Enjoy an awesome August

Elizabeth Morse Read

It’s Portuguese Feast season! Head for the feast grounds for fabulous food, great music and good times with friends and family! And don’t miss the beaches, the regattas, the free outdoor concerts, plays and movies, and funky street fairs!

Pack in everything you can this month before Labor Day – and the end of a spectacular summer vacation on the South Coast!

Cruisin’ in your car

Take a cruise on The Art Drive August 5-7, the free open studio tour of 32 artists and artisans in Dartmouth and Westport (the-art-drive.com).

Check out the Newport Car Museum in Portsmouth to see more than 60 vintage cars and driving simulators (newportcarmuseum.org)! Head for Shipyard Park in Mattapoisett for Friday Night Cruise Nights on August 5 and 19 (mattapoisett.net/calendar).

Don’t miss “Happy Days Cruise Nights” every Saturday through September 1 at Crescent Park in East Providence (crescentparkcarousel.org/ events).

Mark your calendar for the South Coast Artists’ Open Studio Tours August 20-21 (southcoastartists.org).

Family fun!

Enjoy free family fun and entertainment on AHA! Nights in New Bedford! The August 11 theme is “Summer in the Seaport” (ahanewbedford.org).

When it’s raining outside, take the little ones to the Children’s Museum of Greater Fall River, open WednesdaysSaturdays (cmgfr.org)!

Take the whole family to free Summer Evenings in the Park in Fall River – music, vendors, food, and fun! Kennedy Park on August 3, Lafayette Park on August 10, Abbott Court on August 17, North Park on August 24 (vivafallriver. com/events)!

Make a splash at WaterWizz in Wareham (waterwizz.com)!

When the weather is gray, take the kids to the Forrest’s Family Fun Center in Taunton – roller skating, roller blades, arcades (forrestsfamilyfuncenter.com).

Head for Onset Beach for the Chalk- Full-of-Fun Onset Street Painting Festival on August 20 (onsetbay.org). Head for the Museum of Natural History & Planetarium in Providence’s Roger Williams Park to watch the planetarium shows (providence.gov/ museum)!

Food, drink, and shopping

Don’t miss the Dartmouth Natural Resources Trust’s Summer Cookouts at Helfand Farm on August 4 and 26 – BBQ, beverages, live music (dnrt.org).

Head to Portsmouth for the Food Truck and Craft Beer Festival on August 21 (foodtruckfestivalsofamerica.com).

Get your craving for delicious locallyfarmed oysters satisfied on Fridays through Sundays in August at Westport Sea Farms – buy your voucher from the Westport River Watershed Alliance (westportwatershed.org).

Bring a blanket to enjoy “Food Truck Sunsets” at Safe Harbor New England Boatworks in Portsmouth on August 20 – free live music, local beer and wines (foodtrucksin.com).

For a taste of New Bedford’s rich culinary history, go on a guided Food Tour (nbfoodtours.com)!

Dine “Al Fresco on the Hill” on Atwells Ave. in Providence on Friday and Saturday nights through October 1 while people-watching and enjoying free live entertainment (federalhillprov.com).

Don’t miss the Farm to Table Dinner on August 6 at the Soule Homestead in Middleboro (soulehomestead.org).

Save the date for “Brew at the Zoo” – Rhode Island’s largest beer festival on August 27 at the Roger Williams Park Zoo in Providence! More than 80 brewers, live music, 21+ only (rwpzoo. org/brew-at-the-zoo).

Visit Fairhaven’s outdoor Farmers Market and Huttleston Marketplace (fairhaventours.com)!

Get your tickets early for the 2022 Local Food Fest at Castle Hill Inn in Newport on August 9! Enjoy live music on the waterfront while chefs serve locally-sourced foods and beverages – a fundraiser for Farm Fresh RI (farmfreshri.org).

Take the family to the monthly Open Farm Days at Round the Bend Farm in Dartmouth! Grass-fed meats, botanicals, local veggies, honey and more (roundthebendfarm.org).

Shop for everything fresh, local and handmade on Saturdays at the Southcoast Open Air Market in Somerset (southcoastopenairmarket. com).

Visit the Outdoor Farmers Markets in New Bedford at Brooklawn Park on Mondays, Buttonwood Park on Thursdays, Clasky Common Park on Fridays (coastalfoodshed.org).

Mark your calendar for Food Truck Fridays at the Carousel at Roger Williams Park Zoo in Providence (rwpzoo)!

Eat Fresh, Eat Local! Fill your baskets with local produce, dairy products and artisanal foods! To find a farm, vineyard or farmers market near you, visit semaponline.org, farmfreshri. org, or coastalfoodshed.org. To find food and wine events, go to farmcoast. com, coastalwinetrail.com or ediblesouthshore.com.

Festivals, fairs and festas!

Don’t miss “The Looff,” the free East Providence Arts Festival on August 13 at Crescent Park (eastprovidencearts. org).

Mark your calendar! The 106th Feast of the Blessed Sacrament in New Bedford, the largest Portuguese festa in the world, is scheduled for August 4-7 at Madeira Field, with headliner band “Get The Led Out” (feastoftheblessedsacrament.com).

Don’t miss the Annual Rochester Country Fair on August 20-21 (rochesterma.com).

Plan ahead for the Great Holy Ghost Feast in New England in Fall River in late August (facebook.com/great-feast-ofthe-holy-ghost-in-new-england)!

On the silver screen

Plan ahead for Necronomicon Providence 2022 and the HP Lovecraft Film Festival August 18-21 (necronomiconprovidence.com).

Don’t miss the Thursday Movies Series (through August 18) in Warren at Burr’s Hill Park (townofwarren-ri. gov/towngovernment/departments/ parks_and_recreation)!

Head for New Bedford’s Zeiterion to watch Cinema New Bedford’s showing of “Alice Doesn’t Live Here Anymore” August 13 (zeiterion.org).

Buy your tickets early for Flickers: The International Film Festival August 8-14 in Providence and other venues throughout the state (film-festival.org).

Check out free “Movies in the Park” August 26, September 23, and October 21 at Crescent Park in East Providence (crescentparkcarousel.org/events)!

All the world’s a stage

Head for Fall River’s Little Theatre for “The Fantasticks” August 18-21, 25-28 (littletheatre.net).

Enjoy a performance of “Rabbit Hole” August 19-21, 25-28 at the Marion Art Center (marionartcenter.org)! Nemasket River Productions will perform “Beers with the Bard: Much Ado About Nothing” at the Beer Garden of Brewery 44 in Carver on August 6-7, 13-14 (nemasketriverproductions.com).

Shakespeare in New Bedford returns with six free performances of “A Midsummer Night’s Dream” performed by the Reverie Theatre Company at the Rotch-Jones-Duff Museum on August 11-13, 18-20. There will also be “Plays in the Garden” on August 27-28, performed by Your Theatre (rjdmuseum. org).

Enjoy dinner and “Murder at the Howard Johnsons” through August 31 at the Newport Playhouse (newportplayhouse.com). Head for the Priscilla Beach Theatre in Plymouth, the oldest barn theatre still in operation in America!

There’s “Something Rotten” through August 13 (pbtheatre.org).

Music on the lawns

Head for Plymouth’s Memorial Park to hear the Project Arts Summer Concert Series on Wednesday nights through August 31 (projectarts.com), and the L. Knife Concert Series on Thursday nights through September 1 (lknifeandson.com).

Bring your picnic basket to Running Brook Vineyard in Dartmouth for free live music every Saturday and Sunday (runningbrookwine.com)!

Enjoy free concerts at the Blackstone Valley Trolley Station in Providence – there’s Nickel Jukebox August 11, Stone Cold Gypsies August 25, Steampunk Seed Traveling Show September 10 (blackstoneparksconservancy.org).

Don’t miss the free Summer Concerts at Pierce Beach in Somerset on Wednesday evenings through August 10 (townofsomerset.org/ playground-recreation), Swansea’s Summer Concert Series at 57 Main Street through August 12 (facebook. com/SwanseaMassachusetts), or the free Summer Sunday Concerts (through September 4) in Warren at Burr’s Hill Park (townofwarren ri.gov/ towngovernment/departments/ parks_and_recreation)!

Bring your lawn chair and listen to the Americana ensemble Saddle Up the Chicken on August 24 at Shakespeare’s Head Garden on Meeting Street in Providence, sponsored by the Providence Preservation Society (ppsri. org). Buy your tickets early for the Wednesday evening Concerts at Apponagansett Park in Dartmouth through August 31 (town.dartmouth. ma.us/recreation-division). Don’t miss the Summer Outdoor Music Series at the Norman Bird Sanctuary in Middletown – there’s Lisa Morales August 5, The Suitcase Junket September 16 (normanbirdsanctuary. org). Head for Blithewold Mansion and Gardens in Bristol for the Music at Sunset Concerts Series through September 21 (blithewold.org)! Bring your lawn chair to the Concerts Under the Stars in Fairhaven’s center Thursday evenings in August (fairhaventours.com). Enjoy wine tastings and live jazz on Saturdays at Greenvale Vineyards in Portsmouth (greenvale.com). Don’t miss the Westport Rivers Summer Sunset Concert Series through September 10 at the Westport Rivers Vineyard & Winery (westportrivers. com). South Coast sounds

Mark your calendar for the free Rhode Island Folk Festival at Rose Larisa Park in Providence on August 28 (rhodeislandfolkfestival.com). New Bedford’s “Summer Sounds” free concerts are back! Dance in the streets, mingle and enjoy the block-party atmosphere on Friday nights through September 16, alternating between Purchase Street outside No Problemo and lower Union Street outside Play Arcade (destinationnb.org)! Don’t miss the Onset Blues Festival on August 7 at the Onset VFW Pavilion (onsetbay.org)! Find out who’s playing at The Rooftop at Kilburn Mill in New Bedford’s south end (kilburnmill.com)! Check out who’s on stage at the Spire

Center for the Performing Arts of

Greater Plymouth! Don’t miss Forever Young August 6, Matt Borrello August 11, Deadgrass August 12, Kat Wright August 19, Porch Party Mamas August 25, Grace Kelley August 26, Ronnie Earl August 27 (spirecenter.org). Reggae on West Beach in New Bedford is back! Take the family to hear live music and DJs on the waterfront on August 28 (facebook.com/ reggaeonwestbeach)! Plan ahead for Beartooth August 2, Tesla August 3 at Bold Point Park in East Providence (riwaterfrontevents. com)! Head for Pilgrim Memorial Hall in Plymouth to hear comedian Bob Marley August 19, Indigo Girls August 20 (memorialhall.com). Groovy! Don’t miss the free Summer of Love Concerts on Wednesdays at the Onset Bandshell through August 31 (onsetbay.org)! Head for The Narrows Center for the Arts in Fall River for great music! There’s The Garcia Project August 5, Amy Helm August 12, Fabulous Thunderbirds August 13, Poussette Dart Band August 19, Tyler Bowe August 20, The War and Treaty August 25 (narrowscenter.com). Don’t miss Barry Manilow on August 13 at the Dunkin Donuts Center in Providence (dunkindonutscenter.com).

Classical acts

Enjoy a free “A Night at the Oscars” concert on August 3 at the Temple to Music in Roger Williams Park in Providence and on September 4 at Bristol’s Independence Park, part of the Rhode Island Philharmonic’s “Summer Pops” series (riphil/summerpops). Enjoy free outdoor classical music performed by members of the New Bedford Symphony Orchestra during “Sonata Saturdays,” across the street from the New Bedford’s Whaling Museum entrance on the fourth Saturday of each month through October (nbsymphony.org). Plan ahead for the 10th season of

Music from Land’s End Summer

Festival Concerts of classical works and modern hits at Church of the Good Shepherd in Wareham on August 14; at St. Gabriel’s Church in Marion on August 13 (mlewareham.org). The great outdoors

Wander through the many rows of hybridized daylilies on sale at TomCat Farm in Mattapoisett (tomcatfarm.com)! Take a stroll through the urban greenspace of the Allen G. Haskell Public Gardens in New Bedford (thetrustees.org). Head for the Lloyd Center for the Environment in Dartmouth for the Women’s Canoe Trip August 11, “Seabirds, Seals and Sharks: Birding in Chatham” August 17, “Birding and Whale Watching in Provincetown” August 27 (lloydcenter.org). Head for Blithewold Mansion and Gardens in Bristol for flower walks, outdoor yoga, and art classes (blithewold.org)! Pack a picnic and stroll through the flowers at the whimsical Green Animals Topiary Gardens in Portsmouth (newportmansions.org)! “Discover Buzzards Bay” offers an online portal with information about 100+ public places to walk, bird-watch, kayak/canoe, fish, snowshoe or crosscountry ski (savebuzzardsbay.org/ discover). You can find other outdoor recreation spots along the South Coast at thetrustees.org, exploreri.org, massaudubon.org, riwalks.org, asri. org, riparks.com or stateparks.com/ rhode_island.

Stay in shape!

Get in shape at the free Yoga in the Park and Summer Bootcamp classes at Fairhaven’s Cushman Park (facebook. com/fitnessincushmanpark)! Enjoy free Summer Yoga Classes at the Buttonwood Park Arboretum in New Bedford on Wednesdays through September 14, or at Haskell Gardens on Thursdays through August 25 (nbewell. com). Learn about the free virtual classes in meditation, laughter yoga, tai chi, yoga and smoking-cessation hypnosis, offered by New Bedford Wellness Initiative (facebook.com/ NewBedfordWellnessInitiative). Stay in shape and engaged with your community – find out what’s going on at your local YMCA (ymcasouthcoast.org)! Get Healthy! “Walk With a Doc” on Saturdays at Buttonwood Park Zoo, part of the New Bedford Wellness Initiative – and don’t miss the free Tai Chi Fit Flow class just before the walk (nbewell.com)!

All aboard!

Take hi-speed Ferry service to Block Island from Narragansett, Newport and Fall River. (blockislandferry.com). Take a sightseeing cruise of the Cape Cod Canal from the Onset Town Pier with Hy-Line Cruises. Visit hylinecanalcruise.com to check out cocktail cruises, live music cruises, and musical Bingo! Why hassle with the bridges and the Cape traffic when you can head for State Pier in New Bedford to take a high-speed Seastreak Ferry to Martha’s Vineyard or Nantucket (seastreak.com) or else take the Cuttyhunk Ferry for a day-trip to Cuttyhunk (cuttyhunkferryco.com)! Go on a “Vineyard Voyage” with the Providence Riverboat Company – sample wine and food pairings (providenceriverboat.com). Or go on a romantic gondola ride through the waterways of downtown Providence (gondolari. com). Or explore the waterways of Providence in a single or tandem kayak (providencekayak.com)! If you’re a boat lover, visit the Herreshoff Marine Museum, home of the America’s Cup Hall of Fame, in Bristol (herreshoff.org). Da-DUM, da-DUM… Make your reservations to watch the movie “Jaws” aboard the Captain John Boats while cruising Plymouth harbor! There are also comedy cruises, whale watches, fireworks cruises and fast ferries to P-town (captjohn.com). Take a guided tour of Narragansett Bay or Newport Harbor past lighthouses and mansions, or take a fast ferry to Martha’s Vineyard or Block Island, with Rhode Island Bay Cruises (rhodeislandbaycruises.com). Take a boat tour of historic New Bedford harbor or a sunset cruise with Whaling City Expeditions (whalingcityexpeditions.com).

Special events & exhibits Go on a free Summer Walking Tour sponsored by the New Bedford Preservation Society: “Victorian New Bedford” is the theme for August 11 (nbpreservationsociety.org). Wander through the many creative work spaces at the Hatch Street Studios in New Bedford on the free “Studio Saturdays” August 13 and September 10. Enjoy live demos and music, too (destinationnb.org)! Save the date! The 49th Annual Buzzards Bay Regatta will be held August 5-7 (buzzardsbayregatta.com). Check out the Vietnam Veterans Weekend on August 14-15 at Battleship Cove in Fall River, America’s Fleet Museum (battleshipcove.org)! Stroll through “The Azorean Spirit: The Art of Domingos Rebelo,” the first-ever American exhibition of the works of one of the great modernist painters of the 20th century, at the Whaling Museum in New Bedford through September 22 (whalingmuseum.org). Don’t miss WaterFire in Providence on August 13 and 27 (waterfire.org)!