It took a half of a century + 3 more years, but this country’s finest family-friendly music festival got even more family-friendly and in the process, even more finer.
LEGO Duplo (yay!) and Late July Organic Snacks (yum!) took the plunge as inaugural sponsors of a Kids Zone at the famed Newport Folk Festival and were rewarded with a steady stream of families playing, munching, resting, and listening to one of the true greats of modern kid’s music as well as a parade of special guests.
The LEGO Duplo Kids Zone was situated near the gates to the beer garden which means it was along the water. Hurray. It was also completely in the shade. Yippee. It provided free snacks from Late July Organics. Delicious. It featured performances in 20-minute increments in-between main (Fort) stage acts. Brilliant. It had three huge LEGO building tables with thousands of Duplo blocks, animals and figures for playing. Incredible. All that and it was produced magnificently. How so? The Kids Zone’s activities and music appeared to be pulled off flawlessly. This is no small feet because the organizers managed to get the following acts to swing by and play for the kiddos:
- Freelance Whales w/ PS 22 Chorus
- David Wax Museum
- Ellis Paul
- Low Anthem
- Aiofe O’Donovan from Crooked Still
- Kristin Andreassen from Uncle Earl
- Pete Seeger, for multiple sets!
This was in addition to the “house” band Elizabeth Mitchell and You Are My Flower. All of this happened seamlessly – the action under the tent and on the stage was fluid and fun. I’ve been to 6 of the last 8 Newport Folk Fests, having taken young children to the first 4 of them. I always imaged – dreamed of – something like this. And really, neither myself nor the Newport Folk Fest organizations couldn’t have asked for and received a better start to what hopefully will be a new annual tradition.
And now, photos of the LEGO Duplo Kids Zone at the 2011 Newport Folk Festival.
With its generally pleasant weather, water views and breeze, laid back vibe, and the close proximity of the three main stages, the Newport Folk Fest has long been a premier destination for music loving families. Now, with the addition of a shaded, breezy stage dedicated to children and their grown-ups, the 2-day Rhode Island event has cemented itself as the gem of North American music festivals.
