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Outdoors in RI: Hunting Season, Surf Therapy, Garlic Festival, Big E, 5K, Nature Conservancy in Tiverton

September 11, 2026/RINewsToday News Team

Stand out during Hunting Season with Orange Safety Clothing

During hunting season it’s safety first, fashion second. The Rhode Island Department of Environmental Management (DEM) reminds the public that it’s time to wear your fluorescent orange clothing and embrace high visibility fall fits. Bright and bold, orange clothing helps keep you safe while outdoors. Starting this weekend with archery deer season, anyone in state management areas and undeveloped state parks during hunting season must wear at least 200 square inches (a hat or vest) of orange from Saturday, Sept. 12 through Sunday, Feb. 28. Archery hunters are exempt from this requirement during archery deer season. For more details, visit www.dem.ri.gov/orange.

For a complete breakdown of hunting season dates and regulations, please review the 2026-27 Hunting and Trapping Regulation Guide available online at www.eregulations.com/rhodeisland/hunting and at local sales agents.

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Research participants, volunteers needed: URI educators studying the impact of surf therapy

Youth with visual impairments are invited to participate in new pilot program focused on adaptive surfing

 A surf therapy program run by a University of Rhode Island professor is inviting young people with blindness or visual impairment to join a study looking at the impact of surf therapy.

Emily Clapham, an associate professor of health and physical education in URI’s Feinstein College of Education, started the program in 2010 for youth with a range of disabilities and has seen tremendously positive outcomes over the past several years. Clapham also coordinates the University’s Adapted Physical Education program.

URI’s Surf Therapy program is running this fall, at Narragansett Town Beach, and has expanded to serve youth with blindness or visual impairments. (Photo provided E. Clapham)

The new surf therapy program for visually impaired children is part of her graduate student Wendy Flanagan’s master’s project. Flanagan, a 2026 URI graduate with degrees in health and physical education and adapted physical education, has worked with Clapham in the URI Surf Therapy Program for three years. Their expansion of surf therapy to children with visual impairments is supported by a recent grant from the John E. Fogarty Foundation.

URI’s Surf Therapy Program served approximately 50 children last year, ages 3 to 21, and continues to grow.

The pilot program is open to children and teenagers ages 5 to 17 with blindness or visual impairment. Participants will take part in a research study examining how adapted surf therapy may affect physical skills and perceived self-competence.

Attendees will participate in free adapted surf therapy for five weeks. They will also complete a physical movement/activity assessment, with use of auditory and tactile supports for adapted activities; complete questionnaires about their experiences; and reflect on their experience with the surf therapy program overall.

The program will be held at Narragansett Town Beach on Saturdays from Sept. 12 to Oct. 10; no swimming experience is required and individualized support is provided. Participation is free and voluntary. Wetsuits and safety equipment will be available.

Volunteers are also welcome.

Those interested in having their child attend the URI Surf Therapy Program, learning more or volunteering, contact Emily Clapham at [email protected] or Wendy Flanagan at  [email protected].

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University Orthopedics 5K Brings Community Together for Kids with Cancer   

Mark Palumbo Memorial University Orthopedics 5K benefits The Tomorrow Fund 

 
WHAT:
Hundreds of runners, walkers, University Orthopedics team members, and families impacted by childhood cancer will take to the East Bay Bike Path Saturday morning for the Mark Palumbo Memorial University Orthopedics 5K. Held during Childhood Cancer Awareness Month, the annual walk/run raises critical funds for The Tomorrow Fund at Hasbro Children’s Hospital, which provides financial and emotional support to children undergoing cancer treatment and their families.
Since 2021, when the event was dedicated in Dr. Palumbo’s memory, the 5K has raised more than $222,000 for The Tomorrow Fund, providing critical support to local children with cancer and their families. 
WHERE:
East Bay Bike Path, Near University Orthopedics’ Kettle Point Location, 1 Kettle Point Drive, East Providence                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                    
WHEN:
Saturday, September 12, 2026
Race starts at 9 a.m., with the speaking program beginning at approximately 8:45 a.m.

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Celebrate ‘All things Garlic‘ at the Olde Mistick Village Garlic Festival – unique recipes, music, food, fun for kids!  

Olde Mistick Village, the iconic New England outdoor shopping and dining venue in a Colonial setting, will host its 19th annual Garlic Festival Sept. 19 and 20.

This award-winning food festival is dedicated to all things garlic. To celebrate the abundant fall harvest, farmers from the region will present an amazing variety of garlic for sale. They will also be selling fresh produce, fruits, jams, preserves, syrups, honey, herbs, baked goods, florals and more.

This event will also host more than 60 farmers, food service eateries, crafters, artisans, artists, and authors. They will line the pathways of Olde Mistick Village with displays of food, unique crafts, and talents. Many Olde Mistick Village merchants will also offer garlic-related products and our many restaurants look forward to serving our guests.

“Local musicians and bands will be playing throughout Olde Mistick Village,” said Tiffany Ezzell of the Olde Mistick Village Merchants Association. “These talented artists will be performing 16 different shows over two days. This is truly a great family event and we know the kids will love the  face painting and ballon artists.”

Throughout the day, local eateries and food establishments will offer delicious garlic-related foods as well as non-garlic favorites. “If you love garlic, and great outdoor events this is the place to be! You’ll find a wealth of vendors with great food, an abundance of garlic, produce, and crafts. There is something for everyone,” said Chris Regan, property manager of Olde Mistick Village.

The event will be held on Sat., Sept. 19, 11 a.m. to 7 p.m., and Sun., Sept. 20, 11 a.m. to 6 p.m.

FREE Parking. FREE Admission.

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THE BIG E TO HOST 215TH ARMY BAND IN HONOR OF AMERICA 250, SEPT. 30 & OCT. 1

This fall, stars and stripes are alight at Eastern States Exposition (ESE), home of The Big E, in honor of America’s semi quincentennial. ESE announces special performances by the 215th Army Band on the Court of Honor Stage, sponsored by MattressFirm. See the Official Party Band, a Rock performance, at 2pm on Sept. 30, then catch The Minuteman Brass Band’s Jazz concert at 2pm on Oct. 1. This venue hosts four daily shows at 12, 2, 5 and 8pm that are free with the price of admission during The Big E, Sept. 18 through Oct. 4.

The 215th Army Band of the Massachusetts National Guard is one of our nation’s premier military musical ensembles. For more than 60 years, this exceptional group of citizen-soldiers has entertained audiences across New England and around the world, delivering powerful performances that tell the Army story.

They began their musical pursuits in Boston, Mass., in 1950. The original band consisted of just 14 members and a hope to spread the Army story through the joy of music. In 1974, the band relocated to Fall River, Mass., and transitioned from the Army Air Forces to the U.S. Army National Guard. They remain there to this day. In 1993, the 26th Yankee Division Band merged with the 215th Army Band, adopting both group’s rich lineage and expanding their sound. As of 2026, the 215th Army Band are proud members of the 79th Troop Command of Massachusetts Army National Guard.

The Official Party Band will kick off the fun with a production on Sept. 30 featuring Classic Rock and Pop covers and even modern hits. They deliver the energy of a live Rock band to community events, festivals and concert stages throughout Massachusetts. While their sound differs from that of a traditional military band, their mission remains the same: connect with audiences, represent the U.S. Army and use music to unite.

The Official Party Band, an ensemble with the 215th Army Band, will take to the Court of Honor Stage at The Big E on September 30 at 2pm.

The Minuteman Brass Band is the 215th Army Band’s New Orleans-style Jazz ensemble, bringing the spirit, energy and attitude of the Crescent City to audiences throughout New England, much like The Big Parade, The Big E’s daily Mardi Gras Parade at 6pm. Built around the powerful sound of brass, percussion and rhythm, the Minuteman Brass Band puts its own spin on Jazz standards, New Orleans classics and modern Funk favorites.

From second-line grooves and swinging Jazz staples to the infectious rhythm of Funk, this band is kinetic, interactive and offers a sound that is hard to sit still through. No matter where they perform, they bring the party with them, under the direction of CW4 Stephen Martins and First Sergeant Amaranth Cole.

Both groups are proud to be part of the 215th Army Band’s long tradition of serving soldiers and communities through music, and they’re always ready to turn up the volume when the mission calls.

Interested in serving as a musician in the Army National Guard? Come talk to either group about joining the 215th Army Band following their performance.

About The Big E

The Big E is the only multi-state fair in North America, celebrating the rich history, culture and traditions of the six New England states. As the principal event of Eastern States Exposition, The Big E presents the finest in agriculture, innovative, commercial, industrial and artistic developments, and the highest caliber of varied entertainment to the people of the United States for more than a century. The 17-day event has grown and become the largest event on the East Coast, recognized as the fourth largest fair in North America by its recent record annual attendance of 1.6 million fairgoers and counting. Head to TheBigE.com or follow us on social media to see what all the buzz is about.

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Lantern Flies

Researchers are now saying, there is no way to control or erradicate the explosion of Lantern Flies in the New England area.
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DEM and The Nature Conservancy Conserve 27 Acres of Forestland in Tiverton

A panoramic photo from above the 27-acre forest protected by DEM and TNC with support from the Forest Legacy Program. Photo Credit: Clint Clemens
The Rhode Island Department of Environmental Management (DEM) and The Nature Conservancy (TNC) have conserved 27 acres of forestland in Tiverton, connecting Pocasset Ridge Conservation Area with Pardon Gray Preserve and Weetamoo Woods. TNC purchased the property for $400,000, with support from the Thomas and Dorothy Ginty Memorial Endowment Fund, the Bafflin Foundation and individual donors. DEM secured a conservation easement from TNC with $225,000 from the U.S. Forest Service’s Forest Legacy Program through the Inflation Reduction Act. The property will be managed as an addition to the Pocasset Ridge Conservation Area.

 

Over the past 25 years, DEM, TNC, the Tiverton Land Trust and the Tiverton Open Space Commission have partnered to increase conservation beyond Pardon Gray and Weetamoo along iconic Pocasset Ridge, protecting 1,600 acres of contiguous forest overlooking the Sakonnet. The Forest Legacy Program has been a cornerstone of the campaign, contributing more than $750,000 in federal funding to the effort.

 

“Forest conservation projects are challenging, and this high-priority acquisition was successful because of strong collaboration, support, and partnerships,” said DEM Director Terry Gray. “DEM is grateful for the support of the U.S. Forest Service, along with TNC’s proactive dedication to protect this property, which enabled this conservation win for the people of Rhode Island and our environment.”

 

“Pocasset Ridge is truly exceptional, a classic example of the type of the diverse, mature forest that covered the Southern New England coast 400 years ago,” said John Berg, TNC’s Sakonnet landscape manager. “We’ve come such a long way toward conserving it for the future, but we still have more work to do, and not just for the wildlife, but for clean water, clean air and a healthy climate.”

Rising dramatically from the Narragansett Bay basin, the two-mile-long ridge, which is now 80 percent conserved, contains a coastal oak-holly forest that is unique to southeastern New England and is considered globally rare. It provides vital habitat for wildlife including fishers, bobcats and many deep forest-nesting songbirds like wood thrushes and scarlet tanagers that winter in Central and South America. This forested ridge is also the last known location of a breeding timber rattlesnake population in Rhode Island, now considered extirpated from the state.

 

Pocasset Ridge protects the headwater streams that flow into the Seapowet Marsh Management Area and the Audubon Society’s Emily Ruecker Wildlife Refuge. These nearby conservation lands provide habitat for the federally endangered Saltmarsh sparrow, which is also designated as a Rhode Island Species of Greatest Conservation Need. In decline due to sea-level rise and coastal development, this tiny sparrow’s nest is especially vulnerable to stormwater runoff that’s often caused by loss of forest cover upstream of their marsh habitat.

 

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Sakonnet

  • Saturday, September 12, 1PM – 4PM: Stefan Couture (Americana, folk-rock, singer-songwriter)

  • Sunday, September 13, 1PM – 4PM: Mary McAvoy (R&B, pop, songwriter)

  • Friday, September 18, 6PM – 8PM: Trivia and Live Music with Gary Farias

  • Saturday, September 19, 1PM – 4PM: Slow Motion Parade (high-energy rock and roll)

  • Sunday, September 20, 1PM – 4PM: Grace Cooper Hall (pop, rock)

  • Saturday, September 26, 1PM – 4PM: Backwards Hats (folk-rock, Americana)

  • Sunday, September 27, 1PM – 4PM: Patterson Smith Band (blues, covers, jazz)

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