July 6-9th, Newport, Rhode Island

In July of 2012, the pageantry of the tall ships will sail into Newport Harbor once again for the Ocean State Tall Ships^® Festival. As an official host port for the TALL SHIPS CHALLENGE^® series on the Atlantic Coast, the event promises to bring hundreds of thousands of spectators and visitors to Newport, Rhode Island.

The scenic and historic waterfront of Newport is the idyllic setting to observe the splendor of the tall ships, and families delight in the majesty of the Parade of Sail through Newport Harbor. This event will also feature exhibits, food, music and family entertainment. Children especially enjoy boarding these remarkable vessels, and the opportunity to meet international crew members provides all visitors with insight into the many unique cultures that have helped to shape the past and future of sailing.

Newport, Rhode Island is the final stop in the inaugural America’s Cup World Series (AC World Series), which will feature both fleet and match racing. The event will take place June 23 – July 1, 2012. Click here to visit the event website for full details.

Current plans call for holding the racing inside Narragansett Bay, with the start/finish line just Fort Wetherill State Park and excellent spectator views from the AC Village at Fort Adams as well as numerous other points on the waterfront. The regatta will give the public an opportunity to watch the world’s top sailors compete in the state-of-the-art AC45 wing-sailed catamarans, which will be the first time the high-tech boats will be raced on the east coast of the U.S.

With miles of bountiful beaches and trails, centuries-old homes, historic landmarks, bustling waterfronts,  year-round  festivals  and events, and hundreds of diverse shops and eateries, Newport has been called the gem of the New England coastline.

Newport was one of the largest cities and busiest seaports in all of Colonial America. Known as the cultural heart of the city, the Old Quarter includes 18th and 19th century buildings, a collection of Colonial homes and museums. Step from the Colonial era to the famed “summer cottages” of America’s Gilded Age, perched along famed Bellevue Avenue. More than a dozen of these palatial homes, many with extraordinary gardens and grounds, have been painstakingly preserved and many are open year round.