The Jane Pickens Theater & Event Center will present two special film events this summer, each pairing a screening with a live conversation exploring storytelling, music and cultural change. The first, on Monday, June 29, is a special screening of the acclaimed 2025 romantic drama “The History of Sound,” followed by a live conversation with […]
Ryan Belmore
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 is a member of the Society of Professional Journalists, Online News Association, and Local Independent Online News Publishers. He is committed to the codes of ethics of these organizations: accuracy, independence, accountability, and transparency.
In Newport, Ryan served on the boards of the Fort Adams Trust and Potter League for Animals, and hosted a daily radio talk show for four years.
In 2021, Ryan moved to Alexandria, Virginia, to support his wife Jen's career. He launched The Alexandria Brief in 2025, applying what he learned in Newport to a new community. With the help of some talented on-the-ground contributors, he still runs What's Up Newp — and always will.
Contact: ryan@whatsupnewp.com.
Posted inCity & Government
Newport City Council, School Committee races take shape as filing period enters final day
The field for Newport’s fall municipal elections began to come into focus Tuesday as candidates filed declarations of candidacy on the second day of the state’s three-day filing window. Five candidates have entered the race for Newport City Council at-large, including incumbent Stephanie Smyth. Also filing were Jane LeBoeuf, Kevin Michaud, Christine Hope Sullivan, and […]
Posted inFood & Drink
Ocean State Brew Fest returns June 27 with two dozen RI breweries on a Bristol golf course
Rhode Island’s craft breweries will come together for the Ocean State Brewers Festival, presented by Club9, on Saturday, June 27, at Bristol Golf Park, pairing local beer with a round of golf-themed fun. Featuring nearly two dozen Rhode Island breweries, the festival is the only beer event dedicated exclusively to breweries from the Ocean State, […]
Posted inNews
Providence tourism and hospitality community donate $10,500 to Glasgow children’s hospital
GoProvidence and the Rhode Island Sports Commission have donated $5,000 to the Glasgow Children’s Hospital Charity in a gesture of gratitude to the Scottish soccer fans who left an unforgettable impression on Providence during their stay in the region. The initial gift sparked an immediate wave of generosity, with local bars and restaurants — including […]
Posted inArts & Culture
Newport Classical to present New England premiere of new work by Vivian Fung at The Breakers
The Newport Classical Music Festival will present the New England premiere of “Goddess//Insect,” a new work co-commissioned from JUNO Award-winning composer Vivian Fung, on Thursday, July 9, at 8 p.m. at The Breakers. The piece is written for violinist Kristin Lee, praised in The Strad for her “elegance” and “electric energy,” and the GRAMMY-nominated ensemble […]
Posted inCity & Government
Rhode Island creates commission to study sludge disposal challenges
A special joint legislative commission will study Rhode Island’s growing biosolids disposal challenges under legislation sponsored by Rep. Terri Cortvriend that was signed by the governor on Monday. The effort aims to facilitate a comprehensive, statewide solution to what has been described as a looming concern over increasingly limited options for disposing of biosolids, or […]
Posted inInstagram
Pell Elementary kindergarten teacher Diane McBrier named Newport Teacher of the Year
Pell Elementary School kindergarten teacher Diane McBrier has been named the Newport Public School District Teacher of the Year for the 2026-2027 school year. McBrier is a veteran educator with 28 years of teaching experience, 26 of them with Newport Public Schools. She has taught at Underwood School, Sheffield School, Coggeshall School and Cranston-Calvert School […]
Posted inArts & Culture
Friends of the Waterfront announces free 2026 summer concert series at King Park
Friends of the Waterfront will present its free 2026 Waterfront Concert Series at the King Park gazebo this summer, opening Friday, June 26, with the James Montgomery Band. The series runs on select Fridays and Saturdays from 5 to 7 p.m. through early September at the park, 125 Wellington Ave. All performances are free and […]
Posted inNews
L.L.Bean to bring a taste of coastal Maine to Newport’s Bowen’s Wharf
L.L.Bean will bring a taste of coastal Maine to Newport’s waterfront this weekend with an immersive activation at Bowen’s Wharf, running Friday, June 26, through Sunday, June 28, from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. each day. For one weekend only, the Maine-based outdoor brand will offer an interactive showcase celebrating coastal living, outdoor heritage and […]
Posted inCity & Government
David Quiroa withdraws from Senate District 13 race, citing time demands of a new job
Republican David A. Quiroa has withdrawn from the race for Rhode Island Senate District 13, which covers all of Jamestown and most of Newport, announcing he will not file a declaration of candidacy for the seat. “I will be starting a new professional chapter the first week of July, and I simply will not have […]
Posted inInstagram
Newport candidates begin declaring for office as filing period opens
Newport candidates began formally declaring for local, statewide and federal offices Monday, the first of three days in Rhode Island’s candidate filing period, with the early field already shaping up to include a crowded race for School Committee. According to a list of Newport residents who declared on the first day, released by the city’s […]
Posted inArts & Culture
Audrain Newport Concours & Motor Week returns Oct. 1-4 with new Supercar Concours
Audrain Newport Concours & Motor Week will return Oct. 1 to 4, with the eighth edition of the event expanding into a two-concours weekend for the first time. The event arrives fresh off being named Motoring Event of the Year at the 2025 International Historic Motoring Awards, just three years after receiving the organization’s Rising […]
Posted inNews
RITBA provides updates on bridge maintenance projects across Newport County
The Rhode Island Turnpike and Bridge Authority has provided updates on several ongoing construction projects across its bridges in Newport County. “We have a very busy construction season underway,” said Lori Caron Silveira, executive director of the authority. “We are working hard to complete important projects to maintain our bridges. Please help us keep our […]
Posted inNews
Yozura announces candidacy for Newport School Committee
Amy Yozura, a longtime Newport resident, has announced that she is running for the Newport School Committee, pledging to ensure the city’s public schools have the funding they need. A graduate of Marist University, Yozura holds a degree in communications and business marketing and has worked in both education and private aviation throughout her career. […]
Posted inNews
Newport OUT to host ”Murica Drag Brunch’ at Stoneacre Brasserie on July 5
Newport OUT will celebrate America’s 250th anniversary with its latest themed drag brunch, “‘Murica Drag Brunch,” at Stoneacre Brasserie on Saturday, July 5. Inspired by the larger-than-life glamour of Dolly Parton, trailer park chic and unapologetic camp, the event combines drag entertainment, brunch and a patriotic parody for a post-Independence Day celebration. The brunch will […]
Posted inCity & Government
Barron announces candidacy for Newport School Committee
Elizabeth “Liz” Barron, a school psychologist, veteran educator and parent of two Newport Public Schools students, has announced her candidacy for the Newport School Committee, with a focus on strengthening leadership, improving early intervention services for students and ensuring stable, adequate funding for the city’s schools. Barron has lived in Newport for more than a […]
Posted inArts & Culture
Park Theatre announces fall lineup with Molly Tuttle, Wheel of Fortune Live!, AJ McLean and Andy Grammer
The Historic Park Theatre & Event Center has announced a fall lineup featuring Grammy-winning guitarist Molly Tuttle, the game show experience Wheel of Fortune Live!, Backstreet Boys member AJ McLean and multi-platinum pop artist Andy Grammer. Tickets go on sale Friday, June 26, at 10 a.m. at theparkri.com or by calling 1-800-657-8774, though tickets for […]
Posted inArts & Culture
Jane Pickens Theater unveils summer concert lineup, headlined by Rolling Thunder Revue tribute
The Jane Pickens Theater & Event Center has announced a summer lineup of live music celebrating rock legends, blues virtuosos and original artists, headlined by a 50th-anniversary tribute to Bob Dylan’s Rolling Thunder Revue. The centerpiece event, “Rolling Thunder Revue — Live Tribute Concert,” comes to the theater on Tuesday, July 21, with doors at […]
Posted inArts & Culture
Newport Classical Music Festival to present four special chamber concerts at The Breakers and Blithewold
The Newport Classical Music Festival will spotlight the intimate genre of chamber music with four special performances for trios and quartets between July 5 and July 12, part of a festival that turns the City by the Sea into a summer destination for music lovers. Running from July 2 to 19, the festival features 30 […]
Posted inSports
Grand prix ocean racer Lucky joins growing fleet for 21st Ida Lewis Distance Race
The 88-foot grand prix ocean racer Lucky has entered the 21st Ida Lewis Distance Race presented by Kiel James Patrick, adding star power to a growing fleet for one of offshore sailing’s most distinctive 24-hour challenges. The race is set to start Friday, Aug. 14, at 11 a.m. off Fort Adams in Narragansett Bay. Organizers […]
Posted inSports
54th Newport Bermuda Race celebrates centennial of organizing partnership
The 54th Newport Bermuda Race will set sail Friday, June 19, on a 636-mile blue-water passage to Bermuda, marking the 100th anniversary of the partnership between the Cruising Club of America and the Royal Bermuda Yacht Club. Known as the “Thrash to the Onion Patch,” the biennial race is one of the world’s oldest ocean […]
Posted inEnvironment & Health
RIDOH recommends reopening swimming at Easton’s Beach in Newport
The Rhode Island Department of Health is recommending that the swimming areas at Easton’s Beach in Newport and Briar Point Beach in Coventry reopen after bacteria counts returned to safe levels. The recommendation comes two days after the department advised closing the swimming areas at both beaches, along with Oakland Beach in Warwick, because of […]
Posted inSports
After a misplayed foul pop, Valenzuela hits go-ahead double in Blue Jays’ 4-3 win over Red Sox
BOSTON (AP) — Brandon Valenzuela hit a go-ahead RBI double off Aroldis Chapman with two outs in the ninth inning and the Toronto Blue Jays completed a three-game sweep of the Boston Red Sox with a 4-3 win Thursday. Valenzuela’s tiebreaking hit clanked off the Green Monster and came after Red Sox catcher Connor Wong […]
Posted inNews
Rhode Island election agencies announce first graduates of certification program
The Rhode Island Board of Elections and the Rhode Island Department of State have announced the graduation of the first cohort of election officials from the Election Training and Certification, or ETAC, program, a professional development and certification program jointly developed and administered by the state’s election agencies. Sixty-seven election officials received their ETAC certifications […]
Posted inNews
Norman Bird Sanctuary and Salve Regina expand conservation partnership, launch Kiernan Scholars Program
The Norman Bird Sanctuary and Salve Regina University welcomed 75 guests on June 16 for an evening of public engagement and scientific insight, celebrating a growing collaboration that is advancing ecological research and hands-on conservation training on Aquidneck Island. The program featured a lecture by Dr. Jameson Chace and the announcement, by sanctuary Executive Director […]