Keeping You Up To Date with Charlestown News and Events
Coastal Pond Cleanup
When: Saturday, May 16 from 9 am to Noon
Where: Meet at the Ocean House Marina, 60 Town Dock Rd, Charlestown
Who: The Coastal Pond Management Commission is sponsoring this event
Coffee, refreshments, garbage bags, gloves, and boat shuttle service will be provided.
Housing “Reforms” Amplify Growth Almost Exclusively In RI’s Rural Towns
According to the report, the highest growth rates for the three-year period 2021 to 2024 were in West Greenwich, 6.11%; Glocester, 5.62%; South Kingstown, 4.8%; Exeter, 4.64%; Charlestown, 4.58%; Central Falls, 4.55%; Cumberland, 4.55%; North Kingstown, 3.37%; and Tiverton, 3.16%. The report states that “maintaining the momentum is critical to resolving our state’s housing crisis.” But that momentum is aimed squarely at Rhode Island’s remaining farms and forests and away from urban areas.
2026 Memorial Day Parades And Observances
Parade on Old Post Road on Sunday
When: Sunday, May 24 at 1 p.m.
Where: Starts at the South Kingstown line and ends at Charlestown Liquor Store
Parade in Carolina on Monday
When: Monday, May 25 at 11:00 a.m.
Where: Starts at the Richmond-Carolina Fire Station and ends at St. Mary’s Church in Charlestown
Traditional Ecological Knowledge Walk Along Pawcatuck River
When: Thursday, May 21, from 6 pm to 7 pm (Rain Date: Thursday, May 28)
Where: Carter Preserve Western Trailhead, 931 Kings Factory Rd, Charlestown
Registration: Preregistration is required for this walk – link to register in post
A Traditional Ecological Knowledge (TEK) walk focuses on understanding nature through Indigenous perspectives and ecological knowledge.
Friends of the National Wildlife Refuges of RI Photo Competition
The Friends of the National Wildlife Refuges of Rhode Island announce their 26th Annual Amateur Photo Competition to highlight the beauty of the five refuges that comprise the Rhode Island National Wildlife Refuge Complex. Amateur photographers are encouraged to enter their existing refuge color photos or to take new ones. Photos and a $10 entry fee per photo must be received by September 8, 2026.
Spring Native Plant Sale
When: Saturday, May 9 from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m.
Where: Casey Farm, 2325 Boston Neck Road, Saunderstown RI
Find spring ephemerals and early blooming perennials and shrubs, perfectly timed for early pollinators and nesting birds, along with ferns and grasses.
URI Botanical Gardens – Spring Plant Sale
When: Saturday, May 9 from 9 a.m. to noon
Where: URI Botanical Gardens. Attendees are encouraged to park behind the URI Fine Arts building in Lot 7 off Flagg Road.
The sale will feature annuals, perennials, herbs, and vegetable seedlings grown by URI Master Gardener propagation volunteers in the East Farm greenhouses.
The Charlestown Town Council’s 2026–2027 Budget and Addressing an Emergency
What: Budget Public Hearing on the 2026–2027 Charlestown Municipal Budget
When: Monday, May 4 at 7 p.m
Where: Charlestown Town Hall
The purpose of the public hearing is to present the Town Council’s proposed municipal budget to the voters and to hear their questions and comments.
Thawn Harris Ran Marathon To Honor His Great Uncle “Tarzan” Brown
Charlestown resident and Narragansett Tribal member Thawn Sherenté Harris ran the 2026 Boston Marathon on April 20, to honor his great uncle, Ellison “Tarzan” Brown, a two-time winner of the Boston Marathon. Harris, 47, ran the marathon in under four hours, which is an impressive time.
Holly Eaves To Complete Donna Chambers’ Term On Chariho School Committee
On April 27, the Town Council appointed Holly Eaves to represent Charlestown on the Chariho District School Committee. Holly earned an advanced degree in education from the University of Rhode Island and also has a BS in Electrical Engineering from the University of Connecticut. Like Donna Chambers, Holly is an education professional.