Are you looking for fun things to do to right now? As your 401 Fun columnist, I want to highlight some ways to unwind and de-stress: from zenning out with yoga in a bird sanctuary, to rocking out with The Wallflowers. Let’s go. Sip beer and zen out by learning how to make your own candles at Vigilant Brewing’s “Brews & Burns” in Bristol Nov. 7. Tickets include a pour of brew, step-by-step instructions, and all necessary materials via Pour Your Heart Out Candle Making. $50. 7-9 p.m. 44 Ballou Blvd., Bristol. Details here . Indulge. Newport Restaurant Week runs through Nov. 10. Choose from an array of prix-fixe menus for lunch ($20 or $30) and dinner ($30, $45, or $60). All details here . As a Wallflowers fan since middle school, I can’t wait for this. I interviewed Jakob Dylan this week — he was insightful, clever, and downright funny. Some 32 years after cutting their self-titled debut, and 28 years after their seminal single-packed T Bone Burnett-produced 4xPlatinum record, “Bringing Down the Horse,” the Grammy-winning Wallflowers — through all their incarnations — still deliver. Touring now with Jeff Slate — a musician/freelance journalist who interviewed Bob for the Wall Street Journal in ‘22 — The Wallflowers pull into PVD’s Strand Nov. 8. “I’m still not aware of any better natural high than writing a song, showing it to people, hearing it come out of the speakers,” Dylan told me. “I don’t know anything that moves me as much. You’re building something out of thin air that wasn’t there before. It’s profound when it works. It’s a gift to yourself.” From $46. Doors 7 p.m., show 8 p.m. 79 Washington St. Details here . Read my full interview here . West Greenwich’s Leyden Farm Vineyard & Winery hosts daily wine tastings from noon to 3:30 p.m. all month long. Select five wines to taste. You might also buy a glass or bottle to drink strolling around the vineyard — and the glasses are yours to keep. $12 for two; $22 for four. 160 Plain Meeting House Road. Details here. Unplug and take in live theater. Tony Award-winning “Amadeus” kicks off Nov. 7 at The Gamm. The play by Peter Shaffer, directed by Tony Estrella, is set in 1823 in Vienna, and tells the story of Mozart and his “bitter rival” court composer Antonio Salieri. From $58. 1245 Jefferson Boulevard, Warwick. Details here . “The Wish: A Manual For A Last-Ditch Effort To Save Abortion In The United States Through Theater,” from new nonprofit theatre company Reverie Theatre Group, runs at 134 Collaborative Nov. 7-17. Tickets can be purchased online on a sliding scale, GA $15. 134 Mathewson St., Providence. Learn more about the play, the group, and content warnings here . There’s still time to catch Trinity Rep’s “Ms. Holmes & Ms. Watson — Apt 2B.” The murder-mystery-comedy, by Kate Hamill and directed by Laura Kepley, runs now through Nov. 17. From $24. 201 Washington St., Providence. Details here . Meanwhile, “Fugitive Songs,” presented by Brown/Trinity Rep MFAPrograms, runs at the Rep until Nov. 10. Set in 1997, the New York-set story is “told entirely through ‘90s grunge music.” Prices vary. Details here . Calling all fans: The Providence Bruins host a “Marvel Super Hero Weekend” at The AMP. According to billing, you can meet Spider-Man, take part in costume contests, and see a special Marvel game presentation as the Bruins take the ice in Spider-Man-themed jerseys. Love it. Games Nov. 8 at 7:05 p.m. vs. Bridgeport Islanders and Nov. 10 at 3:05 p.m. vs. Hartford Wolf Pack. 1 La Salle Square Providence. Tickets and package prices vary. Details here and here . Newport’s ThamesGiving aims to bring that ol’ holiday hustle and bustle to brick-and-mortar shops of downtown Newport in a monthlong celebration kicking off Nov. 8. Shop, dine, and see windows decked for the holidays as some 80 participating shops, hotels, restaurants, and public spaces offer specials and extended hours. Like last year, the month is packed, but one highlight this week: the ThamesGiving Artisan Market runs 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. at Provence sur Mer. You can sample homemade brews, try out some treats, and meet local artists. 39 Touro St. Details here . BYOB and catch some art therapy at Warwick’s MoonStone Art Studio. Learn to make a tree-themed resin sun-catcher. All materials are included in the cost of the workshop, no experience necessary. Nov. 8 at 6:30 p.m. $55. 953 Namquid Dr. Details here . Hand up if you need this right now. Head to Middletown’s Norman Bird Sanctuary for gentle yoga and mindfulness meditation Nov. 9 at 10 a.m. They ask that you bring a yoga mat and a thick blanket. Tickets by donation. 583 3rd Beach Road. Details here. Florence, Italy and PVD are BFFs. The Splendor of Florence , a Providence-wide public festival, runs Nov. 9-17. This year’s theme, “Sott’Acqua: A Tale of Two Cities Underwater,” focuses on climate change. According to the fest website, we can expect an event that focus on Providence and Florence, Italy, and the floods in both cities. Read our story here . Learn more and full schedule here . And read about upcoming food-themed events here . Dance to the hits of the Allman Brothers Band at a free concert when The Brothers All Band plays Pawtucket’s The Met Nov. 10. Expect hits like “Whipping Post” and “One Way Out” along with deeper cuts like “Don’t Keep Me Wondering,” “Can’t Lose What You Never Had,” and more, according to billing. I’ll be the one shouting for “Jessica.” Free. Doors 4 p.m., show 5 p.m. 1005 Main St. Details here . The shoes, the brooms — I don’t know which I love more. Every Winter Olympics, I vow to learn. This gives me some time before ‘26. Escape into the world of curling with the Ocean State Curling Club’s “Learn to Curl” class Nov. 10 at 1:45 p.m. at the Smithfield Municipal Ice Rink. 16+ $45. 109 Pleasant View Ave. Details here . Monday is Veterans Day, and Rhode Island has whole lineup of events around the state, from Fire at The Fort in Newport, to an observance at URI, and a parade in South Kingstown. There’ll be a ceremony in East Providence, and a Veterans Voices event at RISD auditorium. There are also community conversations on trauma and healing in Providence, and an empowerment day for veterans and their families in Woonsocket. Details here . MAMMA MIA! Mamma mia, it’s “Mamma Mia”! Yup, the age-old tale of a mother, a daughter and three possible dads set on a Greek island to the tunes of ABBA hits PPAC Nov. 12. Get ready to belt out “Dancing Queen,” Rhody. Tickets from $45. Runs through Nov. 17. 220 Weybosset St., Providence. Details here . The 120th annual Little Pictures Show and Sale opens Nov. 10 with a public reception from noon to 5 p.m. The sale is the oldest one of its kind in the United States, according to the website. The 2024 show features some 700 original artworks sized at 16″ x 16″ or less, and priced at no more than $350, spread across three gallery spaces. Some 120 local artists are represented. Runs through Dec. 22. Details here . The collab we didn’t know we needed. Head to Pawtucket’s Guild Brewery for “Pints with Purpose” Nov. 13 from 5:30-8:30 p.m. Community Libraries of Providence will get their own beer, The Dewey Decimator (love it), in the taproom through Nov. 27. For every beer sold, the libraries get $2, according to billing. On Nov. 13, from 5:30 to 8 p.m., you can make-your-own coasters, print a T-shirt, create buttons, and “do some engraving on our Glowforge.” Shop pint glasses made in-house and a raffle for prize baskets. Admission $10. 461 Main St. Details here . Get a head start on holiday shopping while supporting local artists at WaterFire’s 4th Annual BuyArt Small Works Holiday Show and Sale Nov. 14, 6-9 p.m. Shop works in a range of mediums from photographs to prints and paintings through Jan. 5. Gallery hours Wednesday through Saturday, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Thursday, 10 a.m. to 9 p.m. Save the date for an opening reception Nov. 21. 475 Valley St., Providence. Learn more and meet the artists here . Until next week, Rhody: Keep rockin.’
CONTINUE READING
