The Three Stooges. Tree kangaroos. Moby-Dick. Ice bumper cars. Pork tacos. Rhode Island clam chowder. Tiny plants in glass jars. It’s all happening this week.
Welcome, my friends, to my first column of ‘24 …
MOE, LARRY AND CURLY
Why I oughta... I have to add this one in case you’re reading on Jan. 4. Woonsocket’s Stadium Theater hosts its annual free Three Stooges Festival, featuring the best of Moe, Larry and Curly from the ‘30s and ‘40s Jan. 4. I love this idea. Just a bunch of Rhode Islanders gathering together for laughs from a different era. Gold. They note this is a popular event, so arrive early to grab popcorn and watch the doofiness. Doors 6:15 p.m., show 7 p.m. Free, no tickets required. 28 Monument Square, Woonsocket. Details here.
ICE BUMPER CARS AND SKATING
A winter Rhody tradition: Grab your crew, and head to PVD’s BankNewport City Center rink for ice bumping and skating. Bumper cars, from $13 per ride per person. Skating $9; seniors and kids 12-and-under, $6. Skate rental $8.41. Check online for weather notifications, register online. 2 Kennedy Plaza, Providence. Details here.
ZOO CREW
Beat the winter blues by hanging with the crew at the zoo. Roger Williams Park Zoo offers half-off admission now through Feb. 28. You can’t not smile when hanging with Keweng the tree kangaroo, or mom-and-son sloths Fiona and lil’ Jeffrey. I mean… c’mon. PSA: Providence residents score free admission to the zoo the first Saturday of each month. That means Jan. 6 is free zoo day, PVD. (If you have a Rhody library card, you might also be eligible for a discount.) See here for all details. Discount applied at checkout. 1000 Elmwood Ave.
HOT TICKETS
I launched this subsection of this column because (hopefully) Globe Rhode Island readers rely on this column to plan your fun, and I care that you rock Rhody to the fullest. These are big name or otherwise wicked cool events that I predict will sell out before I get time to alert you to them week-of …
VEG OUT: Vegans and veggie lovers, take note: RI VegFest hits PVD’s WaterFire Arts Center Feb. 3-4. “All previous RI VegFest events have sold out in advance, and we’re happy to say that this event is on track to do the same,” they note in a press release, adding that tickets may not be available at the door. They’re not kidding. They’ve sold out before I had a chance to mention them in years past, so I’m pulling the alarm on this one now.
The fully vegan fest showcases plant-based foods, beverages, artists, makers, and businesses. According to billing, this year’s lineup features some 85 vegan/vegan-friendly brands “from Rhode Island and 10 other states.” Shop vegan products, eat, drink, and learn. General admission $8. Details here.
SOMETHING’S BREWING: Meanwhile, there are still tickets left but going fast for the 11th annual Rhode Island Brew Fest — billed as “a celebration of American craft breweries featuring the best brews the Ocean State has to offer” — Jan. 27 at the WaterFire Arts Center. The fest hosts some 55 breweries offering samples of some 175 beers. Session one is sold out. There are still tickets for the 5:30-8:30 p.m. session, with live music, local vendors and food court, according to billing. $65.21. Details here and here.
DOWNWARD DOG
Breathe. We made it through the Holidaze. Whether you’re looking to de-stress after the madness, or have yoga and mindfulness on your ‘24 resolution list, you might try “Gentle Yoga & Meditation” at the Norman Bird Sanctuary Jan. 6. From 10-11:30 a.m. BYO mat. Suggested donation $15-20. 583 3rd Beach Road, Middletown. Details here.
CALL ME ISHMAEL
Yup, it’s that time: Rhody “Moby-Dick” fans, while this is across state lines, it’s worth the trip to the New Bedford Whaling Museum for the 25-hour “Moby-Dick” reading marathon. Admission is free all weekend for this 28th annual marathon. The reading of Herman Melville’s white whale tale kicks off Jan. 6 at noon, with the final page estimated at 1 p.m. Jan. 7. (See schedule here.)
Reading aside, the museum will be hopping with other Melville-themed activities, including: “Stump the Scholar,” crafts, story time and scavenger hunt for kids, a “Portuguese Mini-Marathon” where “dozens of participants at the museum join together with readers in mainland Portugal, the Azores, Madeira Islands, and Cape Verde Islands to read the shortened adaptation of Moby-Dick created by Tiago Patricio in Portuguese,” according to website; screen printing demos, and more. Moby die-hards: You can also register to watch the marathon virtually. Full schedule and details here.
PVD RESTAURANTS WEEKS
Foodies, kick off ‘24 by eating your way through the Providence area: Providence Restaurant Weeks runs Jan. 7-20. Participating area restaurants feature deals and specials. For example: Diego’s East Side offers a $28 prix fixe two-course lunch or dinner: You might start with Drunken Arrancini — crispy rice and sausage balls cooked in Rejects Beer with poblano queso fundido — before digging into al pastor tacos — al pastor pork, smoked pineapple salsa, ranchero sauce, onions and cilantro on flour tortillas. Meanwhile, Matunuck Oyster Bar — the South Kingstown restaurant’s littlenecks and chouriço dish — landed on the New York Times’ 23 Best Dishes of ‘23 — offers a three-course prix fixe for $36.95: You might start on house Matunuck oysters, dig into a cup of Rhode Island clam chowder, and then: your choice of any entree on the menu, excluding Alaskan king crab. #PVDEats All details here.
HORSING AROUND
Liberty Farm & Carriage Company in Burrillville is a working farm that offers private horse carriage (or sleigh rides) year-round. As you might imagine, this is their busy season. As of this writing, they still have various private ride time slots available this week, according to their website. Prices vary. 60 Ironmine Road, Burrillville. Details, video and live schedule here.
TERRARIUMS & TAPS
Create my own tiny world of plants, rocks, and moss? Um, yes, please. Get your calm on by immersing yourself in a tiny natural world and sipping local brews: LineSider Brewing in East Greenwich collabs with Inebri-Art for a “Terrarium & Taps” afternoon Jan. 7 from 1-3 p.m. According to billing, you’ll “learn the techniques to create a tiny world of plants, rocks, and moss, encapsulated in a glass terrarium. Each participant will get to make one terrarium to take home…included materials: medium glass vessel, plants, soil, stones, moss, charcoal, and more.” Tickets limited so jump on it. #TinyLittleTrees $40. Details here.
OLD-TIME JAM
If less screen time, more string time is on your New Year’s resolution list, Wakefield’s Pumphouse offers a way to jump in this week with a free Ukulele Jam on Jan. 8 from 6-8 p.m. (all experience levels welcome); a free “Old Time Jam in the Bar” on Jan 9 from 6-8 p.m. (“Bring your guitar, banjo, bass, mandolin fiddle, or any other instrument you think of,” according to billing, and a free “Lounge and Acoustic Open Mic” on Jan. 10 from 6-11 p.m. Show your neighbors what you got. Suggested $5 donation for all these. 1464 Kingstown Road. Details here.
BOBCAT GOLDTHWAIT
Whether you know him from his stand-up, cult-classic movies like “Police Academy” or “Scrooged” with Bill Murray, prolific voice acting (from “Bob’s Burgers” to “Adventure Time”) Bobcat is headed to Rhody. An award-winning director of films and comedy specials — from Patton Oswalt to Eugene Mirman — brings his comedy to East Providence’s Comedy Connection for five shows Jan. 11-13. From $25. 39 Warren Ave. Details here.
SWIFTIE DANCE PARTY
Calling all Swifties: celebrate the music of a Rhode Island homeowner at Askew’s “Taylor’s Version: A Swiftie Dance Party” Jan. 12. They’ll be “spinning Taylor Swift all night long” with drink specials. Because Taylor Swift. Doors 8 p.m., show 9 p.m. 150 Chestnut St. Providence. $15 advance, $20 door. Details here.
WINTER WINE-TASTING
Who says wine-tasting is just for summer? West Greenwich’s Leyden Farm Vineyard & Winery invites guests to taste five wines and learn about each. Post-tasting, you might purchase a glass or bottle and stroll the vineyard, according to event billing — and keep the tasting glass. Ongoing, closed Wednesdays. Tasting for two $12. Tasting for four $22. 160 Plain Meeting House Road. Details here.
Until next week, Rhody: Keep rockin’.
Lauren Daley can be reached at ldaley33@gmail.com. Follow her on Twitter @laurendaley1.