Farm Aid is returning to Saratoga Springs with a star-studded lineup of performers. 

The festival will take the Broadview Stage at SPAC on Sept. 21. It will feature performances by Willie Nelson, Neil Young, John Mellencamp and Dave Matthews (with Tim Reynolds) and others.

The event will raise money to help farmers. There will be additional events before the festival to spotlight farmers’ work. 

New York state lost 3,000 of its 33,000 farms, according to 2022 census data. They are struggling with rising production and labor costs, consolidation and weather conditions.

Farm Aid spokeswoman Jennifer Fahy and Michael Foley, cultural impact director, spoke with NewsChannel 13’s Faith King about the event.

Foley said the loss of those farms have a negative impact on the community.

“The vibrancy and the lifeblood of a community is lost when farms are lost and particularly the food supply,” he said. “You don’t want to go into a town where the only food you can buy, is it a gas station or a dollar store.”

Foley said they bring fresh local foods from local farms to the concerts.

“The menu is totally different than you would normally find at any concert. It’s amazing,” he said. “And it’s an experiential vibe. You know, there’s a homegrown village that’s a lot like a state fair that’s taking place in the venue. So you get not only, you know, 11 hours of music, but you also get this kind of state fair and incredible farm-to-concert venue food.”

This is the second time Farm Aid has been in Saratoga Springs. It was last in the city in 2013, when Pete Seeger joined the stage in one of his last public performances.

Farm Aid spokeswoman Jennifer Fahy said they wanted to bring it back to the Northeast.

“There are a lot of great farmers out there working every day to bring great food to this region and we move it around the country in order to spotlight them, so we’re really glad to be back in New York to showcase all that’s happening here,” she said.

Tickets range from $85 to $325 and will be available to buy at LiveNation.com. A limited number of pre-sale tickets will be available beginning at 10 a.m. ET on Wednesday, July 24. Visit farmaid.org/tickets for more information.