Jane’s Walk Festival Newport 2024

May 4 + 5, 2024

Our 2024 Jane’s Walk Festival Newport was a weekend of walks that explored a range of topics concerning our community led by our neighbors. All walks were free of charge and open to anyone.

Thank you for exploring this archive which includes reflections and photos. If you’d like to propose a walk for the 2025 Festival, click here.

Saturday May 4

8am: Sachuest Point Morning Stroll

  • 90 min

    Long period of standing, trails can become less even and muddy after storm events

  • Take a casual stroll with a Refuge Ranger at Sachuest Point National Wildlife Refuge.

10am: Walk the Rim at Easton's Pond Reservoir

  • 1 Hour

    Stairs and long period of standing

  • With expert guidance, learn the relationship between Aquidneck Island's watersheds and the water we drink.

12pm: RI Independence Day Exploration of the Colony House

  • 45min

    Uneven surfaces

    Stairs

  • Explore the politics, architecture, and story of one of the oldest State Houses in the United States.

11am-12pm AND 2pm-3pm (Drop-in): Surfing the Airwaves from Newport County

  • Drop-in and stay as long as you like within the offered time frames. Or listen for us calling on the local W1SYE 2m repeater (145.45 MHz / PL 100 Hz)

    No physical requirements

  • Every day across Newport County, amateur radio operators get on the air to talk with one another without needing to rely on the internet or commercial power. This diverse community of FCC-licensed "hams" take advantage of the radio spectrum frequencies allocated to licensed amateurs as part of this critical but invisible infrastructure that is the radio spectrum.

10:30am: Whatever happened to "Old Town" Newport: urban redevelopment in the 60's and 70's

  • 90 min

    Uneven Surfaces

  • Walk around the outskirts of Washington Square in an old neighborhood bounded by Marlbborough, Farewell, Broadway and Thames Streets.

3pm: Paths of Desire: Walking Without Sidewalks

  • 1 hour

    Uneven surfaces

    Walking in streets and on slight inclines

  • Explore the way sidewalks appear and disappear while walking in Newport and how that changes your relationship to being a pedestrian.

Sunday May 5

11:30am: From Levin to Spring Street: Deconstructing a Historic House

  • 60 min

    stairs & uneven surfaces

  • This tour will explore ideas about sustainability, livability, and adaptability in response to climate change, economic change, and the changing needs and challenges of those who call Newport home.

3pm: Bellevue, Memorial's Hidden Neighborhood

  • 90 min

  • Off the beaten path, but close to everything.