Elorza Wants to Bring Back PVDFest, Event Being “Reimagined” After Pandemic and Previous Shootings

Elorza Wants to Bring Back PVDFest, Event Being “Reimagined” After Pandemic and Previous Shootings

Providence Mayor Jorge Elorza is planning to bring back PVDFest. The 2020 PVDFest was canceled due to the pandemic

The last PVDFest was held in 2019 and was riddled with problems including a shooting, a stampede, a failed public safety plan. The shooting was the second shooting at PDVFest in three years of the event. In 2017, Mike Marrow was shot and paralyzed.

Now, Providence Mayor Jorge Elorza is trying to schedule the return of the event in September of 2021.

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Elorza's office said in a statement, "For the last six years, PVDFest has brought people from all corners of the globe together for a transformational arts experience. While a summer without the festival was unimaginable, we successfully continued the tradition by offering a series of virtual performances and cultural happenings...That’s the power of our people. That’s the power of PVDFest."

Despite Elorza's enthusiasm key questions remain about security and public drinking.

 

Reimagined in 2021

Creative partner FirstWorks says it is committed to a reimagined event that builds on a series of events across the city, and begins in June, and carries over the summer until a culminating weekend on September 25-26.

The festival of art and live performances has in the past dazzled audiences and been hit with violence and questions about security and open drinking.

“So thePVDFest in September will be a capstone to what occurs throughout the summer,” Executive Artistic Director Kathleen Pletcher of FirstWorks tells GoLocal.

She says as a result of the pandemic, it is "reimagined."

Pletcher says, “We are cautiously moving forward, cautiously. Different scale and space.”

“So I think it will be really unique over 16 weeks in its distribution and scale. And, yes, live performances,” said Pletcher.

"Thinking about this year, [there is] the opportunity to think about the scale differently and have events ends at 8 PM at night.  More family-oriented," she adds.

FirstWorks will be releasing updates on the summer-long series of events and updates can be found HERE.

 

Security Issues

A GoLocal investigation 2019 found that Elorza ignored dangers and moved forward with a plan that undermined the safety of the event.

Providence Police urged Elorza not to allow open alcohol container drinking at PVDFest, but Elorza overruled them, by 7 PM on the Saturday night of the 2019 event few families were in the crowd of thousands gathered in downtown's Kennedy Plaza and there were many who appeared to be intoxicated.

On the Saturday night at 11 pm of the 2019 PVDFest, a gunman ripped off a number of shots sending hundreds of attendees running.

Public safety within days identified Michael Robertson as the person responsible for firing gunshots at PVDFest.

According to police in 2019, detectives obtained an arrest warrant for Robertson and then worked to locate him.

“Robertson should be considered armed and dangerous and should not be approached,” wrote the Police in their press release. Within days, Robertson turned himself into Providence Police.

In January of 2020, Robertson was sentenced to five years in prison after pleading guilty, announced Attorney General Peter Neronha's office. 

Robertson, then-25, pled guilty to possession of a pistol without a license, possession of a firearm after a crime of violence, and firing in a compact area. 

“Firing a gun in the middle of a crowded event is more than just being foolish or reckless – people could have been killed. PVDFest is a community event that brings people out to celebrate together. The defendant’s conduct caused panic, fear, and chaos and it could have been much, much worse,” said Neronha.

Then, Elorza’s spokesperson said in a statement to GoLocal in 2019, “Open container has been a standing policy during PVDFest. At this point time, the incident is under investigation.”

Pletcher refused to comment about whether her organization has concerns about the all-day, all-night drinking, but repeatedly emphasized the need for the festival to be safe and comfortable for all ages in 2021.

The open container issue was one of a number of concerns that were raised by police officials, according to multiple police officers and members of the department's leadership.