Weekend events in Newport County to help relax after the July 4th hustle and bustle

Will Richmond, Newport Daily News
·4 min read

The Fourth of July has passed and this weekend could offer some time to relax and enjoy a slower pace.

Leave the hustle and bustle behind and take in classical music at locations across Newport County. There's also an opportunity to peek into your neighbor's backyards during the annual Secret Garden Tours. Art, with a focus on scenes from across the area could also be in your plans.

And, while not listed here, keep an eye out for rescheduled fireworks shows postponed from their original dates due to weather.

Whatever your choice, here's a look at four events taking place in Newport County this weekend to check out.

Piano concert to combat hunger

St. Andrew’s By-the-Sea Episcopal Church is presenting a benefit concert to combat hunger. Gayane Darakyan will be in concert on Saturday, from 4 to 6 p.m., performing on an 1897 Steinway Grand Piano. All proceeds from the concert will support the Little Compton Food Bank (which serves Little Compton and Tiverton, Rhode Island) and the Westport Food Pantry.

This concert will be held at St. Andrew’s By-the-Sea Episcopal Church, located at 182 Willow Ave., Little Compton. The building is handicapped accessible, and parking is abundant.

A native of Armenia, Gayane Darakyan studied piano at the Komitas State Conservatory in Yerevan. She has since performed as both an accompanist for instrumentalists and voices and as a solo pianist. She has also worked as a chamber musician for various-size ensembles. She has worked with several notable performers at European competitions as well as competing herself as a soloist.

She was awarded first prize as a solo pianist at Grand Concours International de Piano in Paris, France, and at Arno Babajanian International Piano Competition in Yerevan, Armenia. She has also been awarded Best Accompanist at several international competitions—including festivals in Italy, Switzerland, France, and Belarus.

Ticket prices are $30 for a seat in the nave; $10 for a seat in the Parish Hall. Tickets can be purchasedonline at standrewslc.org/concert or by phone at 401-635-2452.

Aquidneck Island Color and Light

Jeannine Bestoso's “Seafair“ acrylic on canvas.
Jeannine Bestoso's “Seafair“ acrylic on canvas.

The Aquidneck Island Art Club presents Aquidneck Island Color and Light at the DeBlois Gallery with an opening reception being held Saturday from 5-7 p.m.

The Aquidneck Island Art Club is a group of artists who banded together through a shared love of fine art.They met while taking portrait and landscape classes in the Newport area. They visit the many beautiful and scenic places on Aquidneck Island to paint, and invite others to join them.

The exhibit, which will be on display through July, features the work of painters Jeanine Bestoso, Lisa Bliss, Lorraine Farrar, Allen LaLiberty and Bill Roche along with glass sculptor Daniel Read.

For more information visit debloisgallery.com.

Secret Garden tours

Koi fish are spotted in Ann Ritterbusch’s shady garden in Newport’s Point section in 2019.
Koi fish are spotted in Ann Ritterbusch’s shady garden in Newport’s Point section in 2019.

Take self-guided walking tours of private gardens located in historic Newport.

The annual Secret Garden Tour opens the gates to a variety of beautiful gardens maintained by their owners. These genuine labors of love are shared with the community to help raise funds for the Arts Education programs in the Island’s public schools. Starting at Storer Park near the causeway to Goat Island, the tour features 10 to 12 private gardens.

The tours run daily from 10 a.m. until 4 p.m. and tickets are only good for the day purchased.

Tickets are available for the 2023 June Tour and can be purchased in advance online at www.secretgardentours.org for a discounted rate of $25. A limited number of tickets will be sold for the 2023 tour. Tickets for Friday, July 7th are sold out. If tickets are still available, they may also be purchased at Storer Park, 32 Washington St. on the day of the tour for $30.

Newport Classical Music Festival

The annual music festival kicked off July 4th and continues throughout the month and this weekend offers three concerts this coming weekend.

Aizuri Quartet will perform on Friday, Cantus on Saturday and Strings in Nature will take place Sunday on the grounds of the Norman Bird Sanctuary in Middletown.

For more information and to purchase tickets visit newportclassical.org.

This article originally appeared on Newport Daily News: Things to do in Newport County July 7-9: Art, classical music, gardens