The The Newport Flower Show Comes is coming to Rosecliff Mansion this June. This year the show will be held at the end of June and is a “must see” event. If you have never attended the Newport Flower Show let me tell you a few things about it.
Martha Stewart to Headline the Annual Newport Flower Show
The 2018 Newport Flower Show will celebrate its 23rd year with a variety of special events, including appearances on Friday and Saturday by lifestyle maven Martha Stewart, expert guest speakers, beautiful floral designs, impressive horticulture exhibits, stunning garden displays, unique shopping opportunities, and more. The Show opens on Friday, June 22 and runs through Sunday, June 24, 2018.
This year’s theme, Cottages: Smart & Small, will celebrate the tiny house lifestyle. Today’s cottages, much like their gilded ancestors, are also about lifestyle. The Newport Flower Show will celebrate the tiniest of homes, which are smart in both technology and style; their adjacent gardens are equally thoughtful, livable spaces, both functional and beautiful.
2018 Newport Flower Show Dates & Special Events:
General Newport Flower Show Dates:
- Friday, June 22: 10:30 a.m. – 5:00 p.m.
- Saturday, June 23: 9:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m.
- Sunday, June 24: 9:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m.
Newport Flower Show Opening Night Party:
Television personality, entrepreneur and best-selling author Martha Stewart will help to kick off the Newport FlowerShow at its Opening Night. The unofficial “kickoff to summer in Newport” will feature a cocktail buffet, live music and dancing, a seaside supper, and other entertaining surprises. The show will continue through the weekend with unforgettable garden exhibits, horticultural entries, and floral designs, all staged throughout the elegant reception rooms of Rosecliff, its oceanfront terrace and lawn.
Friday, June 22, 6:00 p.m. – 8:00 p.m.
Enchanted Evening:
Friday, June 22, 6:00 p.m. – 10:30 p.m..
Flower Show Afternoon Tea:
Friday, June 23, 12:00 p.m. – 2:00 p.m.
Newport Flower Show Sunday Champagne Brunch:
Sunday, June 24, 11:00 a.m.
For more information and to purchase tickets for the Newport Flower Show, as well as special events and featured lectures throughout the weekend, visit NewportFlowerShow.org. You can also follow the Newport Flower Show on Facebook and Twitter and follow the Newport Mansions on Instagram.
In addition to attending the Opening Night Party, Stewart will offer a flower arranging demonstration on Saturday afternoon, followed by a signing of her new book, Martha’s Flowers.
Additional events taking place at Rosecliff throughout Flower Show weekend include the Afternoon Tea reception on Friday; dinner and a movie on the front lawn of Rosecliff on Saturday evening, including a summer picnic basket supper followed by a screening of the film The Beautiful Fantastic; and the Sunday Champagne & Jazz Brunch to ease into the last day of the Show.
The front lawn will be transformed into a “neighborhood” of Tiny Houses on wheels. Each tiny house will be staged with a garden gate or arbor, a patio area and an extensive container garden, each of a different color scheme/style to coordinate with the character of the tiny house. Newport-based Tiny Traveling Theatre will provide the setting for 15-20-minute pop-up lectures and demonstrations by noted plant experts, flower designers and gardeners on the front lawn throughout the weekend.
Free lectures and demonstrations by noted plant experts, flower designers and gardeners will also be presented throughout the weekend.
What to Expect at the Newport Flower Show
First, it is held at the fabulous Rosecliff mansion in Newport, Rhode Island. That, by itself, is enough reason to attend each year. The opulence of the mansion, and the mansions of Newport in general, is something to behold. To think that royalty, or at least the very rich, used to live this way, is sometimes hard to imagine. You are brought right back to the time when Kings and Queens ruled the land with a visit to the Newport mansions.
The fully-restored Rosecliff mansion sits on Bellevue Avenue along with the many other fabulous mansions. The flower show sets up a parking area and provides a free shuttle as well, which is really nice if it is too hot out. If the weather is good, just walk the few blocks to Rosecliff.
On the front lawn they have some of the garden vendors and garden displays setup. It was quite nice because it separates the actual garden and flower portion of the event from the vendors selling clothes and jewelry. You will find benches out on the front lawn. Sit a spell and soak up the view.
Stop and smell the roses, literally, when you walk through the side garden of Rosecliff Mansion.
And then of course, there are the hats! Hats are the order of the day at the Newport Flower Show. Hats are big, bold, and have flowers attached. If you aren’t wearing a hat you can buy one from The Hat Lady.
Yes, pets are allowed. We saw all kinds of dogs, some even dressed up in their finest. Make sure they are on a leash though or being carried around in a doggie bag.
Outside in one of the large tents there are garden demonstrations going on throughout the weekend. Some demonstrations costs while others are free. There is also a children’s tent and children are encouraged to submit flowers for judging as well. There are also special lectures and teas as well as an opening night party.
The Newport Flower Show showcases flowers from local gardeners inside of the mansion. You will see common and exotic flowers, roses, Iris, and floral arrangements too.
One of the highlights of the Newport Flower Show is the garden cocktail party on Friday night. The garden party is an annual gathering of Newport society’s elite but the public is also welcome to attend. You will feast on fine cuisine and mingle with the rich and sometimes famous. You will also get a chance to shop at the vendors who stay open during the party to sell their wares. Enjoy a delicious cocktail buffet while reviewing the fresh floral arrangements and horticultural extravaganzas and shopping at the Oceanside Boutiques and the Gardeners’ Marketplace.
From fashion to flowers you will find everything you never knew you needed at the Newport Flower Show. You can buy a pair of earrings for $1,000 or a bundle of dried lavender for $15. There’s something for everyone and every budget at the Newport Flower Show.
After you are done shopping, sit in a chair on the back lawn, listen to the music, as you look out over the ocean. You will also want to try some Del’s Frozen lemonade and have a sandwich from the Mansion’s food tent.
