2019 Events (in a List format) *see also our calendar
harvest Festival: Dairy days
Saturday October 19th (rain date October 20th) 12pm-4pm
This year the historic house and grounds will again feature Dairy Days. This event is a fun and educational time for children of all ages. Docents will be available for house tours and University of Rhode Island Master Gardeners will be providing information in the Herb and Dye Garden and offer free soil testing. The new Woodland Trails (Spring Path, Old Farm Road Trail and Sea View Railroad Path) will be open for your enjoyment.
The Ladies of the Rolling Pin (Morris Dancers) and the music group Jesse Liam Trio will entertain you. South County History Center’s traveling exhibit- “Kenneth Mars: A Life Beyond the Lens” will showcase historical life in South County. There will be children's colonial games and crafts, free face painting, a pumpkin roll maze, and Casey farm animals to pet. Rhody Fresh will be here with samples and the SRI 4H group is bringing a calf. Other events will be available such as farm exhibits and demonstrations of butter and Johnny Cake making.
Vendors and artisans will be on hand with handcrafted items, goods and food. Enjoy our special homemade apple crisp, ice cream, cider, hotdogs and more during this day of family fun!
Admission: $8.00 per adult, $6.00 children 6-12 years. Children under 6 years and Castle members free. Family cap $20.
what’s it worth wickford?
October 26th 9am-4pm
rise-up paranormal event
October 26th 7pm-12am EVENT FULL-CALL TO BE PUT ON THE WAIT LIST
A Midnight Visit in Smith’s Castle with the Paranormal Group RISEUP
(The last standing building, in Rhode Island, where Roger Williams preached & Benjamin Franklin visited while plotting Post Road)
Come join the paranormal investigators group, RISEUP, as you walk the same floors as Roger Williams and Benjamin Franklin did at Smith’s Castle (built in 1678), from 7 pm to midnight. Participants must be at least 16 years old; cost is $35 per person pre-paid and non-refundable. For reservations call: (401) 294-3521 or e-mail:smithscastle55@gmail.com the evening visits are limited to ten people. Smith’s Castle is located at 55 Richard Smith Drive, off Post Road, north of the State Police Barracks in North Kingstown, RI.
Rise-up paranormal event
November 16th 7pm-12am No more spots left!! Call to be put on the waiting list.
A Midnight Visit in Smith’s Castle with the Paranormal Group RISEUP
(The last standing building, in Rhode Island, where Roger Williams preached & Benjamin Franklin visited while plotting Post Road)
Come join the paranormal investigators group, RISEUP, as you walk the same floors as Roger Williams and Benjamin Franklin did at Smith’s Castle (built in 1678), from 7 pm to midnight. Participants must be at least 16 years old; cost is $35 per person pre-paid and non-refundable. For reservations call: (401) 294-3521 or e-mail:smithscastle55@gmail.com the evening visits are limited to ten people. Smith’s Castle is located at 55 Richard Smith Drive, off Post Road, north of the State Police Barracks in North Kingstown, RI.
Christmas at the castle
Saturday December 7th and Sunday December 8th 12pm-4pm both days.
Smith's Castle Rings in the Christmas Season With a Nautical Flair and a Peek into History
Come join the many Rhode Island families who make the annual Christmas at the Castle the start of their holiday festivities! For two days, December 7and 8, 12:00-4:00pm, Smith’s Castle, decorated and alight with Yuletide cheer, will celebrate the Dutch influence on colonial life through its theme, “I Saw Three Ships Come Sailing In.”
In the 1600s colonist Richard Smith, Sr., a merchant, quickly linked with the Dutch trade developing from New Amsterdam. Through inheritance Updike descendants later became stewards of the Castle for 130 years through many generations, incorporating Dutch customs and trade goods into their lives and holiday celebrations.
This year visitors to the Castle will have an added opportunity to take a peek at history through a small special exhibit of Cocumscossoc artifacts found on site in collaboration with the Brown University Anthropology Department. The exhibit of select fragments of china, porcelain, glass and metal – some of distant manufacture – which were used in the daily lives of Smith Castle residents in the 17th and 18th centuries. You will be amazed at the stories they can tell us.
Exhibits and decorations throughout the house will also highlight the often-ignored influence of early Dutch settlement on our form of government, our lives and customs. Did you know, for example, that our Santa Claus owes his red suit, white beard, and jolly demeanor to the Dutch St. Nicholas, also known as Sinterklaas or that many words we use on a daily basis have Dutch origin?
As always, Smith’s Castle docents in period dress will be on hand to share the history of the house and answer your questions. We have planned an entertainment schedule to please both young and old. Saturday will feature the Wheeler School Concert Handbell Ringers.
You will be able to hear the always-popular Brown University Madrigal Singers on Sunday. Nancy Carroll of Rhody Voices will be on hand both days to share her musical tales and true Rhode Island stories. Mrs. Claus (Anne-Marie Forer) will entertain on Saturday with holiday music and stories for children of all ages and will be joined on Sunday by guitarist Sheila Reynolds.
To add to the fun there will be numerous children’s craft activities, cookie decorating, photo ops, and hand painting, all at no additional cost, as well as complimentary mulled cider and cookies. For the shoppers, we have vendors, a Bake Sale featuring home-made treats and a Holiday White Elephant Sale featuring gently-used and new holiday decorations.
Admission is: Adults - $6.00; Children 6-12 years - $3.00; Children under 6 and Castle
Members - Free; Family Cap - $20.00. There are no additional charges for children’s crafts and activities.
