What: Valley Talks Kick Off: Looking Back 50 Years: 1976 and the Bicentennial Celebration in Woonsocket [FREE + HYBRID]

 

 

 

When: Sunday, January 11, 1:30 pm

 

 

 

Where: The Museum of Work & Culture (42 S. Main St., Woonsocket, Rhode Island, 02985) and Online

 

 

 

Valley Talks Kick Off: Looking Back 50 Years: 1976 and the Bicentennial Celebration in Woonsocket

 

 

 

(WOONSOCKET, R.I.) –  The Museum of Work & Culture, a Rhode Island Historical Society Museum, will host its annual Valley Talks series featuring six free lectures celebrating the Blackstone Valley’s history beginning Sunday, January 11, at 1:30 pm. 

 

 

 

As we enter 2026 and cities and towns prepare to commemorate America’s 250th anniversary, join the Museum of Work & Culture for a community conversation reflecting on the nation’s last major milestone: the Bicentennial of 1976. Moderated by former Lieutenant Governor and Woonsocket Bicentennial Commission member Roger Begin, and developed in collaboration with Woonsocket Call reporter Joe Nadeau, this program will feature the stories of Woonsocket’s bicentennial parade, Julien Bessette’s backyard Bicentennial showcase, community-led initiatives, and more. The event will also include images from the Woonsocket Call photo archive, now preserved by the Rhode Island Historical Society. 

 

 

 

Community members are invited to share their own memories of this landmark year as part of the program, including photographs, yearbooks, and personal mementos that capture the Spirit of ’76. 

 

 

 

Admission to the Valley Talk is free, but registration is required. Guests can register online at rihs.simpletix.com.

 

 

 

2026 Valley Talks Schedule: 

 

 

 

Sunday, January 11, 1:30 pm – Looking Back 50 Years: 1976 and the Bicentennial Celebration in Woonsocket

 

 

 

Sunday, January 25, 1:30 p.m. – Remembering Through Resilience and Grief with Vimala Phongsavanh

 

 

 

Sunday, February 8, 1:30 p.m. – Moving Images: The Bicentennial in Motion with Dr. Morgan Grefe

 

 

 

Sunday, February 22, 1:30 p.m. – Nathanael Greene – Forgotten Hero of the American Revolution with Paul Bourget

 

 

 

Sunday, March 8, 1:30 p.m. – Rewoven: The Rise, Fall, and Future of American Textiles with artist Deborah Baronas

 

 

 

Sunday, March 22, 1:30 p.m. – Disparate Regimes of Citizenship Rights and Rhode Island History with author Brendan Shanahan

 

 

 

The Museum’s 2026 Valley Talks series is presented by the Museum of Work & Culture Preservation Foundation and the RI AFL-CIO.