Newport Folk Festival 2011: Decemberists, Emmylou Harris, Wanda Jackson

The Newport Folk Festival will, once again, return to Fort Adams State Park in Rhode Island on July 30 and 31. The lineup for the 52nd edition of the esteemed and historically-significant festival is as diverse as ever, with headliners the Decemberists and Emmylou Harris anchoring a bill that also includes Wanda Jackson, Gogol Bordello, Middle Brother, the Felice Brothers, Tegan & Sara, and Gillian Welsh. It is also the year that Elvis Costello will unplug for a solo acoustic set. In other words, the folk-music tradition which the event was built upon will continue to flirt with outside genres -- yet, of course, it all somehow rolls together.

"The goal, as always, is to serve the festival's musical heritage, which to me is paying respect to older groundbreakers while championing young chance takers," explains co-producer Jay Sweet, in a statement released to the press. "This is Newport's blueprint ... folk music is, and will always be, a living tradition, constantly evolving. As long as we stay true to this simple credo, we'll be around another half century and beyond."

While that may be true, let's focus first on this year's edition: tickets go on sale Thursday, March 31 at 10AM. To peep the deets, visit the official website. And, if he asks... just tell Bob Dylan sorry, but you can't seem to find the plug.