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Culture to Do: Aug. 21, 2024

Signature Sounds presents the Arcadia Folk Festival with a Paul Simon tribute at the Academy of Music in Northampton on Friday, Aug. 23 and a full day of music at the Mass Audubon Arcadia Wildlife Sanctuary, Easthampton on Saturday, Aug. 24.

Dance Theatre of Harlem
Jacob’s Pillow, Beckett
Wednesday, Aug. 21 – Sunday, Aug. 25
It’s the final week of Jacob’s Pillow’s 2024 season! Dance Theatre of Harlem has used their singular artistry to challenge expectations, provide a platform for new voices, and break down barriers for more than 50 years. The program includes Robert Garland’s Higher Ground (set to music by Stevie Wonder), Robert Bondara’s Take Me With You (set to music by Radiohead), George Balanchine’s Allegro Brillante (set to music by Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky), and William Forsythe’s exhilarating Blake Works IV (The Barre Project), set to music by James Blake.

The Cummington Fair
Thursday, August 22 – Sunday, August 25
The Cummington Fair was initiated in 1883 as the Hillside Agricultural Society with the mission for “the attainment and diffusion of scientific and practical knowledge in the cultivation of the soil and the raising of its various and useful production as comprehended in The Department of Agriculture, Horticulture and Pomology . . .” Its charming setting and manageable size — with plenty of events, great food, and fun rides — make it a perfect choice for families. Bring a jacket for the first nip of chilly weather in the evenings!

Back Porch Songwriter Night: The Songs of Paul Simon
The Academy of Music, Northampton
Friday, Aug. 23 at 7 p.m.
This year as part of Arcadia Folk Festival, Signature Sounds presents a Back Porch Songwriter Night featuring the songs of Paul Simon. This event, in addition to the festival hosted at Arcadia Wildlife Sanctuary will benefit the Arcadia Wildlife Sanctuary. The all-star tribute will celebrate Paul Simon’s music and career spanning 7 decades as one of the most influential singer-songwriters of our time.

Arcadia Folk Festival
Arcadia Wildlife Sanctuary, Easthampton
Saturday, Aug. 24 from 10:30 a.m. – 7:30 p.m.
Signature Sounds and Mass Audubon present the sixth annual Arcadia Folk Festival, an outdoor musical event that brings the community together around music in the heart of the Valley to celebrate and support the work at Arcadia Wildlife Sanctuary and to model a sustainable community event. There are two stages and it’s easy to move from one to the other, plus a lovely little stroll takes you to a third concert space in the woods. Food truck galore!

Discover PaxSax
Springfield City Library, East Forest Park Branch
Saturday, Aug. 24 at 11:30 p.m.
Stop by the library for a free saxophone quartet concert. PaxSax will perform music in a wide range of genres, from ragtime, Americana, show tunes, swing, jazz, to contemporary composers. During their performance they’ll present info on each composition and will include conversation with the audience.

End of Summer Wine & Oyster Madness
Black Birch Vineyard, Hatfield
Saturday, Aug. 24 for 12 p.m. to 6 p.m.
This fun event includes vertical tastings of Black Bird’s Traminette, music by Half Shaved Jazz Quintet, a jewelry pop-up from Infinity Lox, food trucks, and more. Hooked Raw Bar & Catering will be shucking fresh oysters from 2 – 5 p.m. For guaranteed serving preorder your oysters by Aug. 23.

Berkshire Opera Festival: Faust
The Mahaiwe, Great Barrington
Saturday, Aug. 24 at 1 p.m.
Tuesday, Aug 27 and Friday, Aug 30 at 7:30 p.m.
It’s the original “Faustian bargain” — old Dr. Faust sells his soul to the devil to be young again. But his decision has devastating consequences. This story of tragedy and redemption is Gounod’s masterpiece, and it stands at the summit of French romantic opera. Surging with memorable and timeless music, it has remained one of the world’s most popular operas ever since its premiere.

Strings at the Strong: Amethyst String Quartet
Amherst Historical Society & Museum
Saturday, Aug. 24 at 2 p.m.
The Amethyst String Quartet, featuring violinists Olivia Munson and Elijah Wilson, violist Georges Mefleh and cellist Austin McCann will present a program of chamber works including Haydn’s Lark Quartet, Mozart’s Dissonance Quartet and Waltzing Matilda arranged by Stephen Konz. The Museum will be open before the concert. The Strings at the Strong outdoor series is free and open to the public.

TurnPark Summer Festival 2024: Together
TurnPark Art Space, West Stockbridge
Saturday, Aug. 24 from 3 to 10 p.m.
Head to West Stockbridge for a day-long event filled with music, dance, performance art, immersive installations, wearable sculptures, and more in an outdoor museum at the site of a former marble quarry. Intermingle with the art, gather by a bonfire, enjoy delicious food, and participate in a community art project, or a workshop. This year's theme "Together" describes a willingness to engage with people through a genuine and authentic connection that comes from love and compassion in a constantly shifting world.

"Big" screening with Elizabeth Perkins
The Triplex Cinema, Great Barrington
Saturday, Aug. 24 at 3:30 p.m.
Here’s your chance to revisit one of the sweetest movies of the 1980s and meet Tom Hank’s co-star Elizabeth Perkins, who will talk about the film's legacy, her career, and what it's like to jump on a trampoline with Tom Hanks. Plus, Elizabeth Perkins will be on The Fabulous 413 Thursday!

Stone Soup Café: Annual Harvest Supper Celebration
Greenfield Town Common
Saturday, Aug. 24 from 4 –7 p.m.
The Harvest Supper Celebration is a free annual event celebrating local food, farms, and community. Each August, farmers, local producers of goods, and talented chefs all donate their time and products to create an amazing meal that is served on the Greenfield Town Common. The meal is offered on a pay-what-you-can basis. Bring your own plate, utensils and cup. Folks from the Stone Soup Café shared more about the event on The Fabulous 413 today.

Osman Khan: Road to Hybridabad
MASS MoCA, North Adams
Opens Sunday, Aug. 25
In a sprawling and wryly funny exhibition, Osman Khan re-reads the magical and fantastical figures found in folktales and lore, with a particular focus on those from South Asia, the Middle East, and other Muslim and immigrant traditions. This new body of work includes an animatronic djinn, drone-operated flying carpets, a wall-destroying sound system/cannon, and a storytelling Scheherezade AI.