Velvet Ball (Credit: Newport Pride)

Good morning, Newport! 👋 Today is Wednesday, Aug. 27, the 239th day of 2025. There are 126 days left in the year.

🚨 You need to know

Newport Pride announced its annual Velvet Ball will return Saturday, Oct. 25, at the historic Ochre Court Mansion at Salve Regina University. This year’s event will draw inspiration from the Moulin Rouge, featuring the opulent aesthetic of the famous Parisian cabaret.

The fundraising gala will honor Newport County LGBTQ+ advocates Sarah Schochet Henken and Darrah March O’Connor, along with their family and business, Holistic Wellness Center, LLC. The honorees were selected for their ongoing support of Newport Pride and their advocacy work with other Aquidneck Island nonprofits, according to organizers.

“This is a charitable event to support the work we do through our Pride Center,” Newport Pride officials said in announcing the event. The organization emphasized that fundraising is essential to sustain their community services, encouraging attendees who are able to sponsor community tickets for those who cannot afford admission.

Early bird and general admission tickets are now available through the organization’s website at newportprideri.org/events/velvetball. Newport Pride will offer a limited number of community tickets for those who wish to attend but lack the financial means, reflecting the organization’s commitment to inclusive community engagement.

Additional details regarding performances, food, special guests and community ticket availability will be announced through Newport Pride’s social media channels and email updates in the coming weeks.

Here’s what else you need to know

⛳ On this day in 1995, Tiger Woods won the U.S. Amateur Championship in Newport.

🎾 WUN contributor Veronica Bruno shares some thoughts (and photos) on the Tennis Wave at Bowen’s Wharf and the International Tennis Hall of Fame Induction.

✖️ The Rhode Island Department of Health on Tuesday recommended closing swimming areas at two Middletown beaches due to elevated bacteria levels that pose health risks to swimmers.

💰 Rhode Island’s economy is teetering on a recession, according to the latest economic overview by University of Rhode Island economist Leonard Lardaro.

🏫 Newport School Superintendent Colleen Burns Jermain will sit down with What’sUpNewp this afternoon for her regular monthly conversation with the community, offering parents, students, and residents a direct line to district leadership just one week before the new school year begins. Watch/Ask Questions

🏫 The Newport City Council will consider a residential curbside composting service agreement and a contract for a new harbormaster patrol vessel when it meets tonight. What’s On The Docket

📰 The Latest from What’sUpNewp

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📈 Yesterday’s most-read

The following were yesterday’s most-read What’sUpNewp articles.

  1. Historic Westerly venue sells for $4.5M in state’s second-largest commercial deal
  2. What Sold: A look at 20 recent sales across Newport County (Aug. 18 – 22)
  3. Obituary: Joseph Monahan
  4. Audrain Newport Concours unveils Jay Leno, Ford CEO for seminars
  5. Rhode Island health officials close two Middletown beaches due to high bacteria levels
  6. Rhode Island economy ‘on a recession precipice’
  7. What’s Up this week in Newport County: Aug. 25 – Sept. 1
  8. Update: More details emerge in Newport assistant attorney general arrest case
  9. Newport rally planned to oppose Trump wind project halt
  10. Irish music duo to close Friends of the Waterfront summer concert series

📅 What’s Up Today

Weather Forecast

  • Today: Mostly sunny, with a high near 74. North wind 6 to 10 mph becoming southwest in the afternoon.
  • Tonight: Mostly clear, with a low around 55. Northwest wind around 6 mph.

Marine Forecast

  • Today: N wind 5 to 9 kt becoming SSW in the afternoon. Mostly sunny. Seas 1 ft or less.
  • Tonight: Variable winds 5 kt or less. Mostly clear. Seas 1 ft or less.
  • The coastal water temperature is 65 degrees.

Sun, Moon & Tide

  • Sunrise at 6:06 am. Sunset at 7:26 pm. 13 hours & 19 minutes of sun.
  • High tide at 11:19 am & 11:34 pm. Low tide at 4:12 am & 4:44 pm.
  • The lunar phase is a Waxing Crescent.

Things To Do

Live Music & Entertainment

  • Buskers: Open Mic with Mike Warner at 9 pm
  • Fastnet Pub: Trivia at 9 pm
  • Landing: Mike Milazzo at 12:30 pm, Nick Sproviero at 4 pm, Jay Parker at 8 pm
  • O’Brien’s Pub: Eoin Egan at 4:30 pm
  • One Pelham East: Karaoke at 9 pm
  • Ragged Island Brewing: Rusty at 6 pm
  • The Fireshouse Theater: Family Friendly Funnies at 7 pm
  • The JPT Film & Event Center: Jake Shimabukuro live at 7:30 pm
  • The Quencher: Karaoke at 9 pm

Newport County Public Meetings

Organizing an event? Submit your event to What’sUpNewp’s Event Calendar.

Ryan Belmore is the owner and publisher of What's Up Newp. He took over the publication in 2012 and has grown it into a three-time Rhode Island Monthly Best Local News Blog (2018, 2019, 2020). He was named LION Publishers Member of the Year in 2020 and received the Dominique Award from the Arts & Cultural Society of Newport County the same year. He has been awarded grants for investigative and community journalism, and continues to coach and mentor new local news publications nationwide. Ryan...