Memorial Day Weekend 2026 will mark a historic and deeply meaningful moment in Central New York as Watts Music Group presents Tommypalooza at Sterling Stage Kampitheater.
Set across five days of music, camping, and community, the event serves as both a celebration and a tribute — honoring the life and legacy of Tommy Ryan (9/7/1957 – 12/25/2025), the visionary owner-builder who transformed a quiet Christmas tree farm into one of the Northeast’s longest-running independent festival grounds.
For more than three decades, Ryan cultivated Sterling Stage into far more than a venue. It became a sanctuary for independent music, a proving ground for emerging artists, and a gathering place for families, free spirits, and creatives seeking something authentic. Long before boutique festivals and corporate-backed events became the norm, Sterling stood as a grassroots alternative — built by hand, guided by passion, and sustained by community. Under Ryan’s leadership, the land evolved into a sacred space where music wasn’t just performed, but experienced collectively, year after year.
Sterling Stage’s identity has always been rooted in independence — from its DIY infrastructure to its carefully curated lineups that blended jam bands, folk, funk, roots, and experimental sounds. Generations of musicians found welcoming stages there. Countless attendees returned annually, forming a tight-knit extended family bound by shared memories in the fields and forests of Sterling.
Tommypalooza carries that spirit forward. The 2026 gathering is designed not only to honor Ryan’s enduring impact, but to ensure the culture he built continues to thrive. By bringing together legacy acts, rising regional talent, and new creative energy, the festival represents both reflection and renewal — a symbolic turning of the page while holding firmly to the values that defined Sterling Stage for over 30 years: artistic freedom, grassroots promotion, and genuine human connection…