18 minute read
Jubilation 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!
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Fun for the whole family
Take the family on an immersive adventure back to prehistoric times at “Dinosaurs Among Us!” at Roger Williams Park in Providence through August 13, walking amidst sixty life-sized animatronic and interactive dinosaurs (rwpzoo.org)!
Enjoy free family fun at the Magic Show with Scott Martell at the New Bedford Free Public Library downtown on July 8 (newbedford-ma.gov/library)!
Take the family on a ride to Onset for the annual Blessing of the Fleet on July 1, followed by the Children’s Parade, and then build prize-winning sandcastles on the beach on Fun on the Beach Day with Rodney the Sandman on July 15 (onsetbay.org/events)!
Buy your tickets online for the monthly live planetarium shows on the First Fridays at the Blake Planetarium in Plymouth (seeplymouth.com)!
Wander through the many rows of hybridized daylilies on sale at TomCat Farm in Mattapoisett (tomcatfarm.com). Make a splash at WaterWizz in Wareham (waterwizz.com)!
Take the little ones to the Lakeville Library on July 6 for Bryson Lang’s Comedy Show (lakevillelibrary.org)!
Don’t miss the Cape Verdean Recognition Parade on July 1 in New Bedford , starting at Buttonwood Park (destinationnewbedford.org)!
Treat the kids to the Rockwell Carnival at Bristol’s Town Common through July 4 (july4thbristolri.com)!
Take a walk through the past at the New Bedford Whaling National Historical Park (nps.gov/nebe)!
On rainy Wednesdays-Sundays, take the little ones to the Children’s Museum of Greater Fall River (cmgfr.org)!
Learn about Cold Water Wellness , or else learn how to sail, row, kayak, paddleboard or windsurf – for free! -- at the Buzzards Bay Coalition’s Onset Bay Center (savebuzzardsbay.org/discover/ activities)!
Buy your tickets online for the planetarium shows on weekends and school vacations at the Museum of Natural History & Planetarium at Roger Williams Park in Providence (providence.gov/museum).
Enjoy free family fun and entertainment on the second Thursday of the month at New Bedford’s AHA Nights – Kids Rule! is the July 13 theme, and the August 10 theme is “Summer in the Seaport” (ahanewbedford.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, asri.org, riparks.com, or stateparks.com/rhode_island.
Food and drink
Don’t miss the fundraising Soiree at the Buttonwood Park Zoo in New Bedford on July 6 – “ Have a Wild Time at the BPZoo,” with the ZooLaLa Auction! An evening of food, cocktails, live music, dancing, and animal encounters (bpzoo.org).
If you enjoy the cuisines of Guatemala, Mexico or El Salvador, head to Riverside Park in New Bedford on Saturdays July 15 – August 25 for El Patio de Comidas de Riverside, with Latino artists, musicians and dancers (newbedfordcreative.org)!
Head for the Mayflower Beer Garden at the Pinehills in Plymouth every Sunday and on select Mondays through October 9 – live music, food trucks, beer and pop-up shops on the village green (mayflowerbrewing.com)!
Take the kids to the monthly Open Farm Days at Round The Bend Farm in Dartmouth – grass-fed meats, botanicals, local veggies, honey, and family-friendly farm tours (roundthebendfarm.org)!
Support the many cultural activities and events at the Marion Art Center by attending the annual fundraiser “Cocktails by the Sea” on July 28 – hors d’oeuvres, open bar, live music, auction (marionartcenter.org)!
Sign up for a Newport Foodie Stroll on Wednesdays, Thursdays, Fridays and Saturdays through October 14, a walking food tour through the restaurants of Lower Thames Street in Newport (visitrhodeisland.com)!
Buy your tickets early for the “Vine to Table Dinner” on July 22 at Westport Rivers Winery (westportrivers.com)! Taste your way through the historic district with New Bedford Food Tours on a 3-hour guided walking tour to sample local foods at five signature restaurants (nbfoodtours.com)!
Eat Fresh, Eat Local! Fill your baskets with local produce, meat and 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.
Fairs and festivals
Take the family to the annual Westport Fair July 12-16 – carnival, tractor pulls, cornhole, car shows and more (facebook.com/westportfair)!
Don’t miss Mattapoisett’s Harbor Days Festival July 15-16 at Shipyard Park (mattapoisettlionsclub.org)!
Take the kids to the Whaling City Festival at Buttonwood Park in New Bedford July 6-9 (wcfnb.com)!
Take the family to the Summerfest at Crescent Park Carousel in East Providence July 20-23 – carnival, music, vendors, food trucks, and more (crescentparkcarousel.org/events)!
Head to Providence for the Fringe PVD Festival July 16-29 – experimental and emerging performances and visual arts at various venues (fringepvd.org)!
Special events, exhibits & lectures
Tennis, anyone? Don’t miss the Infosys Hall of Fame Open in Newport July 16-23 (halloffameopen.com)!
Be amazed by WaterFire in Providence on July 14, August 19, September 2, September 9 and November 4 (waterfire.org)!
Don’t miss the special exhibit “Sea Monsters Real & Imagined” at the New Bedford Fishing Heritage Center from July 13 through the end of the year (fishingheritagecenter.org)!
Check out the free Pilgrim Hall Museum Speaker Series this summer in Plymouth – compelling speakers on a range of history-related topics (pilgrimhall.org).
Mark your calendar for the 20th Annual South Coast Artists’ Open Studio Tours through the scenic towns of Dartmouth, Westport, Little Compton, and Tiverton on July 15-16 and August 19-20 (southcoastartists.org).
Enjoy free walking tours on AHA! Nights in New Bedford through September, led by the New Bedford Preservation Society – “Walkways: Exploring the People and Places of Historical New Bedford” (nbpreservationsociety.org).
Explore the free public art and programs presented by the Massachusetts Design Art and Technology Institute (DATMA) entitled “Shelter 2023” in New Bedford: “Threshold” at Custom House Square; “Our Woven Story” at the intersection of Union St. and Rt. 18; and the “Community Tides” mural on Fish Island (DATMA.org).
Quench your thirst for learning at the free monthly New Bedford Science Café lectures and discussions at The Last Round Bar & Grille (nbsciencecafe. com)!
To market, to market
Shop for fine arts and antiques at this year’s The Newport Show July 28-30 at St. George’s School in Middletown (thenewportshow.com).
Mark your calendar for the Padanaram Summer Festival and Sidewalk Fair on July 29 in South Dartmouth! Vendors, food, music, kid zone, and more (explorepadanaram.com)!
Head for the Huttleston Marketplace on Saturdays through September 30 on the lawn of Fairhaven High School to browse through arts & crafts, antiques, vintage collectibles, farm produce, and local foods (fairhaventours.com)!
Head for downtown New Bedford on Saturdays throughout July and check out the Co-Creative Pop-Up Shop at the Co-Creative Center on Union Street – shop small, local, and handmade (cocreativenb.org)!
Stroll through Arts in the Park on July 8 in Marion , the Marion Art Center’s annual outside artisans market (marionartcenter.org).
Make a trip to Somerset on Saturdays to stroll through the South Coast Open Air Market to purchase all things local, handmade, and fresh (southcoastopenairmarket.com)!
New Bedford’s Outdoor Farmers Markets are open through October: Mondays at Brooklawn Park, Thursdays at Buttonwood Park, Fridays at Clasky Common Park and Saturdays at Serenity Gardens (coastalfoodshed.org).
Classical acts
Buy your tickets now for the 2023 Newport Classical Music Festival July 4-23 (newportclassical.org)!
Don’t miss the Newport Dance Festival July 18-23 at the Great Friends Meeting House (newportcontemporaryballet.org).
Don’t miss the chamber music concerts performed by Music from Land’s End this summer!
“Melodious Noise – Music from before Bach to the Present” will be performed at St. Gabriel’s Church in Marion July 29 and at Church of the Good Shepherd in Wareham on July 30 (mlewareham.org).
Mark your calendar for the free Buzzards Bay MusicFest
July 12-16 at Tabor Academy in Marion – orchestral concerts, chamber music and swing band (buzzardsbaymusicfest.com)!
“Celebrate America” with the New Bedford Symphony Orchestra on July 2 under the tent at Buzzards Bay Brewing in Westport! Enjoy local craft beer, cider, wine and food trucks (nbsymphony.org)!
Head for the Zeiterion in downtown New Bedford to go on a cultural road-trip to Jacob’s Pillow, the international dance festival in the Berkshires on July 29 (zeiterion.org)!
Buy your tickets early for the RI Philharmonic Orchestra’s Summer Pops Concert on August 2 at the Temple to Music in Roger Williams Park – “The Movie Maestro: A Tribute to John Williams” (riphil. org)!
Enjoy free outdoor concerts performed by the Plymouth Philharmonic Orchestra this summer! Head for the Plymouth waterfront for “An Independence Day Celebration” on July 4, and to the Plymouth Public Library on August 28 for “Two Worlds, One Land” (plymouthphil.org).
There’s music in the air
After 25 years, the venerable New Bedford Folk Festival may have been retired, but make sure you check out the First Annual Roots and Branches Festival on July 22! Twenty-four free acoustic musical performances in popular venues throughout downtown New Bedford (southcoastlessons.com/ rootsandbranches)!
Buy your tickets early for the Newport Folk Festival July 28-30 (newportfolk.org) or the Newport Jazz Festival August 4-6 (newportjazzfest.org), both at Fort Adams State Park in Newport.
Head for Westport Rivers Vineyard and Winery on July 8 to hear Darrell Scott perform at the Westport Rivers Watershed Alliance’s annual Summer Concert (westportwatershed.org)!
There’ll be dancing in the streets of downtown New Bedford during the free Summer Sound Series concerts every other Friday through September 15 (destinationnewbedford.org)!
Bring a lawn chair and enjoy Music in the Garden, evening concerts in the pocket-park behind the Shakespeare’s Head Building in Providence – July 19 Greystone Rail, August 18 Soul Circle, September 13 Phil Sanborn Jazz Trio (ppsri.org/events)!
Head for Lakeville for the free Center Stage Concerts on Tuesdays – July 11, 18, 25 and August 1 (lakevileartscouncilma. org/concerts)!
Enjoy live music every Friday 4-6 at Plymouth’s Shirley Square through July and August (seeplymouth.com)!
Reggae on West Beach is back! Take the family to hear live music and DJs on the New Bedford waterfront on July 30 and August 27 (facebook.com/ reggaeonwestbeach)!
Head for Buzzards Bay Brewing in Westport for Foodtruck Farm Fest: Livin’ Local – free live concerts all summer on Friday/Saturdays (buzzardsbrew.com/ events)
Mark your calendar for the free Food Truck Sunsets at Safe Harbor New England Boatworks in Portsmouth –stunning sunsets, food trucks, local beers/ wines, live bands on July 5 and August 19 (foodtrucksin.com)!
Take the whole family to the free Summer Concerts by the Canal at Buzzards Bay Park every Thursday during July and August (seeplymouth.com)!
Bring your lawn chair on Thursday evenings in July and August to the Concerts Under the Stars in Fairhaven’s center (fairhaventours.com)!
Don’t miss the free Sunday Picnics in the Park at Capron Park in Attleboro – food trucks, live music on July 23 and August 20 (ediblesema.com/event)!
Pack a picnic to enjoy the free ProjectArts summer concerts on the Plymouth waterfront this summer (projectarts.com)! Also, show up for the free L. Knife Concerts at Pilgrim State Memorial Park in Plymouth on Wednesdays through August 31 (seeplymouth.com)!
Don’t miss the free Pierce Beach Concert Series in Somerset through August 9 (townofsomerset.org/ playground-recreation)!
Enjoy the free Sunday Concerts July 9 through August 27 at the Burr’s Hill Park Bandshell in Warren (townofwarren-ri. gov/towngovernment/departments/ parks_and_recreation)!
Buy your tickets early for the Wednesday evening Concerts at Apponagansett Park in Dartmouth through August 30 (town.dartmouth.ma.us/recreationdivision)!
Make your plans now for the Music at Sunset Concert Series through September 6 at Blithewold Mansion and Gardens in Bristol (blithewold.org)!
Buy your ticket-per-carload now for the Westport Rivers Sunset Music Series – tickets must be purchased online in advance (westportrivers.com)!
Bring a picnic or enjoy the food trucks when you head for Soule Homestead in Middleborough for their Summer Concerts July 8, August 5, and September 23 at the outdoor pavilion (soulehomestead.org)!
Bring your picnic basket to Running Brook Vineyard in Dartmouth for free live music every Saturday and Sunday year-round (runningbrookwine.com)!
Bring a blanket to the Summer Concerts at Independence Park in Bristol through July 4 (july4thbristolri.com)!
South Coast sounds
Don’t miss The Eagles Experience July 1, Fast Times July 7, The 60s Thunder July 8, John Cafferty and the Beaver Brown Band August 11 at The District Center for the Arts in Taunton (thedistrictcenterforarts. com)!
Enjoy dinner with your music at the Newport Playhouse! Don’t miss Won’t Back Down July 22, All Female Front July 28 (newportplayhouse.com)!
Don’t miss Lyle Lovett and His Large Band on July 29 at The VETS in Providence (thevetsri.com)!
Head for the Zeiterion in downtown New Bedford to hear One Vision of Queen with Marc Martell July 1, then dance in the streets at the Block Party Bash! on July 21 after the first performance of the New Bedford Festival Theatre’s production of “Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat” (through July 30), or go on a cultural road-trip to Jacob’s Pillow,
the international dance festival in the Berkshires on July 29 (zeiterion.org)!
Head for the Providence Performing Arts Center for Mania: The ABBA Tribute July 15, Counting Crows July 18, Gutfeld Live! July 29 (ppacri.org)!
Head to the Narrows Center in Fall River to hear Tab Benoit July 12, Cracker July 13, Bettye LaVette July 14, The Englishtown Project July 15, Rodney Crowell July 22 (narrowscenter.com)!
Check out who’s performing in The Vault at the Greasy Luck Brew Pub in downtown New Bedford (vaultnb.com)!
Find out who’s on stage at the Spire Center for the Arts of Greater Plymouth (spirecenter.org).
May the Fourth be with you!
On July 4, don’t miss the Float Parade, car cruise and cannon salute in Fairhaven (fairhaventours.com)!
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 US (july4thbristolri.com)!
Show up for the Fourth of July Parade, Concert and fireworks on the Plymouth waterfront (seeplymouth.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 July 4 fireworks!
All the world’s a stage
Head for the Priscilla Beach Theatre in Plymouth, one of the oldest barn summer stock theatres in America! Plan ahead for “Grease – The Musical” July 6-22 (pbtheatre.org)!
Don’t miss The Wilbury Group’s performances in Providence (thewilburygroup.org).
Find out what’s playing at The Little Theatre in Fall River! Don’t miss “Boeing! Boeing!” July 20-30 (littletheatre.net)
Head for the Zeiterion in downtown New Bedford to watch the New Bedford Festival Theatre’s production of “Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat” July 21-30 (zeiterion.org)!
Enjoy dinner with your drama at the Newport Playhouse! Don’t miss “Norman, Is That You?” July 7 through August 31 (newportplayhouse.com)!
Check out what’s playing at Trinity Rep in Providence (trinityrep.com).
Cruisin’ in your car
Check out the Newport Car Museum in Portsmouth to see more than 90 vintage cars and driving simulators (newportcarmuseum.org).
Don’t miss the annual Fourth of July Car Cruise of classic and antique cars in Fairhaven (fairhaventours. com)!
Take the family to the Fifth Annual Auto Show at Bristol Community College in Fall River on July 29 –gorgeous vehicles, food trucks, music (vabc.com)!
Don’t miss “Happy Days Cruise Nights” every Saturday through September 23 at Crescent Park in East Providence (crescentparkcarousel.org/events )! Keep checking the websites for the date of the ever-popular 50s Night –then wear your best “Greaser” duds for the annual “Joe Jesus’ 50s Night” in downtown New Bedford – hotrods, vintage cars, live music, street food (destinationnewbedford.org) (facebook.com/50sNightNB)!
Check out Cruise Nights at Shipyard Park in Mattapoisett with music by Johnny Angel on July 7 & 21, August 4 & 18 and September 1 & 15 (mattapoisett.net/calendar)!
On the silver screen
Don’t miss the free Thursday Movies Series July 6 through August 17 at the Burr’s Hill Park Bandshell in Warren (townofwarren-ri.gov/towngovernment/ departments/parks_and_recreation)!
Check out the First Friday Film Club at the Mattapoisett Library – free classic films and popcorn! “July’s film will be “Hairspray,” August’s “Parent Trap” (mattapoisettlibrary.org).
Check out the Friday afternoon movies at the Newport Public Library (newportpubliclibraryri.org)!
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)!
Gardens galore!
Sign up now for the Secret Garden Tours of Newport’s historic properties on July 7-9 (secretgardentours.org)!
Support the Plymouth Public Library by attending its inaugural Garden Tour on July 20 of six sustainable-practice gardens in Plymouth (plymouthpubliclibrary.org)!
Check out the at Blithewold Mansion and Gardens in Bristol (blithewold.org)!
Pack a picnic and stroll through the flowers at the whimsical Green Animals Topiary Gardens in Portsmouth (newportmansions.org)!
Take a stroll through the urban greenspace of the Allen G. Haskell Public Gardens in New Bedford (thetrustees. org).
Visit the TomCat Daylily farm at 25 River Road in Mattapoisett (tomcatfarm.com).
Get fit this summer!
Get Healthy! “Walk With a Doc” on Saturdays at Buttonwood Park Zoo, part of the New Bedford Wellness Initiative (nbewell.com).
Register now for the 2023 Whaling City Triathlon and Duathlon, the most beginner-friendly multisport event in New England, on July 16 at Fort Taber in New Bedford (outsiderendurance.com/ whaling-city)!
Practice Yoga with Laura at Shell Point Beach in Onset on Wednesdays, Thursdays, and Saturdays (onsetbay.org/ events).
Enjoy the outdoors at the Lloyd Center for the Environment in Dartmouth – sign up for the Shorebird Migration Stroll at Gooseberry Neck Island on July 15 and the Women’s Canoe Trip on the Slocum River July 2 and August 30 (lloydcenter.org)!
Check out the Breathing Time Yoga classes at the Temple to Music at Roger Williams Park on Thursdays (rwpconservancy.org)!
Check out the Outdoor Yoga Series at Blithewold Mansion and Gardens in Bristol on Friday mornings and Monday evenings through September (blithewold.org)!
Stay in shape and engaged in your community! Find out what’s happening at your local YMCA (ymcasouthcoast.org)!
Enjoy free Summer Yoga Classes at the Buttonwood Park Arboretum in New Bedford on Mondays through September 11 or Yoga in the Garden at Haskell Public Gardens in New Bedford on Thursdays through September 14 (nbewell.com)!
Register now for the Mattapoisett Triathlon on July 23 (mattapoisettlionsclub.com)!
Enjoy Yoga in the Garden on Saturdays through September at the Rotch-JonesDuff Mansion in New Bedford! Sign up online – free to YMCA members (rjdmuseum.org)!
Fitness in Cushman Park in Fairhaven is back! Ten weeks of free outdoor classes in yoga on Tuesdays or personal fitness on Thursdays (facebook.com/ fitnessincushmanpark)!
Learn more about the free virtual classes and video library in meditation, laughter yoga, tai chi, yoga, nutrition and smokingcessation hypnosis offered by the New Bedford Wellness Initiative (facebook. com/newbedfordwellnessinitiative)!
Sign up now for the Billington Family Memorial 4th of July 5K Road Race along the scenic Taunton River in Somerset (townofsomerset.org/playgroundrecreation)!
All aboard!
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 starting May 11 (seastreak. com) or else take the Cuttyhunk Ferry for a day-trip to Cuttyhunk year-round (cuttyhunkferryco.com)!
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 (hylinecruises.com)!
Da-DUM, da-DUM… Make your reservations early 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 Provincetown (captjohn.com).
Take the Block Island Ferry from Newport (blockislandferry.com)!
Go on a “Vineyard Voyage” with the Providence Riverboat Company –sample wine and food pairings while cruising through the city’s waterways (providenceriverboat.com) – or take a romantic gondola ride through downtown Providence (gondolari. com)! Or explore the waterways of Providence in a single or tandem kayak (providencekayak.com)!
Tour Narraganset Bay or Newport Harbor past lighthouses and mansions, or take a fast ferry to the Vineyard or Block Island, with Rhode Island Bay Cruises (rhodeislandbaycruises.com)!
Yacht-a, yacht-a, yacht-a
Learn how to sail, rent a boat or just enjoy watching the races at Sail Newport, Rhode Island’s public sailing center – don’t miss the 2023 Newport Regatta July 7 (sailnewport.com)!
Save the date! The 50th Annual Buzzards Bay Regatta will be held July 28-30 (buzzardsbayregatta.com)!
Let the whole family learn how to sail from US Sailing-certified instructors at New Bedford’s Community Boating Center (communityboating.org).
Head for the Herreshoff Maritime Museum in Bristol, home of the America’s Cup Hall of Fame, for wouldbe-sailors of all ages to learn how to sail and race (herreshoff.org)!
