Evidently, that’s a wrap at the Good Burger on Mineral Spring Avenue in North Providence. I think half the state now has selfies with Kenan Thompson. And now, we eagerly await the release of “Good Burger 2″ so we can all point at the screen and freak out together. In the meantime, I have some summer fun for you: from ferry rides to puppy fests, blues jams to a strawberry fest, Rhody: we summer.
RHODY BY SEA
It’s back: The ferry linking Providence, Newport and Bristol opens for the season June 23. This is how we summer in Ocean State.
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WES ANDERSON FEST
Cue the color palette, symmetry and Kinks soundtrack. Westerly is celebrating all things Wes Anderson. Anderson’s latest, “Asteroid City” hits Westerly’s United Theater June 23 — and whether or not you have tickets, you’re invited to a free opening night Anderson-themed cocktail party at 8 p.m. at the theater. Anderson-esque costumes, from any of the auteur’s films, are encouraged at “Fantastic Mr. Fest.” I’ll dig up my barrettes and wooden finger for Margot Tenenbaum. Free. 18+. Cash bar. Movie tickets separate. Details here and here.
Bonus for all you Wes-ophiles: When I interviewed #AccidentlyWesAnderson founder Wally Koval, I asked him about his guide to PVD. The Athenæum is very Wes Anderson.
RHODE READS
I’m a lifelong book lover and want to spread the Ocean State literary love. Rhody is so packed with authors and stories, I’ve started a little subsection of this column, Rhode Reads. If you’re a local author or a bookstore hosting a local signing, hit me up and you just might get featured. In this week’s Rhody Reading News…
What Cheer Writers Club is now LitArts RI. Celebrate the grand opening of their new literary arts center June 24 from 4-7 p.m., described as “a new community resource where Rhode Islanders can connect, create and share their work — all in a safe, welcoming, air-filtered and accessible environment.” The “community workspace includes a training room for workshops, writing nooks, podcast studio, local author library, and an event space.” Mingle with local authors over small bites. Take a self-guided tour, or guided tours at 5 p.m and at 6 p.m. 400 Harris Ave., Suite E, Providence. Learn more here and here.
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Beep beep! Legend alert! The Ocean State’s favorite two-legged good boy, Joey from Tiverton is now the star of a kids book. Joey — so named because he hops like a baby kangaroo when not in his wheelchair — melted hearts as a star of Puppy Bowl XIX. Determined to teach the world that special needs dogs need love, too, the 13-pound hero is now the subject of “Joey’s Two-Legged Life,” by Kristen Peralta, illustrated by Robbin Lynch. Peralta is the executive director of Vintage Pet Rescue, where Joey once lived.
His moms Cathy Larson and Laurie Thibodeau are sharing lil’ Joey’s incredible story with the world — and a paw-signing at Rumford Pet in East Providence, June 24 from noon to 2 p.m. Go, Joey, go! 865 Warren Ave., East Providence. Info. here.
LAST FULL WATERFIRE…
…. of June. Sorry to scare you, thought I was going to sneeze for a minute there. Yes! ‘Tis our day, my neighbors to light these pyres and feast by these mighty waters! Let us toast our Del’s and pray for good beach weather and crispy clam cakes this Ocean State summer… You know the drill. Fun starts at June 24 at 6:30 p.m., lighting at 8:24 p.m. Details here.
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NEWPORT PRIDE FEST
The City by the Sea shows its pride with a Bike Newport x Newport Pride Pride Ride June 24 at noon. The gentle 2-mile bike parade around Newport starts and ends at the Great Friends Meeting House at 21 Farewell St. … just in time for Pride Fest. Grab your friends and wheels and join the parade. Details here.
Ride into a six-hour Pride Fest & Market at Newport’s Great Friends Meeting House “where everyone can feel accepted and embraced,” according to billing. Find live music, artisan vendors, food and drinks, activities for all ages. June 24, noon-6 p.m. 21 Farewell St. Details here.
Followed by Newport Pride Afterdark, billed as an “eclectic experience” with a drag show and DJ. Jun 24, 9 p.m.-1 a.m., Parlor Newport, 200 Broadway. Tickets from $25. Details here.
MORE RHODY PRIDE
The last week of Pride Month brings more Pride fun, including:
The 3rd Annual “Pride Picnic and Music” in East Greenwich, which features live music, food trucks and more June 24 from 11 a.m.-3 p.m. Details here.
newportFILM Outdoors series hosts free Thursday documentary screenings all summer long. On June 29, they screen “It’s Only Life After All,” a doc on the Indigo Girls. According to website billing, “Living out publicly as lesbians long before there was understanding or tolerance for queerness in the music industry, they have represented radical self-acceptance.” Free. 8:40 p.m., Marble House lawn. Details here.
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And more events here.
HISTORIC PROVIDENCE WALKING TOUR
Get some fresh air and get schooled with a free historic walking tour of the Providence riverfront June 24, starting and ending at our favorite pedestrian bridge. The gentle 1.5-mile route follows the river’s eastern shore, “the original seventeenth and eighteenth century settlement…walk in the footsteps of the original residents of the city, and learn about the city’s inhabitants over the past 500 years.” Free. 10 a.m.-noon. Across from Plant City South Water & James streets. Details here.
NO MORE PENCILS, NO MORE BOOKS
School’s out for summer, parents. And if they’re already climbing the walls, let ‘em get their recess on at Kids Con RI in Cranston June 24. Billed as a day of arts and activities “that promote literacy and the arts while inspiring creativity,” you’ll find family-friendly vendors, live entertainment, karate demos, sing-alongs, story times and a chance to meet Bluey. At the Historic Park Theatre and Event Center. 848 Park Ave., Cranston. $10. 10 a.m.-3 p.m. Kids under 3 free. Details here and here.
KIDS PAINT WHILE ADULTS DRINK
On that “school’s-out” note… At Greenvale Vineyards’ Paint Party, kids can paint while Rhody ‘rents relax with wine. June 25, 1:30-2:30 p.m. $20 per child, wine sold separately. 582 Wapping Road, Portsmouth, R.I. Details here.
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STRAWBERRY SHORTCAKE
Strawberry season is on, and the Tiverton Farmers Market celebrates its 3rd Annual Strawberry Social June 25. Strawberry shortcake with whipped cream will be available for purchase, along with strawberries and more vendors. At Tiverton Town Farm, 3588 Main Road.
Meanwhile, you might pick-your-own strawberries. Here are a few suggestions — though, because this depends on Mother Nature, check before you go:
- Sweet Berry Farm, 915 Mitchell’s Lane, Middletown. Details here.
- Young Family Farm, 260 West Main Road, Little Compton. Details here and here.
- Salisbury Farm, 11 Peck Hill Road, Johnston. Details here and here.
- Quonset View Farm, 895 Middle Road, Portsmouth. Details here.
- In the PVD area, try Four Town Farm in Seekonk, Mass. 90 George St. Details here.
TEA IN A SANCTUARY
Forget the grind. Let’s normalize this vibe: Norman Bird Sanctuary hosts a “Flower Crown Tea Party” with cookies, berries, and tea. “Stroll through the garden learning about plants and make a nature flower crown to wear and take home.” Enough. I’m in. $20. Under 14: $15. June 25, 1-3 p.m. 583 3rd Beach Road, Middletown. Details here.
FREE CONCERT IN THE PARK
Bring your dancing shoes.
FirstWorks Summer Beats Concerts brings Belize-based Garifuna Collective to the Roger Williams Park Bandstand June 25. The musicians bring the music and rhythms of the Garifuna people, “a distinct language and cultural diaspora spanning the Central American coastline,” according to FirstWorks. “The Garifuna Collective are the descendants of an Afro-Indigenous population from the Caribbean island of St. Vincent who were exiled to the Honduran coast in the 18th century and subsequently moved to Belize.”
Read more here, and via the Kennedy Center here. They’ll teach a free, interactive workshop on Garifuna drums, rhythm, and culture from 4-5 p.m. Free show from 6-8 p.m. Event details here and here. Get a sense of what this music is like here, here and here.
VINTAGE GARDEN PARTY
Party like it’s 1865 at The Lippitt House Museum’s Rosé Garden Party June 25. Held on the grounds and inside the 1865 Lippitt House, the annual Rosé Garden Party “is a vintage-inspired event” with croquet, light bites, live music, rosé wines, museum open house and more, according to billing. Party-goers are encouraged to “dress your summer best.” Event is a museum benefit. From $85. 4-6 p.m. Tickets and info. here.
OPEN MIC AND JAMS ALL WEEK
Rhode Island’s Got Talent. Show ‘em what you got at Wakefield’s The Pump House, hosting a week’s worth of opportunities for you to take stage: June 25, it’s a potluck open mic — bring a dish, taste all the dishes, and see your neighbors rock. Doors and sign-up 5:30 p.m. Details here.
Grab your uke for a ukulele jam June 26. Love it. 6-8 p.m., suggested donation is $5.
Get your bluegrass and traditional folk on June 27 with an “old-time jam.” Bring your instrument or just listen in. Then crank it up to 11 for an Electric Jam that night from 8-11. (Suggested $5.)
June 28 it’s their “Wednesday Night Acoustic Open Mic Lounge” from 6-11 p.m. 1464 Kingstown Road, Wakefield. All info. here.
PUPPY LOVE
Grab your slobbery, furry friend (no, not Frank) or head solo to Hounds at the Harbor June 25. Celebrate the dog days of summer with all the best boys and girls.
Find adoptable dogs, watch a “Mutt Strut” adoptable dog fashion show (I need to see this); find hard seltzer samples, doggie ice cream, reiki sessions for people and dogs, free pup-massage, plus live music, tarot card readings (I see a treat in your future); photo opps and dog photo booth, games, raffles, plus food and drink available at Harborside’s waterfront bar and restaurant. $10. Proceeds benefit Rhode Island Pet Network. 38 Water St., East Greenwich. Details here.
Or, if you’re a beagle-lover — and evidently Rhody has its share — you might opt for the Beagle Meet-Up in Warwick that same day. You and your beagle can mingle and play with other beagle owners and beagles. A $25 ticket includes 75 minutes of play, a goody bag, stuffed toy — and sketch of your beagle. Amazing. 27 Meadow St., Warwick. June 25, from 2:30-4 p.m. Registration required. Details here.
BYOB CLOTHING SWAP
I love everything about this. Most of us don’t need new clothes, but if you do, the best way to do that — for the planet and your wallet — is buying used clothes. BYOB, snacks, bag, and used clothing to The Nest June 28 to swap clothes, sip beer and nosh. All leftovers clothing will be donated to a local nonprofit. Love this. Pay-what-you-can between $8-12. 6-8 p.m. 1155 Westminster St., Providence. Details here.
NATALIE MERCHANT x RHODE ISLAND PHILHARMONIC ORCHESTRA
If you were alive in the ‘90s you’re already singing “Jealousy” in your head right now. A member of 10,000 Maniacs, 1 Maniac is now on tour for her 2023 solo album “Keep Your Courage.” Merchant plays The Vets June 28 with the Rhode Island Philharmonic Orchestra. Merchant fans, hop on it: there are still tickets left as of this writing. From $68. Doors 6:30, show 7:30 p.m. Details here.
HUMP-DAY BEER & CHEESE
Apparently Rhody’s favorite pairing, we have another beer & cheese collab. Because beer and cheese. Get your Monterey Jack mustache going (that was a “Rescue Rangers” allusion, for you kids out there) and beeline to Linesider Brewing Company June 28 at 6 p.m. for cheese and beer pairing with Edgewood Cheese Shop and Eatery. Enjoy five beer and cheese pairings. $35. 1485 South County Trail, East Greenwich. Details here.
MIDWEEK MUNCHIES
Another way to get over hump day? With the Midweek Mobile Munchies and Music food truck fest in Woonsocket. BYO chairs and blankets. Free admission, just pay for what you eat. #HumpDayCures. 1409 Park Ave. Details here.
THOSE OL’ NEW ENGLAND BLUES
Blues fans: Don’t miss Ryan Lee Crosby at Askew. The 40-something from Medford, Mass., channels the old-time sounds of the Mississippi blues. Sounds and grooves so old, they’re new again. Must-listens: “Down So Long” smacks of Junior Kimbrough, and “Slow Down” feels like he’s singing on a back porch in the 1930s. With Daniel Miller and Chadley Kolb June 29. Doors 7 p.m., show 8 p.m. $10. 150 Chestnut St. Learn more here and here.
Until next week, Rhody: Keep rockin’.
Lauren Daley can be reached at ldaley33@gmail.com. Follow her on Twitter @laurendaley1.