Ninigret Park Annual Arts and Crafts Show
Ninigret Park Annual Arts and Crafts Show on Saturday, September 19, will bring about 50 artists and makers to the park for a day of handmade work, live music and food.
Now in its third year, the show runs from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. at the New Pavilion area of Ninigret Park. This year’s exhibitors span woodworking, pottery, jewelry, quilting, crochet, macramé, and other forms of handmade art and craft.
Stonington-area guitarist and singer-songwriter Ron Drago will provide live music during the event, and local organizations and vendors will provide food and refreshments.
A rain date is scheduled for Saturday, September 26.
About 50 Artists and Makers in One Place
The scale of the show is large enough to offer variety without turning the day into a sprawling commercial festival.
Organizers expect approximately 50 exhibitors, with the emphasis on artists, artisans and makers rather than mass-produced merchandise.
The announced mix includes woodworkers, potters, jewelers, quilters, crochet artists and macramé makers, along with other crafts.
One returning Charlestown artist is Brian O’Connor of South County Paddles, whose work goes well beyond the business name.
O’Connor is a woodworker known for creating carved fish and detailed fish dioramas. His work frequently draws on the species and waterways of southern Rhode Island, making his booth particularly connected to the landscape surrounding the show.
One of O’Connor’s past pieces, Anadromous Ascension III, depicted the migration of fish such as river herring from saltwater into freshwater rivers to reproduce. O’Connor is also a founding member of Protect Rhode Island Brook Trout, connecting his woodworking with his interest in the region’s native fish and waterways.
He is scheduled to return to the show this year with a selection of his fish dioramas.
Ron Drago Provides the Live Music
The arts and crafts aren’t the only attraction.
Ron Drago, a guitarist and singer-songwriter based in the Stonington area, will perform live during the show.
Drago is a familiar name around southeastern Connecticut and southwestern Rhode Island, performing solo acoustic shows at wineries, restaurants, breweries and other local venues.
His repertoire draws from decades of popular music, making the performance more of a soundtrack to an afternoon of browsing than a separate concert that requires visitors to stop everything and gather around a stage.
That format fits this event particularly well. Visitors can move between booths, stop for food, explore the park and return to the music throughout the day.
Food Will Be Available at the Show
Food and refreshments are also planned.
The Downey Weaver American Legion Post 34 is among the organizations scheduled to sell food, and Del’s Lemonade is expected to be part of the day as well.
Additional food offerings may also be available.
That gives visitors the option of turning a quick trip through the craft booths into a longer afternoon at Ninigret Park.
The Park Is Part of the Day
One of the things that distinguishes this show from an indoor craft fair is its location.
Ninigret Park is one of Charlestown’s major public recreation spaces, with a combination of open fields, trails and recreational facilities spread across the property.
The show is being held near the New Pavilion, but visitors aren’t limited to the vendor area.
Ninigret Park includes Little Nini Pond, A Kid’s Place Playground, picnic shelters, walking and bicycling paths, an 18-hole disc golf course, basketball and tennis courts and other recreational areas.
That makes the show particularly easy to combine with a family day at the park. Someone who isn’t interested in spending several hours looking through craft booths has plenty of other options nearby.
Ninigret’s Wildlife Refuge Is Next Door
The natural landscape extends beyond the town park itself.
Ninigret Park sits alongside the Ninigret National Wildlife Refuge, part of the Rhode Island National Wildlife Refuge Complex.
The refuge protects coastal habitat associated with Ninigret Pond and includes trails through grasslands, shrubland and other habitat used by migratory birds and wildlife.
Access from the park also connects visitors with the salt pond environment, including a kayak launch area.
It’s an unusually fitting setting for an arts event with makers whose work often draws inspiration from Rhode Island’s coast, forests and wildlife.
From Naval Airfield to Community Park
The open landscape at Ninigret has another layer that’s easy to miss.
Much of the property was once part of a World War II-era naval auxiliary airfield.
After the military use ended, the former air station property eventually became a combination of town recreation land and federally protected wildlife habitat. Traces of the old airfield remain visible in the unusually broad, flat landscape.
Today, the town-owned portion has become one of Charlestown’s busiest gathering places, hosting everything from community recreation to major annual festivals.
The arts and crafts show operates at the opposite end of the scale from Ninigret’s largest festivals. Instead of multiple stages and thousands of visitors, the focus is on individual makers, their work and a day in the park.
The Show Is Only in Its Third Year
Despite the “annual” name, this isn’t a decades-old Charlestown tradition.
2026 marks the third year of the Ninigret Park Arts and Crafts Show.
The event began with roughly 50 exhibitors, a scale organizers have continued as the show has developed.
That also explains its straightforward format. There isn’t a midway, complicated admission structure or packed schedule of attractions.
It’s essentially a community craft show in one of South County’s best-known parks: dozens of makers, live acoustic music, something to eat and plenty of room to spend time outdoors afterward.
Event Details
Event: Ninigret Park Annual Arts and Crafts Show
Date: Saturday, September 19, 2026
Time: 10 a.m.–4 p.m.
Rain Date: Saturday, September 26
Location: New Pavilion at Ninigret Park
Address: Park Lane, Charlestown, RI 02813
Exhibitors: Approximately 50 artists and makers
Crafts: Woodworking, pottery, jewelry, quilting, crochet, macramé and more
Live Music: Ron Drago
Food: Downey Weaver American Legion Post 34, Del’s Lemonade and additional offerings
Featured image is an artistic representation inspired by the event and may not depict the actual people, location, or activities shown.