Newport Folk Festival

Newport Folk Festival Review

Bob Dylan made his premiere national performance at the 1963 Newport Folk Festival. Two years later, some fans booed when he went electric, marking a shift in his own musical trajectory and the start of a larger cultural shift from folk to rock. Held over the last weekend in July at Fort Adams State Park, the folk fest continues stretching boundaries and keeping things fresh with multiple stages and acts spanning folk, blues, country, bluegrass, folk rock, alt-country, indie folk, and folk punk. In 2005, The Pixies pulled a reverse Dylan and played acoustic. Lineups mix veteran performers like Jackson Browne, Patty Griffin, and Arlo Guthrie with younger stars like Conor Oberst, Brandi Carlile, and Deer Tick. The festival is held rain or shine, and seating is general admission on a large uncovered lawn.