Happy Wednesday, Rhode Crew!

IN THIS ISSUE:

• Curious Monster: even better shot of an ocean-specter massive ship

• Crafted Heat: handmade goods glow at evening market

• Neighborhood Pulse: porch concerts spark spontaneous celebration

This week in “Pizzadocce Reviews”: Frank Pepe’s

Trivia is back! Test your Rhode Island settlement knowledge.

Got Biz? Business owner? Future entrepreneur? Founder? Let’s meet TONIGHT, JUNE 4th @ 6pm and chat. Super low key. Find the glowing cube. Details below.

And finally: new ways to support The Rhody Weekender.

Let’s see what is going on this weekend and find you some options! Get your calendar app open!

Outdoor & Nature

🎆 Fireworks over the bay: Gaspee Days Fireworks Extravaganza at Salter Grove in Warwick. 30-minute display over Narragansett Bay. Food and novelty vendors nearby! A personal favorite.

🚐 From city streets to coastal cliffs: Rhode Island in a Day. A full-day guided tour through historic towns, scenic drives, and waterfront views—without planning a thing.

🍓 Dance under the berry moon: Strawberry Thanksgiving at Ninigret Park. Celebrate Indigenous culture with TEK walks, storytelling, food vendors, and traditional dance. Bring your chairs or blankets!

🌿 Run, jog, or walk the Greenway: Community Fun Run in Providence. Enjoy a relaxed 5K along the Woonasquatucket River. A great way to connect with neighbors and enjoy the outdoors! Open to all fitness levels; no registration required.

🖍 Big day for little humans: KIDS CON 2025 at Mulligan’s Island packs in magic shows, Bluey meet-and-greets, karate demos, 50+ vendors, and food trucks. Four hours of nonstop family chaos—in a good way.

🎻 Explore farm life and local music: Second Sundays at Borders Farm in Foster. Tour the historic farmhouse, meet the animals, and enjoy a live concert by Atwater Donnelly. Free and family-friendly!

🖋️ Nature meets verse in this new land art installation—experience Poetry of the Wild with a guided trail walk and reading hosted by the Hopkinton Land Trust.

🚁 Sky’s the limit—literally: Newport Helicopter Tours in Middletown. From quick mansion flyovers to full bay tours, there’s a flight for every thrill level. Weekend slots only—book early!

🦀 Catch river life up close: What Lives in the River at Middlebridge Preserve in Narragansett. Use nets to collect fish and crabs, then examine them in touch tanks and under microscopes. Free and open to all ages.

Li’l Rhody Business Mixer

🗓️ Wednesday, June 4th 6pm-8pm!

In business, it’s all about who you know. This axiom is truer in Rhode Island than any other place on planet earth! That’s why The Rhody Weekender is starting a business focused meetup series: Li’l Rhody Business Mixer. Meet, greet, chat, and make things happen, or just see what happens. We are going to keep it very low key and informal. No agenda, but definitely some beer.

‼️🚨 LOCATION UPDATE 🚨‼️

We have relocated to Crook Point Brewing Company in East Providence. Apponaug Brewing has essentially no interior space if we have bad weather, though outside is fantastic. Crook Point, on the other hand, has loads of space indoors for mingling and moving about. Looks fantastic:

Crook Point Brewing Company
65 Massasoit Ave, East Providence, RI 02914-2039
crookpointbrewing.com

We are all set for Wednesday, June 4th, 6pm-8pm!

RSVP Required

Li’l Bulletin Board

Want to spread the good word about your business, a project you’re working on, or a hire, to 22,000 friends?

• Strawberry Moon Night Market at Mount Hope Farm: One night only—Seb’s Wood Fire Oven pops up at the Strawberry Moon Market on June 11 from 5:30–8 PM. Savor handmade eats, explore local makers, and enjoy a dreamy summer night at the farm. It’s fresh, festive, and full of small-town magic. Get there early—this one’s going to be packed!

• Wayland Square Sidewalk Sale: On June 8, the sidewalks of Wayland Square turn into a vibrant hub of local deals, outdoor shopping, and lively community vibes. Members of the Wayland Square Merchants Association come together for this beloved once-a-year neighborhood event. It’s the perfect excuse to explore, shop small, and soak up early summer in style. Show up early—deals (and parking) get tricky to find!

• Ragged Island Music Festival 2025: Two epic days of music, craft beer, and backyard summer vibes are coming to Portsmouth, RI on June 7–8 from 12–8:30 PM. Local bands, food vendors, and a brand-new festival market will take over the Ragged Island Brewing grounds. This is your chance to be part of one of Aquidneck Island’s most anticipated music events of the summer. Don’t miss your shot—mark your calendar and rally your crew now!

Food & Drink

🇮🇹 Celebrate with meatballs and music: The Feast of St. Joseph on Federal Hill: live bands, wine tastings, and the iconic statue procession. Don’t miss the meatball contest or zeppole-eating showdown!

🍷 BBQ, wine, and saudade: NÓS: A Celebration of Us & Ours at Figa in East Providence. Azorean music, live-fire Portuguese BBQ, and curated wines under the stars. One-night-only nod to roots and flavor.

🥂 Brunch with music and New England charm: Sunday Jazz Brunch at Ocean House. Savor a rotating menu, bottomless bubbles, and live jazz in a coastal atmosphere.

🎾 Serve a pint, swing a racket: Sip & Serve: Brewery Mini-Tennis Event at The Guild in Pawtucket. No tennis skills needed—just low-pressure balls, fun games, and cold beer in hand.

🇵🇹 Celebrate Portuguese culture in Providence: RI Day of Portugal Cultural Festival at 195 District Park. Enjoy traditional music, dance, cuisine, and a vibrant parade showcasing cultural floats.

This one might get me in trouble.

It seems everybody loves Frank Pepe’s New Haven style pizza, “apizza”, pronounce “ah-beets”. It’s legendary. I’ve had it multiple times, especially on Bald Hill. It takes some getting used to. The delicate tomato sauce has no additional flavors or seasonings. It’s a basic, primitive kind of thing. The high heat chars the thin crust, making it very crispy, burnt in places. I grew up making pizza in various Italian family run pizzerias, and Frank Pepe’s would be considered “very well done”. The flavor profile, especially of the plain cheese pie is “char forward” which out competes the delicate, unseasoned sauce.

Was it good? Yes. Was it great? No. It’s an acquired taste. Would I go back? For someone else, or with a crowd for fun, sure. Solid, but 0% craveable.

Highs & Lows

Entertainment

🎤 Live music East Side porches: 3rd Annual Providence Porchfest returns with 150+ artists at 90+ porches, lawns, and driveways. Community-powered music all over the East Side. Support local artists and get to know your neighbors! Click through for schedule and huge lineup!

🎻 Bring a blanket, enjoy a symphony! Symphony in the Park at Pawtuxet Park in Warwick. The Warwick Symphony Orchestra performs live, followed by fireworks over Salter’s Grove. Food available or bring your own. Chairs and blankets are encouraged!!

🎸Two days, one solid stage Ragged Island Music Fest 2025 in Portsmouth. Two days of live music, craft beer, and food trucks. Featuring Badfish, Original Wailers, and more. Bring a chair and enjoy the Meadows.

🌙 Catch a double feature outside: Rustic Drive-In Weekend Movies in Smithfield. Lilo & Stitch, Thunderbolts, Karate Kid—movies under the stars, rain or shine. The retro sign's lit, and so is the lineup.

🪕 Sea songs and stories: Quartermaster’s Council at Blackstone River Theatre. New England crew performs traditional maritime tunes, with pirate flair, and communal singing. Outdoor show with chairs provided, or bring your own! Rain moves it inside.

Arts & Culture

🎨 Wander through art and blooms: 3rd Annual Farm Coast Art & Garden Ramble in Tiverton. Explore local art, handcrafted goods, and native plants. Live music sets the tone for this free community event.

🍹 Yard sale, but make it social: The Steel Yard Yard Sale at New Harvest. Ceramics, books, art, and trinkets from residents and staff. Music by FrankenPhil. Drinks and deals available!

🧭 Explore the eclectic and unusual: Collectors of Curiosities: The History of the Wunderkammer at the Bristol Historical & Preservation Society. Delve into a world of rare and intriguing objects that reflect humanity's enduring fascination with the unknown.

🎤 Lights up. Mic on. Go time: Open Mic Night at Riffraff in Providence. Got a puppet show or tragic poem? Time to get weird. These slots fill fast—sign up at 6 or miss your shot.

🧺 Snag a worm pot, why not? Wickenden Street Makers Market in Providence. The rescheduled market is on! Pottery demos, floral mugs, live throwing, and delicious food trucks. Handmade heaven, one block party at a time!

Wicked Li’l Trivia

Support Us

Invest in your weekends.

Love what we do? There are a few low-key but powerful ways you can help keep The Rhody Weekender, your favorite source for weekend ideas, thriving. We keep ads minimal, our coverage local, and our vibe totally independent—and that's because of reader support.

👉 There are 3 simple ways to back us—click here to see what they are.

Rhody Moments

• Peacock trying to hitch a ride on Ten Rod Rd? “Wait for it!”: He shows you everything he’s got but you have to see him turn around after showing off his stuff to all the passersby at Silk Tree Farm in Exeter. “We love pavos tushy dance!! ❤️❤️”. Give him a like!

• Giant Things In The Bay, PART II: “You don’t see that everyday 👀” Amazing close up shot of Trialf, the second largest ship in the world, just hanging out off the RI coast near a bridge, lit up an ominous sci-fi mothership. The scale is mind-boggling. “Wow. That thing is nearly the size of Rhode Island” and “It came to harvest the rich” LOL LOL. Look on in awe before it’s gone!

• OK, who is going to tell them? “What else is there to do in RI?“ There are some interesting ideas in this thread. Did you know there is a Dinner Club that meets once a week and is trying to hit different restaurants each dinner? Did you know board games clubs are a thing? Of course, like I did myself, you can visit the page and plug The Rhody Weekender as the obvious best answer to this question! Copy and paste this, “https://rhodyweekender.com”, and let’s make some new friends.

If you think of it: let’em know you came from The Rhody Weekender!

See you next week!

Your editors: