‘Lord of the Rings’ Star Elijah Wood Stops by Wally’s Wieners in Newport

Wally’s Wieners in Newport got an unexpected visitor on Sunday when global movie star Elijah Wood walked through the front door.

Best known for his role as Frodo Baggins in the Lord of the Rings franchise, the actor knew exactly where to go for local cuisine.

But truthfully, Wood was in Rhode Island for an entirely different reason, as were 30,000 other people who flocked to Newport for the biggest jazz festival in the country.

Get our free mobile app

Elijah Wood Spotted in Rhode Island

Zach Schavone, an employee of Wally’s Wieners, was the lucky man working that day during Wood’s visit.

“(Wood) was extremely nice,” he said. “He said he was in town for the jazz fest. He’s been a bunch of times and loves Newport.”

Wally’s Wieners started as a hot dog cart in 2019 and quickly gained popularity, serving Rhode Island’s most famous hot dog Saugy’s.

Wally's now calls Thames Street its home, serving breakfast and lunch daily.

The Lord of the Rings star had his eye on the breakfast menu and ordered a Breakfast BLT on sourdough.

READ MORE: Anthony Bourdain's Love of Food Started in Cape Cod

What is the Newport Jazz Festival?

For the past 70 years, The Newport Jazz Festival has brought together some of the most skilled jazz musicians worldwide for a multi-day jazz music festival. For its inaugural year in 1954, icons like Ella Fitzgerald and Billie Holiday performed in front of 13,000 people. This year, 30,000 people over three days flocked to Newport to watch performers like André 3000, Elvis Costello, and up-and-coming stars that are keeping jazz music alive and well.

The Jazz Festival is a production of Newport Festival Foudnation, Inc., whose mission is to “create moments of hope through the power of music and community” and aims to support musicians and music education programs across the country.