Your Guide: Rhythm & Roots Festival

What Labor Day weekend in Rhode Island is complete without some rhythm and roots? Venture below the Apponaug-Dixon line for the 16th Annual Rhythm and Roots Festival in Charlestown. It will be a weekend full of blues, R&B, Cajun, folk and more, starting Friday at 4 p.m. and ending on Sunday at midnight.

This year’s festivities are putting an extra emphasis on Gulf Coast music and lots of it as event organizers have added a fifth stage. Host band Cedric Watson et Bijou Creole will be joined by Jim Kweskin, Steve Earle & the Dukes, the Taj Mahal Trio and 36 on the event’s stages. Check here for the full artist schedule.

The event is a huge draw, bringing thousands from 24 states – many of whom camp out for the weekend’s celebration at Ninigret Park.

Festival hours run from 5 p.m. to midnight on Friday and noon to midnight on Saturday and Sunday. (Don’t worry: the party usually continues on late into the night!)

Those looking for a family-friendly event this weekend should not be deterred, however. Rhythm and Roots features a family stage with award-winning storytellers Keith Munslow and Marc Levitt during the day and classic movies (G-rated, of course!) at night. If the family stage or the Kids Academy aren’t enough to entertain the youngsters, Ninigret Park’s state-of-the-art playground is only a few steps away!

Tickets prices vary between $45 for Friday and $200 for the full weekend with camping. Visit the festival’s site for my details on pricing and tickets.