On a warm July evening at CMAC, with the sun dropping behind the hills of the Finger Lakes and fifteen thousand people settling into lawn chairs with local wine in hand, it is easy to forget you are technically sitting on a community college campus. The Constellation Brands-Marvin Sands Performing Arts Center, universally known as CMAC, occupies a stretch of the Finger Lakes Community College grounds in Canandaigua that transforms each summer into one of the most scenic concert settings in the Northeast. It is the venue where the music is almost secondary to the experience, and that is meant as a compliment.
The Roots
CMAC exists because of one man’s conviction that the Finger Lakes deserved a world-class performing arts venue. In 1983, Marvin Sands, founder of Canandaigua Wine Company (which would eventually become Constellation Brands, the Fortune 500 beverage giant), partnered with community leaders to establish the Finger Lakes Performing Arts Center on the FLCC campus. That original facility seated about 2,600 and hosted its first performances that year.
The venue built a loyal following over the next two decades, drawing acts that ranged from the Rochester Philharmonic Orchestra to Eric Clapton, who performed on June 23, 1985. Whitney Houston sang here in 1987. Bob Dylan closed a 1989 performance with a rendition of “All Along the Watchtower” that people still talk about.
By the mid-2000s, the original amphitheater had outgrown its capacity. A privately funded $13.5 million rebuild, financed through the sale of 54 VIP boxes, resulted in the current facility, which opened around 2007. The venue was renamed the Constellation Brands-Marvin Sands Performing Arts Center in honor of its founding patron and the company he built. Everyone still calls it CMAC.
The Setting
What separates CMAC from every other amphitheater in upstate New York is context. The venue sits in the heart of Finger Lakes wine country, surrounded by rolling hills, vineyards, and the kind of pastoral beauty that makes people move upstate on purpose. Canandaigua Lake, one of the smaller but most picturesque of the Finger Lakes, is just minutes away. The drive to CMAC from Rochester takes about 30 minutes and passes through some of the most pleasant landscape in the region.
This is not an isolated concert-only destination. A CMAC show is an excuse to build an entire Finger Lakes day: hit a few wineries in the morning, grab lunch on the Canandaigua waterfront, and roll into the venue for an evening show. The surrounding area is dense with tasting rooms: Arbor Hill, Hazlitt Red Cat Cellars, and Inspire Moore Winery are all within a short drive. The tourism infrastructure of the Finger Lakes is mature and welcoming, which means lodging, dining, and activities are abundant.
The Venue
CMAC holds approximately 15,000 people: 5,000 in covered pavilion seats and around 10,000 on the lawn. The pavilion is a well-designed structure with seats that offer genuine protection from weather and consistently good sightlines. Even the far sides of the covered section maintain reasonable views of the stage.
The lawn is where CMAC earns its reputation. It is spacious, well-graded, and set against a backdrop of trees and sky that makes for an almost unfairly beautiful concert environment. Lawn chairs and blankets are allowed, which immediately elevates the experience beyond venues that force you to stand on bare grass for three hours. Gates typically open one hour before showtime, and regulars know that the early arrivals claim the prime spots in the center of the lawn closest to the pavilion.
The venue also offers a Cabana section, a premium lawn option where the first 100 ticketholders get access to Adirondack chairs. When it is available for your show, it is worth the upgrade.
CMAC is also the summer home of the Rochester Philharmonic Orchestra, which adds a layer of cultural credibility to the programming that goes beyond the typical amphitheater pop-country-classic rock rotation. The booking in recent years has been consistently strong: Dave Matthews, Kenny Chesney, Mumford and Sons, Luke Bryan, Hans Zimmer, and Lynyrd Skynyrd have all played here.
Parking and Getting There
CMAC is located at 3355 Marvin Sands Drive, Canandaigua, NY. From Rochester, take I-90 East to Route 332 South, then follow signs to FLCC. From Syracuse, I-90 West to the same exit. The drive is straightforward and well-signed once you are close.
General parking is $10, cash only. That is a detail worth remembering, because the parking attendants will not have a card reader and the ATM line is not where you want to spend your evening. Premium Parking is sold in advance through Ticketmaster and typically runs $20. The premium lot is closer to the gates and empties significantly faster after the show. Regulars swear by the extra $10: you can be on the road in 5 to 10 minutes post-show versus up to an hour from the general lot.
There is also a shuttle service called “Community Valet” that runs from select restaurants in downtown Canandaigua to CMAC for $5 per person or $10 per table. This is the best-kept secret at the venue. Park downtown, have dinner, hop the shuttle, and skip the parking situation entirely.
Food and Drink
Outside food and drinks are not allowed at CMAC, but the venue sources from local New York vendors and the options are better than the typical amphitheater fare. Expect pizza, BBQ, nachos, and a selection of Finger Lakes wines and local craft beers at the concession stands.
The smarter play, however, is to eat in downtown Canandaigua before the show. The town has a vibrant restaurant scene that punches above its weight.
Insider Tips
- The Community Valet shuttle is the move. Eat downtown, take the $5 shuttle, avoid the parking lot entirely. This is what locals do.
- Bring cash for parking. General lot is $10 cash only. No exceptions. No card readers.
- Lawn strategy: Gates open one hour before showtime. If you want a prime center-lawn spot, be in line when they open. Bring chairs, not just a blanket. People in chairs tend to get better views than those sitting on the ground once the crowd fills in.
- Wine country day trip: Build your CMAC show into a full Finger Lakes itinerary. Hit Hazlitt Red Cat Cellars or Inspire Moore in the afternoon, dinner in Canandaigua, then the show. It is one of the best day-to-night experiences in upstate New York.
- Weather prep: The pavilion seats are covered, but the lawn is fully exposed. Afternoons can be hot, and evening storms are possible. Sunscreen, layers, and a packable rain poncho cover your bases.
Parking
General parking is $10, cash only. Premium parking is $20, sold in advance via Ticketmaster. Premium lot offers significantly faster exit (5-10 minutes vs. up to an hour). Community Valet shuttle runs from select downtown Canandaigua restaurants for $5/person. Lots open before gates.
Nearby
- Nolan’s on Canandaigua Lake — Lakeside dining with Finger Lakes wine and a seasonal menu that leans into local ingredients.
- KiX on Main (Main Street, Canandaigua) — Upscale-casual spot on the main drag, popular for pre-show dinners.
- Rheinblick German Restaurant (Canandaigua) — Authentic German fare and imported beer, a local institution with character to spare.