The Golden Ball

Join us on Saturday, June 27, at 5:30 – 8:30pm for a celebration 250 years in the making! The Golden Ball, named after Providence’s historic inn that hosted Revolutionary figures such as George Washington, Marquis de Lafayette, John Adams, and Thomas Jefferson, promises to be an evening where guests can revel like it’s 1776 while directly supporting history education.

This immersive celebration will evoke the Revolutionary period through food, music, documents, demonstrations, and interpreters, with two 18th-century National Historic Landmarks serving as the remarkable setting: the John Brown House Museum and the grounds of the Nightingale-Brown House.

VIP (Very Important Patriot) Reception & Banner Event Tickets

Guests to the VIP Reception will be treated to:

• A ceremony honoring Professor Gordon S. Wood for his contributions to the fields of history and teacher education
• A signature cocktail crafted by White Dog Distilling with Sabin’s Spirit, the RIHS’s 250th Whiskey
• An exclusive treat from Half Crown Bakehouse
• First access to event seating at the Nightingale-Brown House
• Swag Bags featuring materials from Brown2026, the Rhode Island Historical Society, and the RI 250th Commission
• All of the benefits of the Banner Event

Banner Event Tickets

Guests to the Banner Event will enjoy:

• A menu of historically inspired bites from McGrath Catering as well as fresh-baked goods from Half Crown Bakehouse
• A selection of wine, cider, beer, and non-alcoholic beverages
• A reading of the Declaration of Independence by Joe Wilson, Jr.
• Immersive engagement with costumed interpreters, including George and Martha Washington
• Access to the John Brown House Museum, including displays of founding documents, award-winning National History Day projects, and more
• A curated wine pull, featuring the chance to win a special edition bottle of George Washington’s Cherry Bounce
• Complimentary valet parking

Proceeds from the Golden Ball will benefit the Rhode Island Historical Society, helping us achieve our outward-facing mission, including providing RI educators with the resources and training they need to meet an important milestone: implementing the State’s new Social Studies standards. It will also allow us to directly affect thousands of Rhode Island students, not just in 2026, but for years to come. From evergreen resources like our digital RI history textbook and lesson plans, to hands-on experiential learning such as Rhode Island History Day and museum field trips, our work offers the benefits of both depth and breadth, undergirded by our world-class collections.

Tickets are available here.

The Golden Ball is made possible in part by the event’s generous sponsors: Brown 2026 and Amica Insurance; along with Bank of America, Couture Design Associates, Inc., the Museum of Work & Culture Preservation Foundation, The Stanley Weiss Collection, Squantum Association Charitable Foundation, The Society of the Cincinnati, the Rhode Island Society of Colonial Wars, Philmoney Trust, Sachem Foundation, Coastline Trust Company, and the Hope Foundation; as well as Partridge Snow & Hahn LLP, Felicia Fund, and Ann Gallagher; and Kenney Manufacturing, Paul & Denise Bourget, Laura Kenerson, Mr. & Mrs. James & Lori Lousararian, Esq, Profs. Luther & Kathy Spoehr, and Alpha Pension Group. In-Kind sponsors include Bottles Find Wine, McGrath Calmbakes & Catering, Narragansett Beer, Sowams Cider Works, White Dog Distilling, and Wright’s Dairy Farm & Bakery.