The month of August is jam-packed with fun activities that continue to celebrate the 50th anniversary of the Newport Restoration Foundation. We’ll be looking back at — and sometimes reviving — what Doris Duke and others were up to around the time of its founding and much more! Please mark your calendars for special events including:
A Perfect Storm: The Collision of Hurricanes, Climate Change and Coastal Population Growth
Newport Historical Society Resource Center
August 1 / 5:00 – 7:00 pm
$10 – $5 NHS members & NRF tenants
Jeff Donnelly, a climatologist at Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution, will discuss the historical links between hurricanes, climate change, and the population growth along the coast. Please register for this event by calling 401-846-0813 x110 or email hrockwood@newporthistory.org.
Gene Smith’s Sink and the Mid-Century Underground Jazz Scene
Rough Point
August 2 / 5:30 – 7:00 pm
$15 in advance, $20 at the door
This talk follows the footsteps of legendary mid-century photographer Eugene Smith and his New York City “jazz loft,” which became an afterhours haunt for the likes of Thelonious Monk, Zoot Sims, and yes… even Doris Duke.
Gardening with the Masters: The Three Sisters Technique
Prescott Farm
August 5 / 10:00 am – 12:00 pm, Lecture begins at 11:00 am
Free Event
Join the Master Gardeners for another special presentation this month at Prescott Farm. On Sunday, August 5 at 11 am, Betsy McClintock will speak about the “The Three Sisters Growing Technique”. In this lecture, learn the history, legend and practical use of Three Sisters Gardening and see a growing example at Prescott Farm. The Guard House and 1812 Windmill will also be open and staffed for public enjoyment.
Whitehorne House Museum Open House
August 9 / 5:00 – 7:00 pm
Free Event
A fixture of Lower Thames Street for almost 45 years, it’s time for some change at Whitehorne House Museum! Explore the collection of 18th-century Newport furniture for the first time or come back to hear about plans for the revitalization. The museum’s charming pocket garden will also be open for wandering.
Camelot vs. the Counterculture: Fashion and Society in the 1960s
Rough Point
August 23 / 5:30 – 7:00 pm
$15 in advance, $20 at the door
Jackie Kennedy in the White House and Grace Slick at Woodstock. This illustrated talk explores the tangled web of fashion, culture, and society in the 1960s. This event is sponsored by the Costume Society of America, Northeast Chapter.
Ask a Gardener
Rough Point
August 25 / 11:00 am, weather permitting
Included with admission to the house or grounds
Every last Saturday of the month, estate gardeners share their expertise on a range of topics from plant identification to organic garden care. Get insider tips on how to make your own garden as lush as the gardens at Rough Point.
For more information on all events, visit www.NewportRestoration.org/events.
