Our Recommendations for the Weekend of 6/1 – 6/4

Events going on in and around Providence this weekend.

PVD Fest

Live music, dance, food, and visual art installations transform the city in a four-day, multi-arts take-over of public spaces, parks, and outdoor stages in the heart of Providence, Rhode Island. Providence is the Creative Capital and Mayor Jorge Elorza invites you to perform, create and sell with Providence’s own artistic talent. In its third year, PVDFest will expand to explore art education and public art installations, building on the success of the first two years of the festival.

For more information: http://pvdfest.com/

Music/Theater

Riverdance – The 20th Anniversary World Tour

The international Irish dance phenomenon is back by popular demand in RIVERDANCE – The 20th Anniversary World Tour. Drawing on Irish traditions, the combined talents of the performers propel Irish dancing and music into the present day, capturing the imagination of audiences across all ages and cultures in an innovative and exciting blend of dance, music, and song. Of all the performances to emerge from Ireland – in rock, music, theatre, and film – nothing has carried the energy, the sensuality, and the spectacle of RIVERDANCE.

Continue reading “Our Recommendations for the Weekend of 6/1 – 6/4”

Our Recommendations – Newport Attractions

The City of Newport is one of Rhode Island’s largest visitors destinations. From the note worthy mansions, to the International Tennis Hall of Fame, there is never a dull moment in this sea-side city. Check out our list of fun activities for you to do while you’re in Newport.

Newport Mansions

The Newport Mansions are one of the most famous attractions you can find while you’re in Newport. Whether you want to take a guided tour, or participate in one of the many events held at these venues throughout the year, you definitely don’t want to miss out on these large spectacles while you are in town

The Breakers

The Breakers is one of the largest and most famous Newport Mansions. Known for being the summer home to the prominent Commodore Cornelius Vanderbilt, inventor of the New York Central Railroad, the Breakers is now open for tours throughout the week from 9:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m.

The Marble House

The Marble House was built as a summer home for the grandson of Commodore Cornelius Vanderbilt. Built in 1892, this home transitioned Newport from its small summer town to the extravagant reputation that it now possesses. The Marble House is open at 10:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. weekly.

The Elms

The Elms was the summer home for Mr. and Mrs. Edward Berwind. The construction of this mansion was completed in 1901. The Elms are open for tours beginning at 9:00 a.m. with the last tour leaving at 5:00 p.m.

Rosecliff

Rosecliff was established by heiress Theresa Oelrich of Nevada. The home was built to resemble the garden retreat in Versaille. Rosecliff is open beginning at 9:00 a.m. for tours with the last tour leaving at 4:00 p.m.

For a full list of the Newport Mansions, their tour schedules and upcoming events please visit their website.

Historic Sites

Interested in seeing more of the history Newport has to offer? There are plenty of historic monuments for you to explore while your visiting this port-side city.

International Tennis Hall of Fame and Museum

This historic landmark didn’t begin as a tennis hall or museum, in fact it was a lavish club entitled the Newport Casino. Built in 1880, this structure offered all sorts of activities. From shopping to horse shows to tea parties, the Newport Casino had it all back in the day! In 1986, the owners of the Newport Casino decided that tennis needed an establishment to honor the sport and decided to create what is now the International Tennis Hall of Fame. Today, the museum is open daily from 10:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.

Fort Adams

Built in 1799 and named after President John Adams, this historic landmark overlooks Newport Harbor and Narragansett Bay. In 1965, the Fort was taken on by the State of Rhode Island to become a part of Fort Adams State Park. Today, the park is known for many summer activities including, swimming, picnicking, and boating. Most famously, the park is known for its two annual events, the Newport Jazz Festival and the Newport Folk Festival, which bring thousands of people to the city every year.

Art Galleries

The Newport Art Museum

The Newport Art Museum is home to many different historic and contemporary exhibits. A unique aspect of this museum is that it focuses on artists from Rhode Island and art produced in Rhode Island. Come to see different pieces of art regularly at the Newport Art Museum. The Newport Art Museum is open Tuesday-Saturday from 10:00 a.m. – 4:00 p.m. & Sunday from 12:00 p.m. – 4:00 p.m.

The National Museum of American Illustration

The National Museum of American Illustration was opened in 1998 and houses illustrations from many different time periods and styles. The Museum is open Thursday-Sunday from 11:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m. with guided tours at 3:00 p.m. on Friday’s.

Jane Pickens Theater and Event Center

As one of the oldest theaters still standing in the United States, the Jane Pickens Theater and Event Center presents a variety of movies from historically based, documentaries, and classics. The historic atmosphere of the theater creates an experience you will never forget! You will always be able to find the right movie for you and your family at the Jane Pickens Theater.

Tours

Whether by boat, bus, or on foot, there are plenty of ways you can tour the city of Newport and all the scenic views it has to offer.

The Cliff Walk

The Cliff Walk is a 3.5 mile scenic walk that travels alongside the eastern boarder of Newport. Beginning on Memorial Boulevard and ending on Narragansett Avenue, the famous trail illustrates the beautiful seaside views of Newport while also experiencing the history of this city as you walk by the Newport Mansions. This is one of the most popular tours and tourist attractions the city has to offer.

Viking Guided Tours

The best way to see all the sites in Newport is to hop on one of the famous Viking Trolley Buses! Enjoy everything Newport has to offer with a guided tour that will give you ample information about the city’s history. For more information about specific tours and rates please visit their website.

Adirondack II Tour

Tour Newport Harbor on the Adirondack II, an elegant 80 foot sail boat! Experience Newport from the water! Buy tickets online or when you’re in person. The Adirondack II departs from Bowen’s Wharf several times throughout the day.

This selection is only a glimpse of the fun attractions there are in Newport. Between all of the wharfs, there are plenty of shops and restaurants for you to enjoy. In search of a relaxing beach day? Newport has got you covered. Check out our beach recommendations for the best spots in Newport County. Looking for a family friendly activity? Check out the local baseball team, The Newport Gulls, in one of their home games at Cardienes Field! There is one thing that is certain, you definitely won’t run out of things to do on your trip to Newport.

Upcoming Events July 29th – August 2nd

We have a lot going on this week in Providence! Especially, our WaterFire to support RI defeats Hep C. The Steeple Street Music Stage is back at this WaterFire. Come enjoy live performances by Rose Weaver and Greg Abate. Lighting begins at 8:25 p.m.

Wednesday, July 29th

Windmill Wednesday’s at Prescott Farms: 3:30 p.m. Explore how this amazing machine works and learn about the importance of grist milling on Aquidneck Island.

Blithwood’s Summer Concert Series-Music at Sunset: 5:00 p.m. Spread out a blanket and unpack the picnic basket, soak up the warmth of the summer sun, and enjoy the sunset over Narragansett Bay.

PechaKucha Night Providence: 7:30 p.m. It’s time once again for one of your favorite PechaKucha Nights of the year: We return to the beautiful outdoor space and community garden at The Avenue Concept!

Thursday, July 30th

KidInfo Story Time + Art in the Park: 10:30 a.m. Join us for STORYTIME in Burnside Park while local authors, illustrators, storytellers and performers bring stories and books to life!

Children’s Workshop-Rocks Rock!: 1:00 p.m. Ballard Park is holding a nature workshop for children! The one and a half hour program will feature hands-on activities focusing on the natural elements found in Ballard Park.

Armory Farmers Market: 3:30 p.m.

2015 Burnside Music Series: 4:30 p.m.

Concert Under the Elms Concert Series: 6:30 p.m. Join us for the Concerts under the Elms, an annual outdoor summer concert series held Thursdays under the canopy of elms at the John Brown House Museum.

Movies on the Block: 7:30 p.m. Blade Runner

Friday, July 31st

Family Fun Friday-Rolie Polie Guacamole: 11:00 a.m. Bring a picnic, a blanket to sit on, and enjoy the show! Each week, dance and sing along with the kids to a variety of educational and interactive musical performances.

Saturday, August 1st

Broad Street Farmers Market: 8:00 a.m.

Henseler Foundation Kayak and Paddle Board Race: 8:30 a.m. Enjoy the historic beauty of Wickford, Rhode Island from the water at this great flatwater race.

Hope Street Farmers Market 9:00 a.m.

WaterFire Providence Full Lighting: 8:00 p.m. For the 2nd year in a row WaterFire is partnering up with RI Defeats Hep C for our “C is for Cure” event.

Sunday, August 2nd

The Providence Flea: 10:00 a.m. Featuring all the cool vendors from last summer’s Flea plus a slate of new vendors for even more one-of-a-kind Flea finds!

Alex and Ani Sunday Jazz Series: 1:00 p.m. Attention jazz fans! Get ready to make your Sundays a little more musical with The Alex and Ani Sunday Jazz Series at Carolyn’s Sakonnet Vineyard.

The Empire Review Variety Show: 8:00 p.m. Witness a raft of talented local performers the likes of which you have never seen at Providence’s premiere variety show!

Our Recommendations – Historic Sites

Providence has a well known historical neighborhood known as College Hill. Throughout this neighborhood, there are plenty of different museums and historical houses for your to explore during your trip to Providence! Check out some of our favorite historic spots in Providence that are a must see while you’re staying with us!

Governor Henry Lippitt House Museum

Henry Lippitt, Rhode Island Governor from 1875-1877, designed and built this historic Victorian spectacle in 1865. Since then, generations of the Lippitt family occupied the house for almost 115 years. Today, it is open to the public as a historic representation of the Victorian Era. For more information about tour times and dates please visit their website.

The John Brown House

John Brown constructed this house in the late 1700’s. As a prominent family at the time and one of the early benefactors to Brown University, it is said that many famous politicians, such as George Washington, have visited the house on multiple occasions. In 1942, The Brown Family donated the house to the Rhode Island Historical Society for preservation. Today, you can take guided tours of the John Brown House. For more information about the house and the tours available please visit their website.

The Old State House

There are five former State Houses in Rhode Island that still survive. Most specifically, this historic structure on Benefit Street in Providence, gained its name “The Old State House” after the new State House on Smith Hill was built in 1901.

Benefit Street: A Mile of History

Enjoy a walking tour of one of the most historic streets in Providence. Throughout the summer, on Tuesdays, Thursdays and Saturdays at 11:00 a.m. enjoy historic Providence with a walking tour of the College Hill Neighborhood. The tour begins at the John Brown House and explores many other 18th and 19th century homes.

Museum of Work and Culture

Come to the Museum of Work and Culture to enjoy the stories and celebrate the people that traveled to Rhode Island in search of a brighter future during the booming 19th and 20th centuries. Learn about their work in the mill town’s historic mills and more!

The Rhode Island Historical Society

Want to learn about Rhode Island’s history, but don’t know where to begin? Then you should definitely stop by the Rhode Island Historical Society. This building is home to 5,000 manuscripts, 100,000 books, and 400,000 photographs. It is the fourth oldest state historical society in the entire United States! You won’t want to miss this.

Slater Mill – Pawtucket, RI

In 1793, a local firm brainstormed and built a mill on the basis of the idea that they would be able to manufacture items solely by waterpower. Hence, Slater Mill was created as the first successful cotton spinning factory in the United States. In 1921, a group of business men came together to purchase Slater Mill and restore it as a piece of Rhode Island’s history. Tickets to tour the museum must be purchased online here.

The Providence Athenaeum

The Providence Athenaeum is Providence’s own historic library. This member-supported library is free and open to the public. It has been open to several famous writers in the past such as Edgar Allen Poe and HP Lovecraft.

The State House

Rhode Island’s State House offers free guided tours year-round. Come see the third largest unsupported dome structure in the world!

Downtown Pawtucket Historic Walking Tour

Take a self-guided tour of downtown historic Pawtucket, Rhode Island! The tour features over 40 different historic sites throughout the city. Some of the stops along the tour include, the Old Pawtucket Post Office, Slater Mill Historic Site, and Pawtucket City Hall.

Stephen Hopkins House, Providence, RI in 2014 — Governor Stephen Hopkins House, photo via Wikipedia.

Governor Stephen Hopkins House

Home to the Rhode Island State Governor and the Declaration of Independence signer, this historical landmark is open to the public for guided tours from May to November as a part of the “Mile of History” Program. For more information please visit the Stephen Hopkin’s House Facebook Page.

Rhody Ramble

Rhody Ramble: Family Adventures in Rhode Island!

The Rhody Ramble is a passport to history to help kids and families explore Rhode Island’s unique historic places with programming created especially for them! From waterfront mansions to working farms, the Rhody Ramble offers many different ways for visitors to experience early life in Rhode Island. A full calendar of events includes outdoor festivals, music concerts, scavenger hunts and hands-on activities. Created as a guide both for local families and visitors, the Rhody Ramble helps kids to connect with Rhode Island’s history and discover its hidden treasures.

The Rhody Ramble includes 18 member organizations of the Historic Sites Coalition of Rhode Island (HSCRI), a network of historic places open to the public. Founded in 2007, the HSCRI brings together stewards of historic sites to share resources, exchange ideas and promote Rhode Island’s unique places. The HSCRI is a program of Preserve Rhode Island, a statewide preservation advocacy organization.

Rhody Ramble’s Featured Events

Museum of Work and Culture
42 South Main Street, Woonsocket, RI 02895
Every Day until 12/31/2014
Weekdays: 9:30 am – 4:00 pm (closed Monday)
Saturdays: 10:00 am – 4:00 pm
Sundays: 1:00 pm – 4:00 pm
The Museum of Work & Culture, a Division of the Rhode Island Historical Society, tells the stories of the men, women, and children who came to the Blackstone River Valley to find work in the late 19th century and early 20th century. The exhibits focus on the farm-to-factory experience of French-Canadians who came to Woonsocket to tell the larger story of American immigration. A special exhibit, The Ghost Army, tells the story of American G.I.s who duped Hitler’s army with rubber tanks, sound effects and illusion during WWII.

Admission: $8 Adults, $6 Seniors/Students, Free for Children under 10. There is a $1 discount off adult admission for AAA members. Free Parking. Questions? Call 401-769-WORK (9675) or 401-331-8575.

Tour the Old Jail
2636 Kingstown Road , Kingstown RI 02881
Every Day until 12/31/2014
Open Tuesday, Thursday & Saturday 1-4 pm

Visit the Old Washington County Jail in Kingston, RI and tour period jail cells re-constructed in 1858 to replace the site’s first jail of 1792. Learn about the crimes and punishments of some of the area’s notorious characters! The museum also offers exhibits on RI plantation history, Washington County during the Revolutionary and Civil Wars, and regional exhibits of early schools, toys, and textiles of the 19th and early 20th centuries. Recommended for children 8-12.

Suggested donation: $5 Adults, $3 Children. Questions? Call 401-783-1328.

Museum of Natural History and Planetarium
1000 Elmwood Avenue, Providence RI 02907
Every Day until 12/31/2014 10:00 AM -4:00 PM

The Museum of Natural History is Rhode Island’s only natural history museum and is home to the state’s only public planetarium. The natural history collections include fossils, mollusks, minerals, rocks, mounted flora and fauna. The cultural collections contains over 25,000 archaeological and ethnographic specimens primarily of African, Native American and Pacific origin. Last admission to the museum is at 3:30 pm.

Museum Admission: $2 (Free for children under 4 years old.) First Saturday of the Month is FREE for Providence Residents with proof of residency. Questions? Call 401-785-9457 Ext. 221

Planetarium & Museum Admission: $3 (No one under age 4 is permitted in the planetarium.) Shows on weekends at 2:00 pm.

The Breakers Family Tour
44 Ochre Point Ave, Newport RI 02840
Every Day until 12/1/2014 10:00 AM -5:00 PM

The family tour allows youngsters and parents to imagine themselves personally witnessing the history made in this great Gilded Age chateau. As the house shares its secrets, you hear from family members and staff, as well as fanciful creatures like the friendly dolphin hiding under the grand staircase, the lions of the Music Room and the dragons in the Dining Room. Experience a summer day in the life of one of the Vanderbilt children. Learn about the masters of the kitchen – Monsieur Le Chef and his colleague, The Butler. Take an imaginary slide down the grand stairs on a silver serving tray. Learn all the “rules” the children had to live by at The Breakers. The tour is designed for children aged 6-11, but is fun for the whole family!

Admission: Adult: $19.50, Youth: $5.50 (ages 6-17), Free for children under 6.

Telescope Observing Night
210 Doyle Avenue, Providence RI 02906
Every Tuesday until 3/31/2014 7:00 PM -9:00 PM

View the moon, stars and planets through the antique telescope at Brown University’s historic observatory. Ladd Observatory opened in 1891 and is on the National Register of Historic Places. Visit and learn about the past, present and future of astronomy. Open every Tuesday after twilight.

Admission: FREE! Questions? Call 401-863-2323.

For more family activities, visit Rhody Ramble’s Facebook page, check out their tweets @RhodyRamble, stop by their blog, or register for free to join the Rhody Ramble to receive monthly updates about family events throughout Rhode Island.

Events going on in and around Providence this weekend.

PVD Fest

Music/Theater

Riverdance – The 20th Anniversary World Tour

Share this:

Share this:

Share this:

Share this:

Rhody Ramble: Family Adventures in Rhode Island!

Rhody Ramble’s Featured Events

Share this: