Cornwall Music Bowl sets the stage for outdoor entertainment

CORNWALL — As the sun began to set over Cornwall Bridge on Saturday, Aug. 15, joy and music filled the air. The joy emanated from a rambunctious pack of children running around like a flock of starlings in the evening sky. The music came from New Hartford’s own Ruby Leftstep. The cause for all the commotion? The Cornwall Music Bowl.

The name puzzles locals and out-of-towners alike. Most “music bowls” are grand amphitheaters with capacities in the thousands. Clearly, such a space does not exist in Cornwall, a town where a slow-moving tractor can cause a newsworthy traffic jam. But after walking through the tented patio area on the side of the Cornwall Market, you emerge at the bottom of an unmistakable bowl filled with music.

Directly behind the Market is a new stage so fresh you can still smell the saw cuts. In front of that stage sits an enthusiastic gathering of music fans on folding chairs and picnic benches, as well as on the grassy forum of the Music Bowl itself. It feels like a secret little community party, but everybody’s invited.

The idea for the Bowl came from Chris Sampson, a music industry veteran who worked on producing the Bonnaroo festivals with Superfly Entertainment. Now working at Spotify, Chris and his family moved to the area in 2019, just before the COVID-19 pandemic. When venues slowly started to reopen, Sampson grew frustrated with the trip down to New York City or over to New Haven just to see some of his favorite bands perform. So he resolved to bring them up to the Northwest Corner.

First, he built a little stage on his property in West Cornwall, where he invited friends to see live music in the woods. It went well, but the potential to share the musical magic was limited. Then, in 2025, Sampson teamed up with Will Schenk and Michael Cesari at the Cornwall Market.

When Schenk bought the Market, there was already a bowl shape that had been carved into the land. All they had to do was bring the music. Sampson and local musician Eddie Dahill of the band Ruby Leftstep started inviting local and city bands, including Matt Iwanusa of RIP Dunes. Iwanusa, who lives in Brooklyn, relishes the chance to come up to the Northwest Corner for a breath of our fresh air.

This summer, the team decided to get serious about the project, officially naming it the Cornwall Music Bowl and getting a big assist from Ronnie Lianza of Chimney Rock Construction, who donated the stage. This year marks the first full summer of programming, and the shows are free. The project is funded by private donations, as well as financial and space support from the Cornwall Market. While the Market itself is closed during the events, Cesari is enthusiastic about the robust drink offerings and fresh oysters they fly in from Maine.

While the summer programming will close at the end of September, the group is looking into ways to keep the party going by hosting off-season concerts, movies and maybe even other types of performances.

See the rest of the schedule, and keep up with the project at cornwallmarket.com/cornwall-music-bowl.

Aly Morrissey

Music industry veteran Chris Sampson, the mastermind behind the Cornwall Music Bowl, introduces main act Ruby Leftstep on Aug. 15.