The Ultimate RI Event Calendar — Everything to Do

The Alcove, Rhode Island’s first feminist cultural center, will open its doors to the public on Saturday, January 10, 2026.

Located at 189 Broadway in Providence, The Alcove offers women and gender expansive people a place to gather, reconnect, and build community in an environment designed with intention and care.

The Alcove, formerly Gather RI, blends membership-based spaces with free public programming, creating a center that is accessible and welcoming. Details about membership, community events, and an income-aligned pricing model are available on the organization’s website, along with opportunities for scholarships.

The two-story space includes public areas on the first floor and a dedicated member haven on the second. Through The Alcove’s public programs visitors can connect with the inspiring, and often unknown, histories of women and gender expansive people. This mission comes to life through two cornerstone features:

• The Alcove Biographical Library, where visitors can explore more than 2,000 biographies of women and gender expansive people. The planned expansion will grow the collection to over 7,000 volumes, creating one of the most comprehensive, publicly available libraries of its kind.

• The Portrait Gallery at The Alcove, one of the world’s few art spaces devoted entirely to portraits of women and gender expansive people. The inaugural exhibition, Founders and Inventors Who Shaped Our World, features 35 newly commissioned portraits by Rhode Island artists, displayed alongside select historical reproductions.

A companion speaker series, Beyond the Bio, will debut in January and bring audiences into conversation with women and gender expansive people making an impact across fields and disciplines.

“I am honored to help bring The Alcove to life,” said Amanda E. Strauss, Founding Executive Director. “As we navigate times of uncertainty and tumult, we must remember that our power as women and gender expansive people multiplies when we gather together.The Alcove is an invitation and a catalyst to first imagine, and then to create, a new future.”

The design and construction of The Alcove reflects the organization’s values. Architecture is led by Charlotte Breed Handy of CBH Architect, LLC, with gardens and terrace design by Bernice Wahler Landscapes. Construction was managed by New England Construction, with design-build oversight from V3 Architects. Women across trades shaped the building — from its structural plans to its furnishings and artwork.

Founded in 2023, The Alcove’s distinguished founding board includes Marisa Albanese, Emeritus Manager External Affairs at Rhode Island Energy; Marcela Betancur, Executive Director of Latino Policy Institute; Dana Borrelli-Murray, CEO of Girl Scouts of Southeastern New England; Touba Ghadessi, Provost at RISD; Sara Gilkenson, Diversity Director at Supreme Court of Rhode Island; Anne Holland, founder of multiple organizations, and Felicia Salinas-Moniz. The founding staff include Amanda E. Strauss, Founding Executive Director, Khamry Varfley, Inaugural Curator and Program Manager, and Mariah Azoti, Operations Manager.

“Women and gender expansive people need and deserve space that supports rest, curiosity, and connection,” said Strauss. “The Alcove is built to meet that need and to sustain it for generations.”

Tours of the space may be scheduled prior to the public opening. More information is available at GatherRI.org.

Providence Restaurant Weeks Returns for 20th Year With 90+ Local Eateries 

New restaurants throughout RI are offering limited-time specials and deals

Winter is the perfect moment to shake off the cold and savor the award-winning restaurants that make Providence one of the most exciting culinary destinations. Kicking off its 20th year, Providence Restaurant Weeks returns January 25 - February 7 with one of its biggest lineups to date: nearly 100 dining options from Providence to the West Bay, East Bay and beyond. GoProvidence’s signature event features new restaurants, including many participating for the first time, and offers prix fixe menus, lunch and dinner specials, creative drink offerings, and more.

“Since introducing Providence Restaurant Weeks 20 years ago, we’ve seen Providence’s culinary reputation continue to rise. Food & Wine recently named us one of America’s Next Great Food Cities, highlighting the chefs, restaurants, and diverse dining scene that set us apart,” said Kristen Adamo, GoProvidence president and CEO. “Providence Restaurant Weeks is the perfect showcase. This year, we’re thrilled to welcome new restaurants and participants to this special event. From the new Yellow Door Taqueria and Ten Prime Seafood in Providence, to the recently re-opened Metacom Kitchen in Warren, and Fresco’s slate of restaurants across the state, there is something to appeal to every palate.”

Several participating restaurants will also be featured in the upcoming Providence Culinary Collective, kicking off a season of chef‑driven food events across the city later this winter.

Providence Restaurant Weeks is presented by GoProvidence and sponsored by Navigant Credit Union and Toast. Guests are encouraged to share photos of their dishes on social media with #PVDEats and #PRW.

A comprehensive list of all participating restaurants, along with their Restaurant Weeks menus, can be found at ProvidenceRestaurantWeeks.com.

Gregory Alan Isakov will perform with the Rhode Island Philharmonic Orchestra at the Providence Performing Arts Center (PPAC) on Thursday, January 29, 2026, at 7:30 p.m.   

Isakov has performed with several national symphony orchestras across the United States, including the Los Angeles Philharmonic, the Chicago Philharmonic and the Colorado Symphony, among others.  

Tickets will go on sale this Friday, August 29, at 10 a.m. at ppacri.org – tickets will be available by phone at 401.421.(ARTS) 2787 and at the PPAC Box Office window on Tuesday, September 2 at 10 A.M.

The PPAC Box Office’s address is 220 Weybosset Street, Providence, RI 02903. The Box Office is open Monday through Friday from 10 A.M. to 5 P.M. and Saturday from 10 A.M. to 2 P.M.  
Born in Johannesburg, South Africa, and now calling Colorado home, horticulturist/musician Gregory Alan Isakov has cast an impressive presence on the indie-rock and folk worlds with his six full-length studio albums: That Sea, The Gambler; This Empty Northern Hemisphere; The Weatherman; Gregory Alan Isakov with the Colorado Symphony; Evening Machines (nominated for a Grammy Award for Best Folk Album), and Appaloosa Bones. Isakov tours internationally with his band.

The Steel Yard and WaterFire Arts Center are excited to announce the Steel Yard Residents’ Winter Exhibition, Murmurations, on display at 475 Valley Street, Providence, from January 29, 2026, to February 28, 2026. 

Interconnected movement guides these artists within their individual crafting practices. The 2025-2026 Artists in Residence at The Steel Yard - Chantel Bollinger, Dominik Cunningham, Prinshu Gautum, Kit Grindeland, Nadia Nazar, Alex Tum, David Vuong, and Decatur Foster - reside amongst one another in shared space, changing shape and formation as they work within ceramics and metals. Navigating the residual nature of their individual pasts, they ideate on collective futures. 

Murmurations opens with a reception on January 29, 2026 from 6 pm to 9 pm. There will be an artist panel on February 12, 2026, with a reception at 5 pm and panel starting at 6 pm, as well as a closing reception on February 26, 2026 from 6 pm to 8 pm. The gallery will be open to the public Wednesdays through Sundays from 12 pm to 5 pm, and Thursdays from 12 pm to 9 pm.

Third Annual “RI High School Hockey All-Star Showcase” Returns to Schneider Arena Sunday, February 1

RI Hockey Hall of Fame's third annual “RI High School All-Star Showcase,” featuring a girls' game followed by a boys’ game.  Each RI Interscholastic League hockey coach has been tasked with selecting their best players, regardless of age or class, to participate in the Showcase.

Eighty (80) high school ice hockey players wearing RI Hockey Hall of Fame All-Star jerseys designed specifically for the All-Star Showcase. RI hockey royalty in the form of the Hall of Fame’s “Class of 2025” inductees will serve as honorary coaches.  Ross Brooks, the former NHL record-setting goaltender, and Bill Army, the former Boston College All-American and AHL/IHL player, will be behind the boys’ bench.  The honorary girls’ team coaches will be former URI and Salve Regina coach Beth McCann and former US Olympian and gold medal winner, Vicki Movsessian-Lamoriello, a member of the Hall’s Class of 2024. Warwick native, Todd Angilly, anthem singer for the Boston Bruins, will again perform the national anthem before each game.

WHERE: Schneider Arena, Providence College, 549 River Ave, Providence, RI 02918

Sunday, February 1, 2026; Girls’ game at 2:00 PM followed by the boys’ game at 4:00 PM.

Admission to the Showcase is just $5, and youth league players of all levels wearing their youth league jersey will be admitted free of charge when accompanied by a paying adult. The first 2,000 paying fans get a buy-one-get-one-free Jersey Mike’s coupon.

Providence Flea returns to Farm Fresh RI Market Hall, 10 Sims Ave, Providence, RI, every Sunday from February 1 through April 26, 2026 (except Easter Sunday) from 11 am – 3 pm! 

Featuring 80+ rotating, local indie makers, artisans, vintage vendors, food trucks, fresh local coffee and spirits, craft beer and cocktails, ice cream, baked goods, fresh flowers and plants, and more! FREE to enter and park. Family-friendly. No tickets necessary. Sorry, dogs are not allowed indoors. For more info and to apply, visit providenceflea.com.
 

The Chamber Orchestra of Barrington at St. John’s will perform “A Sanctuary in Sound” at 3 p.m. on Sunday, February 8, 2026, at St. John’s Episcopal Church in Barrington, RI. 

Led by Music Director, Luis Viquez, the concert will feature Brahms’ romantic Serenade No. 1 for Chamber Orchestra. The concert opens with El Cenáculo y El Gólgota, a rare orchestral work by renowned Costa Rican composer, Julio Fonseca.  Originally written for piano and string quintet, this may be the first time this work will be performed in North America since its orchestral version premiere in Belgium in 1905. 

Admission is free; pay-what-you-can donations are welcome. To support COBSJ online, visit www.cobsj.org/donate

THE COMMUNITY PLAYERS PRESENT HAROLD AND MAUDE

Rhode Island's oldest community theater, The Community Players, currently celebrating its 104th season, is proud to continue this year’s theme, “From Screen to Stage,” with the dark comedy Harold and Maude, from February 13 – 22, 2026.

Writer Colin Higgins adapted his beloved screenplay into this hit stage play about a lonely 19-year-old boy who finally learns how to truly live when he meets a delightfully wacky octogenarian. Harold is the proverbial poor little rich kid. Alienated and fixated upon death, he repeatedly stages his own suicide in a cry for attention from his self-obsessed mother. While attending a funeral, he encounters Maude, who shares his love for memorial services, but for different reasons. Harold soon develops a peculiar attachment to Maude and her eccentric philosophy, and their quirky relationship deepens, eventually opening a pathway for Harold to embrace life.

Directed by Brad Kirton of North Providence, and starring Noah Martinez of Providence and Mary Paolino of West Warwick as Harold and Maude, the play also features the talents of Dan Curtin of Norton, MA, Karen Gail Kessler of West Warwick, Izzy Labbe and W. Grant Willis of Providence, and Leslie Racine Martin, Ron Martin, and Katie Weeks of Warwick. This cult classic blurs the lines between love, loss, and satire in an exploration of how we interact with the world around us and challenges its audience to look at life from a different perspective. 

Produced at Jenks Auditorium located at 350 Division Street in Pawtucket, performances are scheduled for February 13, 14, 15, 20, 21 and 22, 2026 with Friday and Saturday curtain times at 7:30 pm and Sunday matinees at 2:00 pm. Tickets are $25.00 for adults and $15.00 for students (with a valid ID). Discount rates are also available for all performances for groups of 20 or more. Those attending the opening night performance on Friday, February 13 will be entered into a drawing for a special prize! Come and experience live theater at its best! 

Tickets can be purchased online at www.thecommunityplayers.org or reserve at (401) 726-6860. 

Science Cafe: What is in a name? How chemicals got their name

When: Wednesday, February 25th, 2026, 6:30 pm-8:30 pm
Where: CrookPoint Brewery, 65 Massasoit Ave, East Providence
Free event.

RSVP: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/science-cafe-whats-in-a-name-how-chemicals-got-their-name-tickets-1977785436481?aff=oddtdtcreator

Description: 
Join Dr. Amit Basu from Brown University as he lead a fun and engaging discussion on how everyday chemicals got their names and what those names can tell us. This discussion will weave science with history as we discuss things like aspirin (acetyl-salicylic acid) and tamiflu (osteltamivir), the origin and meanings behind those names. This event is open and free to the community and is hosted by the American Chemical Society-Rhode Island Section. Join us at Crook Point Brewery in East Providence for a lively and fun discussion.
 

GRAMMY-Winning Baritone Will Liverman, Acclaimed Soprano Kiera Duffy, and Rhode Island College Artist-in-Residence and Pianist Judith Lynn Stillman Present “Portraits in Song,” a Free Recital Celebrating Musical Storytelling

Sunday, March 1 at 4 p.m.

Sapinsley Hall, Nazarian Center for the Performing Arts

Rhode Island College, Providence

The ambitious program features solo and duet music from a range of operas, song cycles and musicals, plus a world premiere by Stillman, “‘Tis You That Are The Music.” 

Lil Rhody Laugh Riot Returns to Providence in 2026
Artists Announced for the Second Annual Lil Rhody Laugh Riot Comedy Festival

John Mulaney, Chelsea Handler, Andrew Schulz, Mark Normand, Andrew Santino, Zarna Garg, Marc Maron, Jay Pharoah and more among the line-up of headliners

Lil Rhody Laugh Riot returns March 26-29 at The VETS, Providence Performing Arts Center, Uptown Theater, and Comedy Connection
Tickets on sale tomorrow, November 7

Tickets can be purchased online at LilRhodyLaughRiot.com.

In its inaugural year, Lil Rhody Laugh Riot welcomed over 18,000 attendees to downtown Providence showcasing 60 comedians including Kevin Hart, Hannah Berner, Matt Rife, Leslie Jones, and Alex Edelman over 30 shows and 10 venues. In its second year, the festival is gearing up for bigger names and louder laughs.
“Lil Rhody Laugh Riot is where the country’s top comics collide with the city’s sharpest locals,” said Amanda Bonafine, Director of Concerts & Comedy for PFM. “Providence isn’t just hosting comedy anymore — we’re setting the tone for it.”

The lineup for the Lil Rhody Laugh Riot comedy festival includes:
At the Providence Performing Arts Center:
·      John Mulaney: Friday, March 27 at 7:30PM
·      Andrew Schulz: Saturday, March 28 at 7:00PM

At The VETS
·      Bob the Drag Queen & Monét X Change: Thursday, March 26 at 7:30PM
·      Andrew Santino: Friday, March 27 at 7:00PM
·      Zarna Garg: Saturday, March 28 at 4:00PM
·      Chelsea Handler: Saturday, March 28 at 8:00PM
·      Mark Normand: Sunday, March 29 at 7:00PM

At the Uptown Theater
·      Demetri Martin: Thursday, March 26 at 7:30PM
·      Jessica Kirson: Friday, March 27 at 7:30PM
·      Marc Maron: Saturday, March 28 at 7:00PM
·      Kristin Key: Sunday, March 29 at 7:00PM

At the Comedy Connection
·      Jay Pharoah: Friday, March 27 - Sunday, March 29 at 7:00PM & 9:30PM
 

Edgewood Garden Club Presents Secret Gardens by the Bay Garden Tour, June 20, 2026
    

A rare opportunity to tour the grounds of distinctive homes in one of Rhode Island’s most desirable neighborhoods takes place on June 20, 2026. The Edgewood Garden Club will present  “Secret Gardens By The Bay,” a one-day garden tour.

From an antique Pawtuxet Village colonial to mid-century modern classics and stately Victorians gracing Edgewood’s bluff and streets, the public can visit nearly a dozen private homes, several with water views, and three civic gardens designed and cared for by the club. On display will be superb shrubs, specimen trees and colorful garden beds filled with native perennials and other interesting flowers. Behind the garden gates, hidden from the street are elegant plantings, intricate stonework, a woodland pond, even a sunken garden.

The tour will run from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., rain or shine. Tickets are $30 in advance, $35 day of tour. For tickets and other information, go to the club’s website, EGC