13 minute read
Enjoy an awesome autumn!
Elizabeth Morse Read
THE BLISTERINGLY HOT DAYS OF SUMMER ARE ALMOST OVER! THE KIDS ARE BACK IN SCHOOL, THE TOURISTS HAVE GONE HOME – TAKE A DEEP BREATH AND ENJOY THE COOLER TEMPS, THE OKTOBERFESTS, THE BUMPER-CROPS AT THE FARMERS MARKETS, THE HARVEST FAIRS, SEAFOOD FESTIVALS, AND DANCING IN THE STREETS – AND THE RETURN OF INDOOR MUSIC, THEATRE, AND CULTURAL EVENTS AS THE DAYS GROW SHORTER!
FAMILY FUN!
Don’t miss “Riverside Beats,” a free outdoor community dance party with New Moon DJs at Riverside Park in New Bedford on September 3 (newbedfordcreative.org)!
See what life was like during the Revolutionary War! Visit the Fairhaven Village Militia’s Military Encampment at Fort Phoenix September 30 to October 1 (fairhaventours.com)!
Head for Onset Bay for the Harvest Moon Festival on September 23 –fireworks, flea market, food trucks, live music, antique/classic car show (onsetbay.org)!
Take the family to Soule Homestead in Middleborough for the Harvest Fair on September 9 – hayrides, local artisans and crafters, food, and music (soulehomestead.org)!
Enjoy free family fun and entertainment on AHA! Nights in New Bedford! The September 14 theme is “NB Cultures.” The October 12 theme is “Art in Tune” (ahanewbedford.org).
Don’t miss the 18th Annual Arts & Music Festival on September 30 in Lakeville – arts & crafts, kids’ activities, music, food trucks, and more (lakevilleartscouncilma.org/festival)!
Spend some family time at the Fairhaven Kids Festival on October 14 – loads of activities, free food, arts and crafts (fairhaventours.com)!
When it’s raining outside, take the little ones to the Children’s Museum of Greater Fall River (cmgfr.org)!
food, driNk, a Nd shoppiNg!
Aw shucks! Plan ahead for the 9th Annual Ocean State Oyster Festival at River Walk Park in Providence on October 7 (oysterfestri.com).
Head for Newport on October 6-9 for the Columbus Day Sidewalk Sale at Bowen’s Wharf and on October 14-15 for the 32nd Annual Bowen’s Wharf Seafood Festival (bowenswharf.com)!
Go on a Vineyard Voyage with the Providence Riverboat Company (providenceriverboat.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)!
Make a trip to Somerset on Saturdays through October and stroll through the South Coast Open Air Market to purchase all things local, handmade, and fresh (southcoastopenairmarket.com)!
Sign up for a Newport Foodie Stroll on Wednesdays-Saturdays through October 14, a walking food tour through the restaurants of Lower Thames Street in Newport (visitrhodeisland.com)!
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)!
Taste your way through the historic district with New Bedford Food Tours on a three-hour guided walking tour to sample local foods at five signature restaurants, a two-hour “Art and Brunch” tour of the city, or a three-hour “A Taste of Portugal” tour in Fall River (nbfoodtours.com)!
f estivals, fairs a Nd festas!
Head for Trinity Beer Garden at Kennedy Plaza in downtown Providence on September 23 for the RI Vegtoberfest – a 21+ vegan beer and food event and marketplace presented by RI VegFest (goprovidence.com)!
Mark your calendars for the annual Our Lady of the Angels Portuguese Festa on Labor Day weekend – September 2-4 – at the feast grounds in north Fairhaven (fairhaventours.com)!
Celebrate the season at the South Coast Harvest Festival September 29 to October 1 at the Westport Fairgrounds! Garden talks/demos, tractor parade, autumn foods, live music, pumpkin carving, kids’ “corn”-er, scarecrows (southcoastharvestfestival.com)!
Spend the day at Fairhaven’s legendary Manjiro Festival on October 7 – explores the town’s ties with its sister-city in Japan, enjoy Japanese food, music, Taiko drumming, martial arts, calligraphy, tea ceremony, free bus tour, and more (fairhaventours.com, WhitfieldManjiro.org)!
Celebrate harvest time at the Norman Bird Sanctuary’s 49th Annual Harvest Fair September 30 to October 1 in Middletown! Old-fashioned family fun, food trucks, games, competitions, live music (normanbirdsanctuary.org)!
Hear Ye! Hear Ye! King Richard’s Faire in Carver returns on weekends September 2 to October 22 (kingrichardsfaire. net).
Show up hungry for the 18th Annual Blount Fine Foods New Bedford Seaport Chowderfest September 30 on Pier 3 in New Bedford (onesouthcoast.com)!
Mark your calendars for the Newport Mansions Wine and Food Festival on September 22-24 at Rosecliff (newportmansions.org).
Head for the 13th Annual Rhode Island Seafood Festival at India Point Park in Providence on September 16-17, rain or shine (riseafoodfest.com)!
Don’t miss the 21+ event “First Taste of Fall” on September 23 at the Buttonwood Park Zoo in New Bedford – food trucks, local breweries, and wineries (bpzoo.org).
Don’t miss the annual Acushnet Apple-Peach Festival on the weekend after Labor Day (facebook.com/fans-ofthe-acushnet-applepeach-festival)!
Head for Frerich’s Farm in Warren for the Mum & Scarecrow Festival September 9 and the Thrive Outside: Mud Run September 17 (frerichsfarm.com).
speCial eveNts, exhibits, a Nd leC tures
On September 19-20, head for Round the Bend Farm in South Dartmouth for the free event “Autumn Joy: A Garden Club of America Flower Show” hosted by the Little Compton Garden Club (littlecomptongardenclub.org ) and the Garden Club of Buzzards Bay (gardenclubbuzzardsbay.org). Enjoy gorgeous floral arrangements, plant and flower specimens, nature photography and conservation initiatives supportive of sustainable agriculture (roundthebendfarm.org)!
There’s always something going on at the Norman Bird Sanctuary in Middletown! Don’t miss the Mushroom Hunting Lecture on September 14 or the Mushroom Hunting Guided Walk on September 16 (normanbirdsanctuary. org)!
Head for Blithewold Mansion and Gardens in Bristol for workshops in fruit and vegetable canning September 2, pickling September 9, Sparkling Wines September 25, White Wine TastingOctober 5, Red Wine Tasting October 12, and Bumble Bees & Pollinators October 14 (blithewold.org)!
Go on the Providence Preservation Society’s Architectural River Tour on September 25, cruising the Providence waterways (ppsri.org/events)!
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).
Check out the free Pilgrim Hall Museum Speaker Series this year in Plymouth – compelling speakers on a range of history-related topics (pilgrimhall.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). Be amazed by WaterFire in Providence on September 2, 9, and 30 (waterfire. org)!
Quench your thirst for learning at the free monthly New Bedford Science Café lectures and discussions at The Last Round Bar & Grille . Don’t miss “Climate Change in New Bedford: Exploring Probable Futures” on September 12 (nbsciencecafe.com)!
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. And don’t miss the New Bedford Symphony Orchestra’s Pop-Up Performance in Custom House Square on September 14 (DATMA.org).
Need a bigger boat? Plan ahead for the Newport International Boat Show September 14-17 at the Newport Yachting Center (newportboatshow.com).
Listen to the free lecture “Sea Monsters from Classical Times to the Age of Exploration” on September 14 at the New Bedford Fishing Heritage Center (fishingheritagecenter.org)!
Visit the special art exhibit “A Singularly Marine & Fabulous Produce: The Cultures of Seaweed” at New Bedford’s Whaling Museum through December 3 (whalingmuseum.org).
ALL THE WORLD'S A STAGE
Head for the Providence Performing Arts Center to enjoy performances of “Funny Girl” September 9-16, “Mrs. Doubtfire” October 17-22, or “The Book of Mormon” October 31 (ppacri.org)!
Don’t miss “Puffs” at Fall River’s Little Theatre on October 12-22 (littletheatre. net)!
Head for the Priscilla Beach Theatre in Plymouth, the oldest barn theatre still in operation in America! There’s “Always… Patsy Cline” September 8-16, “Camelot” October 6-10 (pbtheatre.org).
Don’t miss “22/16: The Remix of a Global Experiment” during September and October performed by The Wilbury Group in Providence (thewilburygroup. org).
Enjoy dinner with your drama at the Newport Playhouse! Don’t miss “Ghost of a Chance” September 13 to October 29 (newportplayhouse.com)!
Enjoy a performance of “The Good John Proctor” September 7-15, 28 through November 12, and “Becky Nurse of Salem” September 21 through November 10 at Trinity Rep in Providence (trinityrep.com).
MUSIC ON THE LAWNS
Head for Frerich’s Farm in Warren for the RI Bluegrass Festival September 23-24 (frerichsfarm.com).
Enjoy a “Concert in the Garden: Broadway in New Bedford” on September 17 at the Rotch-Jones-Duff Mansion in New Bedford (rjdmuseum.org)!
Don’t miss the 28th annual Westport Rock, Rhythm & Blues Festival September 8-10 at the Holy Ghost Grounds in Westport, a fundraiser to benefit A Wish Come True (awish.org).
Bring a lawn chair and enjoy Music in the Garden in the pocket-park behind the Shakespeare’s Head Building in Providence – don’t miss the Phil Sanborn Jazz Trio on September 13 (ppsri.org/events)!
Bring a picnic or enjoy the food trucks when you head for Soule Homestead in Middleborough for the Summer Concert on September 23 at the outdoor pavilion (soulehomestead.org)!
Enjoy wine tastings and live jazz on Saturdays at Greenvale Vineyards in Portsmouth (greenvale.com).
Bring your picnic basket to Running Brook Vineyard in Dartmouth for free live music every Saturday and Sunday year-round (runningbrookwine.com)!
Head for Blithewold Mansion and Gardens in Bristol for the Music at Sunset Concerts Series through September 6 (blithewold.org)!
SOUTH COAST SOUNDS
Starting in September, the 100-year old Zeiterion Performing Arts Center in New Bedford will undergo an historic restoration and renovation., and will be closed for 12-18 months until completion. But during that time, the great performances the Z is known for will still be scheduled at other venues and stages throughout the South Coast, including performances by the Z’s resident companies, the New Bedford Festival Theatre and the New Bedford Symphony Orchestra . So head for Madeira Field in New Bedford on September 8 to hear Get the Led Out or on September 30 for Legally Blynd (zeiterion.org)!
Find out who’s on stage at the District Center for the Arts in Taunton! (thedistrictcenterforarts.com).
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! spirecenter.org).
Head for The Narrows Center for the Arts in Fall River for great music! (narrowscenter.com).
Don’t miss New Bedford’s free “Summer Sounds” concerts! Dance in the streets, mingle and enjoy the block-party atmosphere on every other Friday night through September 15, alternating between Purchase Street and lower Union Street (destinationnewbedford. org)!
Check out what’s happening at the Providence Performing Arts Center! (ppacri.org)!
Head for Pilgrim Memorial Hall in Plymouth (memorialhall.com).
CLASSICAL ACTS
Don’t miss Festival Ballet Providence’s performance of “Death and the Maiden” October 13-15 at the Woodman Center in Providence (festivalballetprovidence. org)!
The Rhode Island Philharmonic Orchestra will present Jeremy Denk Plays Mozart October 13-14 at The VETS, Tower of Power and the RI Philharmonic Orchestra October 28 (riphil.org).
Listen to the New Bedford Symphony Orchestra perform its new season premiere “Three Worlds” at the Bronspiegel Auditorium at New Bedford High School on October 14 (nbsymphony. org).
Buy your tickets early to hear violinist Karen Gomyo perform at The VETS in Providence on September 23 (riphil.org)!
Enjoy beautiful music in New Bedford’s historic district on September 23 with Sonata Saturday, a partnership of the New Bedford Whaling National Historical Park, the New Bedford Symphony Orchestra and The Drawing Room – head for the NBWNHP Visitor Center for two free afternoon performances of classical and popular music (nbsymphony.org)!
Listen to the Plymouth Philharmonic Orchestra’s Opening Night concert “Wanting More” on September 30 at Plymouth Memorial Hall (plymouthphil.org)!
Head for Blithewold Mansion and Gardens in Bristol for “Songs of Love and War,” featuring the Encore Opera Company, on September 7 (blithewold.org)!
ENJOY THE GREAT OUTDOORS
Bike for clean water! Join in the 17th Annual Buzzards Bay Watershed Ride on October 1, from Little Compton to Woods Hole through the scenic landscapes of the South Coast (savebuzzardsbay.org/discover/events)!
Take a stroll through the urban greenspace of the Allen G. Haskell Public Gardens in New Bedford (thetrustees.org).
Explore the waterways of Providence in a single or tandem kayak (providencekayak.com).
Register now for the Newport Marathon October 8 (newportmarathon.com) or the Pell Bridge Run/Walk on October 15 (pellbridgerun.com).
Get Healthy! “Walk With a Doc” on Saturdays at Buttonwood Park Zoo, part of the New Bedford Wellness Initiative (nbewell.com)!
Check out what’s happening at the Lloyd Center for the Environment in Dartmouth – don’t miss the Women’s Canoe Trip on September 29. The trails are free and open to the public every day from dawn to dusk (lloydcenter.org).
Pack a picnic and stroll through 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.
Enjoy Yoga in the Garden on Saturdays through September at the Rotch-Jones-Duff Mansion in New Bedford! Sign up online – free to YMCA members (rjdmuseum.org)!
Sign up early for the 2023 Wine Run at Westport Rivers Vineyard and Winery on September 6 – run along the river through the vineyards, followed by dinner, wine and music (info@rhoderaces.us).
ALL THINGS HALLOWEEN
Plan ahead for the fabulous “Jack-oLantern Spectacular” at Roger Williams Park Zoo in Providence (rwpzoo.org)!
Go on a lantern-led guided ghost tour of Providence’s historic East Side (providenceghosttour.com)!
Find a haunted house, hay ride, corn maze, scary event, or spooky place near you at (mahauntedhouses.com)!
Head for the Narrows Center in Fall River on October 28 for the live multimedia Hallowe’en event “Nosferatu Live” (narrowscenter.com, nosferatuLIVE.com )!
Go on a lantern-led haunted history tour with “Ghosts of Newport” (ghostsofnewport.com).
Woohoo! Explore the eight-acre Corn Maze at Escobar’s Highland Farm in Portsmouth (escobarshighlandfarm. com)!
Visit the most famous haunted house on the South Coast – take a tour of the Lizzie Borden B&B Museum in Fall River (or spend the night, if you dare!).
Or go on a bundled tour of Salem, Boston and the Lizzie Borden House (lizzie-borden.com). To view photographs and historical artifacts of the infamous double murder, visit the Fall River Historical Society’s Lizzie Borden exhibit (lizzieborden.org)!
Go on a Haunted Boat Tour through the waterways of Providence (providencriverboat.com)!
Have some slightly-spooky fun at New Bedford’s Buttonwood Park’s “Boo at the Zoo” in October (bpzoo.org)!
Let the whole family enjoy the Annual Hallowe’en on Main Street in Plymouth on October 31 (seeplymouth.com).
Take a tour of the Fortress of Nightmares at Fort Adams State Park in Newport (fortressofnightmares.org)!
Don’t miss the annual Hallowe’en Parade at Benoit Square in Fairhaven on October 29 (fairhaventours.com)!
Scare yourself silly at Fall River’s Factory of Terror (mahauntedhouse. com, factoryofterror.com)!
Buy your tickets early for one of the best haunted houses in New England! Head for Fear Town in Seekonk (fear-town. com).
Take the littlest kids for a not-so-scary Halloween haunted hay ride, corn maze and make-your-own Scary Sundaes at Simcock Farm in Swansea (simcockfarm.com)!
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.
