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Make a day of it at the Market!
The Mount Hope Farmers Market is a year-round community market, happening every weekend in every season. During summer 2017, there are some great reasons to bring your whole family! Not only is the market a bounty of local goods and food-stuffs that families love, but Mount Hope Farm has nature trails and barnyard animals too! If you take Cove Road, it will lead you to amazing views of the ocean, so bring your walking shoes. After shopping, tour the historic Governor Bradford House or simply stroll over to the ever growing barnyard featuring all sorts of animal friends: goats, pheasants, chickens and sheep. Make a day of it!
Along with the goods listed below, you’ll also find local crafts, live music, demonstrations and tastings!
-Vegetables
-Herbs
-Fruits
-Meats
-Eggs
-Cheese
-Seafood
-Honey
-Coffee
-Bread/Pastries/Pies
-Prepared Foods
-Salsas/Sauces/Relishes
-Potted Plants & Seedlings
-Soaps & Lotions
-Cleaning Products
Bring the whole family, shop for local food, visit the sheep, goats & poultry, grab a trail map, and walk the beautiful grounds of the farm!
Lighthouse, away!
Located on the southernmost tip of Jamestown, the Beavertail Lighthouse is the third-oldest light house in the U.S. and one of the most visited landmarks in Rhode Island. Bring your family to wander around the grounds, climb to the tip of the lighthouse, and visit the museum housing interesting elements of Narragansett Bay’s maritime science, technology, art, and culture. Just a reminder for climbers: In addition to the 49 steps of the spiral staircase, a 7 ft ladder requiring both hands must also be scaled to reach the observation catwalk. But it’s worth it! Admission: $5 suggested donation for each adult; children can climb for free but must be at least 4 ft tall. Openings are weather dependent; if uncertain, call 401.423.3270. Neither small children nor pets may be carried.
Windmills and garden tips
Do you have a garden? Or are you planting seedlings with your children? Whether you’re growing lettuce or lupines, it’s important to know who to turn to for advice – and the URI Master Gardeners are here to help! Bring your questions, your little ones, and even a soil sample from your garden for free analysis, to Prescott Farm in Middletown. Let the kids explore the grounds, see the ducks paddle around the pond, and marvel at the old Robert Sherman Windmill, built in 1812. It’s a perfect place for family photos too! For soil sample how-to’s, visit Newport Restoration Foundation’s website.
Made-to-order Mondays
Experience the Museum of Work & Culture in a low sensory, less crowded environment. Sensory elements such as lighting and sound are adjusted, and trained staff and volunteers are on hand to provide supplementary tools and offer tours to visitors who have children with special needs. Families have free access to therapist-led art and music activities designed to help children and teens with sensory sensitivities engage creatively with the Musem of Work & Culture themes. Two sessions will take place beginning at 10am and 11am. Each session is open to 10 participants and registration is required. See more information here.
Wake up the Barnyard!
Some visitors come to photograph Coggeshall Farm’s stunning location or to soothe their senses as they stroll the serene coastal farmland. Others come with their families to interact with the farm animals or learn about the property’s history. This Saturday, “Wake Up The Barnyard” is back! And the setting couldn’t be more perfect. Head over with the nature lovers in your family to help get the barn animals ready for the day. Starting promptly at 9am, visitors can help feed and groom animals and have a unique behind the scenes experience!
Time travel with the whole family!
In the days before cell phones, cable television and the internet, there were huge international fairs which showcased the newest cultural and technological developments around the world. The largest of these was presented in St. Louis in 1904. Hearthside Museum celebrates Rhode Island’s unique connections to this turn-of-the-century spectacle with an all-day family immersion in the sights, sounds, and feeling of history’s greatest World’s Fair. Hearthside’s World’s Fair 1904: Showcasing Rhode Island’s Legacy of Achievement (Sunday, July 23) includes exhibits inside the house and outside on the grounds. Inside you’ll find artifacts and image galleries showcasing innovations of the 1904 Fair. Outside throughout the grounds, continuous entertainment and activities will offer a glimpse of what 1904 Fairgoers would have experienced, including period fashions, cultural performances, old-time brass music, carnival–type games, kids activities, demonstrations, antique cars, art displays as well as food that was made popular at that Fair, such as ice cream cones, hot dogs, and Dr. Pepper.
Among the features will be a circus magic show, belly dancing, brass band music, Chinese cultural displays and a Dragon Dance, and Native American drumming, singing, and storytelling. Artists will be capturing the scenes of the Fair on canvas, while a sculptor will demonstrate how the grand statues and architectural details of the palaces at the Fair were created.
General admission is $10; $5 for students ages 10-17; free for 9 and under. Cash only. Read an article about this amazing event on GoLocalProv.
Made-to-order Mondays
Experience the Museum of Work & Culture in a low sensory, less crowded environment. Sensory elements such as lighting and sound are adjusted, and trained staff and volunteers are on hand to provide supplementary tools and offer tours to visitors who have children with special needs. Families have free access to therapist-led art and music activities designed to help children and teens with sensory sensitivities engage creatively with the Musem of Work & Culture themes. Two sessions will take place beginning at 2pm and 3pm. Each session is open to 10 participants and registration is required. See more information here.
Weaving for kids at Slater Mill
This August, Slater Mill invites you to drop in any Saturday to learn how to weave. Adults and children may participate anytime between 10 a.m. and noon for a “make-and-take” weaving workshop. Think bright colors of string, a little instruction, and you’ll see imaginations soar! Great for families with kids 12-years and younger. Best of all, Slater Mill provides the loom, yarn, and needles for the activity. All participants may bring their completed weaves home! For information, call 401.725.8638 ex. 100 weekdays, ex. 111 weekends.
Who: Families; Children 12 & under accompanied by an adult
What: Saturday Drop in & Weave!
Where: Old Slater Mill, 2nd Floor
When: Saturdays in August, anytime 10:00 a.m. to Noon.
Made-to-order Mondays
Experience the Museum of Work & Culture in a low sensory, less crowded environment. Sensory elements such as lighting and sound are adjusted, and trained staff and volunteers are on hand to provide supplementary tools and offer tours to visitors who have children with special needs. Families have free access to therapist-led art and music activities designed to help children and teens with sensory sensitivities engage creatively with the Musem of Work & Culture themes. Two sessions will take place beginning at 10am and 11am. Each session is open to 10 participants and registration is required. See more information here.
Shopping for the family, on the coast!
Casey Farm’s weekly Coastal Growers Market was named “one of the five best farmers’ markets in New England” by Yankee Magazine. Easy to get to, and surrounded by the bounty Rhode Island is known for, visitors will find specialty products, including organic produce, pasture-fed meats, locally raised shellfish, baked goods, sweeteners, flowers, and more from the area’s local farmers. Support local farmers and shop for the family, while enjoying the views!