Article Contributed by Howard Horder
Published on 2026-08-06
Brown Eyed Women | Dead of Summer Festival | Londonderry, Vermont | July 9–12, 2026 | - photos by Howard Horder
The one festival that’s burned into my psyche is the first festival I ever attended, Summer’s End ’77 in Englishtown, New Jersey. Every festival has a vibe of its own. In Englishtown, we celebrated the end of summer with three great bands on a hot Labor Day weekend, surrounded by railroad cars and 100,000 friends. At my very first Dead of Summer festival, the vibe was completely different from that festival field in New Jersey almost 49 years ago. The first Dead of Summer festival we attended was a one-day event held at the Magic Mountain ski area in Londonderry, Vermont. The vibe was pure Vermont: relax, enjoy the music, and spend a day in the mountain air.
The Dead of Summer festival has evolved from its early years. The festival is now three and a half days long and is held at Hunter Park in Manchester, Vermont. What hasn’t changed is the friendly, relaxed, and comfortable Vermont atmosphere and, most importantly, its celebration of the music of the Grateful Dead.
The bands that played the 2026 festival all brought their own original take on songs from the Grateful Dead songbook. Standing out as the most original reinterpretation was a selection by Leftover Salmon. Vince Herman introduced the song by saying that, in keeping with the theme of the festival, the band would play a fast, upbeat, bluegrass-style version of “Black Peter.” I know the song well. In the original, Jerry Garcia stretches out his vocals and delivers a slow, sad, mellow dirge. By adding banjo and mandolin and playing “Black Peter” at a much faster tempo, Leftover Salmon gave the song a whole new meaning.
Festivals often live on the edge of the weather forecast. All the planning, all the hard work, and the one thing that no one can control is Mother Nature. A brief interlude of rain? It’s New England in the summer, so it’s almost guaranteed. The good thing is that if you don’t like the weather, wait 20 minutes; it’ll change. In the evening, the temperatures dropped, the warmer gear came out, and we enjoyed some more great live music. The 2026 Dead of Summer Festival had all of the above.
The Saturday lineup had something for everyone. Deadgrass, a Dead of Summer fan favorite, added a new bluegrass take on “Help on the Way > Slipknot! > Franklin’s Tower.” The mandolin, fiddle, and banjo gave the trio of songs an entirely new feel. The crowd always appreciates this band, and they showed it with their enthusiasm. Following their set, members of the band stayed to chat and engage with fans in the field.
Brown Eyed Women was one of the bands I had always wanted to see. Our schedules just never seemed to line up. This time they did, and given the opportunity, I was not going to miss them. As the band started playing, just about everyone was drawn to the front of the stage. Their 90-minute set was played under the midday sun. Everyone danced enthusiastically to a well-played, high-energy performance. As the band took their final bows, there were big smiles all around, and it was time for some rehydration.
Jerry’s Middle Finger has a strong West Coast fan base. The name of the band is humorously creative. Deadheads have a great sense of humor and irony. This was our first time seeing the band play in New England, and now that they’re consistently playing shows on the East Coast, the secret is out. East Coast fans now know what West Coast fans have been clamoring about. The band plays the Jerry Garcia Band catalog true to form. They’re fun to see, and we can’t wait to catch them again in the near future.
The Saturday night 8–11 p.m. slot featured the Pink Talking Fish Are Dead Ensemble. At the 2025 Dead of Summer Festival, the members of Pink Talking Fish and friends performed as the Prince/Bowie Band. That was a phenomenal dance marathon. The 2026 version of Pink Talking Fish played songs by Pink Floyd, Phish, Talking Heads, and, of course, the Grateful Dead. It was all woven into two seamless sets of music. As the second set started, the sun was setting over the ridge, the music flowed, and twilight gave way to cool night air. By the end of a full day of music, we were exhilarated, enjoying the good Vermont mountain air, and looking forward to another day of music on Sunday.
Sunday morning started out cool and partly cloudy. By the time the music was ready to start, the skies were clear, and it was going to be another sunny, warm Vermont summer day. The music started with Bloody Sunday at 10:15 a.m. Soggy Po’ Boys followed, then Jeff Black, Mystic Dead, Rhapsody, and finally Leftover Salmon as the sun was setting on the ridge. It was a full day of music. The weather had been perfect, and the bands and fans all seemed to have a grand old time at the festival.
The Dead of Summer is one of those festivals that feels like it goes by way too quickly. It’s a lot like a family-friendly picnic in the park, with everyone having a good time, enjoying some great familiar music, and spending a summer weekend in the mountains. We always look forward to the early festival announcements, mark the dates on our calendars, and make reservations. With each passing year, the Dead of Summer remains remarkably consistent while continuing to get better. Nearly 50 years after my first festival in Englishtown, the Dead of Summer reminds me why I fell in love with live music in the first place. We can’t wait to see what’s in store for Dead of Summer 2027.
