Art Meets Science at Providence Rain Harvest Arts Festival

Can learning about protecting the environment be a fun way to spend a Saturday afternoon? It can at the Rain Harvest Arts Festival this weekend at Roger Williams Park in Providence.

On Saturday June 12 from 2 p.m. to 6 p.m., the Providence Stormwater Innovation Center is mixing a little science, a little conservation and a little art into a whole lot of outdoor fun in the park.

It means an afternoon full of scavenger hunts, music, chalk drawings and plenty of sunshine at an event that, according to their website, is a community celebration aiming to inspire and engage the public in learning about stormwater and water quality.

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To me, it sounds like a fun way to teach kids about the environment around them and how they affect it – but I know it will end up as a few hours of my children drawing with sidewalk chalk in the park.

Your crew can get in on the art as well. People are encouraged to use chalk to draw along the path from the Roger Williams Park boat house to the carousel. Festival goers can get a hand screen printed flag to tie along the flag trail leading to event activities.

Plus local students and local artists will be showing off their chalk murals and stormwater inspired sculptures, and at the end of the day, there will be a "performative power washing" to wash it all away.

There's also a live microscopic viewing of water and algae as well as tours of the area's stormwater projects, and of course festival classics like live music and food trucks.

I know the scavenger hunt through the park is definitely going to be a hit with my crew.

So a free outdoor event in a beautiful park? The Rain Harvest Arts Festival sounds like a good weekend plan to me.