Explore Our Programs and Events

Through signature events, community initiatives, and strategic programs, we bring people together to celebrate Pawtucket, strengthen connections, and advance the city's future.

A professional networking event in a rustic brick venue with wooden beams and string lights. The event includes a speaker at a podium, a large audience at round tables, and socializing among attendees in formal business attire.

Our Events

Support Our Mission: Become a Sponsor Today

Sponsorship opportunities are available for all events, please call us at (401) 725-4400 or email Gaetan Kashala for more information

The Pawtucket Foundation’s Awards Celebration

A letter from Gaetan L. Kashala, Executive Director, at the Pawtucket Foundation's 25th Awards Celebration, with a photo of him, featuring a blue background with gold and dark peacock feather-like border elements.

The special evening is the opportunity to pause, reflect, and celebrate the extraordinary momentum shaping our city's future.

The Awards Celebration brings together business leaders, public officials, and community advocates for an inspiring night of recognition and celebration. Honorees are recognized for their outstanding contributions to Pawtucket’s vitality, prosperity, and quality of life.

The 25th Awards Celebration May 2026

The Pawtucket Game Design Tournament & Industry Expo

Event poster for the Game Design Tournament Expo 2025, scheduled for November 6, 2025, from 5 PM to 8 PM at Centerville Bank Stadium in Pawtucket, Rhode Island. The poster features a neon-style game controller, the event title, and logos of sponsors and partners including Hasbro, Rhode Island FC, and others.

A group of diverse people, including men and women, standing and sitting in a line at an indoor gaming or internet cafe at night, with some wearing headphones and playing games on computers through large glass windows.

A humanoid robot with a four-legged design, orange and black body, standing on a tiled floor in a restaurant or cafe. A man is looking at a tablet in the background, and there are people and decorations in the surroundings.

A person with dreadlocks wearing a virtual reality headset in a crowded indoor space.

People gathered in a dimly lit indoor space, some wearing headphones, playing video games on laptops and computers, with a view of a city street outside through large windows.

Child playing an arcade game called 'Donkey Kong' at an event or arcade, with a monitor showing gameplay in the foreground.

The Pawtucket Game Design Tournament & Industry Expo inspires the next generation of digital creators by connecting students with careers in gaming, technology, and the creative economy. Through an annual competition, high school students work in teams to design original video games while developing skills in coding, storytelling, design thinking, collaboration, and innovation under the guidance of industry mentors.

Complementing the tournament is industry expo convening, celebrating, and elevating Rhode Island's creative and digital industry and those employed therein. Last year as part of the Expo, industry professionals were selected to live test their games and gain real time feedback. This led to dynamic interaction between industry, higher ed, high school students, and community-based orgs.

Pawtucket Proud Day

Group of people standing together indoors, posing with a costumed mascot in front of a large informational wall exhibit at a museum or historical site.

Group of six people participating in a park cleanup, holding trash bags and litter pickup tools, standing on grass with trees and buildings in the background on a sunny day.

Group of people planting flowers and planting bushes in a sidewalk garden bed along a city street during daylight.

Pawtucket Proud Day was created by The Pawtucket Foundation to bring the city’s business community together to help showcase public spaces, neighborhood parks, and ‘gateways’ of our city.

The annual event was conceived by Daniel J. Sullivan, The Pawtucket Foundation Co-Chairman and CEO of Collette, as a way of demonstrating the commitment of the local business community to the revitalization of Pawtucket. The city of Pawtucket, represented by the Department of Public Works, contributes significant collaboration, technical support, equipment, and human power to help make the annual effort a success.

This event attracts upwards of 100 volunteers to clean up, plant, paint, mulch and otherwise care for public spaces. Over the years, more than 1,200 volunteers representing over 100 companies have participated in 100 projects throughout the community.

The Valley Breeze: "Pawtucket Proud Day Part of Wide-ranging Beautification Efforts"

The Annual Pawtucket Foundation Show

Invitation to 18th Annual Pawtucket Foundation Art Show featuring classical-style artwork with two women holding drinks, a child under a tree, a central urn with smoke, and details about the event, deadlines, and prizes.

A crowded indoor event with many people browsing booths and tables, some holding cups or bottles, in a gallery or exhibition space with spotlights and artwork on the walls.

Three people standing in an art gallery, smiling at the camera. Two women and one man. The woman on the left has blonde hair and is wearing black pants and a black top. The woman in the middle has glasses, brown hair in a bun, and is wearing a mustard yellow cardigan over a brown dress. The man on the right has short gray hair, glasses, and is wearing a blue pullover, black pants, and black boots. Behind them are several colorful paintings on the white gallery wall.

A woman and a man standing in an art gallery, smiling at the camera. The woman is wearing a colorful off-shoulder dress and the man is dressed casually in a plaid shirt, leather jacket, and jeans. Behind them is a digital painting featuring a woman with braided hair and two dogs.

18th Annual Pawtucket Foundation Show is a yearly celebration of creativity, culture, and community. Each year, the Show recognizes the work of talented artists from Pawtucket and across the region, highlighting the city's vibrant arts community while creating opportunities for artists, residents, businesses, and visitors to connect through the arts. As one of the Foundation's longstanding traditions, the Show reflects our commitment to placemaking, supporting local talent, and strengthening Pawtucket's identity as a creative and culturally rich destination.

In 2026, we celebrated another outstanding year of artistic excellence and community engagement. The Foundation extends its congratulations to this year's award recipients:

First Prize: Chris Tavares — Zest
Second Prize: Roger Lemelin — Hellscape
Third Prize: Uzer Carmeni — Freedom

We also extend our sincere appreciation to internationally acclaimed glass artist Toots Zynsky, who served as this year's juror. Her thoughtful evaluation of the submissions and inspiring remarks made the evening especially meaningful for both participating artists and attendees.

Thank you to every artist, sponsor, volunteer, and guest who helped make the 18th Annual Pawtucket Foundation Art Show a memorable celebration of art, creativity, and community. We look forward to welcoming everyone back for next year's exhibition as we continue celebrating the artists and cultural vitality that help shape Pawtucket's future.

The Pawtucket Manufacturers’ Forum

A group of people attending a conference or meeting in a modern conference room. Some are seated at tables, listening, and some are taking notes. There is a presentation screen on the wall displaying a sign for Polaris, a manufacturing resource. A woman is taking photos in the background.

Four people seated at a long red table with Cooley/Group branding during a panel discussion or meeting.

The Pawtucket Manufacturers Forum convenes manufacturers, industry leaders, and public-sector partners to strengthen one of the city's most important economic sectors. The forum provides a platform for meaningful dialogue, practical resource sharing, and collaboration around the opportunities and challenges shaping the future of manufacturing in Pawtucket.

Discussions focus on the issues that matter most to manufacturers, including workforce development, business growth, technology adoption, innovation, workplace safety, and cultivating a business environment where manufacturers can thrive. By bringing together employers, government, educators, and economic development partners, the forum helps identify solutions that support business expansion and long-term competitiveness.

The 2025 Signal and the Noise: Pawtucket Manufacturers' Forum featured an accomplished panel of industry leaders, including Congressman Gabe Amo, Dan Dwight (President & CEO, Cooley Group), Layne Mayer (CEO, Amerisewn), and David Chenevert (Executive Director, Rhode Island Manufacturers Association).