Holiday Lantern tours: The Newport Historical Society will offer holiday lantern tours Fridays at 5 p.m. from Nov. 14 to Dec. 26 in colonial Newport. Learn how select colonial Newporters celebrated the holidays as early as the 18th century and learn why other Newporters scorned these celebrations. The tour includes a visit inside the Wanton-Lyman-Hazard House, the oldest museum house in Newport.

Tickets are $12 for adults, $8 for children and NHS members. All tours are weather permitting and depart from the Brick Market Museum and Shop, 127 Thames St. For information, call (401) 841-8770.

Special tour: The International Tennis Hall of Fame & Museum, 194 Bellevue Ave., will offer a special “Behind the Scenes” tour Nov. 15 at 2 p.m. and Nov. 29 at 2 p.m. Have you ever wondered what is hidden behind the closed doors or upstairs at the International Tennis Hall of Fame? Join Curator, Nicole Markham, and Manager of Education & Public Programs, Nichole Smith, as they lead tours ‘behind the scenes’ and answer questions Nov. 15 and 29 at 2 p.m. Guides will take visitors places inside the Hall of Fame that have never been open to the public. Tour space is limited to 12 people, first come first serve. Each tour will last about one and a half hours. Photography of “behind the scenes” locations is strictly prohibited.

Admission is $10 for adults, $5 for children. Call Nichole Smith in advance to ensure a spot on the tour, (401) 849-3990. The museum, which is located at 194 Bellevue Ave., is open 9:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. daily. A special exhibit currently on view in the Museum’s Atrium Gallery is 30th Anniversary of the “Battle of the Sexes” Match between Bobby Riggs and Billie Jean King.

Aquidneck Island Indian presentation: The Aquidneck Island Intertribal Indian Council will provide a presentation for children Nov. 18 at 2 p.m. at the Newport Public Library, 300 Spring St. Children ages 4 and up are invited to celebrate the Native American tradition with stories, history and drumming. Children will have an opportunity to touch and explore artifacts. No registration is required for this free program, just drop in.

The Aquidneck Island Intertribal Indian Council is a volunteer organization established to promote the knowledge of Native American (Indian) heritage and ancestry of mixed Nations, and to promote community awareness of Native American (Indian) culture. For information, call the Children’s Department, 847-8720 ext. 204.

Fall lecture series: The International Yacht Restoration School (IYRS) continues its fall lecture series Nov. 18 with “The History of the Huckins Yacht Corporation,” by Cindy and Buddy Percell.

The series features the history and evolution of speed on the water with a look at boats powered by both wind and high-horsepower engines. The final lecture, “The 6-Meter Class,” by Toby Rodes, will be held Dec. 2.

Lectures, which are free and open to all, are held at 7:30 p.m. in Restoration Hall at IYRS, 449 Thames St. The cost is $7 per person, free for IYRS members. For information, visit www.iyrs.org or call 848-5777.

The Magic Tree: The Newport Art Museum will unveil “The Magic Tree,” a Christmas tree created by James Rensch and Rafael Medina, Nov. 21, with a reception from 5 to 7 p.m.

The 12-foot tree will be decorated with hundreds of ornaments - most handmade – and surrounded by antique and contemporary toys from all over the world. Visitors will see gingerbread men and mermaids, Humpty Dumpty and Billy Goat Gruff, an entire village, a cathedral, apples and dragons, the sun, the moon and even the cow that jumps over that famous celestial body. There will be a gondola for the imaginary ride to the top and a doll house at the bottom where visitors can stop for a “cup of tea.”

Rensch, a restoration specialist and decorative artist in Newport, has been “building” his own Christmas trees since he was a boy. As a single adult, Rensch continued to make his own ornaments and decorate a tree every year in December. The concept of the decorated tree took on a life of its own over the years as Rensch and later, Medina, continued to make and collect ornaments representing cultural archetypes that they eventually grouped together to create vignettes and stories on the branches of an evergreen tree – a very large tree.

Medina is writing and illustrating a book called The Magic Tree based on a fanciful gondola ride up and down and round and round the special tree.

Admission to the opening reception is $10 per person or free for members of the museum. Admission to see the tree from Nov. 22 until Jan. 11 will be included in museum admission which is $8 for adults, $6 for senior citizens, $5 for military and students with ID and free for museum members and children under age 5. Call 848-8200 ext. 104 or visit www.newportartmuseum.org for information.

Holiday Fair: Emmanuel Church, Spring at Dearborn St., will hold a benefit holiday fair and fundraiser Nov. 21 and 22. The event will open Nov. 21 with an eat-in or take-out lasagna dinner from 4 to 8 p.m. with live music from 6 to 8 by the Matt Leder Trio. Tickets are $10 for adults, $5 for children. Leder is currently Trumpet Instrumentalist with Navy Band Northeast (member of the “Top Brass Quintet”) and Adjunct Faculty at Brown University, CCRI and St. George’s School. There will also be a silent auction, the All Saints Chapel Tea Room, holiday crafts and a bake sale. Donations of non-perishable foods will be collected during the event and items will be donated to local food pantries.

The event will continue Nov. 22 from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. with the silent auction, the All Saints Chapel Tea Room, a bake sale, a hot dog lunch, children’s activities and craft vendors. Donations of non-perishable foods will be collected and donated to local food pantries. Free parking will be available. For information, call (401) 847-0675 or (401) 662-7839.

Native American Film festival: The first People’s Film Festival will be held Nov. 24 to 26 at 6 p.m. at historic Edward King House, 35 King St.

Hosted by WGBH/PBS, RichHeape Films (a Native owned company), The Edward King House and the Native American nonprofit Honoring Our Own Power (HOOP), this will be a first of it’s kind Native American film festival to come to Rhode Island.

Films to be shown include two feature films - Trail of Tears, the only film on this topic created with the cooperation and endorsement of both the Eastern Band of Cherokee (NC) and the Cherokee Nation in Oklahoma and Our Spirits Don’t Speak English, the film recently highlighted at the American Indian Film Institute. Short films produced for the Reel Natives project of WGBH/PBS including: Caleb’s Legacy, by Racquel Chapa, Lipan Apache/Yaqui/Cherokee; PEANTAM, which translates into the English word “prayers,” by Linda Morales-Morceau, Tribal Chief, Chappaquidic Nation (Mass.); and Indigenous Invisibility, by Wanda Jean Lord, Cherokee/Choctaw, featuring Paulla Dove Jennings, Narragansett of the Tomaquag Indian Memorial Museum in Exeter.

Tribal leaders, Native filmmakers and elders and others will be present for question and answer dialogues between film showings. Native American vendors are invited to contact Honoring Our Own Power, (401) 835-4806 for opportunities to share Indigenous arts and music. Also, volunteers to help man the event or inquiries for sponsorship are welcome.

Winter program registration underway: The City of Newport Recreation Department announces that winter program registration is now underway at the Martin Recreation Center, “the Hut” 35 Golden Hill Street Newport.

Winter programs for youth include indoor soccer for kindergarten through grade 5 and co-ed indoor soccer for grades 6 through 8, basketball clinics and leagues for grades 1 through high school and travel team basketball for ages 10 and up. In addition there are programs featuring craft classes, acting classes, indoor football, and wiffle ball.

The Recreation Department also hosts adult programs in indoor tennis from drill & play lessons through Women’s doubles league. Returning this year is adult open gym for walking, early mornings before work or mid-day

The program flyer is available online at www.cityofnewport.com under the Department of Recreation page. It is also available at the Recreation Office. Registration can be made in person or by mail and credit cards are accepted. Space is limited in some programs and some have a minimum in order to be held. Deadline for travel basketball is Nov. 18.

For more information contact Recreation at 845-5800 or sign up now at the Recreation Office now located 35 Golden Hill Street.

Tall Ship Rhode Island news: The Oliver Hazard Perry was officially announced as Rhode Island’s Tall Ship Nov. 5 by The Hon. Governor Donald L. Carcieri. The event featured the public programs and state-wide opportunities that the ship will provide. A flag ceremony was held with members of the Newport Artillery Company participating. Students who have participated in Tall Ships Rhode Island shipboard programs were also present as well as Tall Ships officials and City and State representatives.

The non-profit organization Tall Ships Rhode Island (TSRI) Inc. announced in July its intention to build a Tall Ship for Rhode Island. The organization closed Sept. 2 on the purchase of a steel hull that gives it a substantial leg up on its mission. The hull arrived in Rhode Island Oct. 31 and TSRI will continue its plans for seeing through to completion the Oliver Hazard Perry, a 207 ft., three-masted, square-rigged 19th Century warship replica with ties to Rhode Island’s famous naval war hero of the same name. TSRI, who has brought several Tall Ships events to Rhode Island over the past decade and a half, will then operate the Oliver Hazard Perry as a working sail training vessel out of historic Newport.

Continuing education: The International Yacht Restoration School (IYRS) offers a lineup of Continuing Education courses in November and December. Geared toward marine industry professionals looking to gain skills to further their careers as well as boat owners seeking the skills to better maintain their boats, courses running this fall cover diesel engine maintenance and troubleshooting, marine wiring, tool use, an introduction to woodworking, marine surveying, marine finishes and electrical fundamentals. Course descriptions and tuition fees can be found at www.iyrs.org. For more information: www.iyrs.org or contact John Freer, 848-5777 ext. 203 or email him at jfreer@iyrs.org.

Grant awarded: Thanks to a $134,000 “Museums for America” grant from the federal Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS), the Newport Art Museum will be able to continue and expand its innovative museum studies program for high school students, MUSE.

Launched in 2005, MUSE introduces students from Aquidneck Island public high schools to careers in museum management and historic preservation. The program promises hands-on experiences led by managerial, curatorial, library, marketing, education and archival staff representing a variety of cultural organizations. The students also curate and mount an art exhibition in one of the Museum’s galleries.

In 2007-2008, two of the area’s public high schools participated in MUSE at different levels. Students from Rogers High School in Newport could enroll in MUSE as an independent study course. Portsmouth High School fully incorporated the program into its curriculum as a for-credit course during one semester.

Going forward, and with support from the IMLS grant, MUSE students will be able to visit cultural organizations in other communities and the Museum now has funding to hire three MUSE students as interns over the next three summers. In addition, the East Bay Met School, an alternative public school in Newport, is offering a semester-long MUSE program and Portsmouth High School plans to offer the MUSE course in both fall and winter semesters.

Funding received: Island Moving Co., Newport’s resident contemporary ballet company, recently received funding from three sources to support its extensive programs for children in area schools. The Company’s dancers work with over 4000 children throughout RI and the region annually, primarily through in-school residencies.

A legislative grant from the RI State Legislature made it possible for Newport students to participate in the Company’s site specific dance and art festival, Open for Dancing. The Company was able to waive the $75 participation fee for Newport students who wish to participate in the creative process and perform in this unique festival.

The North Family Trust and the Newport Public Education Foundation have both renewed their support of the Company’s creative movement programs in the Newport Schools. Thanks to these funds, third graders in every Newport elementary school will be included in Nutcracker-themed creative movement class in school this fall; and Sullivan School will again host a spring creative movement program for all levels, led by the Company’s dancers.

For information about the Company’s educational programs, visit www.islandmovingco.org or call 847-4470.

Successful fundraiser: A recent dance party to benefit the Fifth Ward Little League raised $1155 in addition to $7300 raised from a private benefactor. Proceeds will be used to install bleachers at the King Park fields.

Friendly visitors sought: Child & Family Services has an immediate need for Friendly Visitors who visit the homebound elderly on a regular basis. The organization has elders confined to their homes in Tiverton, Portsmouth, Middletown and Newport who are waiting to be matched with a volunteer. They have very few social contacts and would welcome a visit from someone who cares about them. Volunteers might also chat, read, play cards or, in some cases, take their elder for a ride. However, the most important consideration is to be a good listener. Hours are flexible. A one year commitment is preferred. Before making a commitment, the volunteer is introduced to the elder so, together, they can decide if it looks like a good match. Call or e-mail Landa Patterson, Coordinator of Volunteer Services, (401) 848-4210 or e-mail lpatterson@childandfamilyri.com for more information.

Breakfast and lunch being served: The Colonial Dining Room at the Newport Area Career and Technical Center on the Rogers High School campus is open for business. The public is encouraged to come and support the students in training. Breakfast is served from 9:15 to 10:30 a.m. and lunch is served from 10:45 to 12:15 p.m. Tuesday through Friday. Daily homemade soups, salads and luncheon specials are available along with the everyday menu. The Colonial Dining Room is also available for small private luncheons and/or meeting luncheons. Call Colleen Murray, 849-3608, ext. 2609 for information.

Patrons are reminded that the students in these programs are in training for their future careers. Patience, understanding and support are appreciated.