Ever wondered why the Broadway Street Fair is laid out the way it is? At the first fair in 2016, local artists and vendors set up in the parking spaces along the route. The sidewalk became one continuous corridor, and fairgoers could browse a booth and step into a shop from the same path. That first layout tells you who started the fair, and the story goes back four years before it.
This year's fair runs Saturday, Oct. 10, from noon to 6 p.m. It closes six blocks from Equality Park to Washington Square for a free afternoon of music, food, art and local vendors. Six days out, the history is worth knowing. It explains the route, the stages, and why the event works best if you treat it as a walk past Broadway's storefronts.
Four years of detours came first
The Newport Daily News reported in October 2016 that construction on Broadway, a major route into downtown, had "dragged on since 2012." It affected the street's businesses and its car and foot traffic alike. Melissa Seitz managed Downtown Designs, the gallery at 7 Dr. Marcus Wheatland Boulevard on the corner of Broadway and Marlborough Street. She summed up the lesson in one line: "You can't look at last year's sales."
Merchants did more than wait it out. In late spring 2016, a group of Broadway business representatives formed the Broadway Merchants Association. At first they just attended City Council meetings to keep up with the construction plans. According to Empire Tea & Coffee co-owner C.J. Barone, the group gained "a more impactful voice with the construction team and the city" and became part of the streetscape's design team.
Once the street reopened, the association held the first Broadway Street Fair to mark it. Mayor Jeanne-Marie Napolitano and a representative from the Rhode Island Department of Transportation led a noontime ribbon-cutting at Equality Park.
"It's a way to include and thank the community. It's a way of saying 'welcome back' and a grand opening of Broadway ... again." C.J. Barone, Empire Tea & Coffee, 22 Broadway, in 2016
That first fair was laid out along a single path. Vendors filled the parking spaces, so visitors could browse a booth and step into a shop without leaving the sidewalk.
The street those merchants helped design
The merchants' group was part of the streetscape's design team. The Broadway Streetscape plan called for wider sidewalks, traffic calming, raised paver crossings, benches, restaurant seating, parklets, bus shelters, bicycle infrastructure and stormwater bio-swales.
The 2026 preview in Newport This Week still frames the fair around the district. It calls Broadway "the cultural heart of Newport, where locals go to have a good time" and describes more than half a mile of bars, independent restaurants, coffee shops, live music, boutiques, and art and collectibles.
Walking the route, door by door
Because the fair runs past storefronts, the most useful map is the businesses themselves. Starting at Washington Square and heading north toward Equality Park, these are some of the established stops on or just off the route:
- Fastnet Irish Pub, 1 Broadway.
- Bar 12, 12 Broadway.
- Tavern on Broadway, 16 Broadway.
- Empire Tea & Coffee, 22 Broadway, whose co-owner spoke for the merchants at the first fair.
- Monarca Authentic Mexican Cuisine, 104 Broadway, which opened Jan. 13 in the former Hummingbird space, according to What'sUpNewp's February 2025 report.
- Corner Café, 110 Broadway.
- Chomp Kitchen & Drinks, 111 Broadway, in the space Fifth Element's owners sold in fall 2024.
- Caleb & Broad, 162 Broadway.
- Downtown Designs Gallery, at the Broadway and Marlborough corner. It shows work by local artists and sells jewelry made with participants in the Looking Upwards program.
Two of these show how the street keeps renewing itself. Monarca and Chomp both moved into existing Broadway spaces within the past two years. The 2026 fair's newest features sit midway along the route, too. A photo booth and a video stage truck are going in near Chomp Kitchen.
How big it's gotten, and what fills the stages
The scale has changed a lot since that first ribbon-cutting. More than 15,000 people came last year, and organizers expect 20,000 this year. In 2025 the fair won Newport Life Magazine's Best of Newport County award for best festival. More than 200 merchants, artists and food vendors will line the street. Vendor registration is full and a waitlist is open.
Stages sit at both ends of the route and along Broadway in between. More than 25 bands and entertainers are on this year's program.
| Stage | Location | Who's on it |
|---|---|---|
| Old Colony House Stage | Washington Square, the main stage | Little Miss & The Boom, playing modern vintage cabaret rooted in swing and blues |
| City Hall Stage | City Hall | Emcee Freddie Black hosts a regional hip-hop showcase and a live graffiti wall |
| NEMO Stage | Equality Park | Justice Cow, Surnames and Coe St, booked by the New England Music Organization |
| Three more stages | Along Broadway | Folk, reggae, música Latina and rock & roll |
Mark Cutler and Men of Great Courage, Angelus Hall, Nena Belén and the Green Tree Band, and Pete LaGrange and The Ghost Riders are also featured. So is Kevin James Graham from Season 26 of The Voice. "We continue to enhance the Broadway Street Fair experience every year," said David Lopes, the fair's music producer.
Washington Square also has chalk art, pumpkin painting, touch-a-truck, a car show and other kids' activities, plus Festival Latina. The Beyond Broadway Beer Garden is hosted by Diegos at Provence sur Mer. When the street closes, the after-party moves indoors to The Parlor Bar & Grill, where Steve Smith & The Nakeds start at 5:30 p.m. People's Credit Union is back as presenting sponsor for a third year.
Getting there on Saturday
The pedestrian-only setup that makes the route walkable also changes how you get there:
- No parking on Broadway from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. The street is open to pedestrians only.
- Walk, bike or take the bus. Organizers strongly encourage all three.
- Rain or shine. Some artists may change without notice. Check broadwaystreetfairnpt.com for the current lineup and vendor list.
Coming from the north end? Equality Park marks the start, at the rainbow crosswalk.
The rest of October and into November
The fair opens a busy stretch of local events. On Saturday, Oct. 17, the free Japan-America Friendship Festival returns to Touro Park from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., with taiko drumming, martial-arts demonstrations, Japanese food, crafts and a cosplay contest. Newport Restaurant Week runs Nov. 6 to 15. Prix-fixe lunches are $20 or $30, and dinners are $30, $45 or $60.
There's also a firm deadline. The Newport Playhouse & Cabaret Restaurant will close Dec. 31 after 43 years, president Jonathan Perry announced in August. Performances continue through the end of the year, and Perry asked longtime patrons to come back for a show in the final months.
When you talk with Jennifer Gurnell, she knows the shoreline street by street, from Broadway's storefronts to the coves and marinas beyond. Let's connect. Start your shoreline search or sale, and enjoy Saturday on Broadway.
