Feeling Grinchy? Here are 5 ways to lift your holiday spirits in RI

Susan McDonald
·3 min read

From the Grinch to Cindy Lou Who, everyone needs a little help sometimes summoning the holiday spirit, especially with this year’s economic, health and political stresses.

If the tunes on your favorite playlist or the tinsel and candles decking the halls aren’t leaving you feeling festive, we’ve found some possible solutions. Some are free, and others involve a warm coat and steamy beverage, but each is sure to help your heart and spirit reconnect with the joys of the season.

Our five suggestions for getting in the holiday spirit are:

Marie Osmond and the Rhode Island Philharmonic will team up for "A Symphonic Christmas" on Dec. 22 at Providence Performing Arts Center.
Marie Osmond and the Rhode Island Philharmonic will team up for "A Symphonic Christmas" on Dec. 22 at Providence Performing Arts Center.

Listen to the sounds of the season

Music is always good for setting the holiday mood. Performances at Providence Performing Arts Center (ppacri.org) this month include "An Intimate Evening with David Foster and Katharine McPhee," on Dec. 4, featuring music from their newly released "Christmas Songs" album; Marie Osmond and the Rhode Island Philharmonic Orchestra in "A Symphonic Christmas," on Dec. 22; and, for a bold shift, the “Hip Hop Nutcracker” on Dec. 7.

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Bryan Longchamp, Dustin Payne, Lisa “LBOOGIE” Bauford, Lily Frias and Jon “gifted” Jimenez in "Hip Hop Nutcracker," at Providence Performing Arts Center on Dec. 7.
Bryan Longchamp, Dustin Payne, Lisa “LBOOGIE” Bauford, Lily Frias and Jon “gifted” Jimenez in "Hip Hop Nutcracker," at Providence Performing Arts Center on Dec. 7.

Get theatrical

Your live options include holiday classics like “A Christmas Carol” at Trinity Repertory Company (trinityrep.com) in Providence, through Jan. 1; the radio play adaptation of “It’s a Wonderful Life” at The Gamm Theatre in Warwick (gammtheatre.org), from Dec. 9-24; “A Christmas for Carol” at the Newport Playhouse and Cabaret (newportplayhouse.com/shows), through Dec. 31; the Royal Shakespeare Company’s version of “A Christmas Carol” at Woonsocket's Stadium Theatre (stadiumtheatre.com), Dec. 9-18; “A Christmas Story” at Contemporary Theater Company in South Kingstown (contemporarytheatercompany.com), through Dec. 23; and “The Nutcracker” by Festival Ballet Providence at Vets Auditorium (thevetsri.com), from Dec. 16-24. The Greenwich Odeum in East Greenwich (greenwichodeum.com) will also screen the movie “It’s a Wonderful Life” on Dec. 16, and The Stadium will have a free showing of “The Polar Express” on Dec. 23.

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Check out the 40-acre walk-through Holiday Lights Spectacular at Providence's Roger Williams Park Zoo.
Check out the 40-acre walk-through Holiday Lights Spectacular at Providence's Roger Williams Park Zoo.

Go into the light

Remember driving around as a kid to see the lights on houses in the neighborhood? Revive that tradition or try one of the area’s formal light shows. The Breakers in Newport is offering “Sparkling Lights,” through Jan. 1 (newportmansions.org/events/holidays-at-the-newport-mansions); Roger Williams Park Zoo in Providence has a 40-acre walk-through Holiday Lights Spectacular (rwpzoo.org), through Jan. 1; and drive-through light displays are open at Blithewold Mansion (blithewold.org) in Bristol, Confreda Farms (holidaylightshow.com/rhodeisland) in Hope, and Wawaloam Campground (wawaloam.com) in Richmond.

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Get outside

Whether it’s free Friday night stargazing at Frosty (no, not that one!) Drew Observatory (frostydrew.org) in Charlestown; visiting the free Hanukkah Spectaculah on Dec. 18 at Providence's Biltmore Park (jewishallianceri.org); a free walk among the 650 lit trees or buying tickets for the carousel and train at Winter Wonderland in Pawtucket (facebook.com/PawtucketWinterWonderland); free storytime with Mrs. Claus at Cranston's Garden City Center gazebo (gardencitycenter.com); or ice skating and bumper cars at the Providence Rink at BankNewport City Center (theprovidencerink.com), there are plenty of ways to find joy outside.

Step back into Christmas past

Hearthside in Lincoln (greatroadheritagecampus.org) is decked out for the holidays so that visitors can walk from room to room and experience what Christmas in the Victorian era might have felt like. There is usually a special guest on hand for the kids to enjoy, too. Or check out "Christmas at Blithewold" (blithewold.org), which decorates multiple rooms in the Bristol mansion to give a feel for how the Van Wickle-McKee family and their staff prepared for the holiday. Grander still is "Holidays at the Newport Mansions" (newportmansions.org), where you can tour The Breakers, Marble House and The Elms in all their Christmas finery.

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This article originally appeared on The Providence Journal: Lift your holiday spirit with these 5 festive ideas in RI