Best things to do in Rhode Island: May 10-17

SPRING FEST WEEKEND ON THE BEACH

The summer vibes are starting now with Misquamicut’s SpringFest. The fun takes place May 10-12 at Misquamicut State Beach. Think of a Ferris wheel, bumper cars, a fun house and kiddie rides. Plus craft vendors, face painting, food trucks, a beer and wine garden and more fun. A classic car show will take place May 11 from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. at 57 Atlantic Ave., Westerly. 10 euros in advance, 12 euros at the door. Children under 7 years free. See photos here. Details here.

FOOD AND ARCHITECTURE WALK

Food, art and architecture come together for Downcity Providence Food Tours, from 12pm to 3:30pm, Thursdays, Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays through November.

Over three hours on a 1.7-mile tour, you’ll get an insider’s look at creative and vibrant Providence. Discover some of the city’s award-winning restaurants, hidden art and historic architecture. Tickets $76-$94 per person. 1 Ship St., Providence. Details here.

GREEN ANIMALS

Watch out! It’s an elephant! And a bear! And an ostrich! …Sorry, they’re plants. Yes, the Preservation Society of Newport County’s Green Animals Topiary Garden opened for daily tours on May 11, with about 80 animal topiaries and designs – and lots of flowers – on its seven acres. BYO picnic. 380 Corys Lane, Portsmouth. Open daily from 10am to 5pm. Ticket sales in packages with house tours. Details here.

In the meantime, it’s the annual Plant Sale at Green Animals Topiary Garden from May 10 to 12 from 8 a.m. to 10 a.m. Find “a variety of flowers, vegetables, herbs and specialty plants,” according to the website. Details here.

A PUMPKIN, ASHES AND GLASS SLIPPERS

The timeless story of a fatherless girl, a gourd and glass shoes. Ballet fans, don’t miss Ballet RI’s ‘Cinderella’ at The Vets from May 10 to 12. Yury Yanowsky’s production features Sergei Prokofiev’s well-known score. And yes, the fun ends before midnight. From $25. Kunstlaan 1. Details here.

FIRST STRIKE FESTIVAL

Get your history up. Slater Mill will commemorate the country’s first industrial workers’ strike on May 11 with tours and talks. The first wage worker strike happened here in Pawtucket 200 years ago.

Guided tour of the Slater Mill with a ranger at 10:30 AM, 12:30 PM and 2:30 PM. Meet in front of the mill. The tour is limited to 25 people, tickets required. Tickets are free and are issued from 10am on a first come, first served basis at Old Slater Mill reception

A discussion about work history with a forest ranger is offered at 1:00 PM, 2:00 PM and 3:00 PM. Meet at the Slater Mill Bell Tower.

A first outdoor presentation of Strike History with a ranger will be offered at 11:30 a.m. and 3:30 p.m.

Performances, from acoustic folk music to dancers, will take place from noon to 2:45 p.m. 67 Roosevelt Ave., Pawtucket. Details and First Strike History here.

BROWN’S ART WALKS

Brown University now offers free public art walking tours led by Brown students every weekend. Learn about Brown’s public art collection on a 40-minute student-curated tour, exploring six works of art. All tours take place outdoors, rain or shine. No registration required. Meet at 1:00 PM. Meet at the Eli Harvey statue, Bronze Bruno, on College Green (79 Waterman St.) on Saturdays. On Sundays you will meet at Tom Friedman’s Circle Dance, on the Campus Walk. Tours run on weekends through November 17. Map and all details here.

FARM PARTY

Head to Seven Cedars Farm Spring Festival on May 11 for local vendors selling honey, photography, paintings, handmade crafts, jewelry, baked goods and more, depending on event billing. 10am to 4pm 20 John Mowry Road, Smithfield. Details here.

FOOD TRAVELS

Foodies: Rhode Island Red Food Tours is offering tours now through November. Wear your comfortable shoes for a 2.8 km hike. ($76 per person, or $94 per person with alcohol.) At the time of writing, there are 12 spots left for the afternoon city tour on May 11. Or join a Newport Neighborhood Food Tour from May 15 to 17, or Downcity Providence Food Tours on May 16. and 17. All details here.

HIGH TEA

Attention gentlemen and ladies: get your Bridgerton vibes at the Regency Ball at the Reserve on Dorrance on May 11 from 8pm to midnight. There will be live entertainment, performances and a costume contest. You can buy tickets for the ball only, or tickets for food and drinks. The costume winners will be announced at 10 p.m. High tea delicacies include tea sandwiches, deviled eggs, salmon rillettes, mini quiches, mini macarons, cakes and various desserts, according to the invoice. Presale tickets only. $50 per person for the ball only, $95 per person includes event admission, entertainment, champagne toast upon arrival and hors d’oeuvres. These tickets will be subject to an 8 percent sales tax and 20 percent service charge. 21+ 60 Dorrance St., Providence. Details here.

SUNDAY FUN ON SATURDAY

So the solar eclipse just made you want more fun in the sun?

The Natural History Museum and Planetarium are organizing family sun fun on May 11. Family-friendly activities at SUNsational Saturday all celebrate the sun. The fun goes from 10am to 4pm. Museum admission 4+ $2, children 3 and under free. 2:00 PM Planetarium show $5. (Ages 4 and up) includes admission. 1000 Elmwood Ave., Providence. All details here.

5,000 YEARS OF CULTURE

“Shen Yun” appears at PPAC on May 11. Shen Yun performers focus on classical Chinese dance and are accompanied by an orchestra and solo artists. Elaborate costumes and sets merge into each performance. Tickets from $95. 220 Weybosset St. Details here And here.

WATER FIRE

It’s partial relief, but I’ll take it. The May 11 WaterFire will include an exhibition of torches carried by Rhode Island high school and college students.“ Plus food trucks at Finance Way, an educational resource fair starting at 6:30 p.m., live music at 7 p.m. Sunset is 7:55 PM The fun lasts until 10:00 PM Details here.

TALKING FISHING

I recently wrote about my love of birds – especially ospreys, and specifically the osprey pairs I watch along the Westport River – when I interviewed naturalist/educator Clare Walker Leslie about her nature-inspired art and book. Audubon RI is hosting a lecture about them this week.

“Nature Inspired Art: ‘My Summer with Ospreys” with Pamela Lowell” is at the Audubon Nature Center and Aquarium in Bristol on May 11 from 1-3 p.m. According to event billing, Lowell, author of “My Summer with Ospreys: A Therapist’s Journey Toward Hope, Community, and Healing our Planet,” began painting large watercolors of ospreys in 2022. Last year, she began accompanying Mass Audubon on their next osprey monitoring event. on the Westport River. 1401 Hope St. Bristol. Non-member €14. From 14 years and older. Details and registration here.

FIDDLE FADDLE

Fans of Celtic music, don’t miss Boston-based fiddle star Hanneke Cassel, along with fellow Berklee College alumni/fiddler Jenna Moynihan and Newfoundland-born/Vermont-based guitarist Keith Murphy – at Cumberland’s Blackstone River Theater on May 11 at 8 p.m. $25. 549 Brede St. Details here And here.

FOOTBALL GRANDMAS

Rhode Island FC, Ocean State’s new professional soccer team, will play the Sacramento Republic in a Mother’s Day match on May 11. Recognizing mother figures in everyone’s lives, the team is offering a Mother’s Day bundle: two tickets, a limited edition Mother’s Day T-shirt and two drink coupons for $65. The game starts at 7:30 PM at Beirne Stadium, 1150 Douglas Pike, Smithfield. Details and tickets here.

DAVID FOSTER AND KATHARINE MCPHEE

You probably have David Foster songs on your Spotify playlists and you don’t know it. “The Hitman” has helped create hits for a Who’s Who of A-listers: Madonna, Christina Aguilera, Celine Dion, Whitney Houston, Barbra Streisand, Seal, Stevie Wonder, Dolly Parton, ‘N Sync, Mary J. Blige, Diana Krall , Natalie Cole… I’ll stop there.

On May 12, PPAC will host “An Intimate Evening with David Foster and Katharine McPhee.” Foster, a 16-time Grammy award-winning writer/producer, performs songs with singer/”American Idol” alumnus and wife McPhee. According to the billing, you can expect songs “he wrote or produced during his forty years of telling stories,” and a selection of McPhee fan favorites. 220 Weybosset St., Providence. Details here.

QUAHOG WEEK

It’s a ‘Family Guy’ reference for a reason: Rhody loves quahogs. Foodies, we’re diving into the 8th annual Quahog Week from May 11 to 18. The week aims to draw attention to “the many restaurants, markets, fishermen and food businesses committed to growing Rhode Island’s local food economy, with a special emphasis on wild-harvested mussels,” according to the website. At the time of writing, 33 restaurants and 24 markets are taking part in what organizers are calling a ‘shell ebration’.

For example: PVD’s Pizza Marvin serves a “Chowdah Pie – Littlenecks, Potatoes, Bacon, Herb Salad.” Newport Chowder Company offers a “Super Stuffie,” a large fried quahog with seafood or corn chowder on top. Hemenway’s offers beer-battered Quahog Fritters with horseradish remoulade. And Iggy’s offers Stuffed Quahog with a breadcrumb filling of chopped mussels, red and green peppers, onion and herbs. All details here.

CHEERS TO SHELLS

American Craft Beer Week is from May 13 to 19. And because the stars have aligned to give us Quahog Week and American Craft Beer Week all at once, we have events that combine both:

PVD’s Narragansett Brewery and Taproom will host a Quahog Night on May 15 with free admission. Harvesters from the RI Shellfishermen’s Association will peel and serve smallnecks for free. Plus “small bites” from Dave’s Fresh Marketplace, Matunuck Oyster Bar, Dune Brothers and Fearless Fish. 5pm-7pm 271 Tockwotton St. Details here.

On May 16, Warren’s The Guild will host a similar event with free admission: Harvesters from the RI Shellfishermen’s Association will peel and serve smallnecks for free. Small bites are provided by Matunuck Oyster Bar and Blount’s Clam Shack. 5-7pm 101 Water St., Warren. Details here.

LASTING PLEASURE

DRAGONS AT THE ZOO: Kids can explore “Dragons and Mythical Creatures” at Roger Williams Park Zoo. Billed as an “immersive experience with more than 60 life-size animatronic wonders.” Until August 11th. Not included with regular zoo admission. $9 ages 2 and up. Under 2 free. 1000 Elmwood Ave., Providence. Details here.

FOOD TRUCK FRIDAYS: Weather permitting, approximately 15 local food trucks will park at Roger Williams Park every Friday through September 27 at 5 p.m. Bring a chair or blanket and enjoy live tunes from local artists, hop on the carousel, hop on the train. Free entrance; pay for what you eat. 1000 Elmwood Ave., Providence. Details here.

ERIK ROCK, GRETA GRANITE AND THE THUNDERSTONE: In case you missed the reveal last weekend, it’s officially Troll Time in Rhode Island. Renowned trash artist and recycling activist Thomas Dambo’s two trolls in Ninigret Park are now open to the public. And from this week on they are called: Erik Rock and Greta Granite. 5 Park Avenue, Charlestown.

Until next week, Rhody: Keep rocking.”

Lauren Daley can be reached at [email protected]. Follow her on Twitter @laurendaley1.