What to Wear (and Bring) to the Newport Folk Festival

One of Newport's most anticipated annual festivals is set for this weekend, and as always, it's sure not to disappoint. George Wein's Newport Folk Festival will kick off with a Friday night concert at the International Tennis Hall of Fame, featuring headliner Steve Martin with The Steep Canyon Rangers. Yep, it's Steve Martin of Saturday Night Live fame, but no, he will not be doing stand-up comedy. Martin—who has won two Grammy awards for his comedy albums- also picked up a Grammy in January for his banjo playing on his album, The Crow/New Songs for the Five-String Banjo.

Following the festival's opening on Friday night, there will be two full days of music on three stages at Fort Adams State Park, including over 30 artists in addition to vendors selling food and crafts. Just a few of the artists performing are Richie Havens, John Prine, Brandi Carlile, The Levon Helm Band, The Preservation Hall Jazz Band and The Avett Brothers. While many people like to moor their boats off of Fort Adams State Park and listen to the music for free, it's worth heading into the festival grounds to really enjoy this event in its full glory. With the first concert starting at 11:30 a.m. and the last band going after 7, it's important to be well-prepared for a long day of music, dancing, and, hopefully, sunshine.

Being well-prepared definitely means being well-dressed for whatever an outdoor festival (and Mother Nature) brings your way. To get some help picking out an outfit, Patch headed over to Green Envy Eco-Boutique in Brick Marketplace to pick out the ideal outfit to last you all festival long. While many women are always on the hunt for the perfect little black dress, Green Envy sells one by EcoKashmere ($62) that can be worn in 16 different ways, including as a skirt. This bamboo and cotton blend dress is available in three colors—black, nude and Fiji.

Rachel Lessne, owner of Green Envy Eco-Boutique, said this dress is perfect for the Newport Folk Festival because "it can transition from day to evening, while offering the ultimate in comfort."

"It can be worn so many different ways," Lessne said. "You can avoid getting tan lines by changing the straps around."

Spending the entire day outside and being so close the water, you'll also want to be sure to bring a swimsuit in case you feel the need to take a dip. A hand-painted reclaimed Lycra bandeau bikini by Meadow ($92) will fit nicely underneath without any pesky straps to interfere with the lines of the dress.

Pair the dress with a bracelet (Asta International, $29.98) and multi-colored drop earrings (The Andean Collection, $24), both made of Tagua nut—commonly referred to as "vegetable ivory"—for the perfect casual and comfortable look. Add sandals made from recycled tires and natural, chemical free leather to make the walk from the parking lot or docks a breeze.

Of course this isn't the type of event that you'll want to head to with just a cute outfit and your wallet. You're going to need somewhere to sit and a few other necessities as well. For those, we headed over to Island Pursuit on lower Thames Street.

In between all that dancing, you can take a rest on Island Pursuit's canvas and aluminum backpack chair ($59.50). Not only can you wear this chair on your back to transport it more easily, it also has a large pocket to hold all of your belongings. The attached cup holder is perfect for a re-usable water bottle (Sigg, $22.99), which you'll want in order to stay well hydrated while out in the sun all day. In addition to staying hydrated, you can pack the recycled sailcloth cooler by Sailor Bags ($54) with food and other non-alcoholic drinks.

To dry off after that dip in the ocean, you'll need Spartina 449s beach towel ($30), which has a beautiful print based on the patterns found in the Daufuskie Island Historical Foundation in South Carolina. A portion of the proceeds go back to the foundation.

When you need a break from the sun, pull out the wide-brimmed turquoise hat by Scala Dorfman ($29) that is not only crushable and packable, but also offers SPF protection of 50+. But don't forget the sunscreen too!

For tickets and more information about the artists appearing this year at the Newport Folk Festival, as well as restrictions on what can be brought into the park, and how to get there, go to www.newportfolkfest.net.