Good morning, Newport.

Due to rough sea conditions, the Block Island Ferry has canceled all high-speed service on Monday while the regular ferry runs as usual.

Ticket holders can reschedule or request a refund (reservation office open 9:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m.).

Tickets are on sale for Norman Bird Sanctuary’s 52nd Annual Harvest Fair, a two-day festival with live music, local food, artisan vendors, hayrides + children’s activities.

The event will run Saturday, October 3 and Sunday, October 4 at its 300-acre Middletown campus with early discounts available until Sept. 15.

Nitro Bar is set to open its fourth location at 134 Ives Street on Providence’s East Side by the end of summer — the expansion follows a $850,000 sale that supports founders Audrey Finocchiaro and Sam Lancaster in growing their local coffee brand.

The Newport Jazz Festival closed Sunday at Fort Adams State Park with Herbie Hancock headlining an unscripted finale after Sienna Spiro cancelled due to a throat infection, prompting Nate Smith to lead an impromptu 'Off The Cuff' set — other performers included Thundercat, Celeste, and a joyful Adaptive Music Collaborative parade.

Rhode Island’s labor market weakened in Q2 2026 as the workforce dropped to its lowest level in over four years; a briefing by Bryant University’s Center for Global and Regional Economic Studies and the Rhode Island Public Expenditure Council (RIPEC) showed that resident employment lost 5,700 jobs and workforce participation fell sharply.

Twenty-four properties sold last week in Newport County - a strong July finish - while the sale of 8 Taylor’s Lane North in Little Compton helped maintain median prices near $835,000.

The 6th Annual Safe Harbor Race Weekend will be held August 7-9 on Narragansett Bay, featuring 76 racing sailboats in ten classes and shoreside events in Newport and Portsmouth.

Nine defending champions will race from noon daily in a regatta that organizers call the most competitive in six-year history.

Morning Tours of Pomham Rocks Lighthouse

9:00 – 11:30 AM — Edgewood Yacht Club — Admission required — Step back in time on a tour of a fully restored historical light station.

NIMFEST 2026

3-6 p.m. — King Park Gazebo — Free entry — Enjoy live music at the Newport Independent Music Festival every Sunday in July and August.