For three days in late August, Ashokan once again became a gathering place for music lovers, families, artists, campers, dancers, volunteers, and friends old and new.
The 2026 Summer Hoot was one of the largest Hoots in the festival’s history, welcoming 1,185 attendees to the Ashokan grounds from August 28–30. But the number only tells part of the story. What made this year’s Hoot memorable was everything that happened between the sets—the conversations, dancing, laughter, spontaneous music, kids running through the fields, and familiar faces reconnecting year after year.
Now in its fourteenth year, the Summer Hoot has grown into something that feels both expansive and remarkably intimate. This year’s lineup brought together nationally acclaimed artists alongside musicians from the Hudson Valley and beyond, including Tuba Skinny, The Milk Carton Kids, Jim Kweskin & Samoa Wilson, Gail Ann Dorsey, Chatham County Line, The Big Takeover, Jordan Hamilton Trio, The Mammals, Johnny Irion, Furnace Mountain, Andalucía, Katrina Dicrasto, The City Stompers, and many more.
And then there were the moments that could only happen at the Hoot.
Jay Ungar and Molly Mason joined Jim Kweskin and Samoa Wilson onstage—a particularly meaningful moment for Jay, who first saw Kweskin perform when he was just 18 years old. Decades later, the two musicians shared a stage at Ashokan, bringing a bit of musical history full circle.
Across the weekend, the music spilled far beyond the main stages. Morning gong baths gave early risers a chance to slow down. Arm-of-the-Sea Theater brought its imaginative puppetry to the children. Families explored the grounds, joined garden walks, attended the instrument petting zoo, hiked toward Cathedral Gorge, and wandered through the pollinator gardens. In the evenings, acoustic Pewter Shop Sessions and campsite jams kept the music going long after the main stages had quieted down.
For many Hoot-goers, those informal moments are as important as the headliners.
Four-time attendee Myra Helfand told the Daily Freeman that while she loves the music, “it really is the community every year” and the chance to reconnect with people she may only see at the Hoot twice a year.
That sense of connection was echoed by the musicians themselves. Jordan Hamilton described the Hoot as one of his favorite festivals, praising the way it brings together established artists and musicians audiences may be discovering for the first time. His bandmate Andrew Catlin spoke about the value of having a comfortable place to experience something unfamiliar.
That may be one of the Hoot’s greatest strengths: there is always something new to discover, but there is also a feeling of coming home.
The festival was founded by Mike and Ruth Ungar Merenda in 2014 with the idea of creating a welcoming, intimate music festival where people could spend time together and experience the Ashokan grounds. More than a decade later, that spirit remains at the center of the weekend.
As Ruth shared with NYS Music ahead of this year’s festival, the Hoot was inspired by smaller festivals where people could “really get to know people and spend a few days together.” That vision was visible throughout the weekend—not just onstage, but in the fields, around the campfires, along the trails, and in the many small interactions that happen when people slow down and share a place.
The Summer Hoot is also deeply connected to Ashokan’s larger mission. The festival brings people onto the 385-acre campus to experience the same combination of nature, music, history, and community that defines Ashokan year-round. The energy of the Hoot may be especially concentrated over one summer weekend, but its impact continues long after the tents come down and the stages are packed away.
And now, after another unforgettable weekend, the fields are quiet again.
The music has moved on to other stages. The campers have gone home. The last campsite jam has ended.
But for everyone who spent the weekend at Ashokan, the Hoot leaves something behind: new songs to remember, new friends to look forward to seeing again, and a renewed appreciation for what can happen when people gather in a beautiful place with open ears and a willingness to share the experience.
Thank you to every artist, volunteer, staff member, vendor, camper, family, and Hoot-goer who helped make Summer Hoot 2026 so special. We can’t wait to welcome you back.
Read the Daily Freeman‘s on-the-ground reflection, “A comfortable place to do something different.” Read the full Daily Freeman article
And read NYS Music’s preview of the 2026 festival: The Summer Hoot Returns: Three Days of Roots Music, Dancing, Camping, and Nature Activities