Newport Daffodil Days Festival Kicks Off This Weekend

NEWPORT, RI — Newport's annual Daffodil Days begins this weekend. The week-long festival features nearly two dozen events, most of which are free to attend. The festival is timed to line up with the blooming of the more than one million daffodils planted across the city over the past 12 years.

"Daffodillion, Newport’s non-profit, civic beautification campaign, planted its one millionth daffodil this past fall, thanks to all who donated to purchase and plant bulbs during the past years," Project Director John Hirschboeck said in a statement. "Their hard work in the fall yields a bounty of beauty each April. The Festival is our celebration of spring, enticing winter weary tourists and local residents to emerge from hibernation and have a daffy good time."

Daffodil Days events kick off on Saturday morning with the Newport marathon, half marathon and 5-K. At 1 p.m., the festival will officially open with a ribbon-cutting and ceremonial musket fire at Bannister's and Bowen's wharves.

Following the ceremonial opening, a dog parade will march to Queen Anne Square for a party on the the patio of the Hotel Viking.

Daffodil-covered classic cars will parade through downtown Newport and along Ocean Drive with Miss Daffodil. Following the parade, which is sponsored by Audrain Automotive Museum, the cars will be on display along Bellevue Avenue, which will be closed to traffic. Along with the cars, visitors can enjoy a reception and a performance by the Rhode Island Ballet Theatre.

Free trolley tours will be offered at the festival for the first time this year. All trolley tours are completely sold out at this time.

Other free highlights of the festival include:

· A Tour de Jonquilles bike ride

· All You Need is Love – and Daffodils Dance Party with the Island Moving Company

· A Private Garden Tour at Hillside

· A Daffodil Tour and lecture at the Green Animals Topiary Garden

The festival's feature event is Daffy Delirium on Monday night, a party at the Chanler on the Cliff Walk with live music, toasts, and hors d’oeuvres. The "spring fling" will run from 6 p.m. until 7:30 p.m. and costs $35 per person. All proceeds will go towards Newport's annual free daffodil bulb giveaway event in October.

A full schedule of events from April 13 through 21 is available on the festival's website.