Jamestown,NY
Labor Day Weekend 2026 will mark a historic homecoming in Jamestown as 10,000 Maniacs celebrate their 45th Anniversary. The band, who first performed on Labor Day weekend 1981, will host an arts festival culminating in a benefit concert on Saturday, September 5, 2026, at the Reg Lenna Center for the Arts. Proceeds from the show will benefit three distinct funds at the Chautauqua Region Community Foundation.
The headline concert will be the crown jewel in a multi-day arts festival featuring live performances, archival exhibitions, and community events. The festival will highlight the artistic spirit and cultural legacy of the band, bringing together musicians, artists, activists, fans, local businesses and community organizations for a weekend of programming honoring the intersection of art, labor, history and education.
Thursday, September 3:
Thursday, September 3, Madness Most Discreet Presents: A Bright Room Called Day featuring work from Sukanya Burman Dance, at 7pm. This contemporary staging of Tony Kushner’s A Bright Room Called Day explores themes of political responsibility, artistic integrity, and social upheaval through an intimate and highly stylized production in which four performers portray the play’s full cast of characters. The performance reflects the same spirit of social awareness, artistic experimentation, and emotional storytelling that has long defined the music and legacy of 10,000 Maniacs.
Friday, September 4:
An opening reception for Maniacs 45: An Archival Retrospective at the Weeks Gallery at Jamestown Community College at 4pm. Taking place on the campus where the founding members of 10,000 Maniacs first met, this special exhibition will showcase archival photographs, memorabilia, recordings, posters, and artifacts spanning the band’s 45-year history. The retrospective traces the evolution of the group from its earliest beginnings in Jamestown to its enduring international influence. After the opening reception, the show can be viewed all weekend during normal gallery hours. This is a free event.
Dead Letter Office, an R.E.M. Tribute band at 6pm, will hold a free open air concert at Winter Garden Plaza in downtown Jamestown.
Fans will have an opportunity to hear unreleased material from 10,000 Maniacs at 8pm, ahead of the band’s forthcoming record release during an exclusive New Record Listening Party upstairs at the Reg Lenna Center for the Arts Media Arts Studio. The evening will include refreshments and a first look at new music from the legendary hometown band. Tickets are limited for this event.
Saturday, September 5:
Fans will have a chance to take photos with the 10,000 Maniacs for a pre-concert VIP Meet and Greet at the Reg Lenna Center for the Arts Media Arts Studio. This is a ticketed event at 6pm.
The festival will culminate with the 10,000 Maniacs 45th Anniversary Concert Extravaganza at 7:30pm. This special concert will celebrate the band’s music and honor its legacy while raising support for three scholarship funds created to honor those loved by the band: The Aaron Perez Fund (Jamestown Community College media arts students), The B&B Fund (mothers attending college in Western New York and Western Pennsylvania), and the Robert Buck Memorial Scholarship Fund (assist college music students) at the Chautauqua Region Community Foundation. The festival is made possible by the generosity of local sponsors, Southern Chautauqua Federal Credit Union and UBS Financial Services.
Learn more or get tickets at reglenna.com.