Twenty years ago this month, a beloved Catskills music tradition kicked off with the debut of Mountain Jam at Hunter Mountain. After a pandemic-driven hiatus and shifting industry tides, the outdoor festival returns June 20–22—this time at Belleayre Mountain in Highmount.
Sixteen acts will take the stage over three days, headlined by three distinct but equally enthralling performers. Friday night features Houston instrumental trio Khruangbin, known for their psychedelic sound, infused with Thai and Middle Eastern grooves. Saturday brings Mt. Joy, a rootsy-quintet behind catchy tracks like “Silver Lining” and “Highway Queen.” On Sunday, Goose—today’s buzziest jam band—closes out the weekend with expansive originals and adventurous covers ranging from Nina Simone to Kate Bush.
“This year, it’s all about quality over quantity,” said founder Gary Chetkof. “A boutique-style festival with major festival talent, one stage, no overlapping sets, beautiful mountain surroundings, and thoughtful touches like our cannabis village, immersive art, and scenic gondola rides.”
Chetkof launched Mountain Jam in 2005 as a one-day celebration of Radio Woodstock’s 25th anniversary. That inaugural gathering drew 3,300 people and featured Gov’t Mule, Medeski, Martin & Wood, and Robert Randolph. Inspired by the enthusiastic response, Chetkof expanded the festival into a three-day camping event the following year.
The festival quickly earned a reputation for its communal spirit, extended jams, and eclectic mix, from legends like Robert Plant and Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers to emerging talents like Gary Clark Jr., Sturgill Simpson, and the Avett Brothers. The New York Times once called it a “little Bonnaroo” with a “varied roster built around groovy jam rock.”
Modeled in part on the ethos of Woodstock ‘69, Mountain Jam focused on camping, a communal vibe, and booking acts that played the kind of extended jams originated by the Grateful Dead and the Allman Brothers. The Allman Brothers Band’s 33-minute “Mountain Jam,” from their 1972 album “Eat a Peach,” inspired both the festival’s name and its musical DNA. Guitarist Warren Haynes, of the Allmans and Gov’t Mule, was a regular fixture.
Over the years, the Grateful Dead’s spirit was represented via Phil Lesh and Friends, and Bob Weir’s Ratdog. Lesh’s 2007 debut drew 10,000 people. The Allmans performed in 2009 and again five years later. At their 2014 concert, Gregg Allman relied on an oxygen tank as he sat behind his organ, and still delivered transcendent performances of the band’s early work.
“Mountain Jam has been on quite a journey over the past 20 years,” said Chetkof. “After years of growth, industry changes forced us to rethink the model. The festival got caught in a wave of big players and counterprogramming, and after COVID caused its cancellation, it sort of faded without a real goodbye. Getting it back took over five years, but once I did, I knew we had to do it differently.”
Now independently produced by Chetkof and his Radio Woodstock team, after past collaborations with Live Nation, Townsquare Media, and Bethel Woods Center for the Arts, the festival is capping ticket sales at 7,500 to recapture the intimacy of its early years.
Belleayre Mountain, with a concert history that includes Ray Charles, Isaac Hayes, Rosanne Cash, Los Lobos, and Dwight Yoakam, offers a smaller-scale setting. General Manager Bruce Transue, formerly of Hunter Mountain, has joined forces with Chetkof to revive the festival’s original vibes.
This year’s lineup reflects that balance of familiarity and discovery. Alongside the headliners are Mountain Jam veterans Michael Franti & Spearhead, Grammy-winning guitarist Molly Tuttle and her new all-female band, and 18-year-old Americana prodigy Grace Bowers and her group, the Hodge-Podge. Also on the bill: alt-country singer Torres, harpist Mikaela Davis, jam stalwarts moe., and Minnesota’s speed-grass heroes Trampled by Turtles.
Hometown musicians have always been part of Mountain Jam’s extended family. Levon Helm and the Barnburners played in 2008 and 2010. Drive-By Truckers cofounder Patterson Hood remembers sharing the stage with Helm:
“We were so excited to be there. We had [keyboard and songwriting legend] Spooner Oldham playing with us. I remember us having a very good set and Levon digging us. Levon’s cancer was in remission, and he sang magnificently. It was an amazing show and a true highlight of 2008 for me.”
In 2012, the festival hosted an emotional tribute to Helm, who had died just six weeks earlier. As music journalist John Barry wrote in “Levon Helm: Rock Roll Ramble,” “Showcasing live music in the heart of the Catskills for thousands of people, with peaks surrounding the festival site, embodied Levon’s spirit in so many ways.”
Chetkof hopes the return to the mountains—now in a more refined form—will offer something just as powerful. “It’s still Mountain Jam,” he said, “reimagined for today.”
Holly George-Warren is a contributing writer and is currently writing a biography of Jack Kerouac.