Recap: Fourth Annual Grateful Dead Tribute Festival!

The forecast—calling for morning showers and afternoon thunderstorms with gusty winds—didn't deter the Friends of Harmony Hall from going forward with the Fourth Annual Grateful Dead Tribute Music & Craft Festival on Sunday, July 27th.

Organizer and Friends of Harmony Hall board member Kathy Goldman wasn’t swayed. “I never believe the weather forecast,” she said, noting that it’s often wrong. And so, the team pressed on with preparations—even as the morning began with a steady downpour. Luckily vendors had already setup and were able to take refuge under tents until the rain passed through. True to form, undeterred Deadheads began streaming in soon after, ready to celebrate—rain or shine!

The music finally kicked off after a half-hour rain delay. When the first band and festival newcomer Noah Flint's All Things Garcia hit the stage, it was like a divine intervention. The clouds parted, quite literally, and the gospel-tinged echoes of Jerry Garcia’s legacy rolled out like a wave of sonic salvation, immersing the damp crowd in groove and good vibes.

Next up - Dead Meat, returning for the second time, cranked up the energy with a scorching cover of Ozzy Osbourne's War Pigs. It was both a thunderous tribute to the "Godfather of Heavy Metal" and a fitting farewell, as the Black Sabbath legend had passed just days earlier at 76. The performance didn’t just rock—it hypnotized the hippy Deadheads, leaving them somewhere between headbanging and levitating.

For the grand finale, we were thrilled to welcome back - four years running! - the incomparable Tony Vee and his Uncle Shoehorn's Big Easy band, (formerly known as the Funky Dance Party). Tony’s been busier than a one-man brass band, jamming with musicians far and wide, so we count ourselves lucky that he and the crew made the pilgrimage once again. And let’s be honest—every time they play at Harmony Hall, the weather behaves like it's trying to impress them. Clearly, they’ve got a hotline to the festival gods!

As the day wound down on the great lawn, many departing guests & vendors expressed their enthusiasm for an enjoyable day.

Our two annual music festivals and year-round programs make significant restoration progress possible at the 1848 house. Concert goers were able to see the 2025 front porch restoration underway, and a banner donated by a board member expressed the ongoing gratitude which The Friends of Harmony Hall have for our event attendees, members and donors.

Thank you to our amazing sponsors for which our music festivals wouldn't be possible: Valley Rock Inn, CORE Building Materials

Next up is our 15th Annual Highlands Bluegrass Music & Craft Festival on Sunday, September 7th, 1:00pm-5:00pm! $15 Advance sale tickets are available now through Saturday September 6th, 11:00pm. $20.00 Day of, Kids (12-17) $5.00, Under 12 Free.

Recap: Fourth Annual Grateful Dead Tribute Festival!