Rhode Island Folk Festival (Photo Credit: Ken Abrams)

Good morning, Newport! 👋 Today is Wednesday, Aug. 13, the 225th day of 2025. There are 140 days left in the year.

Today’s Weather: Patchy dense fog before noon. Otherwise, mostly cloudy, with a high near 79. Light south wind increasing to 8 to 13 mph in the morning.

🚨 You need to know

The award-winning Rhode Island Folk Festival will return to Crescent Park in East Providence on Sunday, Aug. 24, offering six hours of free music from some of the finest folk, rock, acoustic and Americana acts in Rhode Island and beyond.

Running from noon to 6 p.m., the 2025 festival features nationally recognized performers Jon Butcher, Robin Lane, Mark Cutler and The Lost Tribe, along with more than 20 additional acts across three stages. The event will also include a children’s tent, food trucks and craft vendors for a full afternoon of family-friendly entertainment.

“We try to book the most interesting and diverse line-up possible,” said festival founder John Fuzek, who will perform on the Bandshell Stage with longtime musical partner May Ann Rossoni. “We strive for diversity and inclusion as well as variety in the music.” The Bandshell stage will also feature The Catnip Junkies, Jeff Horton Band and Dan Lilley & the Keepers.

The Songbird Stage offers a more intimate listening experience, according to stage co-host Allysen Callery, who encourages attendees to bring lawn chairs and gather close to see local and national acts. Rhode Island-based duo Atwater-Donnelly and free-folk legend Gary Higgins are among the artists scheduled to perform on that stage. The festival welcomes back a third performance space, the Gazebo Stage, which will feature short sets from established and upcoming singer-songwriters in genres including indie folk, bluegrass, experimental guitar and folk pop, according to stage MC Anthony Loffredio.

New additions this year include a Song Circle hosted by Pete Vendettuoli, where members of the public can share original songs and covers focused on protest and social consciousness. A songwriting workshop led by Rhode Island music mainstay Mark Cutler will also return. Both events will take place on a small performance stage behind the Songbird Stage. The festival remains free and accessible to all attendees, though organizers have launched a GoFundMe campaign for those who wish to support the event. More information is available at rhodeislandfolkfestival.com.

What else you should know

🎶 Fort Adams Trust will present its annual “Music at the Fort” summer concert series for three Wednesday evenings starting Aug. 20, offering free live music and picnic opportunities on the North Lawn of the National Historic Landmark.

⚠️ The Rhode Island Public Transit Authority will detour two bus routes and drastically reduce service during the Mount Hope Bridge closure this week.

⛵ The waters of Narragansett Bay will once again showcase sailing’s most elegant chapter when the 2025 12 Metre North American Championship arrives in Newport Sept. 19-21.

🎥 Thousands showed up to see the grand finale of ‘The Gilded Age’ at The Elms on Sunday night. Veronica Bruno has the full event recap.

👉 Newport City Council will host a Regular Council Meeting tonight. Here’s what’s on their agenda.

🗓️ Newport County residents and visitors can choose from colonial walking tours, live music venues, farmers markets and outdoor activities throughout the week, with highlights including the Hellenic Fest, coaching weekend events and the annual George Washington Letter Reading. Things to do this week and weekend.

📰 The Latest from What’sUpNewp

Obituary: James C. Fitzgerald

James (Jimmy) C. Fitzgerald, 80 formerly of Newport, Rhode Island passed away unexpectedly on February  12th in Thailand.

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📈 Yesterday’s most-read

The following were yesterday’s most-read What’sUpNewp articles.

  1. Rhode Island Foundation awards $375,000 to 62 Newport County nonprofits
  2. RENEWport to host World Café discussion on community, belonging Aug. 19
  3. What Sold: A look at 14 recent property sales in Newport County (Aug. 4 – 8)
  4. Obituary: Steven Hall
  5. Hellenic Fest, coaching events highlight busy Newport County week
  6. Body found washed ashore at Jamestown beach
  7. Obituary: Arlene Patricia Dovel
  8. Newport Polo’s Singapore Swing gala raises $80,000 for local conservation groups
  9. Little Compton celebrates 350th anniversary with parade, music Saturday
  10. Letter to the Editor: Stop wasting millions on duplicate administration—our students deserve better

📅 What’s Up Today

Weather Forecast

  • Today: Patchy dense fog before noon. Otherwise, mostly cloudy, with a high near 79. Light south wind increasing to 8 to 13 mph in the morning.
  • Tonight: A slight chance of showers before 3am, then a slight chance of showers after 4am. Areas of fog before 11pm, then areas of fog after 2am. Otherwise, cloudy, with a low around 71. South wind 7 to 10 mph. Chance of precipitation is 20%.
  • Tomorrow: Showers likely, with thunderstorms also possible after 11am. Areas of fog before 8am. Otherwise, mostly cloudy, with a high near 81. South wind 6 to 8 mph. Chance of precipitation is 70%. New rainfall amounts between a quarter and half of an inch possible.

Marine Forecast

  • Today: Variable winds less than 5 kt becoming SSW 6 to 11 kt in the morning. Patchy dense fog before noon. Seas 1 ft or less.
  • Tonight: S wind 6 to 9 kt. A slight chance of showers before 3am, then a slight chance of showers after 4am. Areas of fog between 10pm and 11pm, then Areas of fog after 2am. Seas 1 ft or less.
  • Tomorrow: SSW wind 5 to 7 kt. Showers likely, with thunderstorms also possible after 11am. Areas of fog before 8am. Seas 1 ft or less.
  • The coastal water temperature is 67 degrees.

Sun, Moon & Tide

  • Sunrise at 5:52 am. Sunset at 7:47 pm. 13 hours & 54 minutes of sun.
  • High tide at 11:29 am & 11:51 pm. Low tide at 4:29 am & 5:04 pm.
  • The lunar phase is a Waning Gibbous.

Things To Do

Live Music & Entertainment

Newport County Public Meetings

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Ryan Belmore is the owner and publisher of What's Up Newp. He took over the publication in 2012 and has grown it into a three-time Rhode Island Monthly Best Local News Blog (2018, 2019, 2020). He was named LION Publishers Member of the Year in 2020 and received the Dominique Award from the Arts & Cultural Society of Newport County the same year. He has been awarded grants for investigative and community journalism, and continues to coach and mentor new local news publications nationwide. Ryan...