Enjoy a fabulous February

Plan ahead for the Annual Newport Winter Festival on February 17-26 (newportwinterfestival.com), including the Bowen’s Wharf Winter Sale, with in-store events and restaurant promotions (bowenswharf.com)!

by Elizabeth Morse Read

February may be the shortest month of the year in the dead of winter, but it sure is long on festivities! Gather together with family and friends to enjoy Groundhog Day (February 2), Super Bowl Sunday (February 12), Valentine’s Day (February 14), Mardi Gras (February 21) and Black History Month! Take advantage of school vacation week to enjoy the many outdoor activities on the South Coast this month, too. And don’t despair – spring’s just around the corner!

Bundle up and get outdoors!

Register now for the 6th Annual Mardi Gras Madness 5K in Plymouth, starting at the Tavern on the Wharf on February 18 (southshorerace.com).

Sharpen your ice skates (or rent them) at indoor skating rinks in Southeastern Massachusetts (fmcicesports.com/ rinks), or the huge outdoor rink (and bumper cars!) in Providence (theprovidencerink.com).

Discover Buzzards Bay offers an online portal with information about more than 100 public places to walk, bird-watch, kayak/canoe, fish, snowshoe or cross-country ski (savebuzzardsbay.org/discover). You can find other outdoor recreation spots along the South Coast at thetrustees. org and massaudubon.org, asri.org, riparks.com, or stateparks.com/ rhode_island.

Get in touch with nature at the Norman Bird Sanctuary in Middletown! Go on an Owl Prowl on February 1, learn about Cupid & Constellations February 10, take a shorebird stroll February 18 (normanbirdsanctuary.org)!

Go on a guided Seal Watch boat tour with Save The Bay, departing from Bowen’s Ferry Landing in Newport through April (savebay.org/seals)!

Get a glimpse of snowy owls and other migratory birds at the Sachuest Point National Wildlife Refuge in Middletown (fws.gov/sachuestpoint)!

Classical acts

Enjoy Symphony on Tap at Kilburn Mill in New Bedford on February 18, with the New Bedford Symphony Orchestra performing in a casual nightclub setting (nbsymphony.org)!

Relax and listen to the performance of the Tri-County Symphonic Band along with the Our Lady of Light Band on February 5 at Our Lady of Light Banquet Hall in Fall River (tricountysymphonicband.org)!

Don’t miss “Travelogue: A Planetary Tour” on February 25 at St. Gabriel’s Church in Marion, or on February 26 at St. Peter’s Church in Dartmouth, performed by the South Coast Chamber Music series (nbsymphony. org/southcoast-chamber-musicseries).

Celebrate the return of Arts in the Village, Rehoboth’s chamber music series at Goff Memorial Hall! Don’t miss violin/piano duo Altschuler and Tokuno February 18 (rehobothantiquarian.org)!

Just in time for Valentine’s Day!

Don’t miss “Love Songs in the Living Room,” performed by the Encore Opera Ensemble, at Blithewold Mansion and Gardens on February 12 (blithewold. org).

Listen to the Dover Quartet perform on February 19 at Westport’s Concerts at the Point (concertsatthepoint.org).

Watch the Festival Ballet Providence’s performance of “Up Close on Hope” at the Black Box Theatre February 10-19 (festivalballetprovidence.org)! D

on’t miss the Fall River Symphony Orchestra’s winter concert “Winter Dreams” on February 19 at Bristol Community College’s Jackson Theatre (fallriversymphonyorchestra.org).

Listen to “Tchaikovsky’s Violin Concerto” performed by the Rhode Island Philharmonic on February 24 & 25 at The VETS in Providence (riphil. org).

Head for the Narrows Center for the Arts in Fall River to hear Colby James & the Ramblers February 4, Club D’Elf February 10, Tom Rush 2/18, Sunny War

Festivals, food, and brews!

Take the family to the monthly Open Farm Days at Round The Bend Farm in Dartmouth! Grass-fed meats, seasonal produce, honey, maple syrup, botanicals and family-friendly farm tours (roundthebendfarm.org).

Head for Memorial Hall in Plymouth on February 4 for the South Shore Food and Wine Expo (memorialhall.com)!

Show up hungry on February 4 & 5 for “VegFest RI” at the WaterFire Arts Center in Providence! Learn about a plant-based lifestyle, try the food, meet the vendors, chefs, authors – and more (rivegfest.com)!

Eat Fresh – Eat Local! Fill your baskets with seasonal produce, baked goods and dairy products! To find a farm, vineyard or winter farmers market near you, visit semaponline.org, coastalfoodshed.org, farmfreshri.org, or localharvest.org.

Find out what’s on stage at the Little Theatre in Fall River! Don’t miss “Our Town” February 2-5, 9-12 (littletheatre.net).

On the silver screen

Enjoy the Providence Children’s Film Festival on February 17-26 at various venues throughout the city (providencechildrensfilmfestival.org).

Enjoy the Jack Nicholson film series at the Newport Public Library on February 10 & 24 (newportlibraryri.org).

Head for the Zeiterion in downtown New Bedford to watch “The Umbrellas of Cherbourg” February 14, “Breakfast at Tiffany’s” February 26 (zeiterion.org).

Fun for the whole family!

Enjoy free family fun and entertainment on the second Thursday of every month at New Bedford’s AHA Nights – celebrate “Sheroes and Heroes” on February 10, as well as Black History Month (ahanewbedford.org)!

Take the kids to see Monster Jam on February 3-5 at the Dunkin Donuts Center in Providence (dunkindonutscenter.com)!

Buy your tickets online for the indoor planetarium shows on weekends year-round, and daily during school vacations at the Museum of Natural History and Planetarium in Roger Williams Park in Providence (providenceri.gov/museum)!

Celebrate Black History Month by checking out the special events scheduled by the New Bedford Historical Society, like the Frederick Douglass Community Read-a-thon

Try something completely different!

Sign up for a workshop in Shibori , the Japanese art of dyeing, on February 18 at the New Bedford Art Museum/ Artworks (newbedfordart.org)!

Head for Memorial Hall in Plymouth on February 11 for the Cornhole Tournament (memorialhall.com)!

Learn how to line dance at the New Bedford’s Kilburn Mills (facebook.com/ aandmdanceacademy.com).

Quench your thirst for learning and beer) at the free monthly New Bedford Science Café lectures and discussions at The Last Round Bar & Grille (nbsciencecafe.com)!

Try your hand at pickleball at Fairhaven’s indoor Southcoast Pickleball arena (southcoastpickleball.com).

Celebrate Black History Month by checking out the special events scheduled by the New Bedford Historical Society, like the Frederick Douglass Community Read-a-thon (nbhistoricalsociety.org).

Listen to the music!

Head for the Narrows Center for the Arts in Fall River to hear Colby James & the Ramblers February 4, Club D’Elf February 10, Tom Rush 2/18, Sunny War February 25 (narrowscenter.org).

Listen to live music performed at the Newport Public Library! Don’t miss the Atwater-Donnelly Duo on February 18 (newportlibraryri.org).

Enjoy a Valentine’s Concert with Austin Burns and Michelle Gordon on February 12 at the whaling-era RotchJones-Duff House in New Bedford (rjdmuseum.org)!

Head for Running Brook Vineyards in Dartmouth for free live music every weekend year-round (runningbrookwine.com)!

Find out who’s on stage at The District Center for the Arts in Taunton! There’s Boyz Gone Wild February 10, ABBA Valentine’s Day Dance February 11, Ultimate 80s Party: Saints in the City February 17, Young Americans February 25 (thedistrictcenterforarts.com)!

Find out who’s on stage at the Spire Center for the Performing Arts of Greater Plymouth! There’s Say Darling February 9, The Balloon Thieves February 10, Moondance February 11, Talisk February 17, Eric Lindell February 25 (spirecenter.org).

Head for Zeiterion in downtown New Bedford to enjoy Salsa for Lovers: Valentine's Day Special on February 6 & 13. Mandy Patinkin February 9 (zeiterion.org).

The shows must go on!

Don't miss Jeff Dunham's "Still Not Canceled Tour" on February 25 at the Dunkin Donuts Center in Providence (dunkindonutscenter.com)!

Discover the Baker Playhouse in Providence, the oldest continuously-running little theatre in America! Don't miss "The Normal Heart" February 3-5 (playersri.org).

Head for The VETS in Providence to watch "Menopause: The Musical" February 9, Chris D'Elia February 17, Bored Teachers Comedy Tour February 19 (vmari.com)!

Check out what’s playing at The Wilbury Group in Providence! Don’t miss “A. Dick. Ted” February 24 to March 4 (thewilburygroup.org)!

Find out what’s on stage at the Providence Performing Arts Center! There’s “Annie” through February 5, “Come from Away” February 21-26, “Paw Patrol Live!” February 18-19 (ppacri.org).