There are no rides on Atlantic Avenue this fall. The Misquamicut Business Association canceled FallFest for 2026 because its ride operator couldn't staff the event. That leaves Misquamicut's autumn calendar with only what the district produces on its own: two drive-in nights, a comic play about a 1605 gunpowder plot, a bonfire on the sand, and a few kitchens still serving. The drive-in and the bonfire are both Misquamicut Business Association productions.

The Rides Came From Scituate

FallFest has run in Misquamicut for 17 years, according to MBA Executive Director Caswell Cooke. Much of what made it a regional draw was trucked in from Scituate. That's where Rockwell Amusements is based, and the company has put on more than 30 festivals with the MBA. The Super Slide, Bumper Cars, Tilt-a-Whirl, Fun House, kiddie rides like the Dizzy Dragons and Circus Train, and the Skee Ball and Whack-a-mole games all came with Rockwell. So did the giant Ferris wheel, which The Westerly Sun says gave riders glimpses of Block Island and Long Island.

This summer, Rockwell owner Harold Fera told the Sun, his staff fell from a typical peak of about 120 employees to 76. He sent the workers he had to the larger fairs on his schedule, including the Washington County Fair on Aug. 12–16 and the Brooklyn, Conn., fair on Aug. 27–30.

"We can't hire enough help. I've been in this industry for 50 years, and we always want to have the proper staffing levels to ensure safety. But the labor situation is terrible right now." Harold Fera, Rockwell Amusements, to The Westerly Sun

Cooke said every other amusement company was already booked for the season, and that "without the amusement rides, FallFest simply is not financially viable." The Sun describes FallFest and its May companion, SpringFest, as boosts for the Misquamicut commercial area going into and out of the shoulder season. When one outside vendor couldn't hire enough people, the district's biggest post-Labor Day draw fell through. The MBA's May 25 post still lists September 18–20 dates, but the Sun reports that this year's festival is canceled.

What's left this month doesn't depend on any outside company.

Two Nights in the Main Lot, One Ticket per Car

The first is the MBA's own drive-in. The Misquamicut Drive-In has two dates left on its October 2026 calendar. Both open the Main Lot gates at 6:30 p.m. and start the movie at 8. Both nights sell one ticket per carload, and parking spots go first come, first served. The Friday listing prices that ticket at $25 for the whole car, no matter how many people are inside.

1. Friday, Oct. 9: billed as "Friday the 13th at the Misquamicut Drive-In," with previews at 7 p.m.
2. Saturday, Oct. 10: billed as "SING at the Misquamicut Drive-In," a fundraiser by Riverhead Building Supply. The listing says no refunds.

The Saturday night shows how the MBA keeps these evenings going. A local company takes a night, the association provides the lot and the screen, and the ticket price stays per carload. Friday night is a horror title and Saturday is an animated musical, so the weekend covers two very different audiences.

A Homemade Play, Twenty-Nine Years Running

One week later, on Saturday, Oct. 17, the Windjammer at 321 Atlantic Ave. hosts the 29th annual Guy Fawkes Bonfire Night. It is the MBA tradition that relies least on anything brought in from outside. Caswell Cooke, who announced the FallFest cancellation, also writes and directs the play. The cast is the Misquamicut Players, a group of local actors who reenact the trial of Guy Fawkes as a comedy. In the event's own words, the night "brings together local actors, dancers and musicians."

Here is how the evening runs, according to the organizers:

• 6:30 p.m. pre-show with Wayne Holmes and the Westerly Morris Men
• 7 p.m. main event inside the Windjammer, with the trial reenactment, the Kentish Guards Fife and Drum, and live music by Caswell & The Peel N' Eats
• Bonfire afterward out on the beach
• Admission is free. Reserved seats can be bought ahead of time.

The official site and the Eventbrite listing describe this year's setlist a little differently. One says classic rock-era songs, and the other names songs by The Guess Who and BTO. Either way, it's a rock show. The South County Tourism Council is the presenting sponsor, with support from The Pleasant View Inn and Seaside Pharmacy.

The holiday's history is part of the joke. Guy Fawkes USA counts 2026 as the 421st anniversary of the 1605 plot and Misquamicut's 29th year marking it. In England, bonfires for the occasion go back to 1606, and effigies of Fawkes himself weren't burned until 1806. Bonfire Night is normally November 5. Misquamicut holds its version in mid-October, while the Windjammer is still open.

Questions about the event go to Caswell Cooke Jr. at 401-932-3519.

Who Is Still Serving on Atlantic Avenue

Both MBA events need a place to eat before or after. Here's what each business has posted about its 2026 season. None of them lists an exact closing date, so call before you go late in the month.

The Windjammer is open daily and also hosts Bonfire Night, so it anchors the October calendar. The Andrea is ending its 80th season this month, and its stated window runs only through October. Maria's has moved to weekend dinners. Paddy's has closed for the season but still caters events, so its kitchen is still working for private events through the winter.

If you want Friday dinner on Atlantic Avenue before the drive-in on Oct. 9, the posted hours point to the Windjammer, The Andrea, or Maria's.

Eight Lanes at the State Beach

The other big change in Misquamicut this year was the state beach entrance. The Rhode Island Department of Environmental Management spent $1.825 million to add five pay lanes, taking the gate from three lanes to eight. The goal was to move cars in faster and reduce backups on Atlantic Avenue. WPRI reported in November 2025 that work had started and was due to finish by April 2026. Dubon Masonry Construction did the building and Laura Marcolini & Associates did the design. This spring, The Westerly Sun reported that the old attendant shacks were gone and crews were close to done ahead of the season.

The lanes were built for July. Now that summer is over, the state's Misquamicut State Beach page says the new booths and traffic pattern are in place. It also says state beaches stay open year-round for coastal walks, and that off-season swimming is at your own risk. In October, the eight lanes mostly serve people coming for a walk on the beach.

SpringFest is next on the MBA's list. Cooke told the Sun the association is already looking for a new amusement company and promised "a bigger and better SpringFest next May." Until then, Misquamicut's October 2026 schedule is two movie nights in the Main Lot, a play and bonfire at the Windjammer on the 17th, and the beach walks the state keeps open all winter.

Seasons like this one show a lot about how a beach district actually works, and that matters to anyone thinking about owning here year-round. If you'd like to talk through what Misquamicut's off-season means for a cottage you own or are considering, Geb Masterson is glad to talk it over with you privately. Request a Private Consultation.