Sunday, August 16, 1 - 4 p.m.
Bender Melon Farm Preserve, New Scotland, NY
Step into a world where music and nature intertwine - join us for a very special experience at Bender Melon Farm Preserve. As you wander the trail, you'll discover local musicians playing acoustic sets among the forests and fields.
We encourage participants to arrive at any time and stroll through at their own pace. Bender Melon Farm Preserve has a parking lot on Rt.85A and is also conveniently accessible from the Albany County Helderberg-Hudson Rail Trail. (View Parking Map)
Participants arriving at the check-in table will receive a trail map that can be stamped at each station; participants who collect all four stamps will receive a vinyl MHLC logo sticker. They will also be entered into a prize raffle to win MHLC merchandise, Tacos Diablo gift cards, or a gift basket from Common Roots Brewing Company. New additions to the 2026 event: Common Roots Brewing Company will have beer and cider available for purchase, there will be a Hungry Traveler food truck, and we will host a kids’ craft table.
We are thrilled to showcase these local musicians at Trail Tunes 2026:
Instrumental psychedelic surf rock from land locked upstate NY. Captivating bass lines, driving drums, and two rippin’ rockin’ guitars make the Dragons a musical force that at times hits you like a tidal wave and at others has you gently swaying like a palm tree in a warm breeze.
https://www.facebook.com/kimonodragonsband/
Carolyn Shapiro
An old-time banjo player and songwriter from the Southern Adirondacks whose music feeds the soul like a home-cooked meal. Blending sultry flavor with a deep-rooted traditional style, her songwriting pushes the boundaries of the banjo and invites listeners on an intimate journey through the complexities of being human. With hypnotic banjo picking and a commanding voice, she brings a joyous vulnerability to the stage that leaves audiences restored and inspired.
https://carolynshapiromusic.com/
Laura Leigh
Singer/songwriter Laura Leigh is at once a relic of a bygone age and a fresh face in the new generation of folk, pulling inspiration from tried-and-true traditions of old-time country and rock and roll. Her driving rhythms and soaring melodies accompany heartfelt, insightful lyrics, which are delivered with a cadence that manages to be simultaneously sincere and irreverent. It is this breadth and depth of range that makes her equally comfortable in the back woods and backalleys of New York's enigmatic upstate. The joy she takes in her craft is self-evidentand contagious, as she includes you in the inside joke and regales you with unique American stories that feel like home.
https://lauraleighmusic.com/home
The Husbands
A family band of seven husbands. Formed serendipitously from jam sessions amongst life long musicians and longtime friends, The Husbands blend their many influences into an energizing sound that is part heartland rock, part grunge jam band, and part folk. Many of the members have spent the better part of three decades in a variety of Albany-based bands, their wide-ranging experiences allowing them to mold their arrangements according to whatever space they find themselves in – whether it be a rock 'n' roll club or an acoustic off grid setting. Their first release out on June 19th features five songs that were recorded live to tape at Heart Lake.
https://thehusbandsofheartlake.bandcamp.com/album/heart-lake-dispatches-vol-1
Thank you to our generous sponsors!
2026 Music Sponsor:
2026 Supporting Sponsors:
