The Newport International Boat Show returns this weekend. Photo provided by Newport International Boat Show

Good morning, Newport! 👋 Today is Thursday, September 11, the 254th day of 2025. There are 111 days left in the year.

🚨 You need to know

The 55th Annual Newport International Boat Show opens Thursday, anchoring a weekend filled with diverse entertainment options across the Newport region.

The prestigious boat show, running through Sunday, spans over 15 acres with six connecting show sites throughout historic downtown Newport. Visitors can walk the docks to view watercraft displays at one of the largest and most prestigious boat shows in the country.

The weekend’s cultural offerings include Friday evening’s Newport Classical debut of the Poiesis Quartet, the 2023 Grand Prize winner of the Fischoff National Chamber Music Competition. The performance will introduce the organization’s 25/26 Chamber Series season and has been praised by critics as featuring “an ensemble to watch.”

Saturday’s highlight will be “A Nautical Night in Warren,” the Warren Heritage Foundation’s 11th annual gala at the historic Blount Boats Shipyard. The signature fundraising event celebrates the area’s maritime heritage while supporting local preservation efforts. The evening promises to blend history with community engagement in a waterfront setting.

Music enthusiasts can also attend the continuing Newport Craft Summer Series, featuring live performances on the lawn where Bob Dylan famously went electric in 1965. The venue now hosts a brand-new stage offering craft drinks and entertainment throughout the season.

For families, Saturday brings the Newport Hospital Family Festival at Peabody Beach from 2 p.m. to 6 p.m., with a rain date scheduled for Sept. 21. The event, hosted by Mrs. Hope van Beuren and Mr. Tom Hagerty, offers general admission tickets at $50 per person.

Sunday concludes the weekend with the second public Newport Train Excursion departing at 11 a.m. The Old Colony & Newport Railway’s historic train ride offers visitors a unique way to experience the region’s transportation heritage.

Additional weekend activities include the continuing Newport International Boat Show through Sunday, weekly farmers markets, and the Bristol PorchFest featuring 16 porches of live music from 3 p.m. to 6 p.m. Sunday. The outdoor music festival will showcase 26 bands along High Street from Walley to Byfield, rain or shine.

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📈 Yesterday’s most-read

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

  1. $14.5M Newport waterfront estate sold
  2. Newport Elks lodge to host celebrity bartender night for Alzheimer’s fundraiser
  3. Oracle surge briefly makes Newport mansion owner Larry Ellison world’s richest person before Musk reclaims title
  4. What Sold: A look at 23 recent sales across Newport County (Sept. 1 – 5)
  5. Newport City Council meeting cancelled, will be rescheduled
  6. Obituary: Kathleen Condry
  7. Notes: Newport City Council’s meeting tonight has been cancelled
  8. Movies and TV shows casting in Rhode Island
  9. Visiting Nurse Home & Hospice marks 75 years of service
  10. Newport International Boat Show opens Thursday for 54th annual event

📅 What’s Up Today

Weather Forecast

  • Today: Sunny, with a high near 76. North wind around 9 mph.
  • Tonight: Mostly clear, with a low around 61. Light and variable wind becoming north 5 to 7 mph after midnight.

Marine Forecast

  • Today: N wind around 8 kt. Sunny. Seas 1 ft or less.
  • Tonight: Variable winds less than 5 kt becoming N around 6 kt after midnight. Mostly clear. Seas 1 ft or less.
  • The coastal water temperature is 68 degrees.

Sun, Moon & Tide

  • Sunrise at 6:22 am. Sunset at 7:01 pm. 12 hours & 39 minutes of sun.
  • High tide at 11:06 am & 11:33 pm. Low tide at 4:01 am & 4:52 pm.
  • The lunar phase is a Waning Gibbous.

Things To Do

Organizing an event? Add it to What’sUpNewp’s community calendar.

Live Music & Entertainment

  • Landing: Justin Pomfret at 12:30 pm, Jay Parker at 4 pm, Timmy Smith at 8 pm
  • Narragansett Cafe: Mark Flynn at 5 pm
  • Newport Craft: Trivia at 7 pm
  • Newport Pickleball Club: Music Bingo at 7 pm
  • Pivotal Brewing Newport: Trivia at 7 pm
  • Ragged Island Brewing: Trivia at 6 pm
  • The JPT Film & Event Center: Lori McKenna live at 7:30 pm
  • The Quencher: Late Night Comedy at 9 pm

Newport County Public Meetings

Cruise Ship Schedule

  • Saturday, Sept. 13: Sojourn
  • Sunday, Sept. 14: Enchanted Princess + Insignia
  • Monday, Sept. 15: Sojourn

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...