A woman strums her guitar and sings quietly from a pond-side bench in Wilcox Park in Rhode Island’s southernmost town. Walkers stroll past dahlias and mammoth maples and oaks. By the end of the day, the park’s meadow will be carpeted in a sea of colorful blankets as people save spots for the next night’s annual Summer Pops concert—a free event that draws thousands of music lovers to Westerly each June.
Months after witnessing that scene and experiencing the Pops myself, I moved to the area, joined the Chorus of Westerly’s Foundation Chorus (the one-hundred-plus person amateur branch of a professional chorus), and quickly learned three things: First, Taylor Swift isn’t the only one who loves music in this town. (Her home in Westerly’s Watch Hill served as the inspiration for “The Last Great American Dynasty” on her Folklore album.) Second, generations of Westerly folks grew up singing thanks to the Chorus. And lastly, while Newport, Rhode Island, gets plenty of deserved love for its world-renowned Newport Folk and Newport Jazz Festivals, Westerly is making its name as a music town in its own right.
That’s thanks in part to Scott Swift, Taylor’s dad, who fostered the Nashville North collaboration between Nashville’s iconic Bluebird Cafe—which boosted the careers of Garth Brooks, Faith Hill, and more—and Westerly’s UNITED theatre and arts complex. A partnership between the UNITED Music School and the Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum, home to the Taylor Swift Education Center, also offers Westerly students and adults a range of music education programs.
The performance aspect of the partnership launched last November when the Bluebird sent a trio of renowned singer-songwriters for a series of intimate performances at the UNITED. “When you hear these songs, and the stories that inspired them, you hear their heart and soul,” says Carly Callahan, executive director of the UNITED.
The performances are continuing quarterly. Next up, the September 12 show will feature J.T. Harding (a hit songwriter for Darius Rucker and Kenny Chesney, among others), Josh Jenkins (a Grammy-nominated singer-songwriter who co-wrote hits “Fancy Like” by Walker Hayes and “Buy Dirt” performed by Jordan Davis featuring Luke Bryan), and Jenn Schott (a co-writer of Tim McGraw’s hit single “7500 OBO,” which received a coveted 10 Songs I Wish I’d Written Award from the Nashville Songwriters Association).
The November singer-songwriters will be announced closer to the performance date. In addition, Westerly native turned Nashville resident Glenn Thomas returned to the UNITED on July 10, and Texas-based country music artist Paul Cauthen performs on August 7.
The UNITED recently expanded to include the nearby Knickerbocker Music Center, now known as the Knick Music Lab, which will offer open mic nights, dance nights, regional blues bands, youth music programming, and a music residency where performers from Nashville come to the Knick and rehearse, record, and perform.
A Local’s Guide to Westerly
Southwest Airlines offers direct flights from Nashville (and several Florida cities) to Rhode Island T.F. Green International Airport, which sits just a forty-five minute drive from Westerly. There are also flights on Breeze from Charleston and other Southern cities.
Take a pre-show stroll through Westerly Library & Wilcox Park, designed by Warren H. Manning, a former associate of Frederick Law Olmsted and a founding father of the American Society of Landscape Architects (ASLA). In addition to Summer Pops, the park plays host to yoga, sound baths, and walking tours that celebrate its flora and fauna.
Grab the pollinator-inspired Café Buzz cocktail at the Café, which is adjacent to the UNITED and a few steps from the park. The drink features the honey-finished Barr Hill Gin from Vermont, fresh lemon juice, and a touch of lavender. Try chef Jordan Keen’s signature dish—shrimp and grits with shiitake mushrooms and Chinese sausage—for a fresh take on a Southern classic that he brought north following his time as executive chef at the Commodore Club in Wrightsville Beach, North Carolina.
Head to Cinder for smoked pork belly, brisket, and delicious fish tacos.
Located riverside and less than a mile away from the UNITED, the Margin Street Inn’s ten elegant guest rooms feature a mix of antique beds, soaking tubs, fireplaces, and sunny sitting rooms.
For something just a bit grander, at the iconic Ocean House in Westerly’s Watch Hill, you can savor ocean breezes from atop the bluffs at one of only fourteen resorts in the world to earn a Forbes Five-Star rating.
In that same area, walk the paved path to the Watch Hill Lighthouse for sweeping coastal views. Enjoy a day at the beach, or stroll the nearby Napatree Point Conservation Area, a peninsula and haven for birdwatchers.