The Watkins Glen International Raceway’s Grand Prix course stretches 3.4 miles. Every year, one driver gets to take a notable victory lap, spinning out his tires and spraying champagne all over his pit crew and other associates. Yesterday, Phish took a victory lap of their own across the 3.4 miles of sacred Watkins Glen asphalt, delivering four standout sets near the end of a career-reaffirming summer tour.

Saturday’s festivities kicked off with a bonus appearance by Mike Gordon, who sat in with the Saratoga Springs, NY bluegrass outfit Ramblers Home for Townes Van Zandt’s “White Freight Liner Blues” in the festival’s Farmer’s Market area. (Gordon’s cameo, fittingly, took place just steps away from his daughter Tessa’s lemonade stand.) As the clouds parted and the crowd stumbled in from their campgrounds, Jenny Lewis’ latest, The Voyager, could be heard blasting over the venue’s house PA. Lewis was an appropriate choice for the many fans sporting Fare Thee Well shirts this weekend—she was spotted dancing on the floor during all three of the ensemble’s Soldier Field gigs.

In the end, though, the day was all about Phish. The band hit the stage for their first set around 3:45 PM. Trey Anastasio took a quick second to wish “happy birthday” to an audience member named Eric whose face was plastered on numerous signs in the crowd. “He looks like [longtime Phish Road Manager Brad] Sands,” Jon Fishman said into his mic, provoking some laughs from his bandmates.

With that, Phish leisurely launched into “The Divided Sky,” an appropriate opener as the sky quite literally divided between rain and sun. (The sun thankfully prevailed.) Recalling Super Ball IX, the crowd serenaded the band with inflatable beach balls, whales, cheeseburgers and whatever else they could find during the opening number.

Throughout the 90-plus minute day set, the group spotlighted some of their solo cuts, including Anastasio’s “Scabbard” and Gordon’s new “How Many People Are You?,” a song that has gained some traction this summer. McConnell’s “Halfway to the Moon,” a Phish original that recalls his solo work, fit snuggly into the sequence.

After a fiery rendition of “Run Like an Antelope,” Anastasio addressed the crowd, rhetorically asking, “Are we awake now?” Then, Phish called on renowned rock photographer Danny Clinch to take a snapshot of band and their fans.

As the sun set, Phish returned for their second set just after 8 PM. Anastasio, looking dapper in a white blazer, seized control of the opening “Wolfman’s Brother,” propelling it into a seemingly endless kaleidoscope of funk before giving way to a “Halley’s Comet” that further loosened up the crowd.

While “Halley’s” didn’t quite reach the jam potential of those sporting Fall Tour 1997 shirts, it did give way to a “46 Days” that set the tone for the evening and truly started Phish’s victory lap. Like the Round Room cut’s best versions, the group uncorked a heavy, dark Type II jam that dabbled in a blissful territory before Anastasio grabbed the reigns with a soaring rock progression.

The highlights continued as the group delved into a spirited take on “Backwards Down the Number Line,” possibly for Anastasio’s daughter Eliza who turned 20 the night before. The number segued smoothly into a version of “Tweezer” that visited the deepest caverns of Phish’s funk sound, especially thanks to Gordon and McConnell’s vast arsenal of effects. At times, Jon Fishman diverted the band from the usual “Tweezer” jam, creating a broad palette that incorporated all of the bliss and soaring themes the group had touched on during “46 Days.”

Though “Tweezer” was an expected highlight, the seemingly harmless “Prince Caspian” turned out to be the weekend’s clear underdog. The tune dove from its set framework into a hard-funk groove, before Anastasio brought the song—and the set—to a heavy rock finish. Many called it the best “Prince Caspian” the group has ever played.

With the first set still fresh and raw in everyone’s mind, Phish returned to the playful opening notes of “Meatstick” as a group of fans holding red glow toys moved toward the front of the stage. As if the crowd wasn’t already moving enough, Anastasio and Gordon led the faithful through the patented dance—complete with the Japanese lyrics the quartet picked up during their 2000 trip to Japan. The rest of the set was equally fun, and the group dipped into tunes like the new favorite “Blaze On” (which was accompanied by the spookiest jam of the night). “Possum” found Anastasio and McConnell playfully trading licks on the jam portion of the tune, and a cover of Talking Heads’ “Cities” featured a respectable plinko-funk jam (with themes of “Mind Left Body”) that recalled the band’s 2011 style. The definitive jam vehicle of the 3.0 era, “Light,” followed, as the group continued the theme started with the “46 Days” early on the second set, briefly touching on themes of “Manteca.” The set wrapped up with the newer “555,” a delicate yet emotional “Wading in the Velvet Sea” and a finale of “Walls of the Cave.” Then, Phish returned with “Boogie on Reggae Woman” and a rocking “Tweezer Reprise” that brought the main stage festivities to a triumphant close.

To finish the night, the group moved to a hidden location behind the racetrack’s bleachers and turned in a late-night jam that was accompanied by projections on Magnaball’s drive-in movie theater screen. Like their other recent late-night “fourth sets,” the 45-minute segment was primarily instrumental improv—save for a few vocal jams, voice samples and stray teases. However, the segment moved into several post-rock passages and eerie sections that would sit well on the Chilling, Thrilling Sounds of the Haunted House. Throughout the presentation, space-age images were projected on the screen and, at various points, distorted shots of the four band members performing crept in. At the end of the show, the screen was turned off to reveal what looked like spaceships in the back. Then, the band slipped into the night to prepare for today’s final victory lap.