The Northeast United States has been waiting for a psych rock fest to call its own. Looks like the wait is over. Bucolic Valley is a brand-new one-day psych rock festival coming to the West Kortright Center in East Meredith, NY (about a four hour drive away from New York City) on Saturday, August 22, 2026.
The Catskills have long been sacred ground for music lovers. From the muddy fields of Woodstock to the countless festivals that followed in its wake, the rolling hills of upstate New York carry a near-mythological status in American music history. This August, that legacy gets a psychedelic new chapter.
Lineup curators Diana and Chris McShane are lifelong devotees of the genre who have made the pilgrimage to some of the best psych-tinged fests in the country: Wilco’s Solid Sound, the legendary (and hopefully not defunct) Desert Daze, and the legendary Austin Psych Fest.
What they noticed along the way was a glaring gap on the map. The Northeast, particularly Upstate New York, has been a psych rock desert. Bucolic Valley is their answer to that.
The Lineup
Headlining is The Mystery Lights, the Queens-based garage psych outfit that just signed to p(doom) Records, the label run by King Gizzard & The Lizard Wizard. Their debut on the imprint, the new single “Kids of Today,” is currently in HEAVY rotation on Extraterrestrial Radio and hits like a freight train: sludgy vocals, guitar distorted to the nth degree, and a backbeat ripped straight from a ’60s rock LP.
Their live show is the stuff of legend, relentless, visceral, with zero dead air between songs. NME simply called them “one of New York’s finest garage rock bands.” An incredible selection as a headlining act for a debut festival.
Joining them on the preliminary lineup: Windows, Kid Bess and the Magic Ring, Gracie Gray, uncleshake, Pleasure Dome, and Düül Suns. More acts are still to be announced — follow Bucolic Valley on Instagram for updates as the lineup fills out.
The Venue & Vibe
The West Kortright Center is the perfect venue for this nascent festival, set in an abandoned church, with stunning views of the western Catskills. WKC offers both a scenic outdoor stage and a beloved historic church known for its exceptional acoustics and stained glass windows. Add colorful psychedelic light installations, curated local food and art vendors, and you’ve got a legendary summertime memory waiting to happen.
Tickets
Passes go on sale Monday, March 9. West Kortright Center members score discounted pricing.
