What's Happening on the New England Coast - Newport, RI

As February's wet winter chill blows off the Sound, Atlantic and various bays of New England there are some happenings to keep you warm. The 20th annual Newport Winter Festival takes place in Newport, RI from February 15th through the 24th and features more than 160 different events including chili cook offs, food creation demonstrations, music and entertainment for the wee-ones.

In it's 20th year the winter festival attracts tens if not hundreds of thousands of people to the once mid winter sleepy seaside town of historic Newport, RI. If you have been there in the summer it is worth a trip in the winter. Dress warm and enjoy the event that has been nominated as of the top 250 events in the entire US via Events Business News.

While many hotels normally offer discounts due to the shear lack of business in mid-winter Newport, during the winter festival most hotels are booked solid and rates can be high. Some like Hotel Viking a 5* hotel offer special packages  (www.hotelviking.com) however are well expensive I suggest any one of the local bed & breakfasts. Many located right behind the historic congregational church while others dot the immediate downtown area. Bargains can be had along with a nice breakfast all for one price. Look these are not the typical 55 plus b&bs that are the pun of many comedians jokes but historic inns and taverns many run like there were in the 18th and 19th centuries and they welcome everyone and normally have a rather large european guest list.

Newport County offers a website that lists some of the inns & b&bs that are available and one can even book a room via the site!  www.newportinns.com 

Some of my favorites are:

 The Brattle House   The Hydrangea House (Victorian)
  The Melville House





For more information go to www.gonewport.com  and enjoy winter!

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