Newport Secret Garden Tour Postponing Both 2020 Tours to 2021

Due to the ongoing situation with COVID 19, the Benefactors of the Arts has concluded after many meetings and discussions that it cannot run either of the garden tours this year in a manner that would adequately protect the health and safety of tour attendees, volunteers, gardeners and the surrounding community.

Therefore, they are postponing both of the scheduled 2020 Newport Secret Garden Tours to 2021. The 2021 dates are June 25-27, 2021 and September 10-12, 2021. Refunds will be available for tickets already purchased for the 2020 tours.

While the self-guided walking tours are rescheduled to 2021, there will be a virtual tour of the summer gardens that were on the schedule for this year’s tour in Newport’s Historic Point Section available on the website. The virtual tour is scheduled to be released mid-July. The virtual tour will be free and the committee will be soliciting for donations through a link on the website. Donors who give $25 or more will receive a Secret Garden Tour ball cap as a thank you gift while supplies last. Please check the website and social media for details and links in mid-July.

The Benefactors of the Arts would like to thank the gardeners and the many volunteers who stepped up and were willing to work on the summer tour this year despite the challenges faced with running a very different tour under challenging circumstances. It is that dedication that has propelled the success of the tours over the past 36 years.

Since 1984, the organizers and supporters of The Secret Garden Tour have been dedicated to enhancing art education and cultural programs in Aquidneck Island's Public Schools, funding dozens of programs in music, theater and fine arts for local schoolchildren. To date, The Secret Garden Tour has given more than $1 million to Aquidneck Island students in public schools for art, music, theater and other cultural programming. For additional information, be sure to visit the website.