The Heron, Sherman, NY
– The 32nd annual Great Blue Heron Music Festival continues their flight into a fourth decade of music, dance and community at the Heron Farm & Event Center over Independence holiday weekend: Friday, July 4th through Sunday, July 6th. Three dozen bands are scheduled to perform across four stages, including Andy Frasco & the UN, Beats Antique, Donna the Buffalo, The Rumble, Dustbowl Revival, Jimkata and Driftwood. The weekend also offers a wide range of activities including drum circles, healing arts and instrument workshops, dance lessons, food and craft vendors, local beer and wine, biking, hiking, swimming in a lifeguarded pond, and daily activities for kids and teens.
Weekend tickets are on sale now for two-, three- and four-day tickets with upgrades for RVs and tent camping next to your vehicle. One-day tickets are available for Saturday and Sunday. All tickets include free Red Lot parking and walk-in tent camping in the woods. Details at greatblueheron.com
Owner and founder Julie Rockcastle is dedicating this year’s event to the festival co-founder and local music impresario David Tidquist, who passed away in November 2024. The Heron’s main stage has been officially christened as “David’s Stage” and there will be a “Sharing of Stories & Songs” on Friday.
This year also marks the return of the Tiger Maple Stage, featuring daily musician-led instrument workshops, an evening Maple Jam that showcases regional songwriting talent (hosted by Tyler Wescott), and a midnight drum circle on Friday and Saturday. And recent enhancements to the Dragon Stage are sure to make the musical memories at this newest deep-in-the-woods venue even more magical this year.
Finger Lakes root-rock favorites Donna the Buffalo have long played the role of the Heron “house band,” and will maintain that tradition with two big sets on the main stage and an all-night shindig in the dance tent as their alter-ego: Buffalo Zydeco. Making their Heron debut as headliners are LA’s feel-good party masters Andy Frasco & the UN, San Francisco’s experimental global fusion and electronic music group Beats Antique, American roots orchestra The Dustbowl Revival, and Grammy-nominated New Orleans band The Rumble featuring Big Chief Joseph Boudreaux Jr. They will be joined by the blazing newgrass of Virginia’s Shadowgrass, the soulful pop of Tennessee’s Florencia & the Feeling, Chicago-based groove-fusion outfit Sneezy, and Cool Cool Cool: a fiery nine-piece funk band featuring former members of Turkuaz. Back by popular demand are the rollicking Americana of New England’s Ryan Montbleau Band, the globally-inspired grooves of Ithaca’s Sim Redmond Band and New Planets, the thrilling electro-rock of Jimkata, and Binghamton’s beloved song-driven folk-rockers Driftwood.
While live music is the centerpiece, the festival offers plenty of activities for the whole family. Play music at an instrument workshop, practice wellness in the Revival Tent, or learn new steps with an instructor-led dance lesson. There is also a full slate of creative activities for both younger children and teens, a new space for the spirited drum circle, and a lifeguard-protected sandy beach on the spring-fed pond for a cool swim on a warm summer’s day. And there is no need to cook, as there are many great options for prepared food and drink, including a coffee bar, plus local beer and wine.
For tickets and information about the Great Blue Heron Music Festival: www.greatblueheron.com
More info on the farm store, lodging, and gatherings at the Heron Farm & Event Center: theheron.org
Questions? Contact: Julie Rockcastle, Phone: 716-761-7190, Email: info@theheron.org