Out of hibernation

The Audubon Society of Rhode Island will offer school vacation week activities for kids at the Caratunk Wildlife Refuge in Seekonk

By Elizabeth Morse Read

We’re hearing it more and more these days, but dare not believe it: “there’s light at the end of the Covid-19 tunnel!” We all still need to remain vigilant (and get our vaccinations!), but there are definitely signs that social life – restaurants, theatres, public events – are carefully reopening on the South Coast. And what better month to re-emerge from our long hibernation than April, when the flowers are blooming, the weather is warming, the days are longer and everyone is just itchin’ for a chance to socialize again!

Mini-feasts and picnic weather

If you’re in the mood for street food, Food Truck Fridays will be returning to the Carousel at Roger Williams Park Zoo this month (rwpzoo.org). The ubiquitous farmers markets and Mobile Farm Stands will be moving outdoors again throughout the region, including Virtual Farmers Markets offering delivery and pick-up options. Find one near you at semaponline.org, newportvineyards.com, farmfreshri.org, and coastalfoodshed.org.

If you’re looking for an elegant start to the month, check out the Easter Brunch at Newport Vineyards on April 4 (newportvineyards.com) or else sample the brews at the 20th Newport Craft Beer Festival at the Great Friends Meeting House on April 23-24 (newportcraftbeer. com). And plan ahead for the Food Truck & Craft Beer Festival at Fort Adams State Park in Newport on May 22 (foodtruckfestivalsofamerica.com/ newport)!

And if you’re not yet ready for indoor dining, show some love for all those local restaurants and food shops that struggled to stay afloat over the past year – pack yourselves a picnic of their most delicious take-out fare and head for the nearest park or beach and celebrate the return of spring!

Flower power!

Nothing says spring more than the sunny yellow daffodils that pop up everywhere on the South Coast in April. Make a reservation online to wander through fields of blossoms at Parsons Reserve in Dartmouth (dnrt.org), or at Blithewold Gardens in Bristol (blithewold.org), or the month-long celebrations of more than a million daffodils during Newport Daffy Days (newportdaffydays.com). Visit the whimsical Green Animals Topiary in Portsmouth (newportmansions.org) starting April 16. Or get involved in local Earth Day activities on April 22 (earthday.org) or plant a tree on Arbor Day (arborday.org) on April 30.

Get everyone outside again!

No more endless weeks of indoor staycations and online entertainment! With the warm weather here, there will be more and more out-of-the-house activities available for kids, like the annual Easter Egg Hunt at Livesey Park in Fairhaven (fairhaventours.com) on April 3. Purchase tickets online in advance to take the kids to the Buttonwood Park Zoo in New Bedford for story walks, scavenger hunts or nature connections activities (bpzoo.org), let them feed a giraffe, meet a sloth or play in Carousel Village at Roger Williams Park Zoo (rwpzoo.org) in Providence, or find out what’s happening at the Capron Park Zoo in Attleboro (capronparkzoo.com).

The Audubon Society of Rhode Island will offer school vacation week activities for kids at the Caratunk Wildlife Refuge in Seekonk (asri.org), as will the Lloyd Center for the Environment in Dartmouth (lloydcenter.org), and both the Whaling Museum and the Rotch-Jones-Duff House in New Bedford (rjdmuseum.org). The Fall River Library will be providing magic trick kits and Dr. Seuss art contests throughout the month (ahafallriver.com).

You can get back in shape by running/ walking through the daffodils on April 17 during the Newport Rhode Races (runsignup.com/race/ri/ newportrhoderaces) or during the annual West Island 5K Run/Walk in Fairhaven on April 25 (westisland5k.org). And, as an open-air treat for the whole family, why not go on a boat tour through the waterways of Providence (providenceriverboat.com), or an hourlong Goat Hike around Simmons Farm in Middletown (simmonsorganicfarmri. com), or go on a “Walk With a Doc” (nbewell.com) on Saturday mornings at Buttonwood Park in New Bedford!

The shows must go on!

Even with social distancing, arts patrons can now go to live indoor shows and concerts again! More and more indoor entertainment venues have remodeled and made the physical and operational changes needed to maintain safety for patrons and staff. Check out what’s playing at a theatre or concert hall near you this month!

Already, the Narrows Center in Fall River (narrowscenter.org), the Spire Center in Plymouth (spirecenter.org), the District Center for the Arts in Taunton (thedistrictcenterforarts.com), and Your Theatre in New Bedford (yourtheatre.org) have scheduled a limited number of in-person events. Likewise, indoor entertainment venues like pool & billiards halls, laser tag, bowling alleys, skating rinks and escape rooms have raised their indoor capacity limits. And tickets for the ever-popular open-air summer concert series sponsored by Westport Rivers Winery (westportrivers. com) go on sale starting this month!

Know before you go

Both Rhode Island and Massachusetts authorities have been cautious over the past year about indoor capacity restrictions and public health advisories. Even as each step in reopening plans brings us closer to “normal,” people are still required to maintain social distances, wear masks, avoid non-family groupings, and practice good public health hygiene. As of early March, Massachusetts restaurants (but not most bars) were allowed to re-open with no capacity limits indoors (66% capacity in Rhode Island), although tables still need to be six feet apart, and the seated party of six people is limited to 90 minutes of dining. Restaurants can also offer live musical entertainment. Indoor entertainment venues offering live concerts or plays can operate at 50% capacity to a limit of 500.

As of March 22, the Bay State will have moved on to the early steps of Phase 4 re-opening, which allows large outdoor venues and stadiums to reopen at 12% capacity. Dance floors at private events will be reopened, and overnight summer camps will be allowed for the summer. However, many popular summer events and activities on the South Coast will remain shut down until further notice: street fairs, agricultural fairs, amusement/theme parks, water parks, dance clubs and nightclubs, parades, and large outdoor group athletic events.

Learn more at mass.gov/info-details/reopeningmassachusetts.Reopening phases and stages in Rhode Island closely align with thosein Massachusetts, but it’s best to learn the particulars and dates atreopeningri.com.