Press Release: Caffè Lena @ SPAC Returns for a Free One Day Festival on the Charles R. Wood Stage at Saratoga Performing Arts Center

September 9, 2025

“Caffè Lena @ SPAC” Returns for a Free One Day Festival on

the Charles R. Wood Stage at Saratoga Performing Arts Center

With performances by Misty Blues, Tom Chapin, Chatham County Line, Farah Siraj, and Aleksi Campagne

Saturday, October 4 from NOON – 5:30 PM

Saratoga Springs, NY (September 9, 2025) – In partnership with Caffè Lena, Saratoga Performing Arts Center announces that the popular “Caffè Lena @ SPAC” festival will return for a free day-long concert on Saturday, October 4 from noon to 5:30 p.m. Taking place on SPAC’s Charles R. Wood Stage, the festival will feature five bands that explore roots, global, bluegrass, pop, and indie-folk music including Misty Blues, Tom Chapin, Chatham County Line, Farah Siraj, and Aleksi Campagne. The festival highlights a unique, ongoing collaboration between the arts center and the folk music venue.

“Each year this festival reaffirms how powerful collaboration can be. By joining forces with Caffè Lena, we’re able to present world-class artists across genres in a way that is welcoming and free to all — reflecting our shared commitment to art, nature, and community,” says Elizabeth Sobol, Chief Executive Officer of Saratoga Performing Arts Center.

“This festival embodies what makes our partnership with SPAC so meaningful: we share a belief that music should be accessible, joyful, and woven into the fabric of community life. Every year, people show up ready to celebrate that spirit, and it’s a gift for all of us,” says Sarah Craig, Executive Director of Caffè Lena.

The collaboration between SPAC and Caffè Lena first launched in 2017, encompassing jointly curated and presented programs at both venues. Guests are welcome to bring in food, drink, blankets and lawn chairs for the concerts. Food concessions will also be available. The concerts will take place rain or shine. Visit spac.org and caffelena.org for details.

Saturday, October 4

Misty Blues

Misty Blues, 2019 International Blues Challenge finalist, has been bringing their powerhouse blend of original and traditional blues to audiences since 1999. Based in Berkshire County, Massachusetts, the band is led by the commanding vocals of founder Gina Coleman and delivers a rich sound that draws on jazz, soul, funk, and tent-revival gospel. Over the years, Misty Blues has collaborated with legends like Eric Gales, Charles Neville, and Joe Louis Walker, and shared stages with contemporary greats including Tab Benoit, Albert Castiglia, James Montgomery, John Primer, and Roomful of Blues. With seventeen albums to their credit, extensive touring across the U.S., Canada, and the U.K., and international airplay, Misty Blues has become a fixture in the modern blues landscape. Their music even reached the national stage in 2024, when one of their songs was selected for use in a U.S. presidential campaign ad. The core lineup includes Gina Coleman, Seth Fleischmann, Rob Tatten, Aaron Dean, and Diego Mongue, carrying forward a legacy of music that both honors the blues tradition and carves out a sound uniquely their own.

Tom Chapin

“One of the great personalities in contemporary folk music.” – New York Times

In a career that spans six decades, 27 albums and three Grammy awards, Hudson Valley troubadour Tom Chapin has covered a lot of creative ground. He began performing as a teenager in the early 1960s, playing in Greenwich Village folk clubs alongside his siblings Harry and Steve as The Chapin Brothers. Over the decades his music career has encompassed both songs for adults and pioneering work for children. He has performed on Broadway as the lead in Pump Boys and Dinettes and served as host of TV’s National Geographic Explorer. In addition to his remarkable output of smart, thoughtful, funny and beautiful songs, Chapin has long been an advocate for environmental causes, issues of hunger and social justice, and a supporter of music and the arts in public schools.

Aleksi Campagne

Aleksi Campagne is a Montreal-born singer-songwriter and violinist who brings a bold, contemporary edge to the time-honored fiddle-singing tradition. With a sound that blends heartfelt folk songwriting, soaring vocals, and layered textures built with violin and looping pedals, Aleksi has quickly become one of Canada’s most exciting emerging voices. His bilingual debut album, For the Giving / Pour donner, released in 2023, earned critical acclaim for its ambition and artistry, featuring ten songs recorded in both French and English. The project drew praise from outlets like Le Devoir and Roots Music Canada, who called it “one of the most musically ambitious accomplishments of the year.” Aleksi continues to tour internationally, offering audiences an unforgettable fusion of indie-folk authenticity and instrumental virtuosity.

Chatham County Line

Chatham County Line (CCL) has been at the forefront of Americana and roots music for over two decades, crafting a sound that bridges the timeless traditions of bluegrass with the expansive spirit of modern songwriting. Formed in Raleigh, North Carolina in 1999 by singer-songwriter Dave Wilson, fiddler/mandolinist John Teer, bassist/pedal steel player Greg Readling, and banjoist Chandler Holt (retired), the band quickly gained attention for their harmony-driven originals and dynamic live shows. With eleven albums to their name, including their latest release, Hiyo, Chatham County Line continues to push their artistry forward while staying rooted in tradition. They’ve achieved four #1 albums on the Billboard Top Bluegrass Albums chart and built a devoted following across the U.S. and Europe. Whether portraying Nashville legends on Showtime’s George & Tammy or headlining festivals worldwide, Chatham County Line stands as a testament to American roots music’s enduring power, balancing innovation and tradition with grace.

Farah Siraj Quartet

“The Norah Jones of the Middle East” from Time Out New York.

Farah Siraj, hailed as Jordan’s Musical Ambassadress, is an internationally acclaimed virtuoso whose career bridges the Middle East, Europe, and the United States. With performances at some of the world’s most prestigious stages—including the United Nations, Nobel Prize Hall, World Economic Forum, Carnegie Hall, Lincoln Center, the Kennedy Center, and MTV—Farah has earned global recognition for her artistry and humanitarian voice. Each year, she represents Jordan at the United Nations’ World Peace Day, using music as a vehicle for peace, women’s rights, refugee advocacy, and animal rights. As a composer and bandleader, Farah’s music reflects her mission: to amplify voices that need to be heard. Her 2011 international debut album NOMAD fused Arabic music, flamenco, jazz, bossa nova, and pop, with lyrics in Arabic, Spanish, and English, featuring over 30 musicians from five continents. She followed with The Arabian Jazz Project, earning her recognition as one of New York’s “Summer Stars of Jazz.” Her 2014 album Dunya expanded her global reach, and today she leads an ethnically diverse quintet of world-class musicians, weaving together sounds from the Middle East, South America, Europe, and the United States.

CAFFE LENA @ SPAC CONCERT LINEUP

OCTOBER 4

11:30 AM | Gates Open

Noon-12:50 PM| Aleksi Campagne

1:10-2:00 PM| Farah Siraj

2:20-3:10 PM | Chatham County Line

3:30-4:20 PM | Tom Chapin

4:40- 5:20 PM | Misty Blues

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Saratoga Performing Arts Center

Saratoga Performing Arts Center (SPAC), located in the historic resort town of Saratoga Springs in upstate New York, is one of America’s most prestigious outdoor amphitheaters. Its tranquil setting in a 2,400-acre park preserve surrounded by hiking trails, geysers, and natural mineral springs draws lovers of arts, culture and nature for performances by resident companies New York City Ballet, The Philadelphia Orchestra, The Chamber Music Society of Lincoln Center, the Saratoga Jazz Festival, and concerts by Live Nation. SPAC also hosts imaginative programming such as Caffè Lena @ SPAC and initiatives in culinary, literary, healing and visual arts.

SPAC is a 501c3 charitable organization. Donations and proceeds from fundraising events benefit the Center’s thriving education program, community outreach efforts, and the vibrancy of its programming. For more information visit spac.org.

Caffè Lena

Caffè Lena presents extraordinary music in an intimate setting steeped in history. It is widely recognized as the longest continuously operating folk music venue in the United States, having opened its doors in 1960. The Library of Congress calls Caffè Lena “An American treasure,” and it’s been recognized by The GRAMMY Foundation for its important contributions to the development of American music.