Event listings are free. They are put here in the hope you will find
there are many things to see and do on Aquidneck Island. The information
is submitted or compiled from promotional material distributed
for the events. Information is deemed reliable but you would be
wise to call or check the event website for the latest information.
Don't forget to say, you found them - "OnAquidneck.com"
If you need directions to get to an event try using Mapquest for
a map or go directly to driving directions here.
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)
Through January 2, 2012 - Newport: Christmas at the Newport Mansions Make lifelong memories with a visit to the Newport Mansions during the holiday season. The glitter of gold and the sparkle of silver will dazzle, as you tour The Breakers, The Elms and Marble House, decorated with period-style ornaments, trees, and evergreens. All three houses are open daily for tours. Winter Passport ticket for admission to all three houses is $28 for adults, $9 for children 6-17, children under 6 free. More information and tickets at www.NewportMansions.org or call (401) 847-1000.
- Newport: Register now for upcoming programs at the Newport Art Museum To register or for more information visit www.NewportArtMuseum.org or call (401) 848-2787. The Newport Art Museum has announced its Winter Term classes, which begin in January. Adult classes include calligraphy, ceramics, digital art and design, digital photography, drawing, jewelry, landscape architecture design, mixed media, painting, printmaking and sculpture. Art history lectures will discuss art glass and contemporary installation pieces.
Offerings for youth include cartooning and comic strip techniques, ceramics, art-themed classes for young children, birthday parties, and Winter Art Camps running during the February public school break.
Register online at www.NewportArtMuseum.org or by phone at (401) 848-2787 or at the Coleman Center for Creative Studies, located at 26 Liberty Street behind the Newport Art Museum's main campus at 76 Bellevue Avenue. The Coleman Center is open Monday - Friday 9am - 5pm. A limited number of scholarships are available through the Coleman Family Fund and the Hartfield Foundation. Newport Art Museum members receive discounts of up to 20% on tuition. Anyone who registers at least two weeks prior to the start of a class will save 10% on tuition.
The popular Visiting Artist Workshop series for adults includes "Fine Art Pastels" with Evelyn Thistle Rhodes (January 15 - 16); and "Open up to Creativity: Wabi Sabi Workshop" with Rachel Balaban and Kim Fuller (February 27.)
January 1 - Newport: New Year's Day
Polar Bear Plunge 12pm
at Easton's Beach, Memorial Blvd. Members of the Newport Polar Bear
club take a dip to benefit charity.
January 14 - Portsmouth: Common Fence Music Series See A Gathering of Fiddlers & Fishermen #13, 6:30pm (doors and music starting earlier than normal) at the Common Fence Point Community Hall, 933 Anthony Rd. For more information and reservations click here
January 20 & 21 - Portsmouth: The Pennfield School- Open House Friday 8am-10am and Saturday from 9am -11am. at The Pennfield School, Little Slocum Farm, 110 Sandy Point Avenue. The Pennfield School will host Open Houses. Visiting families will hear from current parents, teachers, students and Head of School and then tour nursery-8th grade. Merit Scholarship exams for incoming 5th and 6th graders will also be offered in January. Visit the website for more information, including information on financial aid.
January 21 - Newport: 2012 Winter Lecture Series at the Newport Art Museum at Newport Art Museum, 76 Bellevue Avenue. All talks begin at 2 pm in the Museum's John Griswold House. $10 for Museum members; non-members $15. A reception follows each lecture. (401) 848-8200.
-- January 21 at 2 pm.: Hayat Alvi analyzes Middle East developments, trends - Hayat Alvi, a specialist on global political affairs, will speak about "The Middle East of Today and Tomorrow: The Long Term Trends". Alvi, an Associate Professor in the National Security Affairs Department at the US Naval War College, will offer updates on the latest developments in the Middle East and analysis of current and future trends in the region.
January 21 - Middletown: Harpsichordist Paul Cienniwa will perform 3pm at St. Columba's, 55 Vaucluse Ave., Middletown. Harpsichordist Paul Cienniwa will perform a program of works by French baroque masters. A suggested donation of $20 will be taken at the door. For more information, visit www.paulcienniwa.com or call 617-466-9042. Paul Cienniwa's harpsichord playing has been called "expert" (Boston EDGE), and the Boston Musical Intelligencer wrote that "not everyone can capture the Baroque French style as Cienniwa does." His recording with Grammy Award-winning uilleann piper Jerry O'Sullivan was called "drop-dead gorgeous" and named one of the top ten Irish traditional albums of 2010 by The Irish Echo. For his recording of the Bach Viola da Gamba Sonatas with cellist Audrey Sabattier-Cienniwa, KBAQ radio (Phoenix, AZ) called his ability to accompany "spot-on...perfect
January 21 - Portsmouth: Common Fence Music Series - A Gathering of Fiddlers and Fishermen #12 See Ellis Paul, singer/songwriter, 8pm (doors open at 7pm) at the Common Fence Point Community Hall, 933 Anthony Rd. For more information and reservations click here
January 27 - Newport: 4th Friday after-hours at the Newport Art Museum - Open Mic Night 6 pm - 9 pm at Newport Art Museum, 76 Bellevue Avenue. The Newport Art Museum's 4th Friday after-hours event returns in the New Year with an open mic night at the Museum's John N. A. Griswold House. Singers, poets, musicians, comedians and other performers are encouraged, but not required, to sign up in advance. Interested persons should email their name to , with "Open Mic Night" in the subject line. Guests also can create a "Happy Birthday Newport Art Museum" postcard for the Memories and Messages Project, an initiative to collect oral histories, messages and original artwork as part of the Museum's Centennial celebrations. Monthly 4th Friday events feature live entertainment, open galleries, art making, special guests, and a cash bar. Admission is $5 for Newport Art Museum members, $8 for non-members. Reservations are not necessary. Guests are encouraged to explore the Museum's galleries, including three new exhibitions, "Andrew Nixon: I am Here and You Are Not, Paintings, Drawings and Prints," "Ann Daum: Now and Then, Paintings, Pastels and Prints" and "Bound Together: Sculpture by Jerold Ehrlich". More information is available at www.NewportArtMuseum.org or by calling 401-848-8200.
January 28 - Newport: 2012 Winter Lecture Series at the Newport Art Museum at Newport Art Museum, 76 Bellevue Avenue. All talks begin at 2 pm in the Museum's John Griswold House. $10 for Museum members; non-members $15. A reception follows each lecture. (401) 848-8200.
-- January 28 at 2 pm.: Michael Conforti offers look inside Clark Art Institute - Michael Conforti, Director of the revered Sterling and Francine Clark Art Institute, will speak about "The Clark: Making an Impression in the Berkshires and Beyond
January 29 - Bristol: Our Lady Of Mount Carmel School Open House 10:30 AM - 1:30 p.m. at 127 State Street,Bristol, (401) 253-8455. Faith Based Education, Preschool through 8th Grade. Visit Classrooms, Guided Tours, Students Work Displayed, Refreshments http://olmcri.org/
*** Below are previous year's events (below) that we haven't gotten current information to update yet. ***
January --- - Newport: Read/Eat/Chat - Noontime book group begins at the Newport Art Museum at in the Newport Art Museum's Griswold House, 76 Bellevue Avenue. The Newport Art Museum launches a new book group called "Read/Eat/Chat" with a discussion of Laney Salisbury and Aly Sujo's "Provenance: How a Con Man and a Forger Rewrote the History of Modern Art." "Read/Eat Chat" will meet at noon on the third Thursday of every month. Books selected for the series will cover museum-related topics such as collectors, collections, criminals, caretakers and curators. Island Books in Middletown plans to carry "Read/Eat/Chat" titles. The book group meetings are free for Museum members, $5 for non-members. Guests are encouraged to bring a lunch. "Read/Eat/Chat" is part of a series of lunchtime continuing conversations at the Newport Art Museum. For more information call (401) 848-8200 or visit www.newportartmuseum.org.
January --- Newport: "If It's Thursday, It Must Be Shakespeare" at the Redwood Library and Athenaeum 5pm at the Redwood Library & Athenaeum, 50 Bellevue Avenue. Join us each week as we read the Bard. All are welcome. $2.00 for non-members.
January -- - Newport: Ongoing Programs at the Redwood Library and Athenaeum at the Redwood Library & Athenaeum, 50 Bellevue Avenue. Redwood Book Club: 10:30 am - New members welcome. Now reading David Copperfield by Charles Dickens. Redwood Poet's Group: 1:30pm - poets will meet to provide a forum for those currently writing and who seek critique. New members welcome.
January -- - Feb. -- Newport: 84th Annual Winter Lecture Series at the Newport Art Museum at Newport Art Museum, 76 Bellevue Avenue. All talks begin at 2 pm in the Museum's John Griswold House. $10 for Museum members; non-members $15. A reception follows each lecture. (401) 848-8200. CANCELLEDJanuary 22: The Cora Lee Gibbs Lecture Michael Komanecky: "The Art of the Wyeths: NC, Andrew and Jamie at Maine's Farnsworth"
Michael Komanecky, Chief Curator of the Farnsworth Art Museum will examine work by America's favorite family of artists, and explore their long-time connection to the Farnsworth Art Museum. January--: Professor Soheyl Amini - "Postcards from Iran: The Land of Contradictions":
Dr. Amini, Assistant Professor of Sociology at Salve Regina University and a specialist in Middle East studies, will discuss the Islamic Republic of Iran and the perils of political theocracy in the 21st century. February-: Francisco Noya- "Why is he Waving his Arms? Insights of Conducting":
Get down to basics with Resident Conductor of the Rhode Island Philharmonic Orchestra, Francisco Noya. Mr. Noya represents the orchestra artistically and educationally throughout Rhode Island and is a prominent figure on the New England music scene. February --: John K. Grosvenor, AIA - "Washington Square Roots: Recapturing History as Newport Grows for Tomorrow":
John Grosvenor will explain why adaptive reuse and transportation initiatives will help reinvigorate Newport's original town center. Mr. Grosvenor is the Chief Executive Officer and founder of Newport Collaborative Architects, Inc. February --: Scott Molloy - "Joseph Banigan of Rhode Island: The Nation's First Irish Millionaire":
The author of Irish Titan, Irish Toilers: Joseph Banigan and Nineteenth-Century New England Labor, will share stories about the Irish potato famine refugee who became Rhode Island's richest man while building a rubber empire. February --: Lucia de Leiris - "Among the Wild Chimpanzees: Sketching at Gombe National Park":
Join artist and scientific illustrator Lucia de Leiris on a colorful armchair journey in search of the wild chimpanzees of Gombe national Park in Tanzania.
January -- - Portsmouth: Broadway From Then 'Til Now…2 - A Concert of Broadway Showtunes, old and new 7:00 PM at the Portsmouth High School Auditorium, Education Lane. Presented by The Dr. Robert A. Davidson Charitable Fund. Tickets $20 Adults, $10 Children Under 10.
For Ticket Info., Call 401-683-2824 or Email . All Proceeds to Benefit the Portsmouth Public Education Foundation (PPEF) www.portsmoutheducationfoundation.org and other local causes.
The concert was organized by professional actor/musicians Laurie Davidson Spaner, daughter of Dr. Davidson, and her husband Craig Spaner of Portsmouth who have many years experience performing in the Boston area as well as RI, NY, and CT. Joining Mr. & Mrs. Spaner in the group of ten singers, two dancers, and seven band members will be Kim Kekligian Stamoulis and Sara Moore of Portsmouth and Michael Johnson of North Providence, as well as accomplished bassist and PHS alum. Mark Poniatowski and several other professional singers and musicians from the New England area. Blake Allan PHS '11 and Kayla Piccolo THS '11, both of Stage Door Dance in Portsmouth, will be dancing to live performances.
January --- March -- - Newport: The Preservation Society of Newport County Winter Series: The Lure of the Far East Cultural exchange with the Far East is richly evident in Newport's artistic heritage. From the 18th century Chinese-inspired murals at Vernon House (ca. 1768), to the China Trade collections of Kingscote (1841) and Chateau-sur-Mer (1852), and the lacquer and jades at The Elms (1901), Newport is a repository for treasures from the Far East, reflecting economic and social ties and collecting tastes. The Preservation Society of Newport County invites you to join scholars, curators, and conservators this winter for a series of lectures and a tour which will examine Rhode Island's connections to the art and architecture of Asia. wwwNewportMansions.org Wednesday, January -- -
11:00 a.m. The Elms, 367 Bellevue Avenue, Newport The Elms: Restoring Newport's Finest Lacquer Room:
Charles Jeffers Moore, Chief Conservator, The Preservation Society of Newport County.
The Breakfast Room at The Elms was designed around a set of very fine 18th century K'ang Hsi lacquer panels. These monumental works of art are superb examples of lacquer and would have been destroyed when The Elms was threatened with demolition in the 1960s. Today, the space is one of the rare surviving lacquer rooms in the world. The panels have been the focus of research and analysis, in preparation for an extensive conservation project. During this lecture, you will visit the on-site lab to see the work in progress and learn about the research process, which involved an international team of conservators funded by grants from the Getty Foundation and the Institute of Museum and Library Services, with preliminary support from the Berwind Foundation and private donors.
Admission: Preservation Society members free, general admission $5. Advance registration requested, online at wwwNewportMansions.org, or call (401)847-1000 ext. 154. Thursday, February -- -
11:00 a.m. The Elms, 367 Bellevue Avenue, Newport "All the Tea . . ." – Chinese Luxury Goods for New England:
Karina Corrigan, H.A. Crosby Forbes Curator, Asian Export Art, Peabody Essex Museum
In the years following the American Revolution, New England merchants were able to capitalize on the growing demand for luxury goods from China and the Far East. Traveling to ports such as Shanghai and Canton, traders sought exotic items such as tea, silk, porcelain and lacquerware to sell at home. This lecture will provide a broad overview of the role of the China Trade in New England and examine its impact on many great fortunes and the collecting tastes of prominent merchant families.
Admission: Preservation Society members free, general admission $5. Advance registration requested, online at wwwNewportMansions.org, or call (401) 847-1000 ext. 154. Thursday, February -- -
11:00 a.m. Vernon House, 46 Clarke Street, Newport Tour: In the Chinese Manner: The Painted Chamber of Vernon House
One of the great 18th century buildings of Newport, Vernon House possesses a rare Chinese-inspired painted interior. In fact, it is one of the great mysteries of Colonial America. Join us as we explain the possible reasons behind its production.
Admission: Preservation Society members $10, general admission $15. Space limited, advance registration required, online at wwwNewportMansions.org, or call (401) 847-1000 ext. 154. Wednesday, March - -
11:00 a.m. The Elms, 367 Bellevue Avenue, Newport Lucy Truman Aldrich and the Museum of Art, RISD: Travels and Collecting, 1919-1954:
Laurie Brewer, Curatorial Assistant, Costume and Textiles, Museum of Art, Rhode Island School of Design.
From her first trip to China in 1919, to her adventurous last trip in 1923, Miss Lucy Truman Aldrich held a deep passion for Chinese culture and craftsmanship. This lecture will focus on Miss Aldrich's first collecting trips to China and the subsequent impact her acquisition of objects have had on the formation of the Costume and Textile department at the Museum. The legacy of her gifts to the Museum of Art, Rhode Island School of Design includes thousands of textiles and costume objects.
Admission: Preservation Society members free, general admission $5. Advance registration requested, online at wwwNewportMansions.org, or call (401) 847-1000 ext. 154. Friday, March -- - Winter Escape to Boston Tour: Museum of Fine Arts Boston, Art of the Americas Wing
Visit the MFA's much anticipated and highly celebrated Art of the Americas Wing, which displays over 5,000 objects. Among the highlights are the unparalleled collection of paintings by John Singleton Copley, Newport furniture by the Townsends and Goddards, masterpieces by John Singer Sargent, and a Tiffany window. Departure from Newport is 9:00 a.m. and return approximately 6:00 p.m.
Admission: Preservation Society members $45, general admission $50. Space limited, advance registration required. For more information and to register call (401) 847-1000 ext. 154, or e-mail .
Through March -- - Aquidneck Island: Boy's & Girl's Lacrosse sign ups for the Spring 2010 Online registration is open at Islanders Youth Lacrosse website: www.islandlax.org.
January-- - Portsmouth: New Year's Day
Annual Seal Plunge 11am festivities start
at The Beach House on Park Avenue. Where a breakfast will be provided. At 12:00pm everyone will show up or walk down to Flo's, then go for a swim for the annual Seal Plunge into the warmer-than-the-air water across the street from Flo's clam shack at the corner of Park Ave and Gormley in Island Park. After the swimming is over all are welcome to go back to the Beach House and enjoy more breakfast.
From the opening of the Beach House at 11:00am to the end of the after swim party there will be a table with baked goods and a donation can for the Island Park Recreation Association. Proceeds will benefit the Association
Jan. -- - Newport: Christmas tree pickup Discarded
Christmas trees will be collected on residents' regularly scheduled collection
day. Trees must be curbside and clean of any tree bags, ornaments, tinsel, etc.
For more information call Clean City Program at 845-5613 or see the collection calendar
Jan. -- - Portsmouth: DPW picks up Christmas trees The Department of Public Works will pick up discarded Christmas trees on weekdays. Do NOT put them in plastic bags. 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 will be free and available to Portsmouth residents. Call 682-0362 for information. Check the town web site for more info. The schedule for tree pick up follows your voting precinct area ... Monday January -, 2010 - Precinct 2702, 2703 and 2704 (If you voted at the Roger Williams Conference Center 2702, the Portsmouth Senior Center 2703 or the Common Fence Point Community Hall 2704) Tuesday January -, 2010 - Precinct 2705 and 2706 (If you voted at Hathaway School 2705 or Portsmouth High School gymnasium 2706 Wednesday January-, 2010 - Precinct 2707 and 2708 (If you voted at Town Hall 2707 or Melville School 2708) Thursday January -, 2010 - Precinct 2709 and 2710 (If you voted at Portsmouth Middle School 2709 or St Barnabas Church 2710) Friday January -, 2010 - Precinct 2712 (If you voted at Aquidneck Island Christian Academy 2712)
Through Jan.- - Middletown: Christmas Tree Pickup www.middletownri.com Christmas Trees are collected at curbside on your regular collection day the first week of January. online information can be found here.
** All ornaments, decorations, tinsel,
etc. should be removed from trees.
** Trees should NOT be In plastic
bags.
** All trees must be placed at curbside
by 7:00 a.m. on your collection day.
January -- - March-- - Middletown: 2010 Little League Baseball/Softball
registration Online registration is open from January 11th to March 1st.www.middll.org A ONE DAY ONLY WALK-IN REGISTRATION will be Feb 6th from 10-3pm at Middletown Town Hall. Bring players birth certificate and proof of residency to walk-in registration.
January -- - Newport: Learn to Skate program for beginner, novice and intermediate at the Sovereign Bank Family Skating Center at the Newport Yachting Center, 4 Comercial Wharf. Learning to skate has never been so fun and easy! Led by trained professional instructors, this six-week program begins in January and sharpens the skills of children and adults alike, at both beginner and intermediate levels. Students must be 4 years of age to participate. See schedule and more information here
January -- - Portsmouth: Portsmouth Little League Registration opens Register online with no additional cost - www.portsmouthll.org. There will be only 1 walk- in registration date - Feb. 27, 2010 at the Aquidneck Island Christian Academy (at the Portsmouth Sherman/Rooney Little League Complex) 9am to noon. There will NOT be mail in registrations. March 14 , 2010 - Registration closes, please register online before this date!
