Not to jinx anything but we may have turned a corner when it comes to spring weather.
After weekends of rain and cold temperatures, the past weekend brought up lots of sunshine, even if it was a little colder on the island than the mainland.
This weekend offers the opportunity to take advantage of the improving weather, with volunteer clean ups, or head out to take in live music of different kinds.
Take a look at what’s happening and start making your plans.
Newport Navy Choristers Spring Concert
The Newport Navy Choristers present their annual spring concert “Proudly We Sing,” on Friday, April 25, at 7:30 p.m. at the iconic St. Mary’s Church, Spring Street, in Newport. Under the direction of Lori McDowell, they will present a repertoire of popular and patriotic songs with an opening color guard and ending with the traditional Navy Hymn. Beneficiaries are the Navy-Marine Corps Relief Society and the Choristers.
Tickets are $20 – Adults, $15 – Seniors, $10 – Children and are available from a chorus member or at the door. Enjoy an evening of delightful harmonies in lovely downtown Newport. For more information contact: Pat McGue, 401-835-2550, or Lori McDowell, 401-862-3334, or visit newportnavychoristers.org.
Spring-Fling Festival of Quilts Show
Come join Quilters By the Sea for their Spring-Fling Festival of Quilts Show on Saturday, April 26 and Sunday, April 27, from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. The Pennfield School, 110 Sandy Point Ave., Portsmouth.
The show will feature over 100 quilts made by Guild members. Admission for the general public is $10, but QBS Guild members can purchase a discounted ticket prior to the show for $8. Children 12 and under are free. In addition to displaying beautiful quilts, there will also be raffle baskets, a white elephant table, a kid’s corner, a raffle quilt, vendors, and a food truck.
Guitar Workshop and Concert
Portsmouth’s Ryan Lee Crosby returns to the Four Corners Arts Center on Saturday, April 26, for an afternoon guitar workshop and concert that spotlights the Bentonia and North Mississippi country blues traditions.
The guitar workshop is scheduled to take place from 2-4 p.m., followed by the evening concert at 7 p.m., both at the Tiverton Meeting House. Tickets to the workshop are $25 and concert tickets are $20.
Crosby’s offering in Tiverton comes on the heels of performances and workshops in Mississippi, at the Juke Joint Festival in Clarksdale and at the Blue Front Cafe in Bentonia. Crosby has been a long time practitioner of these regional styles, which he has studied firsthand on stage and in recording sessions with Grammy nominated bluesmen Jimmy “Duck” Holmes and the late RL Boyce. Crosby’s upcoming 2025 album, At the Blue Front, was self-produced on a reel to reel tape machine with Holmes in Bentonia, in the field recording tradition of ethnomusicologists Alan Lomax and Dr. David Evans.
For more information, visit fourcornersarts.org/concerts-events.
Jamestown Community Piano Association
The Jamestown Community Piano Association is proud to present finalists from the University of Rhode Island 2025 Piano Extravaganza! Young Pianists competition in concert on Sunday, April 27, at 2 p.m. at St. Matthew’s Episcopal Church, 87 Narragansett Ave., in Jamestown.
Established in 2004, the URI Piano Extravaganza! is a three-day festival dedicated to showcasing the talents of piano students and enthusiasts from Rhode Island and New England. Audience members can enjoy performances by URI pianists, pre-college piano students, and local piano aficionados. Occasionally, the festival features a special guest whooffers a piano recital or other public events related to piano.
The concerts are free. Donations for piano maintenance and performance support are appreciated. A reception in the church hall will follow the performance. For details, call 423-0515.
King Park Earth Day Cleanup
Friends of the Waterfront’s 26th Annual King Park Earth Day Cleanup is scheduled for Saturday, April 26, from 9:30 a.m. to noon.
A cloudy day at King Park in Newport.
Spend about two hours cleaning up litter along the shoreline and park areas using provided gloves, trash grabbers, and bags. Volunteers of all ages are welcome –stay as long as you like! Your efforts will help beautify the park and protect the harbor’s natural habitat. Every helping hand makes a difference. Coffee, donuts, and refreshments will be provided.
Dress appropriately for the weather and bring a reusable water bottle.
Plant-based Brunch
Indulge in flavor with a purpose at a one-of-a-kind three-course plant-based Brunch on Sunday, April 27, from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. at @The Deck, Newport’s premier waterfront venue.
Presented by Sprout and Lentil and award winning Chef Carmen Foy, this unique POP UP event brings together food lovers, artists and sustainability advocates for a delicious and inspiring afternoon. Come for the food, stay for the mission. Celebrate sustainability, support local artists, and enjoy an unforgettable plant-based experience on the water.
Tickets are $70 and available at sproutandlentil.com
Cleanup Butts Hill Fort
The Butts Hill Fort Restoration Committee is inviting volunteers to an annual Spring Cleanup on Saturday, April 26, from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. Volunteers are welcome to come anytime. The meeting point is on Southern Battery Green closest to the Portsmouth High School’s tennis courts lot and the upper wind turbine lot. Participants are asked to park along Dyer Street or at the tennis courts.
This will be a general cleanup of the parade grounds, pathways and open spaces. Every participant will need to sign a town liability form upon arrival. BHFRC staff will be on hand throughout the day, so if you join in progress, please sign in with a team member. Participants are asked to bring gloves, protective eye gear, loppers, shears, weed whackers, and rakes and chainsaws.
This article originally appeared on Newport Daily News: Things to do in Newport County: Weekend events for April 25-27
