It’s New England’s largest indoor public garden and this spring it’ll once again be teeming with fairies.
The Fairy Garden Days return to the Roger Williams Park Botanical Garden this April with hundreds of handmade fairy houses hidden throughout the Garden’s four greenhouses, plus special events and activities planned for kids every day.
Running from April 11-26, 2026, it’s a great day trip during school’s upcoming April vacation or a wonderful weekend adventure to enjoy an early taste of spring.
What Is Fairy Garden Days in Rhode Island?
This annual event has been one of my favorites since my daughters were babies—and we still go back every year.
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READ MORE: Explore These Ten Botanical Gardens Across the SouthCoast
Artists young and old create elaborate fairy gardens depicting fanciful houses, entire schools or even relaxing health spas (cause fairies need a massage now and then too!). You never know what you’ll see or where you’ll find the gardens throughout the grounds.
Nancy Hall/Townsquare MediaNancy Hall/Townsquare Media
What Kids Can Do at Fairy Garden Days
Though if your young ones lose interest in the fairy gardens before you do, there are plenty of activities around the greenhouses too. Kids can get hands on at the texture table, create their own wand, pen letters to the fairies or write out wishes, which get released every Thursdays.
Don’t Miss These Outdoor Garden Attractions
Outside the greenhouses are a Japanese-style trail to wander, a rose maze to make your way through and an outdoor play area where the kids can let their imaginations run wild.
Meet the Goats Behind the Garden’s Cleanup Crew
Definitely don’t forget to stop by the goat house between greenhouses 1 and 2 to say hi to the three Nigerian Dwarf goats calling the Botanical Garden home. These three are an invasive plant removal team, helping to naturally rid the Garden grounds of unwanted plants.
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The goats will also celebrate their 9th birthdays during Fairy Garden Days, with a special celebration planned for them on Sunday, April 12 from 1:30 – 3 p.m. Just one of the many special events planned throughout the Fairy Garden Days from April 11-26.
Special Events Happening During Fairy Garden Days
Various fairy visits and story times are planned over the two-week event, with face painting each Tuesday and Saturday and bubble shows every Friday. There will also be an animal encounter with Roger Williams Park Zoo on April 11, Greenhouse Jazz on Sunday, April 19, and a performance from the Toe Jam Puppet Band on closing day, April 26.
READ MORE: Learn More About the SouthCoast’s Beloved Toe Jam Puppet Band
With the incredibly snowy winter Southern New England has been through, we’re probably all looking forward to finally seeing the start of spring. You can get a jump on flower season by stepping inside the Roger Williams Botanical Garden this April for the return of Fairy Garden Days.
10 Beautiful Botanical Gardens Across the SouthCoast
When the season is right, there are several spectacular gardens around the SouthCoast that are blooming with rows and rows of beautiful flowers. Here are some of the most popular places to tiptoe through the tulips and so much more.
Gallery Credit: Nancy Hall
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See Inside Gorgeous Gardens Hidden Away in Little Compton
For nearly 50 years the grounds of Sakonnet Garden have been growing in what might be the most private garden along the coast.
On certain days, at certain times you can make a reservation to walk among the hundreds of flowers and plants growing in hidden “rooms” on the grounds, or take a sneak peek right now.
Gallery Credit: Nancy Hall
Explore Peaceful Gardens and Towering Cliffs at Immersive Monet
Claude Monet created thousands of works of art over his decades as an artist. He traveled through Europe capturing gardens ,waterways, cathedrals and more. Now you can walk through the world Monet did and experience his artwork in a whole new way at Immersive Monet coming to Boston.
Here’s a taste of the artwork you could be surrounding yourself in.
The fourth annual Newport Juneteenth celebration was held at Fort Adams State Park on Saturday, June 20, an expanded event that paired the holiday with a Rhode Island 250th anniversary theme honoring the history of Black and Indigenous people across the state.
Presented by Rhode Island Slave History Medallions, the daylong program opened with a reenactors’ parade and an honorary musket salute before turning to tributes from civic leaders, including a keynote address by Secretary of State Gregg M. Amore and remarks by Governor Dan McKee.
The parade ground program continued through the afternoon with presentations by historians, youth activities, craft vendors and food trucks, alongside performances tied to the 250th theme. The lineup featured colonial music, Indigenous dancing and drumming by the Thawn Harris family of the Narragansett people, a performance by members of the Pokanoket Tribe, a drum circle led by African drummer Sidy Maiga and a gospel performance by RPM Voices of Rhode Island.
Juneteenth commemorates June 19, 1865, when Union Gen. Gordon Granger arrived in Galveston, Texas, to enforce the Emancipation Proclamation, more than two years after it took effect freeing enslaved people in the Confederate states.
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RISHM, a statewide nonprofit, works to educate Rhode Islanders about the state’s role in the history of slavery by sharing documented stories of enslaved people. More information is available at rishm.org.
Justin Walker is a Newport County native who specializes in sports, portraits, weddings and events as a freelance photographer around New England. Justin has over a decade of experience starting in college covering high profile events, collegiate and professional sports in Washington, D.C. His photojournalism and freelance work can be seen in various local and national publications. Check out his work at justinlwalkerphotography.com!
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PROVIDENCE, R.I. (WJAR) — Thousands gathered in downtown Providence on Saturday for Rhode Island PrideFest, marking a major milestone celebration for the LGBTQ+ community.
The area between Dyer Street and the Providence River filled with music, vendors and community groups as the 50th annual PrideFest became a day-long celebration of identity and inclusion.
Attendees described a lively atmosphere and strong turnout.
“It’s a great turnout and it looks beautiful outside,” said Analisy Huertas of Providence.
Vendors said steady crowds and high energy made for a busy but enjoyable day. Many attendees said the event’s welcoming environment keeps them coming back each year.
“I love seeing everyone expressing themselves and being really happy,” added Adeline Lamoureux-Hathaway.
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Eventgoers walking in Providence Saturday, June 20, 2026. (WJAR)
For William and Carrie Hatcher, it was their first time attending PrideFest, saying the experience stood out for its sense of community and acceptance. “There’s so much to see, so much to look at, and we’re meeting so many different people,” Carrie Hatcher said.
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PrideFest continued into the evening, with many planning to stay for the illuminated night parade.
PROVIDENCE – In an unusual move, the Rhode Island Democratic State Committee issued no endorsement for the incumbent governor and lieutenant governor on Saturday.
Incumbent Governor Daniel J. McKee received 82 votes, while his challenger, former CVS executive Helena Buonanno Foulkes, received 73 votes. There were 11 votes for no endorsement, including from the party chair, Liz Beretta-Perik.
To secure an endorsement, a candidate needs 50 percent of the votes cast plus one vote. McKee needed 84 votes to secure the endorsement, so he came up two votes short.
Party officials said they could not recall the last time the committee did not endorse an incumbent Democratic governor. Beretta-Perik later said she voted for no endorsement because she needed to stay neutral.
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McKee left the Teamsters Local 251 union hall in East Providence soon after the vote, without talking to reporters. In a statement sent soon after, however, he declared the outcome “a victory for our campaign” and noted he received “the largest margin in today’s endorsement vote.”
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Rhode Island Governor Daniel J. McKee speaks to the Democratic State Committee on Saturday at the Teamsters Local 251 union hall in East Providence, R.I.Edward Fitzpatrick
“We will win again in September,” he said in the statement. “Rhode Islanders have a clear choice: a governor who has spent every day fighting for working families, or a corporate executive who has spent her career fighting for corporate profits in the boardroom. I know which side I’m on — and today, Rhode Island Democrats made clear they do too.”
Helena Buonanno Foulkes speaks to the Democratic State Committee at the Teamsters Local 251 union hall in East Providence, R.I.Edward Fitzpatrick
Part of the reason McKee came up two votes short of an endorsement is that his former special adviser, Eva-Marie Mancuso, voted for Foulkes.
As she walked into the Teamsters hall, Mancuso said, “I think we need new leadership. I’m ready.”
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Mancuso — a former Rhode Island Board of Education chairwoman who left the McKee administration in 2023 to take a job with Bryant University — said a big part of her decision had to do with the decision by McKee, a long-time charter school advocate, to sign a bill that places a three-year moratorium on new charter schools and permanently lowers the cap on the total number.
“That was a big, big deal,” she said. “I mean, that just shows that he’s really lost focus of what the state needs.”
When McKee beat Foulkes in the 2022 Democratic primary, McKee was filmed telling Mancuso to hang up on Foulkes as he was prepared to deliver his victory speech. On Saturday, Mancuso said, “I took her call.”
The Democratic committee also did not endorse a candidate for Lieutenant Governor. Out of 162 votes, incumbent Lieutenant Governor Sabina Matos received just 55 votes, while former Newport mayor Xay Khamsyvoravong received 71. Providence City Council member Sue AnderBois received 15 votes, and former state senator Cynthia Coyne got 13. Eight people voted for no endorsement.
The committee did not endorse anyone in the race to replace term-limited Attorney General Peter F. Neronha.
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State Representative Joseph J. Solomon Jr. received 73 votes, former state Cannabis Control Commission chairwoman Kim Ahern received 42 votes, former attorney general policy chief Keith Hoffman received 22 votes, and state Representative Jason Knight received 12 votes, while 10 voted for no endorsement.
A total of 159 committee members voted, so 80 votes were needed to secure the endorsement.
This is a breaking news story and will be updated.
Edward Fitzpatrick can be reached at edward.fitzpatrick@globe.com. Follow him @FitzProv.
