The Newport Folk Festival may not be a monster fest on the order of a Bonnaroo or a Coachella, but it has rejuvenated itself over the last half dozen years into a premier summer stop for a broad range of alternative, indie, country-rock and folk acts. Much of the rejuvenation has been the result of a conscious decision by festival organizers to loosen the definition of “folk” to include a much wider swath of bands – really anybody who could plausibly include an acoustic guitar at least somewhere in their set list.

Great music, great venue, great weather. The Newport Folk Festival has succeeded in reinventing itself in recent years, adopting a broader definition of “folk” that has allowed for the inclusion of a wide range of what might be called “folk-inspired” bands, while still paying homage to its acoustic guitar-strumming roots.

The Newport Festivals Foundation has announced the lineup for the 2012 Newport Folk Festival set to take place July 28-29 once again at the picturesque Fort Adams State Park.

Tickets go on sale worldwide Thursday, March 1, at 10:00 am at www.newportfolkfest.net.

An exciting mix of folk music's founding voices and modern favorites highlights the 52^nd edition of the Newport Folk Festival ® when it returns to Newport's Fort Adams State Park July 30-31, it was announced today by the Newport Festivals Foundation, the recently-formed 501 (c)(3) non-profit organization which produces the event.