Lincoln Hill Farms turns up the heat with more high-profile concerts, DSP Shows partnership 

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Lincoln Hill Farms, the bucolic event and concert space situated on more than 95 acres of Canandaigua farmland, wasn’t always the popular summer show spot it is now.

Things began modestly in 2018, when the venue hosted its first show on a rental stage and served as the location for a few weddings. By the following year, Lincoln Hill had firmly established itself as a regional go-to for Americana and jam band-friendly music with hippie vibes. Lincoln Hill’s concert booker, Jon Willis, had scheduled more than 100 musical acts to play during the 2020 summer season.

While COVID stalled Lincoln Hill Farms’s swiftly rising star, it couldn’t shoot it out of the sky. More than 60 different artists will play the outdoor stage this summer, and the concerts have shifted to include additional popular touring artists like the saxophone-centric dance band Moon Hooch on June 11 and singer-songwriter Shakey Graves on August 9 as well as high-profile ’90s throwback acts Toad the Wet Sprocket, The Wallflowers, and Guster (June 22, August 4, and August 8 respectively).
“Nostalgia sells,” Willis said. “We're at a time in our lives right now (where) we want to embrace our past and things we enjoyed musically, and try to relive it to see if it's still as good as it was back then.”

There are other changes to Lincoln Hill’s 2023 concert series as well. Regional concert promotion company DSP Shows has come on board to present several of the national shows in conjunction with Willis and the venue. These upcoming performances include singer-songwriter Joan Osborne on June 2 with her homage to Jerry Garcia and indie rock band Deer Tick on June 8, followed by the rock scions in The Allman Betts Band on July 7 and bluegrass legend Del McCoury and his band on July 15. Roots reggae artist Matisyahu returns on August 12.

Lincoln Hill Farms will also host a free Father’s Day event on June 18, a Fourth of July celebration featuring an extensive fireworks display, and its annual BrewFest on August 5 featuring headlining musician Keller Williams playing Grateful Dead covers with the modern bluegrass band The Hillbenders.
Sunday Fun Days, the venue’s free, family-friendly series, will continue to spotlight local bands, although the weekend concerts will be scaled down from weekly events throughout the summer to just four Sundays in July.

“We want to make sure that all financial walks of life can get some enjoyment out of what we have,” Willis said. “We want everybody to get to feel the vibe of the farm and how great it is, and just enjoy a nice day.”

Folk musician Ben Haravitch, AKA Benny Bleu, is set to play with his band The Brothers Blue on July 2. He recalls playing Lincoln Farms with guitarist Max Flansburg for the “Long Hard Year” album release show in 2021, and fishing for bass with Flansburg in the pond just behind the Silo Bar before the concert. He says Lincoln Hill’s surroundings set it apart from other venues, and noted the venue’s versatility in accommodating both prominent touring artists and local musicians with a large following.

“You're on a farm that has a lot of trees around it, there's a pond,” Haravitch said. “You really do feel removed from suburbia, and you're in a very cool atmosphere.”
Lincoln Hill Farms is dog-friendly, though leashes are required, and multiple food and beverage options (alcoholic and non-alcoholic) are available for purchase on site. Parking is $10 (cash only) per car for all events, with the exception of free parking on Father’s Day, Sunday Fun Days, and HalloweenFest. Carpool parking with four or more people is free except on July 4.

Daniel J. Kushner is an arts writer at CITY. He can be reached at [email protected].