Concert recap and photos: 2024 Rhode Island Folk Festival a big hit down by the river

The Rhode Island Folk Festival celebrated its 10^th anniversary on Sunday, August 26, with over 40 performers, dozens of vendors and food trucks, and a guitar giveaway at Crescent Park in East Providence. The free festival enjoyed its largest crowd yet, with an estimated 2,500 fans in attendance.

Fans young and old filled the sprawling lawn at the Bandshell Stage for headliner Tom Rush, who shared songs and stories from his 60-year career. Earlier, Michelle Malone played a rousing set of folk-rock with guitarist Doug Kees accompanying. The afternoon of family fun featured local and national stars playing over three stages, as well as a Songwriting Workshop with noted RI musician Mark Cutler.

Local artists ruled the day on the Gazebo Stage, which featured strong performances from a diverse range of artists. The vibe was more fringe on the Songbird Stage, where a delicately curated roster of artists brushed up against the edge of the folk genre. Cool doings all around!

Also notable, several new guitars (and other gently used instruments) were raffled off to over a dozen kids attending the festival. The Gibson Foundation provided six new guitars as part of Gibson Gives, a charitable program designed to support future generations of musicians.  

Check out some photos of the festival from WUN Lifestyle Editor Ken Abrams.