The Norman Bird Sanctuary is welcoming spring with a series of events designed to connect the community with the natural world, from geology hikes and stargazing to wildlife encounters and family open houses. The season kicks off Thursday, March 19, with a Golden Hour Geology Hike from 3:30 to 5:30 p.m., exploring the ancient rock […]
Arts & Culture
A look at What’s Up in arts and culture in Newport, Rhode Island, and beyond.
Posted inArts & Culture
Gamm Theatre brings Shakespeare directly to students with new outreach program
Joey Del Santo is Director of Education & Community Programs at the Gamm Theatre in Warwick, and he’s excited about the theater’s newest program. Del Santo hopes that Gamm on the Go will be an “easier and more accessible way to engage students.” Until recently, if any school program wanted to see a show at […]
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Charter Books to host NYT bestselling author Julian Sancton for book talk March 29
Charter Books and the Newport Historical Society will host New York Times bestselling author Julian Sancton for a discussion of his newly released book, “Neptune’s Fortune: The Billion-Dollar Shipwreck and the Ghosts of the Spanish Empire,” on Sunday, March 29, from 5 to 6 p.m. The event at Charter Books, 8 Broadway, is free and […]
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Newport’s St. Patrick’s Day parade marks 70th anniversary Saturday
Newport’s St. Patrick’s Day Parade celebrates its 70th anniversary Saturday, March 14, with thousands expected to line the streets of downtown for the annual tradition. The parade steps off promptly at 11 a.m. in front of City Hall, rain, snow or shine, winding through Washington Square, down America’s Cup Avenue and Thames Street before finishing […]
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This Day in RI History: March 9 – Jeffrey Osborne is born
Born in Providence, Jeffrey Osborne is a Grammy-nominated singer, songwriter and musician who hails from a legendary RI musical family. Osborne began his career in 1970 as lead vocalist for L.T.D., a popular R&B band founded in the early 1970’s. He later began a solo career, where he was nominated for several Grammy Awards. Osborne […]
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This Day in RI History: March 7, 1707 – Stephen Hopkins born in Providence
March 7, 1707, was the birthday of Stephen Hopkins, perhaps the most famous Rhode Islander from the colonial period. One of the most accomplished politicians in the state’s history, Hopkin’s resume was impressive. It included four terms as Governor of the Rhode Island colony, President of the Scituate Town Council, Chief Justice of the Rhode […]
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‘Wicked’ at PPAC is spellbinding, start to finish
When I interviewed Jessie Davidson last month, I asked her if the two “Wicked” movies helped or hindered the stage version of the show, in which she’s playing Elphaba. “The movie brought ‘Wicked’ to so many.” She said she meets young people at the stage door after performances who say seeing “Wicked” live was their […]
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Choreographing consent: Meet Rhode Island’s intimacy director
Valerie Remillard is an Intimacy Director. What’s that, you ask. Read on… Just prior to the pandemic, she directed a production of “Almost, Maine” at the Community Players in Pawtucket. The show is actually nine short plays stapled together, exploring love and loss in a mythical Maine town called Almost. “There is intimacy in every […]
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Newport Art Museum to open ‘Play / Pretend’ exhibition in May
The Newport Art Museum will open a new exhibition this spring that examines the role of play and imagination across a lifetime. Play / Pretend opens May 7, 2026, with a free public reception from 5 to 7 p.m. The exhibition runs through Jan. 31, 2027. “Play is how people first learn to engage with […]
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Newport Contemporary Ballet brings two productions to Barrington this month
Newport Contemporary Ballet is heading to the Keats Theatre this month with two productions: a world premiere contemporary ballet program and a returning family favorite. The company presents Polygon March 13-15 and Are The Crayons Quitting? March 14-15. Polygon features world premiere works by three choreographers — DaYoung Jung, rehearsal director of Oklahoma City Ballet; […]
Posted inHistory
On This Day In History – March 4, 1754: Benjamin Waterhouse, smallpox vaccine pioneer, born in Newport
On this day in history, March 4, 1754, Benjamin Waterhouse, a pioneer of the smallpox vaccine, was born in Newport, Rhode Island. Dr. Waterhouse was a physician, co-founder, and professor at Harvard Medical School. He is well-known for being the first doctor to test the smallpox vaccine in the United States, which he carried out […]
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Newport Classical announces two free spring community concerts
Newport Classical will present two free community concerts this spring as part of its Community Concerts Series presented by BankNewport, featuring PROJECT Trio in April and Toomai String Quintet in May. PROJECT Trio will perform Sunday, April 26 at 2:30 p.m. at Newport Classical Recital Hall, 42 Dearborn St. The genre-blending trio, praised by Downbeat Magazine […]
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Jane Pickens Theater celebrates Irish culture all month long with concerts, film and dance
The Jane Pickens Theater is marking the St. Patrick’s Day season with a month of Irish music, film and dance, including live concerts, a family-friendly animated film and a cult-classic horror screening. The festivities kick off Friday, March 13, with a concert by Turas, a traditional Irish band whose name means “journey” in Irish. The […]
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Hot Tuna, Yasmin Williams & William Tyler among latest Newport Folk Festival additions
Hot Tuna, the legendary blues duo born out of Jefferson Airplane, will make its first-ever appearance at the Newport Folk Festival this summer, organizers announced this week. Guitarist Jorma Kaukonen and bassist Jack Casady, both Rock and Roll Hall of Famers who have been playing together for more than half a century, are set for […]
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Sail Newport lecture to explore maritime escapes on the Underground Railroad
While most scholarship on the Underground Railroad has focused on overland escape routes, a forthcoming lecture at Sail Newport will shed light on a lesser-known path to freedom: the sea. Historian, author and professor Dr. Timothy D. Walker will present “Sailing to Freedom” on Thursday, Feb. 26, at 6 p.m. at Sail Newport, 72 Fort […]
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Puddingstone Music brings Grammy-winning cellist to Jamestown Arts Center in March
Puddingstone Music will present a special off-island musical salon in collaboration with the Jamestown Arts Center on Saturday, March 14, at 4 p.m., featuring Grammy-winning Canadian cellist Arlen Hlusko in an afternoon of music and dance. The program, titled “Common Threads: Folk, Bach, and Beyond,” explores how music can sustain connection, courage and hope through […]
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Newport String Project to present free concert at Ochre Court
The Newport String Project will present a free community concert at Ochre Court at Salve Regina University on Sunday, March 22, at 3 p.m., featuring its resident ensemble alongside internationally acclaimed guest musicians. The centerpiece of the program will be Frank Bridge’s String Sextet in E flat Major, a sweeping work first performed in 1912 […]
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Jane Pickens Theater to screen ‘Solo Mio’ with filmmaker Q&A on Feb. 26
The Jane Pickens Theater & Event Center (The JPT) will host a special screening of Solo Mio, a new romantic comedy starring Kevin James, on Thursday, Feb. 26 at 7:30 p.m., featuring a live introduction and post-film Q&A with the film’s directors. The 97-minute film follows a groom left stranded and heartbroken in Rome after […]
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Jane Pickens Theater to host Princess June record release, SNACKTIME 4/20 show this spring
The Jane Pickens Theater & Event Center has announced two spring concerts: a record release party for Newport-based folk trio Princess June on March 5 and a 4/20 celebration headlined by Philadelphia seven-piece SNACKTIME on April 18. Princess June Princess June — singer-songwriters Myah Strauser, Griffin Keeffe and Telli Quinn — will perform their debut […]
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Newport Classical brings Schubert, Baroque music to Recital Hall in March
Newport Classical will present two concerts this month as part of its 2025-2026 Chamber Series, featuring internationally acclaimed baritone Benjamin Appl and Baroque ensemble Ars Poetica at the Newport Classical Recital Hall. Appl, accompanied by pianist James Baillieu, will perform Franz Schubert’s Die Winterreise on Friday, March 13, at 7:30 p.m. The song cycle — […]
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Salve Regina University to Host Free Panel Discussion on America’s Founding Ahead of Nation’s 250th Anniversary
Salve Regina University will host a free public panel discussion exploring the history of America’s founding and the enduring relevance of its founding ideals on Tuesday, March 3, from 5:30 to 6:30 p.m. in the O’Hare Academic Building on Shepard Avenue in Newport. The event, titled “America 250,” comes as the nation approaches the 250th anniversary of […]
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Brandi Carlile, CMAT among latest additions to 2026 Newport Folk Festival lineup
Brandi Carlile is heading back to Fort Adams. The multi-Grammy-winning singer-songwriter is among the latest acts announced for the 2026 Newport Folk Festival, where she will perform songs from her critically acclaimed eighth studio album, “Returning to Myself.” Carlile is set to appear on Sunday, July 26. “We are beyond excited to announce that Brandi […]
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Jane Pickens Theater to honor Diane Keaton and Robert Redford in new film series
The Jane Pickens Theater & Event Center is paying tribute to two of cinema’s most enduring icons with a pair of curated film series celebrating Diane Keaton and the late Robert Redford. The two installments of the theater’s JPT Collection series will run from late February through May, screening some of the most celebrated films […]