Warren Folk Festival is this Sunday

Newport has its folk festival, but Warren is all about its Folks. The Collaborative’s second annual Folks Festival is coming this weekend.

The party — live music, art, craft beer and plenty of food — runs Sunday, Aug. 6, from 2 to 8 p.m. at 30 Cutler St. The festival is put on by The Collaborative, Warrens’ all volunteer non-profit arts organization, along with 30 Cutler Street and Chomp Kitchen & Drinks.

During its first running last year, the Folks Fest drew close to 400 and organizers are hoping for more this year.

“We were able to evaluate what worked last year and where we could improve,” said Collaborative Executive Director Uriah Donnelly. “We had no idea what to expect last year and were honestly a bit overwhelmed by the turnout.”

This year’s festival will feature art from local artists, including many members of The Collaborative, and a crafts table for kids sponsored by Jeff and Sam Danielian. There will also be food from local restaurants including Eli's Kitchen and Balasco's Pizzeria, and from Rogue Island Local Kitchen & Bar in Providence.

“We started out last year with just an idea to have a pig roast with a few friends. That turned into a full-fledged festival and we ran out of food,” Mr. Donnelly said. “This time, in order to keep up with demand, we’ve reached out to local restaurants instead of trying to do it all ourselves.”

Each food vendor will donate a percentage of their sales to The Collaborative. Also, Chomp Kitchen & Drinks is in charge of a craft beer garden, with all proceeds going to The Collaborative. Beers by Lagunitas Brewing Co, Whalers Brewing, Two Roads Brewing, Left Hand Brewing, and many more will be available.

This year's music stage features Ian Fitzgerald & Something Else, Six Star General, Jodie Treloar Sampson, Junior Beat, Natural Vibes, Viking Jesus, and The Low Cards. The music is sponsored in part by contributions from Sage Cellars and many local people who donated through a Facebook fund-raiser.

“We couldn’t pay the bands last year and that bothered us,” Mr. Donnelly said. “Our mission is to support local artists and a large part of that is paying them for their work. So we started a fund-raiser and a sponsorship program to ensure that never happens again.” 
All proceeds go to The Collaborative to help their mission to support and grow the arts in all forms here in Warren. Entry is free, and it’s rain or shine.

For more information about the event or The Collaborative, email info@thecollaborative02885.org or visit www.thecollaborative02885.org.