Eighth Annual Massachusetts Walking Tour prepares for 11 day trek through the Blackstone Valley

Eighth Annual Massachusetts Walking Tour prepares for 11 day trek performing concerts
through the Blackstone Valley

The Eighth Annual Massachusetts Walking Tour,
founded by songwriting duo Mark Mandeville &
Raianne Richards, will be coming this year to
the Blackstone Valley – performing 11 free
community concerts while traversing the state
on foot. Since 2010, Mandeville and Richards
have organized now over 100 coffeehouse style
concerts which showcase local musicians and
artists across the state – creating a quality
evening program for all ages and an
opportunity for talent young and old to be
enjoyed by a listening audience. Venues chosen
for these community concerts include public
libraries, town parks, and historical properties –
and this year all events have been funded
through grants from the Massachusetts Cultural
Council program.
Carrying approximately 40-50 lbs of gear and
instruments, the Massachusetts Walking
Troupe, including veteran members Mark
Kilianski (guitar, banjo) and Amy Alvey (fiddle), will be hiking from concert to concert using the
Blackstone Valley’s many recreational trails – Southern New England Trunkline Trail (SNETT),
Charles River Bikeway, and trails within DCR’s Riverbend Farm to name a few.
Massachusetts Walking Tour
CONTACT:
Raianne Richards
masswalkingtour@gmail.com
(508) 981-6245

In addition to evening concerts, the troupe will also be
organizing a series of short group hikes wherein the
community will be invited to meet up with the
Massachusetts Walking Tour as they travel between
towns. These public hikes will highlight some of the
Blackstone Valley’s recreational hiking trails, routes
which appear in local author Marjorie Turner Hollman’s
book Easy Walks In Massachusetts. All routes will be
displayed and downloadable at
www.masswalkingtour.org

The Eighth Annual Massachusetts Walking Tour will take
place between June 15 and June 24, starting in Webster
and ending in Blackstone. All concerts will be from 6-8pm
and here is a complete listing of events:
June 15 – Memorial Beach – Webster MA
June 16 – EN Jenckes General Store – Douglas MA
June 17 – River Bend Farm – Uxbridge MA
June 18 – Kiwanis Beach – Upton MA
June 19 – Hopedale Unitarian Parish – Hopedale MA
June 20 – Milford Senior Center – Milford MA
June 21 – Medway Public Library – Medway MA
June 22 – Bellingham Public Library – Bellingham MA
June 23 – Franklin Public Library – Franklin MA
June 24 – Blackstone Boys and Girls Club – Blackstone MA
For more information on these events or
for videos of previous year’s Massachusetts
Walking Tours, please visit
www.masswalkingtour.org.