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There is something almost too perfect about hearing Jerry Garcia’s music performed with a full symphony orchestra in the middle of Finger Lakes wine country. The Jerry Garcia Symphonic Celebration arrives at CMAC — the Constellation Brands-Marvin Sands Performing Arts Center — in Canandaigua on September 1, 2026 at 7:00 PM, and the pairing of this program with this venue feels less like a booking and more like a benediction.
The Symphonic Celebration is not a Grateful Dead cover set with strings bolted on. This is a reimagining. Garcia’s melodies — those long, patient, luminous lines that wound through decades of Dead shows and solo albums — are reorchestrated for full symphony. The improvisational spirit stays intact, but the palette expands into something Garcia himself explored during his later years with David Grisman and the Jerry Garcia Band. Woodwinds carrying what the guitar once carried. A full string section breathing into the spaces between notes. It is a different way to hear music you already know, and it rewards deep listeners and newcomers alike.
About the Program
The touring production draws from the full breadth of Garcia’s catalog — Grateful Dead staples, Jerry Garcia Band material, and acoustic collaborations. Each performance is shaped by the orchestra and conductor on a given night, which means the CMAC show will not be a carbon copy of any other date on the tour. For the Dead faithful, this is an invitation to hear familiar songs through an entirely new lens. For classical music fans, it is an encounter with one of the most distinctive melodic voices in American popular music.
Venue Info
CMAC sits on the northern tip of Canandaigua Lake in the heart of the Finger Lakes wine region. The amphitheater holds about 15,000, and the setting is gorgeous — rolling vineyard hills, clean sight lines from the lawn, and a natural acoustics bowl that flatters orchestral music in particular. The sound here is excellent by outdoor standards, and on a September evening with the lake effect keeping the air comfortable, this is one of the most beautiful concert experiences in New York State.
The real CMAC move is to build your day around the show. The Finger Lakes wine trail runs right through Canandaigua. Hit a few tasting rooms in the afternoon, grab dinner on Main Street, and walk into the amphitheater with the sunset behind you. There is no better way to close out the summer concert season.
Tickets & Pricing
Tickets are on sale now through Ticketmaster. Gates at 7:00 PM. Garcia’s music, a full orchestra, and a Finger Lakes sunset. Some evenings you just cannot improve upon.