Enjoy an awesome summer

Elizabeth Morse Read

These are the lazy, hazy, crazy days of summer that we dream of in wintertime! Portuguese festas, free outdoor concerts, street fairs, food trucks, farmers markets, and life on the shore! It doesn’t get much better than this, folks, and it won’t last forever, so pack your picnic and towels, gather family and friends, and get out there as often as possible!

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. Then take the family to Onset for Illumination Night on August 5 and the Chalk-Full-OFun Street Painting Festival on August 19 at the Bandshell (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)!

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

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)!

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)!

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)!

Don’t miss the 4th Annual CommUNITY Rollout & Roller Disco event at Buttonwood Park in New Bedford on August 12 – bring your skateboards, strollers, inline skates and bikes to the basketball courts for roller disco with New Moon DJs (newbedfordcreative.org)!

Food and Drink

If you enjoy the cuisines of Guatemala, Mexico, or El Salvador, head to Riverside Park in New Bedford on Saturdays July 15 to August 25 for El Patio de Comidas de Riverside, with Latino artists, musicians and dancers (newbedfordcreative.org)!

Buy your tickets early for the Farm to Table Dinner August 19 at Soule Homestead in Middleborough (soulehomestead. org)!

Sign up for a Newport Foodie Stroll on Wednesdays through Saturdays through October 14, a walking food tour through the restaurants of Lower Thames Street in Newport (visitrhodeisland.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)!

Buy your tickets early for the “Vine to Table Dinner” on July 22 at Westport Rivers Winery (westportrivers.com)!

Fairs, Festas and Festivals

Mark your calendar! The 107th Feast of the Blessed Sacrament in New Bedford, the largest Portuguese festa in the world, is scheduled for August 3-6 at Madeira Field, with “Get the Led Out” as the headliner band (feastoftheblessedsacrament.com)!

Don’t miss Mattapoisett’s Harbor Days Festival July 15-16 at Shipyard Park (mattapoisettlionsclub.org)!

Take the family to the annual Westport Fair July 12-16 – carnival, tractor pulls, corn hole, car shows, and more (facebook. com/westportfair)!

Take the kids to the Whaling City Festival at Buttonwood Park in New Bedford July 6-9 (wcfnb.com)!

Plan ahead for the 40th annual Black Ships Festival in Bristol and Newport August 11-13 – free Taiko Drum Concert August 11 at Rockwell Park in Bristol, Black Ships Cultural Marketplace Fair on August 12 at Independence Park in Bristol (blackshipsfestival.com).

Mark your calendar for the annual Great Feast of the Holy Ghost in New England in Fall River August 23-28 at Kennedy Park (grandesfestas.org)!

Special events, Exhibits and Lectures

Take a leisurely cruise on The Art Drive on August 4-6, the free open studio tour of 32 artists and artisans in Dartmouth and Westport (the-art-drive.com).

Don’t miss the fund-raising 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)

Buy your tickets early for the Westport Rivers Watershed Alliance’s Summer Gala fundraiser on August 12 at 7 Coggeshall Lane in Westport – dinner, drinks, live music (westportwatershed.org)!

There’s always something happening at New Bedford’s Rotch-Jones-Duff Mansion and Gardens – check out their calendar of events (rjdmuseum.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)!

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 Street and Route 18; and the “Community Tides” mural on Fish Island (DATMA.org).

Tennis, anyone? Don’t miss the Infosys Hall of Fame Open in Newport July 16-23 (halloffameopen.com)!

There's Much 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. Groovy! Don’t miss the free Summer of Love Concerts at the Onset Bandshell through August 30 (onsetbay.org)!

Head for Buzzards Bay Brewing in Westport for Foodtruck Farm Fest: Livin’ Local – free live concerts all summer on Fridays/Saturdays (buzzardsbrew.com/ events)

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)!

Be on the lookout for the annual Onset Blues Festival in August (facebook. com/OnsetBluesFestival) (onsetbay.org/ events)!

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 Pierce Beach Concert Series in Somerset through August 9 (townofsomerset.org/playgroundrecreation)!

Buy your tickets early for the Wednesday evening Concerts at Apponagansett Park in Dartmouth through August 30 (town. dartmouth.ma.us/recreation-division)! Buy your ticket-per-carload now for the Westport Rivers Sunset Music Series – tickets must be purchased online in advance (westportrivers.com).

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

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 on Wednesdays through August 31 (seeplymouth.com)!

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)!

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)!

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)!

Enjoy the free Sunday Concerts July 9 to August 27 at the Burr’s Hill Park Bandshell in Warren (townofwarren-ri. gov/towngovernment/departments/ parks_and_recreation)!

Bring a blanket to the Summer Concerts at Independence Park in Bristol through July 4 (july4thbristolri.com)!

Classical Acts

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. “So Many Ways to Sing” will be performed at St. Gabriel’s Church in Marion August 12 and at Church of the Good Shepherd in Wareham on August 13 (mlewareham.org).

“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)!

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)!

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).

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).

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, “Once” August 3-19 (pbtheatre.org)!

Find out what’s playing at The Little Theatre in Fall River! Don’t miss Boeing! Boeing! July 20-30, “Rock of Ages” August 17-27 (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)!

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 5th 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 July date of the ever-popular 50s Night – then wear your best “Greaser” duds for the annual “Joe Jesus’ 50s Night” in downtown New Bedford – hot rods, vintage cars, live music, street food (destinationnewbedford.org) (facebook. com/50sNightNB)!

Head for Livesey Park in North Fairhaven on August 20 for the annual Legendary Street Rods, Cars, Trucks, and Bikes Show (fairhaventours.com)!

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)!

May the fourth be with you!

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)!

On July 4, don’t miss the Float Parade, car cruise and cannon salute in Fairhaven (fairhaventours.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 fireworks on Fourth of July (destinationnewbedford.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 (hylinecruises.com)!

Take the Block Island Ferry from Newport (blockislandferry.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 starting May 11 (seastreak. com) or else take the Cuttyhunk Ferry for a day-trip to Cuttyhunk year-round (cuttyhunkferryco.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 P-town (captjohn.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 would-be-sailors of all ages to learn how to sail and race (herreshoff.org)!

“Breathe deeply in the gardens”

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 Outdoor Yoga Series at Blithewold Mansion and Gardens in Bristol on Friday mornings and Monday evenings through September (blithewold.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)!

Pack a picnic and stroll through the flowers at the whimsical Green Animals Topiary Gardens in Portsmouth (newportmansions.org)!

Practice Yoga with Laura at Shell Point Beach in Onset on Wednesdays, Thursdays, and Saturdays (onsetbay.org/events).

Elizabeth Morse Read is an award-winning writer, editor and artist who grew up on the South Coast. After 20 years of working in New York City and traveling the world, she came back home with her children and lives in Fairhaven.