Winter Weather causing cancellations? Check  Cancellations.com
Newport County Convention & Visitor's Bureau Calendar of Events

The Sovereign Bank Family Skating Center in Newport is open in late November through (usually) March-  see the web site for more info.

Family or "Open" ice skating is also available...
most Sundays at Portsmouth Abbey Rink (2pm to 4pm) 683-0621
St. George's Hockey Rink (Fridays 7p - 9p, then 9:30p to 10:30p adults only; Saturdays 9:30a - 11:30a; Sundays 4pm to 6pm) 842-6698
The rinks are sometimes unavailable for Open skating due to hockey tournaments etc. Call ahead.

Skate sharpening can be done at St. George's Ice Rink (various times, 842-6698) and Double Play Sports, 89 Aquidneck Ave. Middletown, 841-0326 also sharpens ice skates. (Double Play is also open various times, please call)

December 6 - Newport: Annual Christmas Tree Lighting at Bowen's Wharf
          Beginning at 4:30pm on historic Bowen’s Wharf, in downtown Newport. It's the most wonderful time of the year - twinkling lights, fragrant wintergreens, beautiful bows, and a most amazing Christmas tree on historic Bowen's Wharf. Come early for holiday shopping (recorded Christmas music begins at 2:00), and stay through the evening as festivities begin with Frosty the Snowman at 4:30. Local musicians take the stage at 5:00 to lead the carol sing-a-longs. A City Official lights the tree at 6:00 - the official beginning of Christmas at Bowen's Wharf! Santa and Mrs. Claus sail into Bowen's Basin (weather permitting) eager to listen to every child's wish. Bowen's Wharf restaurants remain open for holiday meals. Many shops offer refreshments. Free admission! Festivities held rain or shine. www.bowenswharf.com

December 31 - Newport: New Year’s Ball sponsored by Newport Ballroom Dancing
           Featuring Duke Belaire's 15 Piece Orchestra at the Officers’ Club, Newport. See Newport Ballroom Dancing web site for membership and more information.

Previous year's events (below) that we haven't gotten current information to update yet.

Various dates through Dec.th - Newport: Victorian Christmas Tours at the Astors Beechwood
            "In honor of the season, we transform our beautiful home into a winter wonderland. You are invited to celebrate Victorian Christmas traditions, brush up on your waltz, play parlor games and learn the art of flirtation. The family will entertain you with beautiful singing and invite you to take a turn around the ballroom floor. Waltzing, merriment, and holiday warmth await." For full schedule and more information See the web site

Through January 1, 2008- Newport: Christmas at the Newport Mansions
       The Preservation Society of Newport County invites you to make holiday memories with your family by visiting The Breakers, The Elms and Marble House, all decked out for the holidays through January 1. Thousands of colorful poinsettias, fresh flowers, evergreens, trees and wreaths, and 19th century-style ornaments will turn the houses and their grounds into a Yuletide wonderland.
        The Breakers, The Elms and Marble House, all National Historic Landmarks, will be open daily for tours, except Christmas Day. A Winter Passport ticket providing daytime admission to all three houses can be purchased for $25 for adults, $9 for children 6-17. Purchased separately, admission to The Breakers is $16 for adults, $4 for children 6-17. Marble House and The Elms are each $11 for adults and $4 for children 6-17. Tickets can be purchased online at www.NewportMansions.org, or at each property.
        Children can visit with Santa Claus amidst the grandeur of the Gilded Age at each of the three mansions on Sundays in December. Santa will make public appearances from noon to 3 p.m. at The Breakers on December 2, Marble House December 9 and The Elms December 16. The visit with Santa is included in the regular admission price.
        Holiday Evenings at the Newport Mansions provide a unique opportunity to see these historic houses lit up for a night time celebration. Guests can take a leisurely self-guided tour through the mansion, enjoying live holiday music and a stop for holiday sweets, eggnog and cider. Holiday Evenings at The Breakers are scheduled for December 1, 8, 22 & 29, from 6 p.m to 8 p.m. On December 15, guests can enjoy a Holiday Evening Duet: The Elms and Marble House, and see both houses for the price of one, from 6 pm to 9 pm.
        Musical Sundays at The Breakers - Live musical entertainment will also be provided on several weekend afternoons at The Breakers in December. Entertainment is included with the regular daytime admission ticket.
        Holiday Dinner Dance - The Preservation Society's annual Holiday Dinner Dance will be held on Saturday evening, December 15 at The Breakers. Reservations are required. Ticket information and reservations available by calling (401) 847-1000 ext 140.

Through December - Newport: Holiday Improv Show: "Seasonal Bits" at the Firehouse Theater
       Thursdays, Fridays & Saturdays at 8:08 pm. At the Firehouse Theater, "Off Broadway" 4 Equality Park Place in Newport. Featuring The Bit Players, the Holiday Improv Show: "Seasonal Bits" is a "Laugh Out Loud" show for the whole family. All seats $15/ Mention OnAquidneck.com to get $5 off each ticket
Bring the whole Gang: Groups of 5 or more $5 each Reservations: 401-849-FIRE (3473) www.firehousetheater.org

Weekends through December - Newport: Polar Express Movie & Train Ride starts at the Jane Pickens Theater
       Saturdays and Sundays, 11:30 a.m. stop in at the Jane Pickens Theater, 49 Touro St., Newport (401) 846-5252. to view "The Polar Express" movie. Movie $5.00. Then head to "The Polar Express" train (The Newport Dinner Train) for a magical ride. Information for tickets for train ride available at www.newpeortdinnertrain.com

December - Portsmouth: Annual Christmas Tree Lighting Program at the Portsmouth Free Public Library
            5:15 PM at the Portsmouth Free Public Library. 2658 East Main Rd. This special holiday program will include entertainment by Portsmouth Middle School Chorus and Island Senior Chorus. When Santa Claus arrives, the tree lighting will take place. Santa will greet each child in the Library after the lighting and cocoa and cookies will be served. Bring a camera! This program is co-sponsored by the Portsmouth Housing Authority and Portsmouth Free Public Library. Additional parking is available at BankNewport.

December st until he's done  - Portsmouth: Santa Claus makes his Yearly Tour
            Starting at about 6pm each night (Mon - Sat) Santa and some local helpers will be touring Portsmouth's neighborhoods as he does each year. Not sure if it is just a pre-Christmas run through, or if there is some "list checking" going on. Better be nice! For more information and to keep up with the schedule see Santa's Schedule and Map page.

December  - Newport: "Christmas in New England: A Journey Through Time” with Swanhurst Chorus
        8:00pm at The Church of St. John the Evangelist on ‘The Point’, Washington and Willow St. Swanhurst Chorus, Newport County’s standing choral ensemble for over 78 years, will offer “Christmas in New England: A Journey Through Time” under the direction of conductor Jonathan Babbitt, in conjunction with Christmas in Newport. The evening will feature the works of wonderful New England composers through the decades, most notably Daniel Pinkham and William Billings, and Charles Ives. Swanhurst will be joined by a full brass ensemble as music fills the spaces of the church. Tickets are $18 in advance, $20 at the door, and $10 for full-time students. For tickets or more information, call 401-682-1630 or visit www.swanhurst.org.

December - Portsmouth: Common Fence Music Series
       See Shtreiml, 8pm (doors open at 7pm) at the Common Fence Point Community Hall, 933 Anthony Rd. For more information and reservations click here

December - Middletown: Christmas Extravaganceza Craft Fair
       10:00am – 5:00pm at the Knight’s of Columbus Hall, 7 Valley Road, Middletown. Over 35 Local Vendors and Crafters will attended our Christmas Craft Fair with their Handmade Craft items, Floral Arrangements, Wreaths, Handmade Snowman, Gift Baskets, Home Décor, Glass Stoneware, Jewelry, Body & Bath items and many more. We will have Arts & Crafts for the kids, Face Painting, and more. Take a picture with Santa, relax and listen to some music. Concession stand will be open for Food & Drinks. We will have a 50/50 raffle drawing, take a chance raffle, and our vendors and crafters table. Free Admission and Plenty of Parking.Something for everyone. Come join the Fun..........For more information contract Teresa at (401) 396-9921

December  - Newport: Annual Festival of Advent Lessons & Carols with the Schola Cantorum of St. John's
        6:00pm at The Church of St. John the Evangelist on ‘The Point’, Washington and Willow St. The Schola Cantorum of St. John's will offer its Annual Festival of Advent Lessons & Carols. The service is patterned after that presented at King's College, Oxford and made popular in the United States during the early part of the 20th century. Repertoire will include works by Palestrina, traditional carols and hymns of Advent, as well as wonderful new settings of older texts. For further information, please call the Parish Office at 848-2561 or Organist/Choirmaster Jonathan F. Babbitt at 401-682-1630. A free will offering will be taken.

December - Portsmouth: 7th Annual Warm Up For The Holidays Open House at Greenvale Vineyards
       From 1:00 p.m. to 4:00 p.m. at Greenvale Vineyards, 582 Wapping Road in Portsmouth, along the Sakonnet River. The event is held to welcome Newport County visitors and locals alike to celebrate the holiday season. Everyone is invited to attend; the celebration is free and open to the public. This year’s Warm Up For The Holidays Open House features live music with Dick Lupino on bass, Jordan Nunes on keyboard and Dennis Cooke on Saxophone for holiday favorites and jazz everyone can sing along to. The day also includes vineyard tours, and tastings of Greenvale Vineyards’ delicious wines along with some great gift ideas. See Greenvale's web site for more information www.greenvale.com

December - Bristol (just across the Mt Hope Bridge): Christmas at Linden Place Mansion
            Enjoy the charm and beauty of Bristol at Christmas Time during Linden Place Mansion’s Home for the Holidays celebration. Linden Place Mansion will be decked for the holidays in a “Hark the Herald Angels” theme, by volunteers from the Bristol and Bayberry Garden Clubs and designers Alfred Brazil and Lori Sendroff of Alfred’s antiques. Surprises await the visitor in every room of Linden Place, from the beautiful crèche in the glass conservatory to the angel festooned parlor rooms and the magnificently draped four story spiral staircase by Jeff and Company. On Saturday, tour participants of every age will love our living wax museum featuring our own History Kids dressed in period costume. These ever popular “little ones” will be stationed throughout the mansion to answer questions about the museum and furnishings. Sunday’s day long program of musical entertainment will delight all with students from Mt. Hope High School providing choral and instrumental music. For a perfect ending to their visit, guests can stroll across the driveway to the ballroom where fireside refreshments await them. A special treat for all will be a Christmas program by Michael DiMucci on Saturday evening, December 8th, in the Linden Place ballroom. Please consult the website at www.lindenplace.org for further details or call the office at 401-253-0390. Linden Place Mansion and museum store will be open from 10 a.m. until 5 p.m. Monday through Saturday and from 12 noon until 4 pm. on Sunday from Dec 2nd through Dec 29th. Admission during the holiday season is $10.00 for adults, $8.00 for Linden Place members and $ 4.00 for youths (6-17; children under 6 are admitted free).

December - Portsmouth: Holiday celebration at Glen Manor open house
         2pm to 4pm at the Glen Manor House on Coelho Dr. Santa Claus is scheduled to arrive at 3:15. This event is free and the whole family is welcome. The Glen Manor House is next to Elmhurst School on the Sakonnet River off Glen Rd.

December - Portsmouth: The Sidewalk Stompers will present a holiday show at the Portsmouth Free Public Library
           7:00 PM at the Portsmouth Free Public Library. 2658 East Main Rd. A holiday show featuring songs of the season will be presented by the Sidewalk Stompers. Mary King, Paul Dube and Ron Tabele, are an acoustic trio featuring guitar, banjo, fiddle, mouth harp, Celtic harp and piano accordion. Christmas Songs, African Spirituals and Traditional Jewish Songs are among the songs included in this performance. A Sidewalk Stompers performance encourages audience participation and is sure to get feet tapping, hands clapping and voices raised is song. This program is funded by the North Family Trust and is free and open to the public. Ample parking is available. Seating is limited so please call the Library at 683-9457 or stop by to register for the program.

December - Newport: The Tanglewood Marionettes will present “The Dragon King” at the Newport Art Museum
            Performances at 1 and 3 p.m. at Newport Art Museum's Griswold House, 76 Bellevue Ave., Newport. Tanglewood Marionettes will present “The Dragon King,” an underwater fantasy based on the Chinese folklore tale with life-size puppets. The production tells the tale of a terrible drought that has overtaken the land and left it lifeless. The Dragon King rules over all things and people are beginning to wonder why he has not brought life-giving rains in a long time. To find the answer, an intrepid grandmother journeys to the bottom of the sea to seek the Dragon King. $5 for children three and older; $10 for adults. Tickets will be sold at the door on a first–come, first-serve basis. For more information about this and other Newport Art Museum programs, call the Museum at 401.848.8200 or visit newportartmuseum.org.

December - Portsmouth: Common Fence Music Series
       See Aine Minogue, 12th Annual Winter Solstice Concert,  8pm (doors open at 7pm) at the Common Fence Point Community Hall, 933 Anthony Rd. For more information and reservations click here

December  - Newport: "Music by the Sea" with Swanhurst Chorus Chamber Singers
        4:00pm at The Church of St. John the Evangelist on ‘The Point’, Washington and Willow St. The Swanhurst Chorus Chamber Singers, an a capella ensemble of 14 voices, will offer "Music by the Sea" as part of Christmas in Newport. A festive concert of both traditional and not-so offerings wrapped in the expert blend of this premier ensemble. Admission is $10, $5 children 12 and under. For tickets or more information, call 401-682-1630 or visit www.swanhurst.org.

December - Portsmouth: Ornament Day at the Portsmouth Free Public Library
            10 am to 6 pm at the Portsmouth Free Public Library. 2658 East Main Rd. Ornament Day.Children of all ages are invited to stop in to the Children's Room any time between 10 and 6 to make an ornament which they can take home. No sign up is required, but parents or caregivers can learn more by calling the Children's Room at 683-9457. This program is free and open to the public.

December - Newport: Newport Art Museum's "Lunch with the Artist" - Rembrandt and “The Dutch Explosion”
            Noon at Newport Art Museum, 76 Bellevue Ave., Newport. The artist Rembrandt and “The Dutch Explosion” will be the topic of “Lunch with the Artist”. The informal noontime discussion will be facilitated by Richard Tyre and is free for Museum members, with a $3 charge for non-members. Participants may bring bag lunches. For more information about this and other Newport Art Museum programs, call the Museum at 401.848.8200 or visit newportartmuseum.org.

December - Newport: 15th Annual “Messiah and Carol Sing: The Christmas Story” with Swanhurst Chorus
        7:00pm at Emmanuel Church, Spring and Dearborn Streets in Newport.Swanhurst Chorus, Jonathan Babbitt, Music Director, offers its 15th Annual “Messiah and Carol Sing: The Christmas Story” as part of Christmas in Newport. Bring your own score and sing along or just sit and be immersed in the glorious sounds of the season. Scores available for rent. A festive Wassail Reception will follow. Admission is $10, $5 children 12 and under, or $25 maximum per family. For tickets or more information, call 401-682-1630 or visit www.swanhurst.org.

Dec.   - Newport - Newport Dinner Train's Santa Express
        11 am, 1:30pm. The Newport Dinner Train presents the Santa Express. Santa & Mrs. Claus entertain with holiday stories and singing. Face painting, favors and interactive play as well. Sells out quickly, reserve early. Tickets may be reserved by calling 800-398-7427 or  Click here for more info

Dec. - Newport: 26th Annual Newport Yachting Center Holiday Tree Lighting
       The information listed below is from the 2005 event - we don't have anything confirmed yet, but the date of Dec. 8
       5:30 p.m. – 6:30 p.m Newport Yachting Center, America's Cup Blvd. Santa and Mrs. Claus will arrive on a boat cruising down America’s Cup Avenue. Children will have a chance to meet Santa and share their wish lists while everyone enjoys complimentary hot chocolate, coffee and candy canes. The Victorian Carolers, as well as popular local musical duo, Hamish & Dave and the Cranston/Calvert Choir, will further create the festive atmosphere and help everyone get into the holiday spirit. A Public Skate will follow from 6:30 p.m. – 9:30 p.m. and then the evening will conclude with a 9:30 p.m. – 11:00 p.m. Adult Skate (18 and over) - at The Sovereign Bank Family Skating Center

Dec.  - Newport: Advent Concert Series at Trinity Church
            all events will be held at Trinity Church, One Queen Anne Square in Newport. These concerts are part of Christmas in Newport. More information can be found at the web site: www.trinitynewport.org or by calling   401-846-0660   
            Thursday, December 1, 12:15pm - from Germany, Barbara Poeschl-Edrich, harpist. Freewill offering to benefit Music at Trinity.
           Sunday, December 4, 4:00pm -candlelight presentation of Handel’s MESSIAH, Trinity Church Senior Choir, Paul Cienniwa, director. $15 tickets, available at the door, to benefit Music at Trinity.
           Thursday, December 8, 12:15pm - from King’s Chapel, Boston, Heinrich Christensen, organist. Freewill offering to benefit Music at Trinity.
           Thursday, December 15, 12:15pm - in a concert of works by Girolamo Frescobaldi (1583-1643), Audrey Cienniwa, cellist, Paul Cienniwa, organist. Freewill offering to benefit Music at Trinity.
           Sunday, December 18, 7:00pm - CHRISTMAS ON HISTORIC HILL, Advent Service of Lessons and Carols, featuring area choirs, Paul Cienniwa, director. Freewill offering to benefit local charities.

December - Newport: Holiday Dance Party - East Bay Ballroom
        From 6-9PM at the St.John's Guild Hall, 61 Poplar Street, Newport RI. Ticket are $10 pp. We will have a lesson from 6-6:30, followed by dancing and fun for all! East Bay Ballroom web site

Dec. TBA   - Portsmouth: DPW picks up Christmas trees
                The Department of Public Works will pick up discarded Christmas trees on weekdays. Trees must be totally stripped of all decorations and tinsel! Leave them curbside by 7am on your collection day. Christmas trees cannot be accepted at the transfer station, but will be accepted at the Department of Public Works 143 Hedley St. 683-0362 Trees are recycled into mulch that is free and available to Portsmouth residents.  Residents may pick up mulch at Melville Campground. Contact Melville Campground at 682-2424 for hours. Check the town web site for more info