'Sparkling Lights' Debut At Newport's Breakers Mansion

NEWPORT, RI — The holidays have arrived in Newport, bringing the light, sparkle and splendor visitors have come to expect from the City By The Sea. This year, the Preservation Society of Newport is "taking it outside" for the first time ever, offering a socially distanced way to experience the magic of Christmas at the Newport mansions.

Sparkling Lights at The Breakers kicked off Friday evening with messages from Trudy Coxe, the organizations CEO, along with Newport's mayor-elect and other public officials. After a countdown not unlike New Year's Eve in Times Square, the property was suddenly bathed in the bright glow of thousands of lights adorning the property's front path. The facade of the house shone red, with sparkling white lights as accents, while the Children's Cottage was transformed into Santa's Workshop. Visitors peeked in to see the jolly old man himself amid the glittering display.

"We're taking the governor's plea to all of us to take it outside very seriously," Coxe told Patch. "We said, there may be a great opportunity here, what about a magical wonderland at The Breakers?"

"Magical wonderland" is an apt description. The display combines the elegance of the Gilded Age with the best of modern technology, creating a symphony of color and sparkle that brings the magic of the holiday season to life.

The mastermind behind the spectacle is Jim Donahue, the curator of historical landscapes and horticulture of the organization. For the last 12 years, he's been in charge of the interior decorations at The Breakers and The Elms, and this year designed the outdoor landscape.

"We're just trying to follow along with what we have and build on it," he told Patch.

Donahue usually has an army of about 90 volunteers to set up the holiday decorations. Because of pandemic restrictions, this year's effort was a mostly solo venture that took approximately a month to complete, with the help of four research assistants.

The walkway was designed as a one-way loop, to help keep guests socially distant on the restored landscape. Each garden path features a different color scheme, with fun touches along the way, such as pint-sized evergreen trees decked out as gnomes.

Inside the mansion, the opulence and grandeur of the Gilded Age is truly brought to life through the sumptuous decorations, with tastefully decorated Christmas trees tailored to each room's decor.

"We try to build on our collections of ornaments for any given space," Donahue said.

For example, the wall of the Morning Room are decorated with platinum leaf, so the tree is covered in glittering platinum ornaments.

The house's true showstopper is the towering tree in the Great Hall, made entirely out of poinsettias. It's one of the first things visitors see as they enter the house, along with the glittering garlands on the second floor.

The Breakers is open daily for visitors throughout the holiday season from 12 p.m. to 8 p.m. through Jan. 10. It will be closed Thanksgiving and Christmas, and will close early on Christmas Eve with no lights that day. Sparkling Lights begins at 4 p.m., and admission is included with the coast of the house tour.

The Elms, also dressed in its holiday best, is open daily through Jan. 3, from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. The same holiday schedule as The Breakers applies.

For more information, visit the Preservation Society of Newport's website.