The Pawtucket Arts Festival, an annual event that begins Sept. 6 and runs through the end of the month, got a significant boost with a $10,000 donation from Robert Chito, owner of Schofield Printing.
The festival features artistic performances and hands-on activities that range from music to sculpture. Chinese dragon boat races are a popular attraction, and Chito has been a major sponsor for several years of the races and of the broader Taiwan Day Festival.
The arts festival first began in 1999, and it is expected to attract up to 30,000 attendees this year. For funding, a combination of cash and in-kind donations totals roughly $200,000, said Herb Weiss, economic and cultural affairs officer for Pawtucket. In addition to support from local and state government and other grants, more than 130 business have donated $87,000 this year, including The Pawtucket Times, the Pawtucket Teachers’ Alliance and Bristol County Savings Bank, he said.
The collection of donations from local businesses “allows us to really ratchet up our festival to higher levels,” he said. “You can’t have a festival of this magnitude without the support of the local community.” •
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