4 Ways to Take a Break From the Bustle

Here are a few great things going on during the holiday season.

The holidays are a great time of year. But sometimes it’s nice to take a respite from the shopping and the lights. Here are some ideas:

1.    Embark on a mystery documentary adventure. You know you can expect the latest award-winning documentaries from newportFILM. Now they’re creating a little mystery. Sign up for a membership and receive instructions directing you to the secret screening location of a movie critics have called “fiercely brilliant…legendary…electrifying.” Oh, and there will be food, beverages and live music as well. Tuesday, December 8, 6-9 p.m. newportfilm.org.

2.    Welcome Action and Bubba back to Roger Williams Park Zoo. After a viewing window broke last summer leading to more necessary repairs, the zoo’s popular harbor seals were sent to an aquarium in upstate New York. A fundraising campaign called "Bring the Boys Back" facilitated the fixes and now Action and Bubba are back. Roger Williams Park Zoo, 1000 Elmwood Ave., Providence, rwpzoo.org.

3.    Take in a multimedia experience at the RISD Museum. Feed your mind and soul with an interactive performance called "Galapagos in C" presented by RISD architecture students. It will include Terry Riley’s piece "In C," accompanied by Community MusicWorks alumni and a turn at the piano by music scholar Stuart Isacoff. Wednesday, December 9, 7-8 p.m. Free, but registration is required. RISD Grand Gallery, RISD Museum, 224 Benefit St., Providence, risd.edu.

4.    Find out what it was like to be a woman whaler. During the nineteenth century, men went away for years at a time whaling. The women who stayed behind ran businesses and built towns, while others became  whalers themselves. Sarah Rose, curator of education at the New Bedford Whaling Museum, shares this fascinating history. Saturday, December 5, 2-3 p.m. Free. Washington Old County Jail, 2636 Kingstown Rd., Kingston.