Historic Wickford, Rhode Island | Home to the Wickford Art Festival

Blue skies over Wickford Harbor
Credit: Annie Graves If, however, such things appeal, the weekend of July 9-10, 2016 might be the perfect time to indulge. You can enjoy Wickford at the height of summer season, while the village is saturated in the ultimate arts experience: the yearly Wickford Art Festival. This major event draws over 200 artists from around the country, descending on a town festooned with artwork and popup tents. With this as the backdrop. Here’s the backstory. Just 25 minutes from the bustle of Providence and Newport, RI, is an echo of bygone times and a Main Street so authentic it’s been called one of America’s 10 best. But the real heart of historic Wickford, settled in 1637, is its harbor, a deep-blue indentation halfway down Narragansett Bay. Wickford Harbor insinuates itself into the center of the village, sidling around to the far end of Main Street and reaching under the bridge at Brown Street to drift alongside the casual Tavern By the Sea restaurant. Pleasant Street shoots down to a boat launch sandwiched between the Yacht Club and a classic boatyard. There really is water everywhere, if you’ll excuse the trite and true.