Sweet clam-cakes, we did it, Rhody. We made it to spring. They said this day would never come! (And by “they” I mean me as I cried each morning into my frozen hands waiting for my car windshield to defrost.) WeIl, look at us now,.
We celebrate Rhode Island-style: with a T-Rex, oysters, goats, and diving into a lake. Let’s go.
JURASSIC WORLD
They say it’s not really spring in Rhode Island until you see the first triceratops in Providence. Check. Jurassic World Live Tour is in Providence now through March 26. The adventure starts when an Indominus rex escapes in the AMP. Expect to see Blue the Raptor, a stegosaurus, triceratops and a T-rex. (The Jello is already trembling in my hands.) 1 La Salle Square, Providence. Tickets from $15. Details here. Get a sense of what to expect here.
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RHODE READING
I’m a bookworm. Always have been. And Rhody has such a thriving local book scene, I want to start highlighting at least a few author readings each week in this column. Two events that stand out this week:
You don’t have to be Y to love YA. Good story is good story. If you’re a fan of the genre, beeline to Books on the Square in Providence to see Riss M. Neilson in conversation with Rachel Menard on March 24 at 6:30 p.m. 471 Angell St., Providence.
Providence’s Neilson, a Rhode Island College grad, made a stunning YA fantasy debut last year with “Deep in Providence,” set here in PVD. A finalist for the 2022 New England Book Awards and a ‘22 Buzzfeed New LGBTQA+ YA “Novels You Need This Spring” selection, it’s a must-read if you haven’t.
She’ll be in conversation with Rhode Islander Menard on her just-hit-the-shelves “Clash of Fate and Fury.” Read more about both books and the event here.
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Meanwhile, Rhode Island resident Amanda Quay Blount talks about her book “Meet Me At the Biltmore: 100 Years at Providence’s Most Storied Hotel” (Stillwater River Publications, 2022) at the Providence Public Library on March 29 from 6:30-7:30 p.m. According to Blount’s website, it took her two years to compile “thousands of primary source articles and interviews to write this book, including archives from the hotel itself.” 150 Empire St., Providence. Learn more here and here.
DAR WILLIAMS
Williams — who cut her teeth on the Boston folk/coffeehouse scene of the ‘90s and toured with Joan Baez — has established herself as a song-poet in her own right. Don’t miss her at the JPT Film + Event Center in Newport on March 24.
When I interviewed the Wesleyan alum in the thick of the pandemic, she told me about the power of live performance:
“I could tell myself this is just the year to wander around and talk to God with sticks in my hair and it might’ve suited me.” But seeing fans, even virtually, was a reminder “that I’ve chosen a career where you connect with people through art. So get the sticks out of your hair, put on a little mascara, and remind yourself that engaging with humans is a very important and wonderful thing to do.” Tickets from $39. 49 Touro St. Details here and here.
GET HIM TO THE GREEK
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There’s still time to see “Hadestown,” Vermont singer/songwriter Anais Mitchell’s musical based on Greek mythology. In 2004, the New Englander was driving to a gig when “a melody kind of dropped out of the sky with a lyric, and it was the chorus melody of ‘Wait for Me’… it seemed to be about the Orpheus and Eurydice story,” she told the Globe previously. The idea grew from a Vermont community theater project to Tony-winning Broadway show. It’s at PPAC through March 26. Tickets from $30. 220 Weybosset St. Details here.
SNACKS, WINE & ART
If your question is “What do I paint this Friday?” The answer, my friend, is “Blowin’ in the Wind.” That’s the name of the painting you’ll create at Muse Paintbar in Providence on March 24 at 3 p.m. Other painting classes offered this week include “Starry Harbor” (March 24, 7 p.m.), a kid-friendly “Beauty & the Beast,” (March 25, noon), a couple’s collaborative painting class with “Spring Woods,” and “Marsh at Sunset” on March 30. Get your Bob Ross on with snacks, brews and wines. Think pepperoni flatbread pizza with hot honey, mini corn dogs, curly fries, ice cream sundaes, mimosas and margaritas. 117 N Main St., Providence. Details here.
AW, SHUCKS
They don’t call us the Ocean State for nothing. If you love shellfish and want to learn how to cook ‘em at home, here’s your shot to learn in style. The luxe Ocean House hosts “Consider the Oyster (and Clams)” culinary cooking class on March 24 and March 31 at their Center for Wine & Culinary Arts. It’s a bit of a splurge at $150 a pop, but might be worth it if your goal is to master seafood dishes this summer. According to the billing, you’ll learn to shuck oysters and clams, as well as techniques for making baked oysters, Champagne-steamed white clams, and Passion Fruit Sangrita and mignonette. 1 Bluff Ave., Watch Hill. Details here and here.
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GO JUMP IN A LAKE
Wait, come back! I’m not insulting you. (You know me better than that, buddy.) I’m just telling you it’s time to go jump in a lake for a cause. The Westwood YMCA in Coventry hosts its 3rd Annual Freezin’ for a Reason on March 25 at 10 a.m. Plunge into the Quidnick Reservoir Lake, and score a free post-plunge breakfast at the Westwood Lodge. What’s the freezing for? Summer camp scholarships. According to their billing, campers age 5-12 “can explore the outdoors through various activities such as swimming, boating, hiking, fishing, and kayaking… Your participation will provide financial assistance to campers in need.” $30. 2093 Harkney Hill Road. Details here.
FALL RIVER RESTAURANT WEEK
Foodies, hop across the border: Fall River, Mass., kicks off its Restaurant Week on March 24. The delish dishes and sweet deals last through April 2 with lunch and dinner specials at participating restaurants. Spindle City is known for its Portuguese food, so yes, you’ll find that as well as other offerings. At BarCa, for example, your $30 dinner may start with garlic shrimp, before you dig into pan-seared cod or slow-cooked beef with chouirco and potatoes. For dessert: Portuguese pastries. At Avo’s Feast, a $24.99 dinner includes kale soup, and Portuguese steak or shrimp Mozambique. For dessert? Avo’s sweet rice pudding. Details here.
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STARRY STARRY NIGHT
Intrigued by constellations and the night sky, but only know the dippers and Orion? Same. Time to get schooled. Rhody has a gem in the Frosty Drew Observatory and Sky Theater. On March 24 and 31, they’ll open their Observatory, Science Center, Sky Theatre and telescopes for free stargazing. Astronomers can introduce you “to the rings of Saturn, the cratered lunar surface, the Galilean Moons of Jupiter, the polar ice caps of Mars, the phases of Venus, massive stars, speckled star clusters, vast nebulae, distant galaxies, and the best views of the Milky Way in Rhode Island.” Each Friday. Free, suggested donation $5. 7:30-10 p.m. 62 Park Land, Ninigret Park, Charlestown. Details here.
“THE INFERIOR SEX”
Trinity Rep’s current showing, “The Inferior Sex,” by Jacqueline E. Lawton, directed by Tatyana-Marie Carlo, is a comedy/drama set in the summer of ‘72. According to the billing: “The battle to ratify the Equal Rights Amendment is ramping up across the nation. Congresswoman Shirley Chisholm is campaigning for president. And in midtown Manhattan, a group of women have created a magazine ‘for feminists who love fashion… The charged political and social climate challenges friendships and the future of the magazine itself.” Through April 16. From $27. 201 Washington St., Providence. Details here.
GOAT HIKES AND BABY GOAT YOGA
The weather’s warming up, and it’s time to get outside with the kids — baby goats, that is. At Simmons Farm in Middletown, you’ll downward dog with baby goats “between days old and 8 weeks of age.” [Insert crying emoji face here.] $25. March 25, 9 a.m. 1942 West Main Road. Details here.
For more adorableness, you can also hike with a goat on a leash. While your four-legged friend nibbles on greens, you’ll soak up views of Narragansett Bay and farm pastures. March 25 at 10 a.m., March 26 1:30 p.m. General admission $25. Details here.
CLASSICS ON THE SILVER SCREEN
Sure, you can watch any movie you can think of on your phone or iPad, but there’s something romantic about a black-and-white classic on the silver screen. So I love that JPT Film + Event Center in Newport is screening Alfred Hitchcock’s silent “The Lodger: A Story of the London Fog” (1927) on March 28, performed with live score on synth-piano by Jeff Rapsis. Musician/silent film expert Rapsis will hold a post-film Q&A. $15. 7:30. 49 Touro St., Newport. Details here.
And catch Bogie and Bergman in “Casablanca” as it was meant to be seen: up on the big screen, 1942-style. March 30, 7:30. $14. Details here.
Until next week, Rhody: Keep rockin.’
Lauren Daley can be reached at ldaley33@gmail.com. Follow her on Twitter @laurendaley1.