9 Best Things to Do in Rhode Island This Holiday Season

Whether you’re an out-of-stater planning a visit or a local looking to add a new tradition, here’s a sampling of the best holiday events in Rhode Island, inspired by Yankee’s 2021 feature“The New England Holiday Bucket List.” How many have you experienced?

9 Best Things to Do in Rhode Island This Holiday Season

A Christmas Carol
Trinity Repertory Company | Providence

Running from November into the new year, Trinity Rep’s 44th annual production of A Christmas Carol provides a holiday boost all season long. And with this return to in-person shows, director Joe Wilson Jr. is out to deliver “lots and lots of music, singing, and joy.”

Christmas at The Breakers
The Breakers | Newport 

It has taken as much as 780 volunteer hours to deck the halls at this 138,000-square-foot oceanfront estate, an Italian Renaissance–style palazzo built for a shipping and railroad tycoon in 1895 (hence, tiny trains can be seen among the home’s 12 themed Christmas trees). Outside the home—which, like its similarly lavish c. 1901 neighbor, will be open for holiday tours—visitors will find a landscape awash in countless colored lights, including 28 twinkling spruce trees. (Marble House and The Elms are decorated for the holidays, too.)

Field of Artisans
South Kingstown and Pawtucket

From its wide-ranging lineup of 500 New England makers, Field of Artisans curates holiday pop-ups that are eclectic and fun, with handmade gifts for the hard-to-please at all price points. South Kingstown shows are at Whalers Brewing, and Pawtucket shows are at The Guild, so you can sip a pint as you browse. 

Newport Nutcracker
Rosecliff Mansion | Newport

After last year’s leap to film with Through Her Eyes: A Newport Nutcracker Reimagined, Island Moving Company returns its Newport Nutcracker to the lavishly decorated rooms and halls of Rosecliff Mansion.

Holiday Lights Spectacular at Roger Williams Park Zoo
Providence
Dinosaurs, reindeer, and smiling snowmen—oh my! These are just a few of the luminous wonders sure to get you into the spirit this season. Don’t want to leave the car? The Rhode Island Holiday Light Show in Richmond is a one-mile drive-through experience that lets you crank up the radio and sing along to the synced light show. 

Christmas at Blithewold
Bristol 

This c. 1907 coastal estate puts on quite a seasonal show inside, including a two-story Christmas tree in the front hall and decorations throughout many of its 45 authentically furnished rooms. But where it really shines is outdoors, where the masterfully landscaped grounds transform into a magical display of lights and handcrafted ornaments.

WaterFire BuyArt Small Works Holiday Show & Sale
Providence

The array of handcrafted offerings included in this arts bazaar is testament to the capital city’s love and support for all things creative. The WaterFire Store is open, too, for souvenirs celebrating Providence’s signature art installation: Proceeds help keep the fires burning.

Christmas in Newport
Newport, RI
All December long, expect the holiday spirit to be turned up to 11 in this storied seaport—amid seasonal shopping, dining, and strolling.

The Nutcracker
The VETS | Providence

This magical, all-ages holiday spectacular features spectacular sets and costumes, charming Nutcracker & Mouse King characters designed by Big Nazo Lab, and stunning magic tricks, as dozens of young dancers join the world class resident artists of Ballet RI.

What would you add to the list of the best holiday events in Rhode Island? Let us know in the comments below!

And see more festive things to do in Rhode Island (and beyond) in “The New England Holiday Bucket List.”

Don’t miss our top holiday events in all six New England states! Check out Connecticut, Maine, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Rhode Island, and Vermont.