The Arts & Cultural Alliance of Newport County has named the Princess June Band the winner of the 2026 LeRoy White “Soul & Conscience Award,” presented in partnership with the White family. The $5,000 award, now in its fourth year, honors musicians who embody the character of LeRoy White, the Newport musician who built a […]
Arts & Culture
A look at What’s Up in arts and culture in Newport, Rhode Island, and beyond.
Posted inArts & Culture
Jane Pickens Theater to host Rhode Island premiere of ‘Mermaid’ with star Johnny Pemberton
The Jane Pickens Theater & Event Center will host the Rhode Island premiere of “Mermaid,” a SXSW selection, on Friday, June 12, with a special in-person appearance by the film’s star, actor and comedian Johnny Pemberton. After the screening, Pemberton will join a live onstage discussion and audience Q&A moderated by Rhode Island filmmakers the […]
Posted inHistory
This Day in RI History: June 10, 1772 – The burning of the HMS Gaspee
One of the most celebrated events in Rhode Island history happened on June 10th, 1772. The Gaspee Affair, which is still celebrated annually with festivals, a parade and a re-enactment, was a pivital moment in the lead-up to the American Revolution. The story is widely known. In the weeks preceding the burning of the Gaspee, […]
Posted inArts & Culture
Jane Pickens Theater marks America’s 250th with ‘American Character(s)’ film series
The Jane Pickens Theater & Event Center will mark the 250th anniversary of the United States with “American Character(s),” a film series exploring the figures and stories that have defined American cinema, running June 10 through July 7. The series brings together Hollywood classics and documentaries that examine both the characters in American movies and […]
Posted inArts & Culture
Charter Books to host Juneteenth author talk on slavery and freedom in Newport
Charter Books, in collaboration with the Newport Historical Society, will host an evening with Dr. Akeia de Barros Gomes on Wednesday, June 17, from 6 to 7 p.m. at the bookstore, 8 Broadway. De Barros Gomes, director of the Edward W. Kane and Martha J. Wallace Center for Black History and a Brown University lecturer, […]
Posted inArts & Culture
Arts & Cultural Alliance to honor local artists at Raise Up the Arts event June 24
The Arts & Cultural Alliance of Newport County will hold its annual Raise Up the Arts event Wednesday, June 24, from 6 to 8 p.m. in Easton’s Pavilion, upstairs at the Wyndham Newport Hotel, 240 Aquidneck Ave. The evening features live music, small bites and the presentation of four awards. The Newport String Project will […]
Posted inArts & Culture
Rosalind Weir to receive Arts & Cultural Alliance’s 2026 Dominique Award
The Arts & Cultural Alliance of Newport County will present its 2026 Dominique Award to Rosalind Weir at its annual Raise Up the Arts celebration on Tuesday, June 24, at Johnny’s Restaurant at the Wyndham Newport Hotel, 240 Aquidneck Ave. in Middletown. The award, created in 2010, honors people who have contributed time, influence and […]
Posted inArts & Culture
Newport Classical to present free children’s concert featuring ‘Peter and the Wolf’ on Aug. 15
Newport Classical will present its annual free children’s concert on Saturday, Aug. 15, at 4 p.m. at the Newport County YMCA, 792 Valley Road in Middletown. The wind members of Frisson, a New York-based chamber ensemble, will perform Sergei Prokofiev’s “Peter and the Wolf” in what the organization described as an interactive, family-friendly retelling. The […]
Posted inArts & Culture
Tickets go on sale June 5 for slate of Spectacle Live shows at the JPT and Park Theatre
Promoter Spectacle Live announced four upcoming shows at two Rhode Island venues, with tickets for all four going on sale Friday, June 5, at 10 a.m. At the JPT Film & Event Center in Newport, the lineup includes the jazz group the Hot Sardines on Friday, Aug. 28, at 7:30 p.m., and Tusk: The Classic […]
Posted inArts & Culture
Newport Mansions mark America’s 250th with exhibition, plays and lecture series
The Preservation Society of Newport County is marking the nation’s 250th anniversary with a summer-and-fall slate of programming, anchored by a new exhibition, theatrical performances, children’s programs and a series of lectures by leading voices in American history and the arts. The centerpiece is “Revolution Reimagined: Evolving Stories from Newport’s Past,” an exhibition running June […]
Posted inArts & Culture
Norman Bird Sanctuary’s Beach Bash returns to Third Beach this July
The Norman Bird Sanctuary will turn its Third Beach property into a relaxed coastal evening of live music, beach games and s’mores this summer as its popular Beach Bash returns Wednesday, July 29. The event runs from 5 to 7 p.m. and invites guests to bring picnic dinners, settle in along the shoreline and enjoy […]
Posted inArts & Culture
Jane Pickens Theater serves up classic cinema with a side of wine and beer this June
The Jane Pickens Theater & Event Center is rolling out a trio of classic film events this June, pairing big-screen restorations with curated tastings and themed programming at its historic Washington Square venue. The series opens June 2 with “Chinatown,” Roman Polanski’s 1974 neo-noir starring Jack Nicholson, Faye Dunaway and John Huston. The 7:30 p.m. […]
Posted inArts & Culture
Tiverton library to host talk on Revolutionary War art on June 13
The Tiverton Public Library will host a free art appreciation talk titled “Early American Art, Revolutionary Images” on Saturday, June 13, at 2 p.m. The presentation will be given by Jill Sanford of Art for Your Mind and will look at famous people, places and events of the Revolutionary War through the eyes of artists […]
Posted inArts & Culture
‘Jaws’ returns to the Jane Pickens Theater for summer party series starting May 29
The Jane Pickens Theater & Event Center will kick off summer with its annual “Jaws” party on Friday, May 29, before bringing Steven Spielberg’s 1975 blockbuster back to the big screen for three more screenings in July. The series features a newly restored 4K print of the film, live music from local bands and beer […]
Posted inArts & Culture
Tiverton library to host ‘Rethinking Lawns’ talk on June 10
The Tiverton Public Library will host a free talk titled “Rethinking Lawns” on Wednesday, June 10, at 6:30 p.m. The presentation will be given by Emily Dutra of Butterfly Effect Farm and will cover the history of lawns, how to treat them organically and alternatives to traditional lawns, according to the library. The event is […]
Posted inArts & Culture
Journalist Amy Goodman to appear at The JPT for documentary screenings
Journalist and “Democracy Now!” host Amy Goodman will appear in person at the Jane Pickens Theater in Newport for special screenings of the documentary “Steal This Story, Please!” from June 27 to 30, the theater announced. Goodman will join director Tia Lessin for post-screening question-and-answer sessions following the showings on Friday, June 27, at 7:30 […]
Posted inArts & Culture
This Day in RI History: May 24, 1988 – Singer Billy Gilman is born
Singer-Songwriter Billy Gilman was born on this date in Westerly, RI in 1988. In 2000, at age 11, he emerged as a child star after being discovered by Ray Benson of the popular country band Asleep at the Wheel. Gilman had a hit with the song “One Voice” in 2000, when he became the youngest […]
Posted inArts & Culture
This Day in History: May 24, 1941 – Bob Dylan is born
OK, we know, he’s not a native Rhode Islander, but perhaps his greatest moment as a musician came in Newport in 1965. Singer-songwriter, “song and dance man” Bob Dylan was born Robert Zimmerman on this day in 1941 in Duluth, Minnesota. Dylan moved to New York City in 1961 and the rest is history. He […]
Posted inArts & Culture
Charter Books to host bestselling author Annabel Monaghan at OceanCliff on June 8
Charter Books will host New York Times bestselling author Annabel Monaghan for a summer cocktail event at OceanCliff on Monday, June 8, to celebrate her latest novel, “Dolly All the Time.” The event runs from 4 to 6 p.m., with Monaghan, author of “Nora Goes Off Script,” in conversation with Kylie McCollough, founder of the […]
Posted inNonprofit
High school senior’s charity car rally to benefit Hasbro Children’s Hospital rolls out from Newport today
A youth-led charity car rally benefiting Hasbro Children’s Hospital sets off from Newport today, the inaugural edition of an event organized by a local high school senior. Jack Masse, a senior at Providence Country Day School in East Providence and a longtime volunteer at the Audrain Automobile Museum, created The Rhode Rally as his senior […]
Posted inArts & Culture
Remembering the fallen and honoring Gold Star Families: Operation Stand Down RI Memorial returns to Newport this Memorial Day weekend
Exactly four years ago this month, the Rhode Island Veteran’s Memorial Cemetery in Exeter erected a Gold Star Families monument to honor those families who sacrificed a loved one for our freedom. A Gold Star Family signals a family who has lost a loved one during activity-duty military service. There are estimated to be more […]
Posted inArts & Culture
The Firehouse Theater announces summer 2026 lineup of improv, comedy and storytelling
The Firehouse Theater has unveiled its summer 2026 schedule, featuring programming for audiences of all ages from the Newport comedy venue. Every Friday and Saturday at 8 p.m., The Bit Players, billed as Rhode Island’s most award-winning comedy group, will take the stage for their fast-paced short-form improv show. In addition to the weekend shows, […]
Posted inArts & Culture
Pulitzer-winning author Liaquat Ahamed to speak at Rosecliff on June 15
Pulitzer Prize-winning author Liaquat Ahamed will explore the causes and consequences of the Panic of 1873 in a talk at Rosecliff on Monday, June 15, at 6 p.m. Ahamed will discuss his new book, “1873: The Rothschilds, the First Great Depression, and the Making of the Modern World.” The Panic of 1873 hit the United […]
Posted inThings To Do
20 Military Memorials, Monuments and Markers you should visit in Newport
These memorials, monuments, and markers throughout Newport, Rhode Island document the trials, tribulations, battles, historical events, and those Newporters lost while at a battle. We hope that this will inspire you to visit an important marker, monument, and memorial that more than likely has been an integral piece of our city and nation’s history. 1 – […]