Summer on Strong
Strong Street, Northampton
Opens Wednesday, May 22
Invented during COVID and too good to give up, Summer on Strong is a summer-long party where the Northampton side-street becomes pedestrian-only, so we can dine outdoors, stroll the shops, dance in the street, and celebrate community. Live music happens every Wednesday through Saturday from 5 – 8 p.m. It starts tonight with Jared and John. The Green Street Trio plays every Sunday from 4 – 7 p.m.
The Bow Bow Bash
Iron Horse Music Hall, Northampton
Friday, May 24 at 7 p.m.
The Northampton Arts Council invites you to The Bow Bow Bash, a benefit concert for the J. Scott Brandon Scholarship Fund featuring a mix of Northampton High School original bands, ensembles, and soloists, including Trust Fall, River Party, Squirrel, Madmen and the NHS Jazz Ensemble. Local legends The Stunt-Family Band will kick off this third annual event this year.
The Adams Theater 2024 Opening Weekend Performances
27 Park Street, Adams
Friday, May 24 and Sunday, May 26 at 7:30 p.m.
Built as a movie theater in 1937, the Adams Theater was a cultural anchor that connected generations of local residents until its closure in 1967. Adams Theater LLC purchased the building in 2021. It is restoring the 12,443 square-foot theater complex to become a year-round arts and performance venue that is accessible to all. On Friday, folk singer Willi Carlisle will officially open the 2024 season with a performance celebrating his new record, "Critterland." Then on Sunday, award-winning comedian Liz Glazer will perform a set that draws on her life as a lesbian, a rabbi’s wife, and a former lawyer.
ReBelle
The Drake, Amherst
Friday, May 24, at 8 p.m.
Manou Africa and Kalpana Devi first met in 1994 and joined creative forces composing, recording, performing, and touring together across the U.S. and West Africa. Together they are known as ReBelle. Singing in five languages — Wolof, English, Creole, French and Hebrew — their original music infuses a mystical mix of commanding African rhythms while their dynamic stage presence is internationally acclaimed.
Xavier Riddle and the Secret Museum: The Exhibit
Springfield Museums
Saturday, May 25 – Sunday, Sept. 1
This exhibit brings to life the acclaimed PBS Kids series, "Xavier Riddle and the Secret Museum." At this special exhibit, kids can sneak through a hidden passage in the Dinosaur Diorama, take a slide to enter the Secret Museum, unlock a time-traveling destination with the help of hologram power, uncover dinosaur bones, explore a secret garden with botanist George Washington and more. P.S. Kids can watch "Xavier Riddle and the Secret Museum" weekdays at 1:30 p.m. on NEPM TV or streaming here.
25th Anniversary Community Celebration
MASS MoCA, North Adams
Saturday, May 25 from 10 a.m. – 5 p.m.
This campus-wide community event celebrates 25 years since MASS MoCA’s opened in May 1999. It’s a full day of activities for all ages, many at no cost to visitors: free gallery admission, thematic museum tours and unique audiowalks, open studios, art-making in Courtyard A and Kidspace, dance pop-ups, and more.
Odenong Powwow
Amherst-Pelham Regional High School
Saturday, May 25 from 11 a.m. – 7 p.m.
Sunday, May 26 from 11 a.m. – 6 p.m.
Drums, smudging and traditional dancers are some of the sights and sounds you’ll find at the Odenong Powwow which is free and open to the public. People from various tribal nations of the Americas will come together to sing, dance, celebrate, eat, and share with the local community. Vendors will be open at 11 a.m. with dancing starting at approximately 12 p.m. each day. Tune in to The Fabulous 413 on Thursday to hear more about it!
Paradise City Arts Festival
Three County Fairgrounds, Northampton
Saturday, May 25 – Monday, May 27
Discover beautiful original works in ceramics, painting, decorative fiber, art glass, furniture, jewelry, metal, mixed media, photography, large-scale sculpture, wearable art and woodworking created by 220 competitively juried artists from across the country. Under the dining tent you’ll a fresh music lineup each day and fabulous food. The latest addition, The Paradise Pavilion, features snacks and charcuterie by local Fed by Foley, lively demonstrations, a second wine bar, and creative activity stations hosted by Holyoke’s Paper City Art Kids.
Shakespeare & Company Community Day
Shakespeare & Company, Lenox
Saturday, May 25 from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m.
Here’s a brand-new event that has all the potential to become an annual favorite. Shakespeare & Company is hosting a free, family-friendly community day on its 33-acre campus with activities provided by nonprofit organizations from across Berkshire County, including Ventfort Hall, Lenox Library, Drag Story Hour Berkshires, and many others. With field games, a costume dress-up party, food trucks, live music, and more, there will be something for everyone.
MICA Unveiled: Art Reception
Bombyx, Florence
Saturday May 25 from 2 – 4 p.m.
M/Others Institute for Collaboration and Art (MICA) is holding a reception for its “MICA Unveiled” art exhibit at Bombyx. You can mingle with fellow art enthusiasts, indulge in delicious crudité and wine, and experience MICA artists’ captivating new works. It’s part of the month-long “MICAfest 2024 Art for Change The M/others View” celebration.
Layovers
Northampton Center for the Arts
Saturday, May 25 at 7 p.m.
Stuck in an airport of absurdist proportions with only their baggage — literal and metaphorical — three strangers are left with no choice but to better get to know their companions and themselves. A comedy that fuses juggling and circus arts with dance and music, "Layovers" explores the collisions and near misses between three individuals, as well as the age-old problem of how to go to the bathroom without leaving a mountain of luggage unattended.
Troubadour Series Season Opener
The Guthrie Center, Great Barrington
Saturday, May 25 at 8 p.m.
I found about the Guthrie Center just last week when I was listening to the Fabulous 413. Founded in 1991 by Arlo Guthrie to honor the legacy of his parents, Woody Guthrie and Marjorie Mazia-Guthrie, it brings individuals together for cultural, educational, and spiritual exchange and works with other non-profit agencies to serve those in need. They also have a fabulous the fabulous Troubadour summer concert series, which starts this Saturday with song-writer Ellis Paul. The continue every Saturday through August 31.
Listen to the first segment of the Fabulous 413’s May 14 show to check out Monte and Kaliis’ inspiring visit to the Guthrie Center.
Pioneer Valley Symphony Summer Sing: Orff's Carmina Burana with Tianhui Ng
Most Holy Redeemer Parish, Hadley
Tuesday, May 28 at 7 p.m.
The PVS kicks off its 2024 Summer Sing series with Orff's "Carmina Burana," conducted by PVS' Music Director Tianhui Ng. The Sings welcome choral enthusiasts and instrumentalists from around the region to join in an informal and musically rewarding experience. You can bring your own score or borrow a copy at the door. Suggested donation is $15.
The Play That Goes Wrong
Majestic Theater, West Springfield
Runs through Sunday, June 2
It is opening night of the Cornley University Drama Society’s newest production, "The Murder at Haversham Manor," and things are about to go from bad to utterly disastrous. An exasperated detective, a corpse who can’t play dead, an unconscious leading lady and other embattled and eccentric characters must overcome technical issues, forgotten lines, and unreliable scenery in order to make it to the final curtain call.