Prep for Thanksgiving, get a Taste of Portsmouth and more events this weekend

Will Richmond, Newport Daily News
·4 min read

Thanksgiving is a little more than a week away, leaving this weekend as an opportunity to pick up all the goodies needed to make dinner or even get a jump-start on getting into the holiday spirit.

Here's a look at some events that will do just that, plus some other fun activities to enjoy.

Taste of Portsmouth

Portsmouth Free Public Library will hold its 21st annual "Taste of Portsmouth" fundraising event at the library, 2658 East Main Road, on Friday, Nov. 18 from 7 to 9 p.m. This is a wonderful evening of wine, beer and amazing food from some of Portsmouth’s most popular stores and restaurants. If you have never been, this is the year to go – it's the library's 125th anniversary! Live auction and raffle baskets add to the fun at this event.

Tickets to this fundraiser are $25 per person and may be purchased in advance at the library or at the door the night of the event. Attendees must be 21 or older. For more information visit portsmouthlibrary.org.

Bike sale

Looking for a new ride, or maybe picking up an early Christmas gift? Join Bike Newport on Saturday, Nov. 19 from 9 a.m. to noon for a big bike sale at the Bike Newport Bike Garage. Bikes for everyone will be available and mechanics will help fit you to the right size.

Visit bikenewportri.org for more information.

Get into the holiday spirit at the Newport Mansions

The holiday season gets underway at the Newport Mansions with a pair of events that begin Saturday and will continue through December.

Holidays at the Newport Mansions returns with festive decorations this season at The Breakers, Marble House and The Elms. Throughout each house, ornately decorated Christmas trees, garlands, wreaths and fresh floral arrangements are designed to complement the décor or theme of each room. As always, the 15-foot-tall poinsettia tree in the Great Hall of The Breakers – made up of 150 poinsettia plants – will provide a perfect holiday photo opportunity. New this year, the Music Room of The Breakers will host a vignette of mannequins elegantly dressed in Gilded Age fashions.

The Preservation Society of Newport County turns The Breakers mansion into an illuminated winter wonderland.
The Preservation Society of Newport County turns The Breakers mansion into an illuminated winter wonderland.

The Sparkling Lights at The Breakers returns for a third season and will be the biggest yet. This year, the display extends around the entire property for the first time. Visitors will stroll along a half-mile-long path glittering with hundreds of thousands of holiday lights while friendly gnomes point the way and music fills the winter air. Walk through a dazzling 50-foot-long tunnel of light! See illuminated snowmen, reindeer and many more sparkling surprises. Peek into Santa’s Workshop inside the Children’s Cottage and be sure to get a family photo at the Van”deer”bilt selfie station! The mansion facade will be lighted up and adorned with a tree of lights in ever-changing colors.Six new fire pits will light the way and help visitors stay warm and festive. The back terrace will have warming stations and adult beverages including hot chocolate with liqueur, apple cider with bourbon, wine and beer. Enjoy holiday sweets and treats, and get a s’mores kit to cook over the fire pit! The Breakers Welcome Center also will have refreshments including snacks and non-alcoholic beverages.

Start prepping for Thanksgiving

Cooking this Thanksgiving or looking for something to bring your host? Visit the Aquidneck Community Table's (ACT) winter market. The market is held on Saturday mornings at Stoneacre Garden, at 151 Swinburne Row in Newport, from 9 a.m. to noon.

Aquidneck Community Table’s Growers Markets provide easy access to seasonal, regionally-grown food and greater awareness of the benefits of eating fresh local foods for our health, the strength of our local economy, the viability of agricultural life, and the future of our earth.

Visit the Aquidneck Community Table's (ACT) winter market at Stoneacre Garden, at 151 Swinburne Row in Newport, from 9 a.m. to noon on Saturdays.
Visit the Aquidneck Community Table's (ACT) winter market at Stoneacre Garden, at 151 Swinburne Row in Newport, from 9 a.m. to noon on Saturdays.

The marketplaces feature both organic and conventionally-grown products that include fresh vegetables, cut flowers, herbs, fruit, plants, eggs, breads, baked goods, meats, seafood, cheese, salsa and prepared foods such as soups, vegan foods, Mediterranean and Middle Eastern cuisine. All markets feature a changing roster of local artisans and food businesses.

Native American Heritage in Canonchet Farm

Rhode Island has a strong Native American history and the South County Museum, 115 Strathmore St., Narragansett, will provide an opportunity to learn more about these ties on Saturday, Nov. 19, from 1 to 2:30 p.m.

Lorén Spears, executive director of the Tomaquag Museum, will lead a trail walk in Canonchet Farm. For thousands of years, the Narragansett tribe hunted, fished, gathered and farmed this area. She will share history, culture and traditional ecological knowledge.

Meet inside the South County Museum's Metz Building. This guided walk is sponsored by Friends of Canonchet Farm and is free and open to the public. For more information visit https://www.eventbrite.com/e/native-american-heritage-in-canonchet-tickets-431376758497?aff=erelexpmlt.

This article originally appeared on Newport Daily News: Taste of Portsmouth, Thanksgiving prep, holiday spirit: Weekend events