At Arrowhead Ranch, Music, Community and Rescue Work Come Together

On a rolling property in Parksville, NY, known for its horses and rescue animals, organizers are hoping music can help bring people together.

Arrowhead Ranch will kick off its summer season Sunday, June 7, with a free community event featuring live music, a chili cook-off, a classic car cruise-in and the unveiling of what organizers say will be the final sculpture in the Sullivan Catskills Dove Trail.

For Michael Moss, a member of the local band Jaketown Road, the event is about more than entertainment. Arrowhead Ranch also operates as a rescue farm for large animals, something he said is central to the mission behind Sunday’s gathering.

“That’s why we’re involved with this community event — to bring awareness to the animal rescue farm,” he said.

The event also serves as the unofficial launch of an ambitious summer concert schedule.

Marty Weinbaum, a music promoter working with Arrowhead Ranch, said the venue has a rich musical history dating back decades.

The property began as the Lake Plaza Hotel in the 1950s before evolving into a ranch destination. In the early 1990s, legendary concert promoter Bill Graham brought a series of performances to the site.

“We wanted to continue that legacy,” Weinbaum said.

According to Weinbaum, Graham once referred to Arrowhead as “the Fillmore of the Catskills,” and the venue hosted artists including Phish, Blues Traveler, Ziggy Marley, Hot Tuna, Spin Doctors, The Radiators and Max Creek before many reached national prominence.

This summer’s lineup includes The Englishtown Project on July 4, Arrowhead Revival on July 25, Chris Jacobs and The Wolfpack on Aug. 1, and guitarist Stanley Jordan during Woodstock weekend in August.

“We decided that we were going to step it up a notch,” Weinbaum said.

Sunday’s event also includes the unveiling of the 85th and final sculpture in the Sullivan Catskills Dove Trail, a public art project inspired by the region’s connection to the 1969 Woodstock festival.

“It’s just a lovely thing here in Sullivan County to see these doves everywhere,” Moss said. “The fact that they were going to only have 50 and they got it up to 85 doves is pretty cool from my point of view.”

The afternoon’s music will showcase the depth of Sullivan County’s local music scene. Alongside Jaketown Road, performers are expected to include Steve Schwartz, Debbie Fisher, Laura Garone, Greg Fisk, Robert Tellefsen and Bruce Adams.

Image: Arrowhead Ranch blends its animal rescue mission with artistic culture and sustainable living. (Arrowhead Ranch)