Weekend Best Bets

ALL WEEKEND
Grab your bathing suit… and your jacket. The Rhode Island state beaches officially open for the season, even if it will be too cold to enjoy them until Monday. More info...

ALL WEEKEND
Is there anything better than a beach bar with live music? The Ocean Mist in Matunuck has entertainment every day of Memorial Day weekend. Saturday is Steve Smith and the Nakeds, Sunday is Start Making Sense and Monday is The Senders. More info...

ALL WEEKEND
Shop local – really local – at the Virtu Art Festival in Westerly. The outdoor show happens rain or shine in Wilcox Park, and focuses on both visual and performance art. More info...

ALL WEEKEND
It’s a bird, it’s a plane… no, it’s a butterfly. Get up close with nature’s fanciest insects at Flutterby: Butterflies in Bloom at the Roger Williams Park Zoo. The exhibit opens for the season on Saturday with butterfly-themed games and an education station. More info...

FRIDAY
Party like it’s 1994 at Smells Like Grunge at The Met in Pawtucket. Tickets to the Nirvana tribute band are $12 at the door to this all ages show. More info...

SATURDAY
The first full lighting of the 2014 WaterFire season happens at sunset (8:07pm). Over 80 braziers will be lit along the river from Waterplace Park to Memorial Park. The WaterFire Arts Festival Plaza will feature work from a dozen local artists. More info...

SATURDAY
Prep your yard for summer at the Garden and Herb Fest in Tiverton Four Corners. Buy plants, flowers and art – or take a cruise around the block in a horse and buggy. More info...

SATURDAY
Boo! Watch out... there might be a spectre sneaking up behind you! If you are a fan of all things spooky and supernatural, then be sure to check out the "Mills & Mysteries: A Ghostly Experience" paranormal investigation at Slater Mill in Pawtucket. More info...

SATURDAY
Celebrate the Knickerbocker cafe's 5th anniversary weekend with award winning blues music by Sugar Ray and the Blutones. More info...

SATURDAY
Bring the whole family to witness the third and final leg of the Atlantic Cup, an intense, offshore sailing race that happens to be extremely environmentally conscious. Head to Fort Adams from 11am-3pm for the Atlantic Cup's inshore series. More info...

SATURDAY
Gather up those eggs for Breakfast in the Barnyard at Coggeshall Farm, a living history museum in Bristol. Kids do 18th century farm chores like feeding and grooming the animals, then have a johnnycake breakfast. More info...