CALENDAR: This month’s

By Abbie Lahmers

THE MUST LIST

5 essential events happening this month

Celebrate the season with Beach Bashes at Norman Bird Sanctuary

Thursdays through August 26:

Enjoy a picnic bu et with an evening hike or live music and s’mores around a roaring campfire on the beach for Norman Bird Sanctuary’s Summer Picnic Series and Beach Bashes. Middletown, NormanBirdSanctuary.org For a statewide listing of events visit us online! HeyRhody.com

Bring Sundays through August 29: the whole family, along with picnic snacks and lawn chairs, to Latham Park for the Barrington Summer Concert Series, featuring local bands playing classic hits. BarringtonLearningCtr.org Spend a day touring Through October: public art around the island, which Jamestown Arts Center has installed as part of their Spacing Out(side) exhibit, a collection of three sculptures by local artists. JamestownArtCenter.org

August 9-15: Flickers’ RI International

Film Festival takes a hybrid form this year with drive-in, outdoor, and online screenings of film submissions from around the world, along with industry events and workshops. Film-Festival.org

Rhode Island’s Encore Opera August 12: Company will perform arias and duets from beloved films, like Pretty Women and Shawshank Redemption, beneath the Wedding Tent at Blithewold for Opera at the Movies. Bristol, Blithewold.org

Get your fix of muscle cars August 15: and hot rods at Mount Hope Farm for the James D. Rielly Foundation’s fourth annual

Cruise-In for a Cause Charity Car Show and

Toy Drive to benefit military families. Bristol, JDRFoundation.org

For its Golden Jubilee August 27-29: edition, the Herresho Classic Yacht Regatta & Rendezvous has a preliminary schedule of a Living Boat Show, cocktails, and dinner to carry out the tradition. Bristol, Herresho .org

Live music on two stages, food August 28: from local restaurants, and art vendors attract all kinds of fans to the Warren Folks Fest, The Collaborative’s lively annual fundraiser event. Warren, TheCollaborative02885.org

Learn about the many faiths August 28: that helped give Rhode Island its unique identity by joining Newport Historical Society for their educational event, Religious Toleration, at the Great Friends Meeting House. NewportHistory.org

Formerly the Providence August 29: Folk Festival, this free concert event returns as the Rhode Island Folk Festival with three outdoor stages of acoustic tunes performed all day at the scenic Rose Larisa Park. Riverside, RhodeIslandFolkFestival.com Photo courtesy of Norman Bird Sanctuary