Posts tagged ‘Newport Yachting Center’
Bellevue Avenue Sidewalk Sale and Helly Hansen Promises Weekend Bargains
There’s a lot of excitement building for the Bellevue Avenue Sidewalk Sale, which kicks off tomorrow and lasts through the weekend. More than two dozen retailers, galleries and restaurants/eateries along Bellevue (including the Audrain Building) in addition to William Street and Bellevue Gardens businesses 
will be participating—keep an eye out for the balloons at the entrances welcoming you in. Look for familiar favorites offering great discounts (The Linen Shop, Talbots, Angela Moore, The Tennis Store, Michael Hayes, Wish, William Vareika Fine Arts and more) and new names as well (Mimi’s for Kids, Sara Campbell, Venetucci Home, Calvet Paris 1937)–and those are just a few. Running a little low on energy? Pop into Annie’s, Le Petit Gourmet, the Hotel Viking or It’s My Party for shopping sustenance.
Want to start the celebrating on Sidewalk Sale eve? Toast the arrival of J. McLaughlin’s sailboat to Newport Harbor by attending tonight’s Sip & Save at the Bellevue Avenue shop. From 5 p.m. to 8 p.m. you can sip cocktails, meet the boat’s skipper Ryan Finn and take advantage of some sweet markdowns. 15% of all proceeds will benefit Newport Hospital.
Also, this weekend is the annual Helly Hansen Warehouse Sale in Newport. This Friday, Saturday and Sunday from 9 a.m. to midnight, save up to 75% on footwear, foul weather gear, snowboarding jackets, snow sports gear, boating attire, base layer and H/H’s signature fleece for men, women and children. This year the sale moves to the Newport Yachting Center in the heart of downtown.
And if you’re a lucky ticket holder for the Wynton Marsalis concert Friday night, don’t forget the Newport Jazz 
Festival Opening Night Cocktail Party on the Horseshoe Piazza at the International Tennis Hall of Fame from 6:30pm – 7:45pm. Enjoy great music, food and drink before the big show. Tennis Hall of Fame Members: $40;
Non-Members: $50. Party includes open bar and hors d’oeuvres. Call (401) 324-4072 for tickets.
Talking Christmas in Newport on The Rhode Show
Yesterday on The Rhode Show, host Danielle North and I chatted about some of the fabulous upcoming Christmas events in Newport as the big day approaches. Here’s the 411 on what we discussed (CLICK HERE to see the clip):
Christmas at the Newport Mansions: Enjoy Holiday Evenings with choral groups signing carols, visits by Santa and Gilded Age mansions decorated in yuletide finery. The Breakers, The Elms and Marble House are all stunning this time of year, and for mansion aficionados, now through the end of December, Preservation Society memberships are buy one, get the second half off (equal or lesser value).
The Sovereign Bank Skating Center is now open (weather pending) at the Newport Yachting Center. One of the few outdoor skating rinks in Rhode Island, this charming rink in the heart of Newport offers budget-friendly fun and a mean cup of hot cocoa. CLICK HERE for free skate nights and 2 for 1 information, HERE for rates, rentals and tickets, or visit www.skatenewport.com for all you need to know. Note: As the rink is outdoors, please call the Skating Center at 846-for the most up-to-date rink conditions/information.
Polar Express**, Friday December 17th – Sunday December 19 4 p.m. and 6:30 p.m.: Share the magic as the Conductor reads local author Chris Van Allsburg’s classic tale of a young boy’s unforgettable journey to the
North Pole. Visit with Santa and Mrs. Claus, caroling, hot chocolate and cookies, and a special gift for every child who truly believes. Reservations required, departs the Old Colony Railway Depot, 19 America’s Cup Avenue. Adults $29.95, Children $19.95. 841-8700. www.newportdinnertrain.com **Holiday Train rides resume December 26th-31st, at 11:45 a.m. and 1:45 p.m. Ride along scenic Narragansett Bay in antique railroad coaches that are decorated, enclosed and heated. Old Colony Railway Depot, 19 America’s Cup Avenue. Adults $7.50, Seniors $6, Children $5, first class $11, 624-6951.
Newport Storm’s “Hoppy” Holiday Party, Saturday December 18, 12-5 p.m. The brewery will be offering fresh beer on tap 
(including limited release brews), tours led by Brent Ryan, Head-Distiller; and Derek Luke, Newport Storm’s Brewmaster, a cook-off of foods made with Newport Storm Beer and Thomas Tew Rum, and the launch of two new Newport Storm ales, plus Ornament making, tree-decorating and the Storm Santa will be available to entertain underage guests. Admission is $10 for adults and free for children. More information and food contest details can be obtained by contacting Laura Blackwell at 401-849-5232 or lblackwell@newportstorm.com.
American Girl Christmas, Sunday, December 19th from 1-3p.m.: Storytelling, crafts, refreshments and the 
grand finale is an America Girl Doll Fashion Stroll. Admission limited due to space capacity. $10 per couple (1 adult/1 child) and $5 for each additional child. 845-5800. Edward King Senior Center (up the hill from the Newport Library), 35 King Street, (directions: 846-7426). **SOLD OUT**
Tiffany, Tinsel & Toys at Blithewold: Visiting this grand mansion in Bristol includes taking in the fabulous Gingerbread House exhibit crafted by professional and amateur decorators and musical performances, plus special events like Afternoon Tea and Children’s Storytime. CLICK HERE for more information.
For a complete listing of holiday events in Newport, visit ChristmasinNewport.org
Mixed Signals: “Charming” Gifts Rule
When Style Newport opened on Christie’s Landing this summer, it created quite a buzz as their signature nautical signal flag jewelry—pendants, earrings, charms, rings and bracelets—are as charming as they quintessential Newport. Having already outgrown the 
space, the shop just celebrated their new spacious digs 302 Thames Street (next to Claire Murray and across the street from the Newport Yachting Center).
What is great about the offerings at Style Newport is that there’s a wide range of price points, so a single sterling silver and enamel charm runs $55, and as each flag denotes a letter, the charm could represent a first initial. Or, you can group a set of three in different
Sterling silver charm bracelet, charms spell out "LOVE," $315
sizes for all of someone’s initials. Or you could spell something out, a hidden code between you and someone special, as a friend of mine just did (the hidden message? “Marry Me?” Imagine the gift getter’s surprise when he decoded the message for her!)
Style Newport also has a great collection of apparel featuring “Newport” spelled out in signal flags, cute tops for “little boasters”, and super cute pet accessories, like “Boat Dog” towels for those pooches who never met a coastline they didn’t like. Body of Proof star, Dana Delany, swooned over Style Newport charms that translated to “B” and “P” for the series. Best of all, you can also shop Style Newport online at www.stylenewport.com. Anchors aweigh!
Above left image by Maaike Bernstrom Photography
Sweatshirt with pockets and "NPT"
Towel, $20
Food, Wine and a Smashing Good Time
I’m just back from the Nantucket Wine Festival, where more than 200 wines from around the country were featured, as well as various fabulous champagne vintages from one of the event’s sponsors, Veuve Clicquot. With international luminaries including Todd English and Ming Tsai, the festival has grown exponentially from it’s grassroots start 14 years ago. Events at the best locations, including The White Elephant, the Great Harbor Yacht Club and Nantucket Yacht Club as well as symposiums, seminars, cooking demonstrations and wine-paired dinners at lauded restaurants like American Seasons and Galley Beach, throughout the five-day affair make for a gastronome’s paradise.
What does his have to do with Newport? Well, for one, coastal New England islands are like cousins linked by the sea, and it was a reminder how fun (and easy) it is island hopping. I chose the Hy-Line high speed ferry but it’s easy enough to get to The Gray Lady by sea as it is by air.
Even better, some of Newport’s shops and eateries carry some of the featured wines and foodstuffs found at the festival, like Cape Cod’s traditional French bakery 
Pain d’Avignon (the official bread of the Nantucket Wine Festival). You can find their flaky crust fabulousness delivered daily at le petit gourmet on Bellevue Avenue and used at restaurants including Tallulah on Thames. Chef Jake Rojas uses the Hyannis-based boulangerie’s buttery brioche in the restaurant’s Aquidneck Farms 143.6° Poached Egg, an amazing appetizer featuring Allen Farms pea greens, Pain d’Avignon’s brioche, and bacon topped with a black truffle vinaigrette (above).
The Ocean State was well-represented with Matt Jennings, Executive Chef/Owner of La Laiterie and 
neighboring cheese shop Farmstead, both in Providence, hosting a cheese seminar (featuring all domestic cheeses) with California’s Newton Vineyards. Jennings knocked it out of the park, featuring Blue Ledge Farm’s “Crottina,” a soft-ripened goat’s milk cheese (pictured at left); Old Chatham Sheepherding Company’s “Nancy’s Camembert,” a “bloomy rind” sheep’s milk cheese; Cato Corner Farm’s “Bridgid’s Abbey,” a natural rind cow’s milk cheese; Spring Brook Farm’s “Tarentaise,” an Alpine-style aged cow’s milk cheese; and finally, Green Mountain Blue Cheese Company’s “Gor-Dawn-Zola,” a cave-aged cow’s milk blue.
Newport’s own food and wine events coming this summer range from family friendly and casual (like this 
Sunday’s Great Chowder Cook-Off at the Newport Yachting Center) to the extravagant (the Newport Mansions Wine & Food Festival in September). Making it’s debut this year, the Newport WineFest is garnering a lot of buzz, set to make a splash in August.
Do-it-yourself gourmands should look into local class with local chefs though Newport Cooks or reserve a spot at the Newport Wine Cellar’s Wednesday Wine Classes ($35.00) where you’ll sample 3-4 wines, usually themed by region, vintage or another similarity, paired with light hors d’oeurvres.
Bon Appétit!
Scallops, Stuffies and Scarecrows, Oh My!
For the smallest state in the union, Rhode Island is big on flavor, boasting some of the most talented chefs around. The unique culinary curiosities and perennial favorites will be served up at this weekend’s 35th Annual Taste of Rhode Island at the Newport Yachting Center. From clam rolls to coffee milk, doughboys and other deep-fried delights, the festival is two days of belly-busting fun featuring live music, cooking demonstrations, local brews, children’s games and more. Admission is just $10 and the food and drink is inexpensive once inside.
In nearby Middletown, the 35th Annual Norman Bird Sanctuary Harvest Fair embraces autumn with a blanket of crisp, colorful 
leaves underfoot. Traditional highlights include The Monkey Bridge, pony rides, a scarecrow contest, the Mabel Express (an age-old barrel train ride) and the infamous but entertaining mudpit! Artisans from around the island and beyond have their wares for sale and it’s the perfect place to find one of a kind jewelry, accessories, clothing, children’s gifts and more. While the Taste of Rhode Island features the gastronomic handiwork of chefs, restaurants and caterers statewide, the Harvest Fair showcases the skills of local kitchen enthusiast who bring homemade pies, cupcakes, breads, cookies, cakes, candy apples, jams and jellies. This weekend might be your only excuse to don an elastic waistband!
Don’t Miss the Boat
This week (from Thursday, Sept. 17 through the 20th) the annual extravaganza that is the Newport Boat ShowBannister’s WharfBowen’s Wharf, the Newport Harbor Hotel and Marina and the Newport Yachting Center, all of which are accessible by land or by free water taxis service. In addition to the array of sail and power boats, the largest in-water show in the Northeast features a ton of exhibitors and handful of seminars helpful to boat owners and those looking for the right vessel to suit their lifestyle. comes to town taking over the a host of waterfront facilities including Oldport Marine, parts of and
With boats on the brain, today’s Stylephile takes a look at Newport’s
Anchor Totes by Re-Sails
own Re-Sails, a shop you’ll find on lower Thames Street featuring their own line of bags, apparel and accessories fashioned from old, retired or recycled sails (there’s a second location in Annapolis, Maryland). With signature sail features, including zig zag stitching and sail numbers, this veritable “green” outfitter keeps fashion and function on the forefront. Jackets, vests and bags are waterproof, made with resin-coated Dacron sailcloth (or laminated Kevlar/Mylar) and urethane-coated nylon, which has an added benefit; the nylon contains UV sunscreen which keeps the fabric from fading or degrading in the sun. As sails are the lifeblood of ocean-crossing racers, its durability inspires the company’s lifetime guarantee (save for normal wear and tear). Learn more at: www.poshyachting.com
Re-Sails, 400 Thames Street, Newport, (401) 849-8622
Bust out the Wellies!
The impending foul weather courtesy of Tropical Storm Danny may curb plans for sunning yourself this unofficial last weekend of summer, but neither rain nor wind can keep a good shopper down. As the show must go on, the Newport Arts Festival at the Newport Yachting Center takes place Saturday, Aug. 29th from 10 a.m. to 6:30 p.m. and Sunday, Aug. 30th from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m featuring the work of more than 50 diverse artisans from across the country. Weaving through the intriguing marketplace to the live sounds of everything from flamenco to folk, a variety of mediums including wearable art, jewelry, wood and glass work, paintings, photography, pottery and more inspire unique, one-of-a-kind looks. Even better, a portion of proceeds from the festival benefit Looking Upwards, a Middletown-based organization supporting people with developmental disabilities. Admission is just $3 for adults, children under 12 are free. (Saturday evening’s special waterfront performance featuring Avi & Celia and Twist of Fate, beginning at 7 p.m., is $20/$16 advance.)
While appreciating handmade beauty, check out the Newport Potter’s Guild across the street at 302 Thames featuring pottery, decorative sculpture and clay jewelry from local, regional and international artists. Take your time in the studio and gallery space where you can learn about the people behind each magnificent piece.
