Stilt walkers pose for photos and mingle with the crowd at the Dark Star Jubilee at Legend Valley. (Photo by Eric Ayres)

THORNVILLE, Ohio – Outdoor festival season for 2025 has officially arrived, and eastern Ohio is once again a popular destination for Deadheads and music lovers on Memorial Day Weekend, when the Dark Star Jubilee returns to Legend Valley.

The historic concert venue and campground – formerly known as the Buckeye Lake Music Center – will play host to the music festival that officially signals the kickoff the the summer outdoor concert season with a full slate of performances Friday through Sunday, May 23-25.

As always, the three-day festival will be anchored by the nation’s premier Grateful Dead tribute band, Dark Star Orchestra. All Good Presents has assembled another rock solid lineup of acts that include returning favorites and newcomers, as well.

Dark Star Orchestra will headline each night with two sets featuring the music of the Grateful Dead. The band of top-tier musicians has been playing and touring for more than 25 years, celebrating the music and the unique concert atmosphere of the Dead’s live shows. Dark Star Orchestra has been noted as the only tribute artist that honors the legacy of the Grateful Dead by actually resurrecting specific set lists from the iconic band’s deep catalogue of concerts and performing them live for audiences today.

Rob Barraco of of Dark Star Orchestra performs during the 2024 Dark Star Jubilee at Legend Valley. (Photo by Eric Ayres)

“For us it’s a chance to recreate some of the magic that was created for us over the years,” keyboardist and vocalist Rob Barraco of Dark Star Orchestra noted in the band’s bio. “We offer sort of an historical perspective at what it might have been like to go to a show in 1985, 1978 or whenever. Even for Deadheads who can say they’ve been to a hundred shows in the ’90s, we offer something they never got to see live.”

Joining Dark Star Orchestra for this year’s Jubilee will be moe., Warren Haynes Band, Leftover Salmon, Melvin Seals & JGB with special guest Jennifer Hartswick, Daniel Donato’s Cosmic Country, Too Many Zooz, Hot Buttered Rum, Toubab Krewe, Jeff Mattson & Friends, Armchair Boogie, Organ Fairchild, Joslyn & The Sweet Compression, The Spikedrivers, New Gypsy Cowboys and Done Presents “Iconic A.”

A variety of General Admission and VIP options are available, with on-site camping included. There will be an array of food vendors serving unique cuisine, hand-selected craft and merchandise vendors offering their signature wares, and an charity auction by Positive Legacy of signed memorabilia, including concert tickets, instruments, posters and more.

There also will be plenty of activities and workshops available throughout the weekend, with a full slate of sessions ranging from morning yoga to tie dye making classes. There will also be a host of activities for youngsters in the Kids Tent all weekend during the daytime and the annual Kids Parade on Sunday morning.

Stilt walkers from the performance troupe The Amazing Giants entertain the crowd during the 2024 Dark Star Jubilee at Legend Valley. (Photo by Eric Ayres)

New for 2025 will be Beam Workshops, featuring morning presentations on Saturday and Sunday with Eric Mitchell, creator of Dark Star Orchestra’s beam. The beam is a unique instrument invented and used live by Grateful Dead percussionist Mickey Hart. The beam produces “deep, resonant tones that blue the lines between rhythm and melody.”

The ever popular, colorfully clad stilt-walking troupe The Amazing Giants will return to entertain the crowd, as well.

Launched back in 2012, Dark Star Jubilee has solidified itself as one of the nation’s top-tier music festivals of the season, offering a stellar lineup of musical artists and a laid back, relaxed atmosphere – all at a cozy outdoor setting that over the decades played host to many legendary concerts, including a number of fondly remembered shows by the Grateful Dead.

Legend Valley is conveniently located just off Interstate 70 exit 132 in Thornville, Ohio, about 20 minutes east of Columbus.

The Jubilee has continued to return with an impressive lineup of nationally renowned musical artists each year since its inception at Legend Valley in 2012 – excluding curveballs experienced during the COVID years of 2020 and 2021, when most gatherings everywhere were canceled. In 2025, the Dark Star Jubilee will be celebrating its 12th year, and the upcoming event promises to be an unforgettable kickoff the season for music lovers of all ages.

Tim Walther of All Good Presents checks out some of the artists performing during the 2024 Dark Star Jubilee at Legend Valley in Thornville, Ohio. (Photo by Eric Ayres)

Promoter Tim Walther of All Good Presents has described the event’s longevity as a testament to the people who help bring it to life every year – and that includes everyone from the artists on stage to each and every fan who attends.

“So many people tell me that this is their best time of the year – that they just love coming or that they’ve been to every one,” Walther said when the festival was celebrating its 10th year. “One of the main premises is that it’s one entity – it’s friends, it’s family, it’s the band and the crew – we’re all operating as one. We’re all in this thing together. We’re all sharing the experience – it’s not like an ‘us and them.’ I think that spirit and that energy – along with the spirit of the Grateful Dead and the energy of Dark Star Orchestra – kind of brings it all to the table. It’s a family affair.”

For tickets and additional information about this year’s Dark Star Jubilee, visit online at https://darkstarjubilee.com.

Rob Eaton and Rob Koritz, from left, of Dark Star Orchestra perform during the 2024 Dark Star Jubilee at Legend Valley. (Photo by Eric Ayres)

Daniel Donato performs during the 2024 Dark Star Jubilee at Legend Valley, playing Jerry Garcia’s famous Alligator guitar. (Photo by Eric Ayres)

Fans enjoy three full days of outdoor fun and live music at the Dark Star Jubilee on Memorial Day Weekend each year at the legendary Legend Valley Music Venue and Campground. (Photo by Eric Ayres)

Dark Star Orchestra performs during the 2024 Dark Star Jubilee at Legend Valley in Thornville, Ohio. (Photo by Eric Ayres)