The holiday season is in full swing and there are plenty of fun things to do in Newport to celebrate. Decorated mansions, historic tours and tree lightings are just a few events to look out for when visiting Newport in December.
Christmas at the Newport Mansions lasts until January 4th. Marble House, the Breakers and the Elms are all decked out with thousands of poinsettias, fresh flowers, wreathes and a total of 24 Christmas trees. Windows of all the mansions are lit with white candles, in order to keep with colonial traditions. Local pastry chefs have created gingerbread mansions that are on display in the Breakers’ kitchen. The mansions also host holiday evenings where guests can enjoy live music and light refreshments as they enjoy the beautifully decorated mansions. Rosecliff will be hosting the Nutcracker, where you follow the performers through the mansion. It’s last show is Friday, December 5th.
This year the theme for Christmas at Blithewold is “You are Invited,” where they will celebrate the Van Wickle family’s love of entertainment. Every room will be an interpretation of a festive occasion that happened at Blithewold in the early 1900s. Such occasions include: tea, garden parties, and sailing parties. Events for Christmas at Blithewold includes afternoon teas, Santa sing-alongs, musical performances, and creative workshops for adults and children. They are open from Tuesday through Sunday.
Undecked Halls at Rough Point is a behind the scenes tour of Doris Dukes Mansion in the wintertime. Doris Duke spent her winters in her Hawaii home, so this tour showcases the quiet house, with decorated staff wing and stories about her holiday in the sun. The tour includes the staff dining room, which is not normally open to the public as well as information about Rough Point’s winter caretaking.
The 44th Annual Bowen’s Wharf Christmas Tree Lighting will be held on December 6th, with events starting at 4:30 with Frosty the Snowman. The tree lighting will take place at 6pm after a Christmas Carol sing-along. Santa will be there after the lighting and local shops and restaurants will be open.
The Newport Historic Society will be sponsoring Holiday Lantern History Walking Tours, which will share the history of early American holiday traditions. The tour includes how people of Colonial Newport recognized the holidays.
On New Year’s Day, those who wish can participate in the Polar Bear Plunge, which benefits A Wish Come True. The plunge happens at 12 noon, followed by an after party.
For more information and more events happening during the holiday season in Newport, click here.