The 2021 Newport Folk Festival edition known as “Folk On” is now part of folk history. The six-day Festival (conceived as two three-day mini-fests), with half capacity crowds due to Covid, was a resounding success.

The Festival felt a little different, with smaller crowds and stripped-down sets from many artists. Still, the vibe was pure NFF. The vast majority of those who attended walked away completely satisfied with many already making plans for next year’s event.

Wednesday, July 28th featured standout performances from several artists, many making their first live appearance since the pandemic began. High energy sets from Deer Tick, Lake Street Dive and Black Pumas were certainly highlights. Fan favorites Katie Pruitt, Chris Thile and newcomer Jake Blount had the crowd hanging on every note. Local artists Matt Fraza and Honest Charlie kept things real.

We’re sharing a few photos of Day 6 from Lifestyle Editor Ken Abrams (Note: Deer Tick photos courtesy of Gary Alpert). Folk On!

  • Lake Street Dive
  • Deer TIck
  • Jake Blount
  • Deer Tick
  • Jay Sweet
  • Lake Street Dive
  • Black Pumas
  • Lake Street Dive
  • Black Pumas
  • Black Pumas
  • Matt Fraza
  • Busking Stage
  • Honest Charlie
  • Jake Blount
  • Oliver Hazard Perry Ship
  • Busking
  • Early James
  • Folk Fans
  • Early James
  • Rashy Rashid
  • Katie Pruitt
  • Chris Thile
  • Jonathan Russell
  • Watchhouse
  • J. P. Harris
  • Julien Baker

Lifestyle Editor Ken Abrams writes about music, the arts and more for What'sUpNewp. He is also an Editor and Writer for Hey Rhody Media. Ken DJ's "The Kingston Coffeehouse," a roots/folk/rock radio show every Tuesday, 6-9 PM on WRIU 90.3 FM. He is a former educator in the Scituate, RI school system where he taught Social Studies for over 30 years. He is on the board of the Rhode Island Folk Festival and Newport Live (formerly Common Fence Music), a non-profit that brings diverse musical acts to...