about their historical context and whether or not they've been sampled in a Will Smith song. Choose the concert on October 15 to hear Beethoven’s pastoral Symphony no. 6 and his expressive Symphony no. 7, or relax on November 19 to twentieth-century selections by Samuel Barber and Maurice Ravel. Brahms’ Piano Concerto no. 2 headlines the February 25 show, along with Richard Strauss’ epic _ Also Sprach Zarathustra_. Finally, orchestra buffs can immerse themselves in concertos by Lutosławski and Tchaikovsky on April 15 to celebrate Tax Day.