Music History at Griffis
Music History at Griffis
50+ Years of Festival Fun at Griffis Sculpture Park
Photos / Griffis Sculpture Park & Sitler HQ
On the weekend of October 12-13, 1968, the Ashford Hollow location of the Griffis Sculpture Park opened in grand style, when over 2,000 people attended “Octoberfest.” The fields and forests of the Rohr Hill Road section of the park contained spaces for ballet, theatrical, jazz, and poetic performances. It was an amazing way to welcome the park’s current location, after a few years stint at nearby Kissing Bridge ski resort.
55 years later, music and art festivals are still creating magic at the sculpture park. Throughout the years, countless visitors have enjoyed and discovered the park through these creative collisions of creative expression.
Mark Griffis, son of park founder, Larry Griffis, Jr., recalled a unique incident at the following year’s festival, a few short months after Woodstock. 5,000 people were anticipated to attend. “Larry curated all the early festivals,” said Mark. “The one in 1969 had ballet dancers, poets, and a great band. A biker gang with leathers and wearing their ‘colors’ showed up as well. Larry spoke to the gang and welcomed them. The bikers enjoyed the whole show.”
Throughout the 1970s-80s, the multi-disciplinary arts festivals continued on a somewhat smaller scale than the first two festivals. The events always featured a wide-ranging array of performances.
An unforgettable day in the history of Griffis Sculpture Park occurred on July 7, 1991 when the darlings of early alternative rock, 10,000 Maniacs, played to 5,000 people at the hilltop stage at the Mill Valley Road section of the park. A Rolling Stone cover, sold out tours, MTV Unplugged, made the band from nearby Jamestown one of the hottest acts in the music industry.
In the Spring of 1991, members of the Maniacs befriended Larry Griffis, Jr. in their hometown of Jamestown at an environmental river cleanup day. A friendship between Griffis and the band quickly ensued. Griffis invited the band to a tour of the sculpture park. After the park tour, Griffis cooked dinner for the band. Before the last course of the meal was served, the band told Griffis that they would play a benefit concert for the park. A little over a month later, thousands of sun-drenched fans celebrated with a truly spellbinding day of music and togetherness. “The Maniacs delivered a tour de force concert, and it was the biggest fundraising event the park had ever experienced. It was magic that day,” said Mark.
As a side-note, the concert almost never happened due a powerful thunderstorm that rocked the Southern Tier in the middle of the night before the concert. The story of how the Ellicottville community saved the concert at the last moment, is a topic for another article.
In 1994, Buffalo music promoter, ICONcerts brought a pair of one-day festivals to the park, named “Canadian Invasions.” Both festivals were filled with all-Canadian acts. The first, The Canadian Invasion, on June 25, 1994 featured Lowest of the Low, 54-40, Spirit of the West, The Pursuit of Happiness, The Watchmen and Rose Chronicles. On Labor Day weekend 1994, the second Canadian Invasion was headlined by Rock and Roll Hall of Famers, The Band. Blue Rodeo, The Waltons, The Skydiggers and The Wild Strawberries rounded out the bill. Video snippets of these concert can be found on YouTube.
Speaking about The Band’s performance, Mark recalls, “When The Band took the stage it was legendary. I love The Band and they delivered ‘The Weight’ as an opening song. People surrounded the stage. It was out of a fairy tale with the bucolic setting and this epic band.”
There was a summer festival in 1995, but the park then went almost two decades before hosting another large-scale event. In 2013, the Griffis Sculpture Park Summer Festival was inaugurated and has been going strong ever since. The festival is a family-fun filled day with great music, vendors, activities and more. It has become a “must attend” event of the summer for some people, as they purchase tickets every year, regardless of the music acts. The day has become the biggest annual park fundraiser.
This year’s event is Sunday, August 18, 2024, featuring Buffalo’s The Great Train Robbery, Letter to Elise, Cobra Patrol, SON duo, Autumn Echo and DJ Vothonotes. The event runs from 12:00-6:00pm. There will also be local artist vendors, food vendors, beer and wine available, kids activities and much more. More info can be found on Eventbrite or the park’s website.
Nila Griffis, granddaughter of Larry Griffis, Jr., is the Ashford Hollow Foundation (which owns and operates the park) executive director. “The mission of the Ashford Hollow Foundation is to promote the performing and visual arts, and our annual summer event that highlights our mission,” said Nila. “It is a day where we gather and celebrate music and art together with the beautiful backdrop of the sculpture park. We highlight and support local bands and local artistic and food vendors. It is a day that brings so many smiles and we are so thrilled to bring it back to our community and supporters every year.”
Nila added, “Larry Griffis would be so proud to see so many folks gathered at the park at the same time - he would be thrilled with a full parking lot, smiles, laughter and music! I know that he would be smiling down at all of us at this wonderful celebration!
For over 55 years, music festivals have been delivering magic at the Griffis Sculpture Park. With another festival coming up on Sunday, August 18th, it sounds like a fine opportunity to let the sculpture park lead you on a fun and creative journey.