When driving along Rte 95 through the city of Providence, Rhode Island one comes across one of Providence's favorite landmarks. It is a giant termite on the roof of a building owned by New England Pest Control. The Big Blue Bug aka Nibbles Woodaway has been perched on the roof staring at passers by on the freeway since 1980. The bug is 928 times the size of a real termite and was originally painted purple, the color of termites when looked at under a microscope. Time and weather has faded the bug to a blue color that caused the local news traffic guy to announce that traffic was heavy by the big blue bug. In 1990 the company had a contest to name the bug and Geraldine Perry of Tiverton, RI came up with the winning name Nibbles Woodaway. Nibbles has been featured in the movie "Dumb and Dumber" and on television on "The Family Guy". If you are a fan of giant insects Nibbles is a must see!
There is a Christmas tradition in Providence, Rhode Island like no other tradition. The tradition is The Dancing Cop. The Dancing Cop is Tony Lepore and he directs traffic over the holidays in key Providence intersections. Lepore is a retired Providence Police officer who was at one time a traffic cop and directed traffic. The dancing part started as standing is the street directing traffic is sort of boring and to entertain himself he started to dance. Well you would think he would be in trouble for these antics but Providence residents loved it. Lepore is now retired but he comes back every year to stand in the snow and rain to direct shoppers and office workers in the downtown area. His performances are fun to watch and get a lot of attention, unfortunately drivers are so entranced with him traffic can at times snarl. Too much of a good thing!
Ronald Wallace from Coventry, RI has the world's heaviest pumpkin. Wallace's pumpkin top the scales at 2,009 pounds in September at the Topsfield, Massachusetts Fair. He won $5,000 for placing first and another $10,000 for breaking the one ton mark. He tried to out do himself with another pumpkin in a festival in Warren, Rhode Island but fell short when his pumpkin weighed in at only 1,872 pounds he did however beat out the second place winner by over 100 pounds.
The Fourth of July, the good ole USA's celebration of independence is around the corner. It is a time for parties and parades. Many towns have patriotic and nationalistic parades with floats, marching bands and smiling politicians waving from car with beauty queens. There is a parade that stands out from the crowd. This parade is The Ancient and Horribles Parade in Glocester, Rhode Island.
Ancient and Horrbles parades are an old New England tradition from the 19th century. Glocester RI's parade keeps up that Fourth of July tradition. There are traditional marching bands, veteran groups, boy and girls scout troops and marching bands but along with these standards are floats and marching troupes of a more satrical and farcical nature. Social mores, political figures and current events are skewered (sometimes physically) with monsters and gruesome characters. Part July 4th part Halloween the Ancient and Horribles Parade winds its way through the village of Chepachet a classic New England village filled with stately colonial homes and quaint picture postcard shops. Founded in 1927 the Glocester event is often over shadowed by America's oldest 4th of July parade in Bristol, Rhode Island but it has a fan base of its own.
