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Bristol County Savings Bank backs Fall River's Summer Readings in the Park
Summary
The community series, now in its fifth year, returned to neighborhood parks in Fall River with bank sponsorship, food giveaways, local artists and ARPA-supported cultural activities.
Bristol County Savings Bank on Wednesday presented funding and support for the fifth annual Summer Readings in the Park series in Fall River, a neighborhood-focused program that organizers said brings music, art and free food to hundreds of residents each week.
The series began in 2020 at the start of the COVID-19 pandemic as an effort to reconnect neighbors, and organizers say the program now averages roughly 250 attendees per event and has reached nearly 10,000 people over five years.
Pat Norton, who coordinates the Summer Evenings in the Park program with the city's recreation department, said the events aim to connect multiethnic, multilingual neighborhoods through shared activities. "It's really an event where so many people in the neighborhood, multi ethnic, multilingual, black, brown, white, you name it. People come from all over the neighborhoods to get together to enjoy great music, great art, and great food," Norton said.
Mayor Paul Puga thanked Bristol County Savings Bank for what he called a consistent partnership. "They step up on every event we do, and it's because they have a great staff that doesn't just push paper around. They care about the community, and they do things like this summer in the park," Puga said.
Roger Sprawl, speaking for Bristol County Savings Bank, said the bank has local branches and longtime staff involvement in city events and presented a ceremonial donation to organizers. "We're invested in the city and very pleased to be a part of this," Sprawl said.
Organizers described the program as a holistic neighborhood event: music, art activities for children, hot dogs and hamburgers, free ice cream and grocery bags for families. Partners named during the remarks included Citizens for Citizens, Angels Anonymous and local food partners; Fall River Arts and Culture Coalition (FRAC) provides artists and activities, supported in part by city ARPA funds. Tracy Barbosa, FRAC's new executive director, said, "I'm the new executive director of FRAC, the Fall River Arts and Culture Coalition, and we're very happy to be part of this event."
Speakers encouraged residents to attend events at different pocket parks across the city, citing sites such as Griffin and Lafayette as recent locations. Organizers said the series rotates among smaller neighborhood parks to encourage residents to visit parks they might not otherwise use.
No formal city action or ordinance was announced during the remarks; the session consisted of remarks and partner acknowledgments. Organizers asked the public to join future events and thanked multiple nonprofit and private-sector partners for five years of support.
The series is scheduled through the summer at various neighborhood parks; organizers said signage and activity schedules are posted at sites and on partner channels.
