During the summer months, Western New Yorkers are blessed with an abundance of festivals and events. These happenings are often set in beautiful or unique locations. Surrounded by over 250 sculptures, the annual Griffis Sculpture Park Summer Festival certainly stands out as place where the landscape shares the spotlight with the event’s music and art.
On Sunday, August 19th, the popular regional folk rock band, Driftwood will headline the sixth annual Griffis Sculpture Park Summer Festival. It will be a day filled with top-notch music, creative experiences for all ages, food trucks and a beer and wine garden. The event will take place from 2:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m., with gates opening at 12 noon.
Griffis Sculpture Park is owned and operated by the Ashford Hollow Foundation in Buffalo. The concert will take place at Mill Valley section of the park, located at 6902 Mill Valley Road, East Otto.
Over the past few years, Driftwood has increasingly become one of the hottest bands and festival favorites on the East Coast. Hailing from Binghamton, NY, the four-piece has been steadily building a fan base in Western New York, via performances at the Great Blue Heron Music Festival and club gigs at The Sportsmens Tavern. They have been described as “a band with a rock n’ roll soul and a folk art mind.”
Additional performers are: The Probables (roots rock from former Big Leg Emma members), Slyboots School of Music (African drum & dance group), Kaleidoscope Sky (reggae and rock) and poet, Autumn Echo.
Admission will be $20 advance, $25 day of show for adults, 12 and under FREE. Gates open at 12 noon. Tickets can be purchased online at: eventbrite.com
The event will be taking place on the top of the hill at the Mill Valley site of the park. Guests must be able to endure a 10-minute walk uphill to the festival site. There will also be a shuttle. Guests are encouraged to bring blankets, chairs and small coolers. The festival will feature a few food booths, as well as a beer and wine garden on-site.
The park was created in the late 1960s by visionary artist Larry Griffis. What started out as a location for many of his massive pieces, the Griffis Sculpture Park features over 250 works by national and international artists. The park has also been the scene of some memorable music events, including a legendary 1991 concert by 10,000 Maniacs (lead image), a 1994 performance by The Band, as well as The Canadian Invasion shows in the early 1990s.