FarmFest 2026 at Highland Homestead
FarmFest 2026 at Highland Homestead expands to two days of live music, food, vendors, raffles, and family activities in Pawcatuck on Saturday and Sunday, August 15–16. Now in its fifth year, the homegrown festival puts Connecticut musicians on a stage built from two hay wagons overlooking a farm pond, with this year’s proceeds supporting the Chikumbuso Women & Orphans Project in Zambia. (Eventbrite)
FarmFest started small and intentionally stayed local. Sinooka Productions launched the grassroots festival in 2022 at Highland Homestead, the Main family farm at the end of Pawcatuck Avenue. Volunteers handle everything from parking to ticketing, while local musicians provide the soundtrack. As attendance and community support have grown, so has the event. What began as a DIY gathering has developed into a full weekend festival without losing the farm setting that makes it different.
Saturday is the big day, with music running from noon until 10 p.m. along with vendors, raffles, food, and activities for all ages. Sunday slows things down a little but keeps the music going from noon until 5 p.m. Both days support a cause thousands of miles from Pawcatuck but closely aligned with FarmFest’s community-driven roots.
Two Days of Live Local Music
Music is at the center of FarmFest.
The festival focuses on Connecticut’s alternative, indie, and rock scene, giving regional musicians an outdoor stage and audiences an opportunity to discover bands they might otherwise only encounter in clubs and smaller venues.
And this isn’t a conventional festival stage.
At Highland Homestead, the stage is constructed from two hay wagons overlooking a small pond. It’s one of those details that tells you almost everything you need to know about FarmFest. This is deliberately a farm festival, created by local people rather than dropped onto the property by an outside event company.
The 2026 music schedule runs:
Saturday, August 15
Noon – 10:00 p.m.
Sunday, August 16
Noon – 5:00 p.m.
Doors open at 11 a.m.
More Than the Music
Saturday’s expanded festival programming includes vendors, raffles, food, and activities for all ages.
That gives families and visitors who aren’t planning to stand in front of the stage for 10 straight hours plenty of room to wander around the farm, browse vendors, grab something to eat, and return to the music throughout the day.
The event is designed to be family friendly.
Five Years of FarmFest
Sinooka Productions launched the first FarmFest in 2022 as a grassroots DIY music festival.
Instead of moving into a conventional event venue as the festival grew, organizers continued holding it at Highland Homestead. A network of volunteers helps operate the festival, handling parking, admissions, and other jobs needed to keep the weekend running.
The charitable component has grown alongside the music.
Over the previous two years, FarmFest organizers say the festival raised more than $8,000 for the PACS2 Research Foundation and Boston University’s Chobanian & Avedisian School of Medicine Amyloidosis Center. The 2025 festival specifically supported the Amyloidosis Center.
For its fifth year, FarmFest is directing its fundraising toward the Chikumbuso Women & Orphans Project.
Where the Money Goes in 2026
All proceeds from FarmFest 2026 will support the Chikumbuso Women & Orphans Project, a grassroots community organization in Ng’ombe, Zambia.
The organization began in 2005 with an effort to help seven women meeting in a one-room church. It later purchased a former bar and brothel and transformed the property into a community center and school. Today, its work focuses on education, skills training, micro-enterprise, and long-term support for women and children living in poverty. (Chikumbuso Project)
Chikumbuso now operates a K–7 community school and provides scholarships that help students continue through high school and college. Its programs serve hundreds of children each year.
The organization’s work extends well beyond the classroom. Its vocational program has trained more than 300 young people in tailoring and small-business skills, while its micro-enterprise programs help widows and single mothers earn income through handcrafted goods. Chikumbuso also operates a 12-bed Safe Haven for girls who cannot safely remain in their homes.
Learn more about the Chikumbuso Project
A Festival Built Around Community
There’s a fairly direct line between what FarmFest has become in Pawcatuck and the organization it’s supporting this year.
The festival depends on local musicians, volunteers, vendors, sponsors, donors, and attendees. Chikumbuso describes its own work in similar community terms, using education and small-business development to build systems that can continue supporting families over the long term.
So buying a ticket isn’t simply paying to hear a weekend of music. The proceeds from the festival are being directed toward those programs in Zambia.
Getting to Highland Homestead
Highland Homestead is located at the end of Pawcatuck Avenue, away from the commercial center of Pawcatuck.
Address:
170 Pawcatuck Ave.
Pawcatuck, CT 06379
From the downtown Pawcatuck area, visitors can take Mechanic Street to Clark Street. Clark Street becomes Pawcatuck Avenue; continue to the end of the road for the entrance to Highland Homestead.
Because this is a working farm rather than a conventional concert venue, allow a little extra time for arrival, parking, and getting settled.
Event Details
Dates
Saturday, August 15, 2026
Sunday, August 16, 2026
Doors Open
11:00 a.m.
Saturday Music
12:00 p.m. – 10:00 p.m.
Sunday Music
12:00 p.m. – 5:00 p.m.
Location
Highland Homestead
Address
170 Pawcatuck Ave.
Pawcatuck, CT 06379
Entertainment
Local Connecticut alternative, indie, and rock bands
Saturday Activities
Live music, food, vendors, raffles, and activities for all ages
Fundraiser
All FarmFest 2026 proceeds benefit the Chikumbuso Women & Orphans Project.
Age Restrictions
None listed. The festival is designed as a family-friendly event.
Refund Policy
The current official ticket listing states that refunds are available up to seven days before the event.
More Information
For more information, visit the event website using the Event Website link below.
For ticket purchases, click on the Ticketing link below.
