Celebrate Providence!: The Gnomes, featuring Cathy Clasper Torch, Phil Edmonds, Ron Schmitt, Otis Read and Peter Breen, will present their music in Fargnoli Park tonight at 6. The Gnomes perform a blend of Celtic and World Music. The performance is a make-up date for a July performance that was rained out.

The Jump! Dance Company will perform tomorrow at noon in Burnside Park. The dance company is led by Mary Paula Hunter, who allows the dancers to listen to the music and find their own dance steps.

Both performances are free. The “Celebrate Providence! 2008 Neighborhood Performing Arts Initiative” neighborhood series is presented and sponsored by the City of Providence, Department of Art, Culture and Tourism, Department of Public Parks. For information, visit www.providenceri.com/ArtCultureTourism.

Program for contractors: SWAP, a Providence community housing development corporation, is inviting building trades contractors and subcontractors to participate in an eight-week program to strengthen their business management skills.

The program is focused on contractors who work in Providence or are looking to work in Providence on affordable-housing developments.

The program, which will offer several classes, including credit counseling, blueprint and specification reading, bookkeeping, estimating, bidding, proposal writing and legal issues, will begin on Oct. 7. The class will be held on Tuesday evenings. Applications will be accepted until Sept. 5.

This is an application-based program, provided at no cost. For information or an application, call (401) 272-0526.

All about wine: BCLIR, a Rhode Island independent, nonprofit organization, sponsors an array of learning opportunities, including seminars, lectures and cultural events. Johnson & Wales University will host its first BCLIR-sponsored collaborative learning course at the JWU Academic Center.

“The Many Faces of Wine” will explore the historical, cultural, sociological, religious and economic aspects of wine through the ages. Topics include Wine in Ancient and Modern Times; The Economics and Politics of Wine; Corks, Barrels and Bottles; Food and Wine; and Varieties and Selections of Wine. Led by three BCLIR members with assistance from local experts, the course will follow a collaborative learning model featuring peer-led presentations, discussions, guest speakers and field trips.

Starting Sept. 23 for 10 weeks, classes meet on Tuesdays from 1:30 to 3:30 p.m. at the JWU Academic Center, Westminster and Mathewson streets. The last two classes will be off-site events.

Class size is limited to 30. The fee is $140. Registration forms are available at www.bclir.org.

For information, e-mail jumaba3@yahoo.com, or call (401) 295-4189.

Military news: Army Pvt. Jimmy Fernandez recently graduated from basic combat training at Fort Jackson, Columbia, S.C.

During the nine weeks of training, the soldier studied the Army mission, history, tradition and core values, physical fitness, and received instruction and practice in basic combat skills, military weapons, chemical warfare and bayonet training, drill and ceremony, marching, rifle marksmanship, armed and unarmed combat, map reading, field tactics, military courtesy, military justice system, basic first aid, foot marches and field training exercises.

Fernandez is a 1995 graduate of Hope High School.

Business course for women: The Center for Women and Enterprise is now accepting applications for its 22nd Power Up! class, scheduled to begin Wednesday, Sept. 17.

Power Up! is a comprehensive 13-week course consisting of weekly three-hour classes for aspiring women entrepreneurs to learn how to start, grow and finance a small business.

Classes will be held every Wednesday from 6 to 9 p.m. at the Center for Women and Enterprise office, 132 George M. Cohan Blvd.

The fee is $595; $500 with advance registration.

Scholarships that cover up to 60 percent of the cost are available.

For information and registration, contact Kate Danho at (401) 277-0800, or e-mail kdanho@cweonline.org.

Scholarship recipient: Citizens Financial Group has awarded $3,000 college scholarships to 50 children of Citizens Bank and Charter One colleagues in New England, the Mid-Atlantic and the Midwest. About half of the young men and women in this fourth annual “class” of the CFG Scholars program are already attending college while others are beginning their higher education this fall.

Among the recipients is Scott Wu of Providence, son of Citizens Bank colleague Shuyan Zhang. He attends the University of Rhode Island and is majoring in electrical engineering.

Scholarship America, which serves as administrator of this program, selected all winners based on defined criteria that included financial need, academic performance and community involvement.

Alliance Française de Providence: The following club activities are offered at the Music Mansion, 88 Meeting St., (lower level, side door, at the corner of Congdon and Meeting streets).

•Choral group — Auditions will be held Sept. 10 at 6:30 p.m. with director Jacqueline Devilliers. Sopranos, altos, tenors and basses are welcome. The ability to speak French is not necessary. Rehearsals are held on Wednesday nights from 7 to 9.

•Drama club, l’Alliance comique — The club will first meet on Sept. 13. Joe Scott, acting director, will teach participants to prepare French short plays. The club meets Saturday mornings from 10 to noon.

•Cercle de lecture — The group, led by Alliance French teacher and vice president Carole Figuet, will start Sept. 22 at 6:30 p.m. One book is selected per month. Les yeux jaunes des crocodiles by Katherine Pancol has been selected for September. The group meets once a month.

•Conversation — Join Henry Majewski and friends, staff and president of the Alliance Française every Friday from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. for conversation, coffee and croissants. The next meeting is tomorrow.

For information, call (401) 272-6243.