West Place Animal Sanctuary will host its final public visitors weekend of the year and debut a new winter event series in the coming weeks.
The Tiverton-based farm animal sanctuary will welcome visitors for its Holiday Shop & Stroll on Friday, Nov. 28, and Saturday, Nov. 29. The event has become a tradition on the Farm Coast, offering families an alternative to Black Friday crowds while supporting a local nonprofit.
The two-day event features 90-minute guided tours departing every half hour from 9:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m., with driving tours offered at 3 p.m. each day. Visitors will meet rescued farm animals, including new arrival Happy the horse and resident pigs Jack and Diane, while learning their stories of rescue and rehabilitation.
Following tours, guests can browse the West Place Gift Shop, which will feature handmade crafts, jewelry, artwork and seasonal items.
Adult tickets are $28 online ($30 at the gate), while children 12 and younger pay $15. All proceeds benefit the animals at the sanctuary.
The sanctuary is also launching Winter Bonfires, a new adult-only event series scheduled for Saturday, Dec. 6, and Saturday, Dec. 20, from noon to 2 p.m. The events will feature complimentary cider and blankets, with guests free to explore the sanctuary grounds and warm up beside a bonfire in one of the pastures.
Tickets for the 21-and-over bonfire events start at $30 per person, with enhanced packages available that include gifts from West Place Farmbrew. Online registration is required at westplace.org/bonfires. Guests may bring snacks, but outside alcoholic beverages are not permitted.
West Place Animal Sanctuary, founded in 2007, is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization and the oldest and largest sanctuary of its kind in Rhode Island. The organization rescues, rehabilitates and cares for abused and neglected farm animals while also operating as a licensed wildlife rehabilitation facility for waterfowl and game birds.
For more information or to register for events, visit westplace.org/visitors-weekends.