❅ Denotes a Children/Family Event
❅ 8:30am-9:30am: Ice Skate Camp
Newport Skating Center, 4 Commercial Wharf. Includes professional instruction and practice time. $100/$85 w/button for the week or $25/$20 w/button per day. For more information contact Meghan at Island Skating Academy at www.islandskatingacademy.com or 401.952.4336.
❅ 9:30am-2:30pm:Make Your Own Marshmallow Snowman
Destination Chocolate, 15 Bowen’s Wharf. Let it Snow! From the warmth of our candy wonderland, create your own marshmallow snowman. Come satisfy your sweet tooth while expressing your imagination as you make your own marshmallow snowman. Fun for all ages! $6/$5 w/button. 401.847.1223.
❅ 9:30am-5pm: Family Fun at the International Tennis Hall of Fame
International Tennis Hall of Fame, 194 Bellevue Ave (Museum- 9:30am-5pm, Kids Activities- 10am-2pm, Tours- 11am & 2pm). Discover the history of tennis and its superstars through a diverse collection of memorabilia, art, fashion, video and more from the 12th century through present day. The Museum is housed within the stunning Victorian architecture of the historic Newport Casino and surrounded by legendary grass tennis courts. Daily activities and special events make Winter Festival a great time to visit! Kids can do Museum scavenger hunts, play Nintendo Wii tennis on the big screen, pose for photos in old fashion tennis costumes and with the US Open trophy, have fun with paint-by-numbers, and check out cool memorabilia from their favorite stars like Venus Williams and Roger Federer. Adults can join in the fun and also enjoy perusing the fascinating Museum galleries. Admission: Adults: $12/$10 w/button, Seniors: $10/$8 w/button, Children: 16 & Under Free w/button & plus 15% off all purchases at the International Tennis Hall of Fame’s Museum Store, and The Tennis Store w/button. 401.849.3990.
❅ 9am-9pm: Ice Skating, Newport Skating Center
4 Commercial Wharf. The Skating Center is an outdoor, ice skating facility offering public skating sessions, skate rentals, concessions menu, warming area and parking! Visit www.SkateNewport.com or call 401.846.3018 for information. All dates and times are weather permitting and subject to change. $2 off skating admission w/button. Not to be combined with any other offer or discount.
❅ 10am: Seal Watch Cruises
Save The Bay, boat departs from 142 Long Wharf Dock. Join Save The Bay for our one hour award-winning seal-watching tours around Rose Island! We provide binoculars and an expert guide. The boat is partially enclosed, but the bay can be chilly so dress warmly. All programs are weather dependent. Adults: $20/$18 w/button, Children & Seniors: $15/$13 w/button. 401.203.7325.
10am-4pm: Newport Mansion Tours
The Breakers, 44 Ochre Pt. Ave., The Elms, 367 Bellevue Ave., Marble House, 596 Bellevue Ave. Tour the historic summer homes of Newport’s Elite. Admission: $14.50-$28/$12.50-$26 w/button, Youth under 18 free when accompanies by an adult w/button. 401.847.1000.
❅ 10am-5pm: Bite Me Live Bait DIY T-Shirt Artwork
Bite Me Live Bait Co., 337 Thames Street. Bring your creativity and we’ll supply the paint, magic markers, pencils and crayons. Sit down and create your artwork on paper at our store, Bite Me Live Bait, and we will digitally print your one of a kind graphic on a white T-shirt while you wait. All youth and adult shirt sizing available. You can also bring in any designs you have created at home or school on either a flash drive or CD and we will print it while you wait. $22/$19 w/button. 401.662.9292.
10am-5pm: Helicopter Tour and Vineyard Packages
Bird’s Eye View Helicopters, 211 Airport Access Road. Helicopter and vineyard packages include a helicopter tour, tasting and logo wine glass starting at $125 plus tax per couple. Upgrade to our Island Helicopter Tour plus the Vineyard Tour and Tasting for $205 plus tax per couple or our Lighthouse Helicopter Tour and Vineyard for $285 plus tax. Fly over the vineyards and all of Newport in our “heated” helicopter. $10 off any tour w/button or receive a free inflight video. Call 401.843.8687 to book. For more info go to http://www.riaerial.com/air_tours.php.
10am-5pm: Wine Tasting Newport Vineyards
909 East Main Road, Middletown. Winery Tours Daily, 1 & 3pm. Learn the art of wine making with a tour of our vineyard, winery and barrel room and then select from a list of over 25 Newport Vineyards Wines to evaluate and enjoy. $12 Tour & Tasting/$10 w/button. 401.848.5161.
❅ 10:30am & 12:30pm: Scenic Train Rides
Old Colony & Newport Railroad, 19 America’s Cup Avenue. Remember the days of riding in heated, vintage rail cars. Enjoy a 70-minute narrated trip through Newport Naval Station and along scenic Narragansett Bay. Trains may sell out so arrive early for tickets or call 401.849.0546 for reservations. Regular train tickets: Parlor Car (ages 7 & up) $13.50/$12.50 w/button, Adult Coach $10/$9 w/button, Child Coach (ages 2-13) $6/$5 w/button. (No senior class during Winter Festival).
11am: Newport Playhouse & Cabaret Restaurant
102 Connell Highway. Come enjoy a great buffet in our dining room, then enjoy our main stage show “Greetings” in our intimate theater. After the show, your dinner table awaits you for our hilariously funny cabaret. “Greetings”- A young man brings his Jewish fiance home to meet his sweet Catholic mother and his grouchy Catholic father on Christmas Eve, paving the way for what seems to be a most interesting family occasion! As they argue about their differences, an incredible event occurs that causes everyone to realize that there actually is a true bond among them! $49.95/$40 w/button. 401.848.7529.
11am: Road to Independence Walking Tour
The Museum of Newport History & Shop, 127 Thames Street. Riots and rebellion, enemies and allies! Hear stories from the years surrounding the American Revolution in Newport. $12/$10 w/button. Reservations Recommended. 401.841.8770.
❅ 11am-12pm: Mr. Twister at the Tennis Hall of Fame
International Tennis Hall of Fame, 194 Bellevue Ave. Stop in for a cool balloon animal or some other incredible creation, made just from balloons! Included with Museum admission. Admission: Adults: $12/$10 w/button, Seniors: $10/$8 w/button, Children: 16 & Under Free w/button & plus 15% off all purchases at the International Tennis Hall of Fame’s Museum Store, and The Tennis Store w/button. 401.849.3990.
11am-3pm: Daily Historic Site Tours
The Museum of Newport History & Shop, 127 Thames Street. Wanton-Lyman-Hazard House: 1697, Great Friends Meeting House: 1699, Seventh Day Baptist Meeting House: 1730, Colony House: 1739. $8/$6 w/button. Reservations Recommended. 401.841.8770.
11am-4pm: Greenvale Vineyards Wine Tasting
582 Wapping Road, Portsmouth. Winery Tours start at 2pm and include 7 wines and a wine glass. Enjoy samples of award winning, estate-grown wine from this 50-acre family farm now operating as a vineyard. Weather permitting. 15% discount off wine purchases w/button. 401.847.3777.
11am-4pm: Newport Art Museum
76 Bellevue Avenue. Wear your button for admission discount. Adults $10/$9 w/button, Seniors $8/$7 w/button, Students (valid ID) $6/$5 w/button, Military (valid ID) $6/$5 w/button, Museum Members and Children under 5 Free w/button. 401.848.8200.
❅ 11:30am: Scenic Overview Tour & Grand Mansion Tour
Gateway Center, 23 America’s Cup Avenue. Narrated scenic trolly tour which includes a visit to a mansion. Adult $39(Marble House) or $41 (Breakers)/$33(Marble House) or $35(Breakers) w/button, Child $19/$14 w/button.
❅ 12pm & 2pm: Fort Adams, Guided Tours
Fort Adams State Park, 90 Fort Adams Drive. Make History Come Alive for Every Member of the Family. Fun for Kids of All Ages
Tours are largely outdoors and include approximately one mile of walking. Proper footwear is highly recommended. Tours are weather permitting. Adults $12/$6 w/button, Children (6-17) $6/$3 w/button, Children 5 and Under Free. 401.841.0707.
❅ 12pm-3pm: Adornment Fine Jewelry Diamond Face Painting
Adornment Fine Jewelry, 213 Brick Marketplace. Adornment Fine Jewelry is offering FREE Diamond Face Painting to celebrate Winterfest! Come on in and get your “face bling” with a hundred carats of fancy face paint and crystals. 401.619.3301.
❅ 12pm-4pm: Interactive Lighthouse Trailer
Rose Island Lighthouse Foundation, 365 Thames Street (Armory Building). Children learn to be a lighthouse keeper for the afternoon. This interactive trailer is a replica of Rose Island Lighthouse and teaches children how to take care of and “keep” the lighthouse. Free. 401.847.4242.
❅ 12pm-4pm: Make Your Own Perfume
Newport Aromatherapy, 127 Bellevue Avenue. This activity is great for all ages. Guests create and design their own scent while learning the art of perfume making. $15/$10 w/button. 401.846.1101.
12pm-5pm: Newport Storm Brewery Tours
Newport Storm Brewery, 293 JT Connell Road. The Newport Storm Brewery and Thomas Tew Distillery is open for tours and tastings. In our 13 years of operation we have made 44 unique beers and brought back Newport’s famous colonial rum tradition. Come sample fresh beer and aged rum at Rhode Island’s Microbrewery and Distillery! Beer Tour: $7/$5 w/button. Rum Tour: $9/$7 w/button. 401.849.5232.
❅ 1pm: “The Gruffalo/The Gruffalo’s Child” presented by newportFILM KIDS!
Jane Pickens Theater, 49 Touro Street. Adults: $8/$5 w/button, Children: $5/$3 w/button. 401.649.2784.
❅ 1pm: Newport Seal Safari & Rose Island Lighthouse Tour
Old Port Marine, Sayer’s Wharf. A 1-hour narrated and guided seal safari of Narragansett Bay, Newport Harbor and Rose Island Light House aboard the Patriot. Leaving from Old Port marine’s dock next to the Mooring Restaurant. Boards 15 min. prior to departure time, bundle up! Adults $18/$16 w/button, Children (10 and under) $14/$12 w/button. 401.847.9190.
❅ 1pm-4pm: 14th Annual “Live Jazz for Kids”, GreenVale Vineyards
GreenVale Vineyards, 582 Wapping Road, Portsmouth. Our musicians are vocalist Tish Adams, Dick Lupino on bass and guest musician Yvonne Monnett. The artists will entertain guests with songs kids know and love in a jazz setting incorporated with old time standards. Complimentary refreshments will be served for the kids and wine tasting will be available for purchase for adults. FREE/Open to the public. 401.847.3777.
1pm-4pm: Watch the Potter Make Ceramic Vases
All Fired Up Pottery, 452 Thames Street. Experience the art of making pottery. Space is limited so if you can’t watch the first show come back for the next one. Shows are every 20 minutes! Free. 401.846.4042.
2pm: Redwood Library Tours
50 Bellevue Avenue. Explore the oldest lending library in America and learn about its fascinating 265 year history! $5/$4 w/button. 401.847.0292.
❅ 2pm-4pm: 25th Annual Nacho Tasting
Brick Alley Pub, 140 Thames Street. Sample Award Winning Nachos. Free w/button and purchase of a beverage. 401.849.6334.
❅ 2:30pm-3:30pm: Kids Tennis Lessons at the Hall of Fame Indoor Tennis Club
International Tennis Hall of Fame, 194 Bellevue Avenue. If you’ve been thinking of getting your kids involved with tennis, here’s a great chance to test it out and have some fun during winter break. Of course, there’s no better place to learn the game than at the Tennis Hall of Fame! Ages 5 – 10 will be introduced to the game through USTA 10 & Under Tennis, which uses special balls, equipment and rules to introduce kids to tennis in a fun and effective way! Ages 11 -18 up will be offered an introductory clinic tailored to their skill and experience. Regularly $10/child/$8/child w/button. Class size is limited. Advance registration requested – please call 401-849-4777.
5:30pm: Murder at the Museum “A Diamond in the Rough”
Newport Art Museum, 76 Bellevue Avenue. George Griswold, sole heir to the Griswold fortune, is more interested in late night gambling and world travel than taking over the family shipping business. His father John will cut him off unless he can solve a wickedly difficult scavenger hunt to claim the family jewels. Accustomed to short cuts, George hires a professional firm to do the dirty work and invites YOU and the rest of his friends to an “inheritance party”. Family ties, deadly secrets and unexpected visitors add up to murder most foul! Members: Adult $15/$12 w/button, Child $8 w/button, Student $8/$6 w/button. Non-members: Adult $25/$21 w/button, Child $13, Student $13/$10 w/button. 401.848.8200.
5:30pm: “Quick Silver on Ice”
Newport Skating Center, 4 Commercial Wharf. A Nightfall Display by the Island Skating Academy. Contact Meghan at Island Skating Academy with questions. Free. 401.952.4336.
5:30pm: Undressing History: What Women Wore in the 18th
The Museum of Newport History & Shop, 127 Thames Street. Donning authentic reproductions an interpreter dresses from her shift into a working class women’s gown, then redresses into a gown typically worn by a woman of the upper class while describing each garment’s material, manufacture and function. $5/$4 w/button and $1 for NHS members. Reservations Recommended. 401.841.8770.
❅ 6pm-9pm: 8th Annual Illuminated Garden, Ballard Park
Ballard Park. Thousands of lights displayed in the three-acre quarry meadow. FREE.
6:30pm: @ The Deck’s “Not Your Average Wine Dinner” Wine Dinner
1 Waites Wharf. Join us for the first annual “Not Your Average Wine Dinner” Wine Dinner. We are pairing five delicious courses with different libations for any palate. It’s going to be a fantastic evening during Newport’s 25th Annual Winter Festival “Silver Sparkle Celebration”. $76/$67 w/button/person NOT including tax and gratuity. 401.846.3600.
6pm: “Nacho Libre” starring Jack Black at Jane Pickens
Jane Pickens Theater & Event Center, 49 Touro Street. Berated all his life by those around him, a monk follows his dream and dons a mask to moonlight as a Luchador, (Mexican wrestler). This film is rated PG. Enjoy a chocolate tasting with Komforte Chockolates w/button. Doors open at 6pm and screening starts at 7pm. FREE. 401.846.5474.
6pm-8pm: Bead for Life Party sponsored by Social Ventures Partners RI
Seamen’s Church Institute, 2nd Floor. This event is an exciting opportunity to learn more about and support impoverished Ugandan women who are lifting their families out of poverty with their handmade, high-quality beaded jewelry. Bead for Life is a socially responsible global organization, working with women, all of whom were living on less than $1 a day in extreme poverty. “Bead for Life’s philosophy is that people want jobs rather than handouts. We focus on ways for people to leave poverty behind forever,” says BFL Co- Director Devin Hibbard. “The beaders are incredibly hardworking, and every dollar they make goes into critical things, like sending children to school, paying for health care, and saving to build a home.” FREE. 401.662.6640.
❅ 7pm: Lisa Lou’s One Woman Circus
Hyatt Regency, One Goat Island. Lisa Lou is a uniquely versatile performer. Amazing on stage, she creates worlds of wonder for audiences. Her vast assortment of circus skills has been featured in venues around the world. She has been a part of the Big Apple Circus Clown Care Unit and recipient of the Raoul Wallenberg award for service. Come let Lisa Lou amaze and amuse you with her unique combination of circus skills and magic illusions, sure to delight and astound kids and kids at heart of all ages. “People coming can expect circus acts. Plate spinning, rope spinning, juggling, and magic,” said Lou. “And a lot of general zaniness.” $5/$1 w/button.
9pm: Annual Best Hot Drink Contest Sponsored by Godiva Chocolate & Bailey’s Hazelnut
348 Thames Street. The competitions heats up as judges determine the Best Hot Drink in Newport! Local bars and restaurants are invited to compete for the Festival Plaque. Guests will get to sample the delightful concoctions as well as enjoy drink specials. To enter, contact the Red Parrot 401.847.3140. Contestants must provide their own liquor, garnishes and glassware. FREE Admission.
