Newport Police have issued a traffic advisory for the sold-out Newport Folk Festival, running Friday, July 24, through Sunday, July 26, at Fort Adams State Park, with road closures and traffic pattern changes in effect each day.
Beginning at 8 a.m. daily, the northbound lane of Harrison Avenue between the Fort Adams entrance and the intersection of Beacon Hill Road will be closed to motor vehicles and reserved for bicycles only. Motor vehicle traffic on that stretch will be limited to the southbound lane toward Fort Adams. The pattern remains in effect until approximately 9 p.m. each night.
Police say the festival typically draws 1,400 to 1,600 cyclists per day, making the dedicated bike lane a key safety measure. Drivers needing to reach the southern end of Harrison Avenue past Fort Adams are advised to use Ocean Avenue from Bellevue Avenue as an alternate route.
Vehicles typically begin leaving Fort Adams around 7:30 p.m. Heavy traffic is expected on Harrison Avenue, Ruggles Avenue, Bellevue Avenue, Narragansett Avenue, Coggeshall Avenue, Annandale Road, Memorial Boulevard, and throughout the downtown area. Traffic will be dispersed on Memorial Boulevard. Downtown businesses and restaurants will remain open and accessible throughout the weekend.
Update: Bike Newport’s Bari Freeman, who is coordinating with Newport Police on festival traffic management, notes that the bike lane hours and routes vary by day and differ from the details in the police advisory. The most accurate and comprehensive information on biking to the Folk Festival — including the specific route in effect each day from 3 to 6 p.m. — is posted on Bike Newport’s website at bikenewportri.org.
