Folk Fest — All Is Not Lost!

I’m willing to bet you’re pretty bummed you didn’t get tickets to the sold-out Newport Folk Fest this year, right? You stay up late nights thinking about how you won’t get to see Roger Waters, The Decemberists, Hozier, Sufjan Stevens, Iron & Wine and First Aid Kit.

You’re not alone — a lot of us are here to keep you company while you mourn the loss of this year’s incredible lineup. Or have you?

Even though the Folk Fest is sold out, there’s still hope. Some of the artists who are playing the Fort’s stages by day are also performing at smaller venues by night. You just have to know where to look.

Of course, there’s the annual Deer Tick performance at the Blues Café during all three days of the festival, but tickets for that show are just as impossible to get your hands on as it is for the main event. But luckily, The Jane Pickens Theatre is one venue that’s swooping in to save the day with after-shows Thursday through Saturday. Though some of their shows are also sold out, you could be lucky enough to snag a ticket to see the Watkins Family Hour on Thursday the 23rd, State of the Union on Friday the 24th or Heartbreaker Banquet with a handful of other bands on Saturday the 25th if you search around the festival’s website: newportfolk.org/tickets

Hope restaurant on Broadway is another hot spot for after-party shows, hosting three bands both Friday and Saturday night. These shows still have some tickets left, so grab ‘em while you can!

Pro tip: Rumors has it that folk bands wind up last-minute as live entertainment for bars and other late-night venues around Newport, so you may just get lucky and score an ultra-intimate show without spending a dime! After the Fest is over for the day, just wander the streets and bar hop. Who knows? You might just get lucky.

While planning for this year’s festival, get nostalgic with these pictures from last year. Photos by Richard McCaffrey