Folk genre shines a light on Newport, Rhode Island's musical heritage

Newport, Rhode Island, is a stunning harbour city, 90 minutes from Boston. Home to a surprising musical heritage, its thriving folk scene has imbued this seaside town with a national reputation for live music.

This amazing city has so much to do. There are all kinds of restaurants, live music bars, and blues venues. There are local bands playing in the local bars. And there is so much to do.

The highlight of the city comes every year with the Newport Folk Festival. Legendary artists such as Bob Dylan, Johnny Cash and Joni Mitchell have performed here. We caught up with Jay Sweet, the festival's executive director, to find out more:

"Honestly, it's for the people that have a little bit of that, anti-authoritative, kind of egalitarian spirit. A 'if you have no home, you have one with us, because you're probably doing something that's non-conformist' vibe. I basically define that as my audience. I consider that 'the folk'," says Sweet.

The Newport Folk Festival sells out within 30 minutes and without announcing any artists. Something that, according to Jay, sets Newport Folk apart from the rest.

"There's a lot of trust. Our job is to give them an experience that makes them feel alive," he says.

From the very first festival, the idea was to create "a safe space for all the 'misfit musicians'", explains Jay. There needed to be a safe haven for artists who "speak truth to power" to have a place to do so. According to him, "It's a pretty heavy flame to keep lit."

Bob Dylan's first electric performance took place at the festival in 1965 and is now considered a pivotal moment in rock history. But Jay believes that to fully appreciate Newport, you have to venture into the waters surrounding the city.

Newport has over 400 miles of stunning