CiderDays
Friday, Nov. 4 – Sunday, Nov. 6
Toodle around the Valley to explore orchards, cider mills, tasting rooms and restaurants during the 28th annual celebration of the apple, the power of fermentation and the land. CiderDays is the annual festival that brings together the cider-making family. Each orchard and producer is a unique jewel. Grab the schedule and go!
Lightning
Double Edge Theatre, Ashfield
Friday, Nov. 4 – Sunday Nov. 6 at 7:30 p.m.
Layering large puppetry, shadow, and song, Lightning takes place at the collision point between the worlds of our internal and external experiences. It looks at our past and tells the birth story of the inner monsters we both need and deny. The production is directed and devised by DE Design Director Jeremy Louise Eaton. There will be a pre-performance musical offering by DE company member Robert Carlton.
Kaleta & Super Yamba Band
The Drake, Amherst
Friday, Nov. 4 at 8 p.m.
Brooklyn afro-funksters Super Yamba Band are fronted by legendary Afrobeat veteran Leon Ligan-Majek a.k.a. Kaleta. He grew up in Lagos, Nigeria where Afrobeat was born. Now based in New York City, Kaleta was overjoyed to find Super Yamba Band and hear their take on the vintage, psychedelic sounds of his native country.
Ashuelot Concerts performs Gade, Andrée, & Mendelssohn Piano Trios
Friday, Nov. 4 at 7:30 p.m. at Stonewall Farm, Keene
Sunday, Nov. 6 at 4 p.m. at the Park Theatre, Jaffrey
Head to New Hampshire to enjoy three, stunning, virtuosic, and uplifting, Romantic-era piano trios by Mendelssohn and his Leipzig friends in the rustic elegance of Stonewall Farm, Keene or in the updated Park Theatre in Jaffrey. With visiting Cellist, Nicholas Canellakis.
Eastworks Open Studios
Easthampton
Saturday, Nov. 5 and Sunday, Nov. 6 from 10 a.m. – 5 p.m.
Over 50 community studios are opening their doors to showcase everything from drawing, painting, printmaking, photography and mixed media to pottery, glass, jewelry and clothing. Meet artists and artisans, learn about their process and shop their studios.
Plus! The Bite Size Blends performance festival presents storytelling, music, puppetry and more during Eastworks Open Studios. Each “bite size” performance lasts 15-30 minutes.
Bridging Voices, Deepening Understanding: Indigenous Heritage Celebration
Wistariahurst Museum, Holyoke
Saturday, Nov. 5 from 10 a.m. – 2 p.m.
Attend a multi-dimensional celebration honoring Indigenous cultures. Events include a scholarly discussion by guest speaker Rhonda Anderson, Western Massachusetts Commissioner on Indian Affairs. The centerpiece of the celebration is the work of guest artist Anthony Melting Tallow, Bo’taan’niis, (Flying Chief).
Pioneer Valley Symphony ChorusLet Us Cheer the Weary Traveller!
Second Congregational Church, Greenfield
Saturday, Nov. 5 at 4 p.m.
The Pioneer Valley Symphony celebrates the 60th anniversary of its chorus with a celebration music from Black choral composers such as Rosephanye Powell (pictured above), José Maurício Nunes Garcia, Margaret Bonds, William Grant Still, Samuel Coleridge-Taylor, and others. The program was selected by the PVS Chorus’s new director, Dr. Allegra Martin.
Livingston Taylor
Bombyx Center for Arts and Equity, Florence
Saturday, Nov. 5 at 7 p.m.
Described as "equal parts Mark Twain, college professor, and musical icon,” Livingston Taylor is a singing storyteller, who has delighted audiences with his charm for over 50 years. He is equally at home with a range of musical genres —folk, pop, gospel, and jazz — and peppers his shows with personal anecdotes that connect him to his fans.
Springfield Symphony Orchestra: Messages from MozartSymphony Hall
Saturday, Nov. 5 at 7:30 p.m.
One of the joys of the Springfield Symphony Orchestra’s 2022–23 season is an amazing lineup of guest conductors. Canadian Conductor Tania Miller will step up to the podium to conduct “The Messenger” by Ukrainian composer Valentin Silvestrov and symphonies by Mozart and Brahms. Maestro Miller has distinguished herself as a dynamic interpreter, musician and innovator. She will be joined by pianist Elan Sicroff.
Valley Light Opera Presents Die Fledermaus
Academy of Music, Northampton
Saturdays, Nov. 5 and 12 at 7:30 p.m.
Friday, Nov. 11 at 7:30 p.m.
Sundays, Nov. 6 and 12 at 2 p.m.
Valley Light Opera is known for its staging of Gilbert and Sullivan. Now they are presenting their very first production of Johann Strauss’ beloved light opera Die Fledermaus. It begins with an overture as famous as the rest of the show. A practical joke between friends leads to an intricate plot featuring lust, longing, and love of life. With a generous amount of champagne, all is revealed before the final curtain falls.
Seven Times SaltThe Corners of the Moon: Uncanny Music for Hallowmas
Grace Episcopal Church, Amherst
Saturday, Nov. 5 at 7:30 p.m.
Seven Times Salt performs music of the 16th and 17th centuries to audiences, with a special focus on the English Consort repertory. This delightful spooky program for the Hallowmas season depicts ghost encounters, witches’ dances, mad songs, fantastic beasts and more.
Whales & Trails! A Community Celebration
with Berkshire Natural Resources Council BNRC
Thomas and Palmer Brook Reserve, Great Barrington
Sunday, Nov. 6 from 10 a.m. – 2 p.m.
Join the Berkshire Natural Resources Council and partners in celebrating the opening of the Whale Rock Trail and two new community resources — Berkshire County Trails for All and Everybody Can Hike. Enjoy crafts, games, and autumn-inspired drinks and snacks.