The Story of The Series
Long before the barn lights came on at Lavender Hill Farm, the music was already playing.
In 1995, the Aten Place Concert Series began as a simple gathering of people who loved live music, good company, and summer evenings shared together. Guests arrived early with dishes to pass, spread out blankets on the lawn, and stayed long after the final song; often gathered around a fire, talking and laughing with musicians and neighbors alike.
Over time, those evenings grew into a beloved Northern Michigan tradition.
In 2018, Lavender Hill Farm was honored to continue that legacy with The Series at Lavender Hill Farm. While the setting moved to our historic 1920s barn, the spirit of those early concerts remains the same; a place where music brings people together and strangers quickly become friends.
Today, guests still arrive early to picnic on the lawn, discover new artists, and return year after year for the community that forms around the music.
The posters and memories below capture the artists, moments, and milestones that have shaped The Series and the people who continue to make it special.
2017- The Announcement
We are proud to share that we are continuing the 23-year tradition of the Aten Place Concert Series as The Series at Lavender Hill Farm! Live music concerts will take place in our barn rain or shine starring some of the best talent from across the United States.
1995- The Beginning
Bill and Maxine Aten had no idea what they were getting themselves into in August of 1995 as friends arrived to their barn for a house concert and potluck dinner. Seated on bales of hay and lawn seats, guests enjoyed the first ever Aten Place performance by Josh White, Jr.
The party was a success! A second show was held in ’95, three in ’96 along with the additions of folding chairs, a portable stage and more friends. In 1997, theater seats were acquired for guests from the Antrim County Courthouse, the Raven Hill Science Center, church pews and a few restaurant booth seats from Boyne Mountain increased the Aten Barn seating capacity to 175 guests. With 8 concerts on the books by 1998, the ‘House Concert Party’ had transformed into much more. Later additions included sound, stage and lighting equipment, a food booth called the ‘pig trough’, a picnic pavilion and a fire pit. – atenplace.com
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Maxine and Bill Aten
