Newport Folk Festival kicked off yesterday in Newport, RI with a day of music that saw country legend Kris Kristofferson make a surprise appearance to the Museum Stage following daughter Kelly’s set with the Appalachian Murder Bunnies.

Festival promoter Jay Sweet took the stage prior to Kristofferson’s set and told the story of how he played one of his first shows under his own name when Johnny Cash famously said he would not go on unless Kristofferson played a few songs first.

Elsewhere on the festival grounds, St. Paul and the Broken Bones played their final show before the release of their sophomore effort Sea of Noise. The typically high-energy set saw the band preview several new songs from their forthcoming record.

On the collaboration front, Delta Spirit’s Matthew Logan Vasquez played a solo set with sit-isn from Eric D. Johnson of Fruit Bats, who came out on “Many Roads to Cross.” In addition, the Parkington Sisters sat in for the majority of the set highlighted by a cover of John Prine’s “Angel From Montgomery.” Langhorne Slim also came out with Wild Child earlier in the day for “I Wish I Knew How it Would Feel to be Free.”

Additional highlights included Neko Case’s new Case/Lang/Veirs project offering up a cover of CSNY’s “Helpless” as well as a set from Dan Auerbach’s The Arcs and Ray LaMontagne, who was backed by Newport mainstays My Morning Jacket as he has been on this tour.

Following the early conclusion of the festival, capped off by a set from comedy duo Flight of the Conchords, fans descended onto the surrounding towns for aftershows including Shovels & Rope performing at Jane Pickens Theater as a benefit for the Boys & Girls Club of America.

The duo presented their Broken Jukebox show featuring a variety of covers with special guests Matt Vasquez, who added vocals and guitar to old folk tunes like “Wayfaring Stranger.”

Jonny Fritz also sat in for “Fingernails for Breakfast” by Shovels & Rope’s Michael Trent’s old band The Films. Vocalist Margo Price also came out for “Pain of Loving You” before Lucius helped close the set with “In My Room,” “Strangers” and “Peace Love and Understanding.”

Newport continues today with sets from Patti Smith, Norah Jones, Ryan Adams, Graham Nash, Father John Misty and many others.