An Evening Uncorked at Home! 2020

Auction Opens Thursday, October 1

Closes Wednesday, October 14
with a TV special starting at 7:30 p.m

All Bidding Ends and Auction Closes at 8:30 p.m.

This year, we are celebrating An Evening Uncorked at Home! Although we miss seeing friends old and new, we are moving our auction* to online bidding only. Now you can browse and bid from the comfort and safety of your own home, and know every winning bid you make supports the shows you love to watch on WSBE Rhode Island PBS all year long.

It's our biggest fund raiser of the year, with something for everyone - including your four-legged family members. Browse now! We are still adding items, so come back often.

The televised special on October 14 features: 

• Showcase of our 9 premium experiences
• An Evening Uncorked at Home! celebrity guest, Maria Lawton of Maria's Portuguese Table
  
• Special performance by Rhode Island Portuguese song stylist, fadista Sandy Batista and Friends
• Highlights of the Education Services work in classrooms, homes, and in our community, made possible by your high bids
• Previews of local productions you won't see anywhere else 

 * Winner is responsible for any taxes that may apply, in accordance with state law. 

Simply want to donate? Donations of $60 or more receive the following:

• Azorean Cooking from My Family Table to Yours by Maria Lawton
• Two (2) signature An Evening Uncorked!  wine glasses
• One (1) year membership to Rhode Island PBS
• Annual subscription to Rhode Island Monthly*
• Access to RIPBS|Passport
• Our monthly e-newsletter
• Exclusive member benefits through Perksconnect

*new members only

All proceeds benefit our mission to educate, inform, enrich, inspire and entertain viewers of all ages in Rhode Island, southeastern Massachusetts, and eastern Connecticut.

Meet Maria Lawton

Born in the small village of Rosario de Lagoa on the semi-tropical island of Sao Miguel, Azores, Maria Lawton captures an authentic Azorean flavor with her Portuguese cuisine.

When she was six, her family arrived in the United States and settled in the tight-knit Portuguese community of New Bedford, Massachusetts.

New Bedford has a rich history of seafood and farming, as well as bakers, butchers, and restaurateurs who prepare foods in the traditional manner. But what Maria craved most were the dishes and delicacies from her childhood home to share with her children.

Inspired by the culinary talents of her mother and grandmother, Maria's quest for traditional recipes brought her back to Sao Miguel. Maria shares her warmth and charm and flavorful Azorean recipes in her first cookbook, Azorean Cooking: From My Family Table to Yours.

Four years later, Maria realized her dream of sharing her rich cultural heritage, her delicious Azorean food, and her fondness for the picturesque villages of Sao Miguel in Maria's Portuguese Table. The 8-part food and travel odyssey premiered on Rhode Island PBS in early 2019. Season Two is currently in production. 

EXPERIENCE SAO MIGUEL FOR YOURSELF WITH MARIA AS YOUR GUIDE

Tour Ponta Delgada, Furnas, Sete Cidades, and other breathtakingly scenic locales with Maria Lawton as your special travel companion May 16 - 24, 2021. Maria personalized the itinerary for this remarkable tour of Sao Miguel to give you an authentic - and unique - Azorean experience.

One pair of tickets for this trip is up for the highest bid*. The trip for two, valued at $6,600, is donated by AAA Travel.

*This item has a reserve. 

Sandy Batista

Watch the 30-minute televised auction special on Wednesday, October 14 at 7:30 p.m., and see a musical fado performance by Sandy Batista and Friends. Fado is a traditional Portuguese song style characterized by mournful tunes and lyrics, and infused with sentiment and melancholia.

The daughter of Portuguese-American immigrants, Sandy Batista was born and raised in Rhode Island. At age 5, she began performing with her father, well-known local artist Martinho Batista. Even as a child, Sandy knew performing and singing Portuguese music was going to be an important part of her life. Sandy studied under the great Anna Maria Saritelli Duponte, a founder of the Rhode Island Opera, as well as Natalia Deresendez, and Susan Alves, a Cumberland High School teacher who taught Sandy to be a vocalist, not just a singer. Sandy went on to study voice performance at Berklee College of Music in Boston.

"Singing Fado is an honor," Sandy says. "When I close my eyes and sing poems that were written about sorrow, history and triumphs of our ancestors, I am humbled... I will be forever grateful to my culture, parents, and supporters for providing an opportunity to showcase our history and strength as a community through the world of Fado."

Viewing Party Sip & Bid - Ordering has Closed

Delivery instructions for the selected Viewing Party Sip & Bids will be emailed to individuals who purchased one over the next few days. In the meantime, if you have any questions please contact Elisa Iacono-Mears at [email protected].

Each pack includes your selected bottle of wine, two commemorative An Evening Uncorked! wine glasses, and a generous assortment of savory and sweet nosh for two provided by Just Ellen's Catering & Event Planning. Cheers!

Delicious nosh is provided by:

Many thanks to our Cabernet Level Sponsors

Many thanks to our Merlot Level Sponsors

Many thanks to our Chardonnay Level Sponsors