Celebrate in July

by Elizabeth Morse Read

May the Fourth be with you! Kick off your summer reading with this lineup of fun and sun on the South Coast! Music festivals, day trips, free outdoor concerts, food events, boat races, outdoor theatre and movies, street fairs, kids’ programs, Portuguese festas and outdoor adventures!

Cruisin’ in your car

Check out the Newport Car Museum in Portsmouth to see more than 60 vintage cars and driving simulators! Don’t miss ”Hoods Up” weekend July 9-10 (newportcarmuseum.org).

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 on July 16-17 and August 20-21 (southcoastartists. org).

Family fun!

Enjoy free family fun and entertainment on AHA! Nights in New Bedford! The July 14 theme is “Kids Rule” and the August 11 theme is “Summer in the Seaport” (ahanewbedford.org).

Don’t miss Cirque de Soleil July 7-10 at the Dunkin Donuts Center in Providence (dunkindonutscenter.com)!

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

Toddlers will be delighted walking through the Newport Butterfly Zoo in Tiverton (butterflyzoo.org)!

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 Family Beach Day and Kite Festival on July 16 (onsetbay.org).

Let the kids meet Mickey and his pals at the Flint Pride Day in Fall River on July 23, a family-friendly block party at Pleasant and Cash Streets (vivafallriver.org).

Don’t miss the Asian Lantern Spectacular through July 4 at the Roger Williams Park Zoo in Providence – larger-than-life illuminated lanterns of animals and mythical creatures (rwpzoo.org/ lanterns)!

Make a splash at WaterWizz in Wareham (waterwizz.com)! Head for the Museum of Natural History & Planetarium in Providence’s Roger Williams Park to watch the planetarium shows (providence.gov/museum)!

Food and shopping

Bring a blanket to enjoy “Food Truck Sunsets” at Safe Harbor New England Boatworks in Portsmouth on July 23 and August 20 – free live music, local beer and wines (foodtrucksin.com).

Don’t miss the “Sip and Stroll: Food Truck Night” on July 13 at the Roger Williams Park Zoo – live music, cash bars (rwpzoo.org).

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

Head for the Lloyd Center for the Environment for their Annual Clambake on July 8 (lloydcenter.org).

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

Show your support for young artisans and entrepreneurs by heading for Wings Court in downtown New Bedford on July 14 for the “Black in Business Dream Makers Market” (new-bedford-light.org/ culture-calendar). Head for the Gates of the City in Fall River on July 7 for food trucks, live music, beer and wine (vivafallriver.org).

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

Shop for antiques and fine arts at this year’s Newport Show on July 30-31 at 250 West Main Road in Middletown (thenewportshow.com).

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).

Don’t miss the annual Padanaram Artisan Fair, Summer Festival and Sidewalk Sale on July 30 – vendors, food, live music.

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!

Take the family to the Westport Town Fair on July 13-17 (facebook.com/ westportfair)!

Enjoy the rides, games food and live entertainment at New Bedford’s Whaling City Festival July 7-10 at Buttonwood Park (whalingcityfestival.org).

Head to Providence for the Fringe PVD Festival July 17-30 – experimental and emerging performances and visual arts at various venues (fringepvd.org).

Plan ahead for the annual Harbor Days Festival in Mattapoisett’s Shipyard Park July 16-17 (mattapoisettlionsclub.org).

Mark your calendars for the outdoor exhibits at “Arts in the Park” on July 9 in Marion (marionartcenter.org).

Enjoy the music and pageantry of the 50th Cape Verdean Recognition Parade on July 2 from Buttonwood Park to downtown in New Bedford (destionationnewbedford.org).

Take the family to the Heritage Fest at Pierce Memorial Field in East Providence on July 29-31 (epheritagedays.com).

All aboard!

Take a sightseeing cruise of the Cape Cod Canal from Onset Town Pier with Hyline Cruises – check out the cocktail cruises, live music cruises and musical Bingo (hylinecanalcruise.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)!

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)!

Take the Block Island Ferry from Newport (blockislandferry.com).

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).

May the Fourth be with you!

Check out the Float Parade, car cruise and cannon salute on July 4th in Fairhaven (fairhaventours.com)!

Celebrate Independence Day and watch the Fall River fireworks aboard the Battleship Massachusetts at Battleship Cove (battleshipcove.org).

Head for New Bedford’s waterfront to watch the fireworks on the Fourth of July! Don’t miss the fireworks, food, parade, music and excitement of Independence Day in Bristol, home of the oldest Fourth of July celebration in the country (july4thbristolri.com)!

On the Silver Screen

Head for New Bedford’s Zeiterion to watch Cinema New Bedford’s showing of “The Departed” on July 5 and of “Alice Doesn’t Live Here Anymore” August 13 (zeiterion.org).

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

Check out free “Movies in the Park” July 22, August 26, September 23, and October 21 at Crescent Park in East Providence (crescentparkcarousel.org/ events)!

All the world’s a stage

Nemasket River Productions will perform “Love Letters” on July 23 at the Oak Point Clubhouse in Middleboro and an outdoor production of “Much Ado About Nothing” at the Beer Garden of Brewery 44 in Carver on August 6-7, 13-14 (nemasketriverproductions.com).

Don’t miss “Plays in the Garden” performed by Your Theatre on July 23-24 at the Rotch-Jones-Duff Mansion in New Bedford (rjdmuseum.org).

Buy your tickets early for the New Bedford Festival Theatre’s Production of “Beauty and the Beast” at the Zeiterion in New Bedford July 22-31 (zeiterion.org). Enjoy dinner and “Murder at the Howard Johnsons” July 10 to 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 “Mama Mia!” through July 16 and “Something Rotten” July 28-August 13 (pbtheatre.org).

Music on the lawns

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

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).

Enjoy free concerts at the Blackstone Valley Trolley Station in Providence – there’s Miss Wensday’s Vintage Jazz Band July 7, Latin Jazz July 21 (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 Summer Sunday Concerts through September 4 at Burr’s Hill Park in Warren (townofwarrenri.gov/towngovernment/ departments/parks_and_recreation)!

Head for Blithewold Mansion and Gardens in Bristol for the Music at Sunset Concerts Series July 13 through September 21 (blithewold.org)! Buy your tickets early for the Wednesday evening Concerts at Apponagansett Park in Dartmouth through August 31 (town.dartmouth.ma.us/recreationdivision).

Don’t miss the Summer Outdoor Music Series at the Norman Bird Sanctuary in Middletown – there’s Mark Erelli July 8, Lisa Morales August 5, The Suitcase Junket September 16 (normanbirdsanctuary.org). Bring your lawn chair to the “Concerts Under the Stars” in Fairhaven’s center Thursday evenings in July and August (fairhaventours.com).

Buy your tickets early to hear Livingston Taylor perform on July 9 at the Westport Rivers Vineyard and Winery, sponsored by the Westport River Watershed Alliance (westportwatershed.org).

Enjoy wine tastings and live jazz on Saturdays at Greenvale Vineyards in Portsmouth (greenvale.com).

Buy your tickets early for the Westport Rivers Summer Sunset Concert Series through September 10 at the Westport Rivers Vineyard & Winery (westportrivers.com).

Bring a blanket to the Summer Concerts at Independence Park in Bristol June through July 2 (july4thbristolri.com).

South Coast sounds

Don’t miss the Benefit Concert for Ukraine on July 25 at St. Gabriel’s Church in Marion (newbedfordlight.org/culturecalendar).

Hear Grace Morrison perform on July 23 at the Soule Homestead in Middleboro (soulehomestead.org).

Don’t miss the 25th Annual New Bedford Folk Festival July 9-10 – multiple stages, workshops, food court, beer garden, artisan market (newbedfordfolkfestival. com or zeiterion.org)!

Listen to Butch McCarthy perform at the Seaport Inn & Grill in Fairhaven on July 21 or at the Rose Alley Ale House in New Bedford on July 23 (newbedfordlight.org/ culture-calendar).

Check out “The Rocket Man Show” on July 16 at the Providence Performing Arts Center (ppacri.org).

Head for the District Center for the Arts in Taunton to hear Blizzard of OZZ July 1, Gypsy July 2, Journey Night July 8, East Coast Alice July 9, Shout at the Devil July 16, The Portuguese Kids July 22, Deadbeat July 23, Kiss/Poison July 30 (districtartcenter.com).

Reggae on West Beach in New Bedford is back! Take the family to hear live music and DJs on the waterfront on July 31 and August 28 (facebook.com/ reggaeonwestbeach)!

Don’t miss the Newport Folk Festival July 22-24 (newportfolk.org) or the Newport Jazz Festival July 29-31 (newportjazzfest. org), both at Fort Adams State Park! Head for Island Wharf in Marion July 13-17 for the free Buzzards Bay MusicFest – classical, jazz, swing-era music (buzzardsbaymusicfest.com)!

Plan ahead for Mitski with the Weather Station July 28, Beartooth August 2, Tesla August 3 at Bold Point Park in East Providence (riwaterfrontevents.com)!

Head for Pilgrim Memorial Hall in Plymouth to hear The High Kings on July 27 (memorialhall.com).

Autograph will play on July 8 and Blizzard of OZZ July 29 at the Greasy Luck Brew Pub in downtown New Bedford (vaultnb.com).

Groovy! Don’t miss the free Summer of Love Concerts on Wednesdays at the Onset Bandshell July 6 through August 31 (onsetbay.org)!

Head for The Narrows Center for the Arts in Fall River for great music! There’s Robert Earl Keen July 14, Eilen Jewell July 16, Davy Knowles July 22, Dave Bromberg Quintet July 29, Jon Butcher Axis July 30 (narrowscenter.com).

Don’t miss James Taylor July 1 at the Dunkin Donuts Center in Providence (dunkindonutscenter.com).

Classical acts

Don’t miss the Newport Dance Festival July 19-24 at the Great Friends Meeting House (islandmovingco.org).

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).

Classical music lovers can enjoy dozens of performances throughout the state performed by international artists during the Newport Classical Music Festival July 1-17 (newportclassical.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 July 15, 17, 24, and August 14; at St. Peter’s Church in Dartmouth on July 16; at St. Gabriel’s Church in Marion on July 23 and August 13 (mlewareham.org).

Don’t miss “Music in the Gardens” performed by members of the NBSO at the Rotch-Jones-Duff House in New Bedford on July 14 (rjdmuseum.org).

Special events & exhibits

Go on a free Summer Walking Tour sponsored by the New Bedford Preservation Society: “Whaling History” is the theme for July 14; “Victorian New Bedford” for August 11 (nbpreservationsociety.org).

Watch the 75th Anniversary Marion Horse Show on July 3 at Marion’s Washburn Park (marionhorseshow.com).

Watch the Newport Regatta July 9-10 at the Newport Sailing Center (sailnewport.com).

Bring your “heirloom” to “Appraisal Day” at the Rotch-Jones-Duff Mansion in New Bedford on July 16 (rjdmuseum.org).

Don’t miss “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).

Check out “Beyond Van Gogh: The Immersive Experience,” a unique multimedia event at the Rhode Island Convention Center in Providence through July 8 (vangoghprovidence.com).

Don’t miss WaterFire in Providence on July 30, August 13 and 27 (waterfire.org)!

Buy your tickets early for the Dell Technologies Hall of Fame Open July 10-17 at the International Tennis Hall of Fame in Newport (halloffameopen.com).