PROVIDENCE, R.I. (WPRI) — The capital city unveiled who will be performing at this year’s PVDFest.

Gospel legend and civil rights icon Mavis Staples is among the performers scheduled to headline the outdoor arts festival, which will take place this September.

“This year, we are bringing together neighborhoods, focusing in on the talented artists that are the core of our culture as a city and using the Providence River to create a unique waterside festival that highlights everything that makes Providence special,” Providence Mayor Brett Smiley said.

Smiley recently announced changes to this year’s PVDFest, which includes moving the outdoor arts festival closer to the Providence River to further promote and better accommodate WaterFire.

PVDFest is also doing away with open containers, outdoor bars and block parties, which have grown in popularity since the festival’s inception back in 2015.

The outdoor arts festival will run from Sept. 8-10 and will open with a performance by stay silent PVD Friday night.

Saturday’s festivities will all lead up to Staples’ performance at 6 p.m., followed by a full basin WaterFire lighting.

Then on Sunday, the capital city will celebrate African culture and the diaspora with a drum and dance festival hosted by Afrika Nyaga.

Rhode Island-based art and design studio, Pnuehaus, will be returning to the the festival for the eighth year in a row. The studio is known for their unique art installations.

“The innovative twists we are adding to this year’s festival exemplify why Providence has become a global destination for the arts,” Providence Director of Art, Culture and Tourism Joe Wilson Jr. said. “We are working hand in hand with the city’s talented artists to showcase our arts culture in a way that has never been done before.”

There will also be food trucks stationed throughout the festival footprint, which will feature a variety of dishes from around the world.

Those interested in becoming a vendor at PVDFest have until June 20 to submit an application online. Since its debut in 2015, PVDFest has featured more than 4,600 artists, performers and curators.

The complete schedule for this year’s PVDFest will be released online in the weeks leading up to the outdoor arts festival.