Capping off a sunny summer weekend in San Francisco, Phil Lesh & Friends closed out this year’s Stern Grove Festival on Sunday, Aug. 14, with a jam session amid the trees.

It was a tie-dye spectacle from start to finish as about 8,500 fans filled the grove for the free afternoon concert. Midnight North, fronted by Lesh’s son Grahame, kicked off the show, and the music and dancing continued till Lesh hit the final note.

Lesh, one of the founding members of the Grateful Dead, and his nine-piece band performed a dozen songs, including Dead hits like “Dark Star,” “St. Stephen” and “Shakedown Street,” and a cover of “Somewhere Over the Rainbow,” during which Grahame returned on vocals and the guitar.

“I can’t imagine a better ending to our 85th season,” Bob Fiedler, executive director of the festival, said in a statement to The Chronicle. “The combination of musicians was so special, not only for Stern Grove Festival, but Phil’s long and storied career.”

Sunday’s performance was Lesh’s first free concert in the Bay Area in more than 30 years.

“This is one of the most magical places I have ever played,” Lesh said from the stage. “I hope to come back.”

After an abrupt end to last year’s seasondue to a flood, the free summer concert series launched again in June with a double dose of Oakland featuring rapperToo Shortand funk legendsTower of Power.The opening concert was followed by performances by Bay Area musiciansToro y Moi,你好Yello法术以及蓝调legend Taj Mahal and country singer LeAnn Rimes, among others, with the traditional afternoon concert featuring the San Francisco Symphony.