If you’re in Providence or Newport this week make sure you stick around because it is the time to taste Rhode Island. As you are probably sick of Halloween candy, Newport and Providence are showcasing delicious food, menus and entertainment that illustrate the taste and culture that compose our state. On November 2nd, the Botanical Gardens at Roger Williams Park Zoo will come alive with a fantastic blend of cultural food inspired by the Federal Hill House Association, whose efforts serve one of the “largest multi-ethnic communities” in Rhode Island.

The “Taste of the Hill” event has several restaurants teaming up to make this a delicious and cultural experience for you to enjoy, but also support the FHHA’s efforts to help people, help themselves integrate into the community. Started in 1887 as a home for recent immigrants, the multi-cultural nature of FHHA inspires “The Taste of the Hill” ethnic blend of eating and entertainment.
If you happen to be in Newport, you don’t have to miss out either. This Friday, November 4th, is the opening day of Newport’s Annual Restaurant Week that feature many of the restaurants in Newport and Bristol counties. A prefixed lunch and dinner menu offer a delicious ten-day opportunity to experience some of Rhode Island’s finest, and please your taste-buds.

Ed Hardie, our Providence Manager and Newport boater, recommends either of these events. “They offer the perfect way to try new restaurants to which you have never been at a fantastic price. What better way to be adventurous.” Note that these are both paid events.

The Jack-O-Lantern Spectacular at Roger William’s Park Zoo displays a Rhode Island autumn in all it’s glory. This year’s presentation of Halloween bliss features over 5,000 carved pumpkins that describe a “Journey Around the World.” That’s the theme. The scenes are set to music, and spectators can enjoy designs of everything from the Seven Wonders to representations of nations around the world.

This is one of those Rhode Island traditions I can’t help but love, and apparently, I’m not the only one—the event attracts over 80,000 visitors each year. There’s nothing that says ‘welcome to autumn’ quite like the bold glow of a Jack-O-Lantern, and the intricate carving on display at this event doesn’t hurt either. The Spectacular can’t quite be defined; it’s at once artistic, spooky, and agricultural, but incredibly goofy and light hearted at the same time. This may explain the mass appeal—it speaks to that je ne sais quoi at the heart of Rhode Island culture. The birthplace of Pauly D, H.P. Lovecraft, and Mr. Potato Head, the state also bore the World’s Biggest Pumpkin in 2006 and 2007.

And that is what the Roger Williams Park Zoo asks us to remember at this year’s “Journey Around the World.” Diverse populations can exist in harmony, with the help of the pumpkin medium. Perhaps Rhode Island is something of a pumpkin itself? Regardless, the October-long Jack-O-Lantern Spectacular is definitely worth the trip.

If you’re in the Providence area this weekend, you might want to check out the Providence Rotary Street Painting Festival. This event, held downcity in the skating rink, is sure to be a day of family fun and artistic expression. Hundreds of artists flood Kennedy Plaza each year for this event, and take up sidewalk chalk to create large, detailed drawings that celebrate a specific theme. This year, the artistic prompt is “Reach Within to Embrace Humanity” in honor of the Rotary Club’s 100th anniversary.

One of the great things about Providence is the abundance of art and culture. Just think of all the venues—the Rhode Island School of Design, PPAC, Trinity Rep., The Providence Art Club, AS220. These haunts are a reason why the Creative Capital is such a wonderful place to live. Artists have the ability to see the beauty in their surroundings, enhance it, and create something worth keeping, and this is what they bring to our city on a daily basis.

Art makes areas more enjoyable to live in. The Street Painting Festival provides the opportunity for artists to create on an uncommon canvas, and for the public to see these detailed images come to life. This is a promising way to spend a bright autumn day.

Cumberland Manager, Holly Applegate and I are members of this group. More information can be found on The Rotary Club of Providence website.

With the tumultuous weather that the summer has bought us, it may have been hard for some of us to enjoy our coastline the way we normally do. Southern Rhode Island may have seemed a bit emptier than previous summers, but there are still ways to enjoy the coastline and South County as we head into the autumn.

Although there are many events, a few caught my eye. This Friday is your last chance of the year to venture out on the Lighthouse Cruises and Newport Harbor Tours, departing from North Kingstown. You will be able to view beautiful islands, light houses and the famous Jamestown and Newport Bridges one last time before cold weather hits. If the stars catch your eye while you are out there, another idea is heading over to the Frosty Drew Conservatory in Charsletown to stargaze and see the night sky in an entirely different way.

In addition to these events, Rhode Island Sea Grant is holding it’s 30th annual “CoastWeeks”. These weekend events are designed to raise awareness for the need to preserve the coastline. They also demonstrate and harbor a better understanding of coastal management, in different areas of Rhode Island. On October 1st, you can join fishery scientists on the URI research vessel and learn about the proper fishing methods utilized to preserve our aquatic ecosystem. This is sure to be educational and fun, so if you’re interested head to the Wickford Shipyard, this Saturday. Two weekends later, “CoastWeeks” is also leading a free Newport Harbor Walk, showing the community all that the harbor has to offer and the environmental challenges associated with it.

South County is not just for summer beach go-ers. Make the most of your weekend, and welcome the Autumn in a new way this year.