RI’s May Breakfasts are back. Here are 10 to try.
The May Breakfast is a treasured Rhode Island tradition. They signal the start of spring, raise money and bring together communities.
The first one was held in 1868 at Oak Lawn Community Baptist Church in Cranston. Park Place Congregational Church in Pawtucket served its first breakfast in 1882 and claimed its spot as the second oldest.
The homemade breakfast that comes with sales of fudge, baked goods and baskets started as a church event. But social clubs, historical groups, volunteer fire departments and other organizations joined in and began holding their own May Breakfasts from Woonsocket to South Kingstown.
May Breakfasts started as a way to raise money, following an old English tradition, said Jim Ellison, moderator at Oak Lawn Community Baptist Church. In Cranston, they wanted to build their own church.
“The sanctuary building was dedicated debt-free 10 years later, many breakfasts later,” he said. It’s the same church May Breakfast guests sit in and wait for their turn at breakfast as Ellison shares the history.
Historic numbers
Once upon a time, the state of Rhode Island estimated the number of May Breakfasts and how many people attended them to show how they were a positive driver for tourism. A 1993 Providence Journal story noted 40 events in 29 communities and more in seven nearby Massachusetts cities and towns.
The last estimate was in 2014 and noted 21 locations attracting approximately 25,000 guests, according to Mark Brodeur of The Rhode Island Commerce Corp.
They paused during the COVID pandemic and some were lost along the way. But these 10 May Breakfasts are ready to serve you.
Oak Lawn Community Baptist Church
It will be the 155th time the Oak Lawn Community Baptist Church has hosted a May Breakfast when they open their doors on Wednesday, May 1, from 7 to 11 a.m. at 229 Wilbur Ave., Cranston. The cost is $10 and $5 for children 10 and under. People will be seated on a first-come, first-served basis. The menu at Oak Lawn Community Baptist Church is the same as it was for the first one, said Julie Ellison. She has led the team of church volunteers since the 126th breakfast. The menu includes clam cakes, scrambled eggs, ham, cornbread, coffee, juice and apple pie. For additional information or directions to the breakfast, please call (401) 944-0864.
Park Place Congregational Church
The Pawtucket Church is home to the second oldest May Breakfast. Their first was in 1882. This year’s will be Saturday, April 27, from 7 to 11 a.m. The menu features cereal, oatmeal, muffins, quiche, scrambled eggs, French toast, home fries, sausage, ham, baked beans, fruit cup, juice, coffee, tea and milk. The cost is $10 for adults, $5 for children aged 5-12 and free for children 4 years old and younger. May baskets, fudge and baked goods will also be sold. Details: Park Place Congregational Church, 71 Park Place, Pawtucket, parkplaceucc.com/ events.
Greenwood Community Church
The Presbyterian Women’s May Breakfast will be served on Saturday, April 27, from 7:30 to 11:30 a.m. at 805 Main Ave., Warwick. The menu includes pancakes, baked beans, scrambled eggs, sausage, coffee, juices and apple pie. There will be fudge available in handcrafted May Baskets. The cost is $12, $7
for children aged 5 to 12.
The Holy Name Society at St. Anthony Church
This North Providence organization holds two days of May Breakfasts, on Saturday, May 4 from 8 to 11 a.m. and Sunday, May 5 from 8 a.m. to 1 p.m. The breakfast will feature scrambled eggs, home fries, bacon, ham, baked beans, pancakes, breakfast pastries, orange juice, coffee and tea. The ticket price is $10 per person, per day. Children 10 years of age or younger are admitted free. The breakfast will be held in the St. Anthony Church Parish Center located at 1413 Mineral Spring Ave., in North Providence. Tickets will be sold at the door.
First Christian Congregational Church of Swansea
The First Christian Congregational Church, UCC, at 1113 GAR Highway, Swansea, will host their annual May Breakfast on May 11 from 8 to 11 a.m. It’s a sit-down breakfast buffet featuring scrambled eggs, bacon, sausage, home fries, pancakes, muffins, juice, coffee and tea. The cost for the breakfast is $12 for adults, $6 for children 6–10, and children 5 and under eat free.
First Baptist Church of East Greenwich
The East Greenwich Church, 30 Peirce St., will host their May Breakfast on Saturday, May 4, from 6:30 to 10 a.m. The menu includes jonnycakes, scrambled eggs, baked beans, home fries, muffins, coffee, tea, juice and pie. The cost is $12 for adults and $6 for children aged 8 and older. Takeout is also available. Call (401) 884-2322 for more information.
The First Congregational Church of Warwick
The Church at 715 Oakland Beach Ave., will serve its breakfast from 7:3010:30 a.m. on Saturday, May 4. The menu includes scrambled eggs, home fries, bacon, toast, bagels, coffee, tea and juice. The cost is $10 for adults and $8 for seniors and children. Those under 5 eat free. Call (401) 738-3377 for more information.
North Attleborough Historical Society
The May Breakfast will be served on Sunday, May 5, from 8:30 to noon in the Little Red Schoolhouse, next door to the Woodcock Garrison house at 362 North Washington St. in North Attleboro. The traditional New England Breakfast includes muffins, sliced ham, scrambled eggs, home fries, baked beans, juice, coffee, tea and a piece of pie. The cost is $10 for adults, $5 for children aged 5 to 12 and free for those under 5. For an additional $2, guests can visit the omelet station. Tickets are sold at the door. A tour of the historic Woodcock Garrison house, available from 9 a.m. until noon, is included in the price of the breakfast.
Chepachet Union Church
The Church at 1138 Putnam Pike, Chepachet, will serve its 101st anniversary May Breakfast on Saturday, May 4, from 7 to 10:30 a.m. The “New Century, New Look, New Buffet” includes scrambled eggs, johnnycakes, bacon, sausage, fruit and granola (no yogurt) plus a new ham and cheese slider and a frittata muffin. The cost is $10 per adult; $5 per child 12 and younger. The Rho Delta Club of the Chepachet Union Church will serve.
Providence Friends Meeting
The Church at 99 Morris Ave., Providence, hosts a May Breakfast on Saturday, May 4, from 8 to 11 a.m. The suggested donation is $7 to $10 per person and $15 to $20 for a family. The menu will include pancakes, scrambled eggs, sausage, hash brown potatoes, juice, coffee, milk (whole and lactose free), fruit and gluten free muffins.