EDITORIAL: You Might Have Thought You Were at Churchill Downs Rather Than in Providence

EDITORIAL: You Might Have Thought You Were at Churchill Downs Rather Than in Providence

 

If you didn’t see it, you might not have believed it.

 

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On Saturday in Providence, more than 1,500 people gathered together at one location to eat, drink, and watch a horse race.

 

Eating, drinking, and watching the Kentucky Derby in and of itself is not unusual, but what was remarkable was the size, scope, and diversity of this party.

 

It is hard to remember a bigger gathering of young and old — cool and less so — all at the same time at the same place, enjoying the same experience at the same time.

 

It was a remarkable party. Families dressed in full Kentucky Derby wear.

 

The event was remarkable in its ability to bring people together.

 

When Chris Marsella proposed the idea of a ginormous food hall in Providence, skeptics and enthusiasts joined together and asked, “Really?”

 

Well, after one year in operation, the momentum of Marsella’s Track 15 is beyond the early tire kicking and now into full bloom.

 

Saturday was a mammoth example.

 

It was fun, cool, and remarkably comfortable and sophisticated.

 

It is a great example of an entrepreneur having a big vision and a community embracing it.

 

The outcome is fun, great food and drink, and a remarkable addition to Rhode Island.

 

Let’s find more runs for the roses.