A very Rhode island…read morefestival Johnny Cakes have been around for a while, in fact most historians say they have been around in one form or another for centuries. Even though many places on the east coast have Johnny Cakes, Rhode island is traditionally given as the place where they originated or at least became popular. So what better place than Rhode Island to have a Johnny Cake Festival Just fried corn meal with some salt, hot water and perhaps some sugar, it is amazing how many different types have showed up. Lots of subtle differences and of course everyone claims theirs are the best. Actually the festival was a lot more than just Johnny Cakes and in the whole festival I only saw one vendor actually selling Johnny Cakes. The lines were so long that we didn't even bother and stuck with the lobster rolls, clam chowdah, clam cakes and kettle corn. So much food around that there was no way you were going hungry even without the Johnny Cakes. Some cool critters like sheep, goats and alpacas were around and lots of skillful artists spinning, carving, wefting, blacksmithing, weaving, and painting. A whole bunch of very talented and fascinating folks still knowledgeable about some anachronistic arts. Some great music and several environmental groups were around to entertain and of course lots of traditional and cool food and crafts. The location was lovely with a pleasant pond and several canals and waterfalls. The parking wasn't bad because they wasn't any. Everyone parked at the old fairground three miles away and were shuttled in by old school buses. Actually made it less chaotic. A cool festival and place to learn about New England arts, crafts, history and of course food. It was kind of curious that there weren't more Johnny Cakes. This review is dedicated to Cathy S.and Shiro. I wish they could have been there with us.

As a non-native Rhode Islander I was definitely impressed with this past weekend's Johnny Cake…read moreFestival. It was great to sample some food & wares that aren't available in my part of RI. Lots of cool & eclectic vendors mostly skewered towards the uniquness of the Ocean State. Lots of food & Johnny Cakes too but I didn't have any. Two of my local favorites had a presence there: Grey Sail & Dave's Coffee. There was also live music. I got to sample some pumpkin flavored whiskey from Sons of Libtery that made me want more. I'd drink whiskey but my wife says I turn into a different person so I'll wait for them to release their Dave's Coffee syrup flavored vodka! The only drawback is that transportation to get to the actual festival. Even though you have to take a cramped school bus to get there it's definitely worth & I'll be taking my family for years to come.

Beautiful day to enjoy a local Rhode Island Festival! Over…read more100 Talented local crafters and artists, very diverse giftware, jewelry, ceramics, clothing and more. Wide assortment of food venders, Blue Grotto, brick oven pizza, fried pickles(yum) and sandwiches. Also lots of things for the kiddos, I spotted hula hoop contests, face painting and matchbox car races Well worth the trip. Great location, easy to find!

Part of the Festival Fete circuit, East Greenwich hosted its 2nd Arts Fest this past weekend. I…read morelove these kinds of festivals: ones that highlight the talent of local artists. This festival was no different. I'm guessing there were about 50 vendors varying from local honey and soaps to jewelry, woodworking, and painting. With the addition of some food stalls and Big Nazo, this was a great way to end the summer. I actually found that the artists at this festival were more reasonably priced than other similar festivals in the Providence or Boston area. I do wish that Festival Fete kept their website up to date. As of today the website has the poster from last year which caused confusion, as the festival happened on the 3rd last year instead of this year, where it was the 1st & 2nd. I hope that people don't show up tomorrow hoping to see some art. They will be disappointed. As it was, we almost turned around when I was checking the website for the address thinking that we were a day early. Luckily my friend took the time to check out their facebook page to see that it was really today.

Fire in the…read more sky With the crummy economy and parsimonious town officials forced to do more with less, events like town fireworks and other community celebrations are becoming a increasing uncommon anachronistic phenomenon. Fortunately the town of South Kingstown still ignores the increasing dismal financial reports and puts on a great 4th of July celebration. The event held at Old Mountain Field included food, music, dancing and of course some impressive fireworks. Not just un flousse petit, but some huge and thunderous explosions accompanied by mesmorizing visual pyrotechnics. Quite impressive for a relatively small town. Beside things going boom in the night, the event also had a band, people dancing and of course lots of food. Many people brought there own treats and folks seemed to enjoy passing around homemade delicacies to their neighbors. Even though it was crowded and noisy everyone seemed extremely jovial and convivial and I didn't observe any obnoxious drunks or mental defectives attempting to cause trouble. Even the numerous stinky dogs seemed to enjoy themselves and added to the festivities. One interesting item was the osprey nest located right on a light pole in the middle of the field. The adult didn't seemed especially bothered by the noise and at one point even brought a huge fish back to the nest for her young to rip apart and devour. Quite entertaining to watch in a morbid sort of way. With so many towns and cities forced to cut back everything they can to mollify bean counters, it's nice to see some places still care more about the people of a community rather than some arcane numerical bottom line. This was a great celebration by some great people in a great town and a great time was had by all.

If you are an antique junkie.. This is for you..we went to…read morethe annual steam up festival.. Many operating steam engines...lots of home made models...lots of very old radio gear too...just awesome..very different but awesome

This place might be kind of boring for just a regular visit but I went during the New England Steam…read moreUp! so a lot was going on. Was a fun visit on a crisp fall afternoon. Lots of people nerding out about stuff they're obviously excited to tell people about. The machines were both massive and tiny - something for everyone to appreciate! I was especially excited to see the motorbikes and some of the old radio equipment. And it was the first time I saw machines people use for Morris code! I'm going with three stars though because the place is a bit overwhelming and could use some help in the labeling/organizing department. The event price was $15, $7 for students, not sure what regular admission is on days without an event.

This year's Kite festival in Newport was 50% sunny and 50% rainy…read more Sunday was the best day, with tons of people coming to fly their own kites and see some of the professionals flying theirs. There were many food trucks and walking along the ocean, during the festival was relaxing and breathtaking. Just a great annual event in a beautiful setting.

This truly was a spectacular event! It was positively brimming with amazing food, wine, and liquor…read morevendors that pulled out all the stops and made this one amazing weekend. The event was carefully organized and meticulously run. Security and staff were everywhere to help a wandering patron or guide people in the right direction. The grounds of Marble House were absolutely exquisite, and provided the perfect backdrop for this elegant affair. My personal favorites were the refreshing spritzers offered by the St. Germain table, and the amazing smoked trout tasting from Castle Hill. I was pretty blown away by the quality and quantity that every booth was offering. Love this event - can't wait to go back next year!

Excellent time drinking wine and enjoying the view. They have a very nice selection of wine and…read morefood that is high end and a touch of comfort . Outstanding venue