Pioneer Valley Jazz Shares: Hamid Drake/William Parker Duo
New England Public Media, Springfield
Thursday, June 12 at 7:30 p.m.
Here’s a chance to enjoy a concert in NEPM’s Studio A. In 2001, Phil Freeman called William Parker and Hamid Drake “the best rhythm section in jazz right now.” Twenty-five years later, that’s still the case. Bassist Parker, who also plays guembri, donso’goni, kora, flutes and double reed instruments, has appeared on over 150 records. Hamid Drake was born in Monroe, Louisiana in 1955 and raised in Chicago. By the close of the 1990s, he was widely regarded as one of the best percussionists in jazz. He now lives in Italy, so this is a rare chance to see him perform with his long-time rhythm mate.
The Big Gay Speakeasy
Adams Theater, Adams
Friday June 13 and Saturday, June 14 at 7:30 p.m.
It’s a Broadway Pride show! Travel back in time at this unique theatrical experience as a spectacular cast of Broadway stars belts out show-stopping songs from the 1920s-1930s that are for, by, and about the LGBTQ+ community. Dress in your finest Jazz Age glam — feather boas, sequins, and sparkle are encouraged.
Silverthorne Theater Company: The Amateurs
Mainstage Theater, Hampshire College
Friday, June 13 – Sunday, June 22
In this Pulitzer Prize finalist, a rag-tag theater troupe races across medieval Europe, struggling to outrun the Black Death. Their performances of crowd-pleasers such as “The Seven Deadly Sins” and “Noah’s Ark” are juxtaposed with witty, contemporary-feeling relationships, surprising sexual attractions and status games. The Amateurs examines the value of art and creativity in the face of an epic crisis.
The Art of Grace Lin: Meeting a Friend in an Unexpected Place
Eric Carle Museum of Picture Book Art
Saturday June 14 – Sunday, Jan. 4
From her debut picture book The Ugly Vegetables to more than 30 acclaimed titles, local author Grace Lin has become one of the most important voices in children’s literature today. This career retrospective featuring more than 80 works celebrates all aspects of Lin’s creativity with original art, sketches, manuscripts, and videos.
MIFA Victory Theatre: Yale in Holyoke, “Cancionero de luto”
United Congregational Church of Holyoke
Saturday, June 14 at 4 p.m.
I attended the first of two MIFA Victory Players residency concerts last weekend. It was an exciting and inspiring experience. This coming Saturday afternoon, the Victory Players will be joined by the Yale Choral Artists, under the direction of Dr. Jeffrey Douma, to present the world premiere of Armando Bayolo’s “Cancionero de luto.” It’s an ecumenical response to death and suffering, seeking to find common ground among different faiths. Then, under the Musical Direction of Tianhui Ng, The Victory Players will present a MIFA Victory Theatre commissioned piece, Johanny Navaro’s “Belén: Un canto sagrado a mis ancestros,” which draws on the rich musical heritage of Afro-Puerto Rican music to honor the legacy and heritage of her ancestors.
School for Contemporary Dance and Thought: Wonderland
33 Hawley Street, Northampton
Friday, June 13 and Saturday, June 14 at 6 p.m.
Sunday, June 15 at 2 p.m.
Wonderland is an experimental performance event inspired by Alice in Wonderland. It’s an innovative project for which 80% of the piece has been created by talented local teens enrolled in SCDT’s Hatchery Performance Company. The project spans dance, music, and visual arts, with over 30 teens involved alongside four professional artists from local and national stages.
Django in June Concerts
Academy of Music, Northampton
Friday, June 13 and Saturday, June 14 at 7:30 p.m.
What began in 2004 as a small, single day event now spans a week, with over 200 artists and amateurs from around the world who share a passion for the musical tradition associated with pioneering jazz guitarist Django Reinhardt. At the time of this writing, they’re filling the dorms and grounds of Smith College with a joyful noise that goes by many names: “hot jazz”, “jazz manouche”, “Sinti Swing.” It culminates this weekend in two concerts at the Academy performed by musicians who have been jamming together since Monday at “Django Camp.” Each night is a different show, and each features two acts.
Melanie A. Davis & The Madness
Marigold Theater, Easthampton
Friday, June 13 at 8 p.m.
Emanating from the low hills of western Kentucky are the unmistakable songs of Melanie A. Davis. Whether contemplating the potential of her immediate community, reflecting the global zeitgeist, or considering her own vices, she never shies away from the glaring truths therein. A classically trained vocalist and self-taught guitarist, Davis floats her distinctive voice overtop fingerstyle guitar that oscillates from the Appalachian picking tradition to bossa nova-inspired rhythms.
Cultural Chaos
Cottage Street Cultural District, Easthampton
Saturday, June 14 from 12 – 5 p.m.
There’s something for everyone at Cultural Chaos: puppets, stilt-walkers, circus acts, dancers, musicians, and performance artists — plus a variety of restaurants, artists, makers, poets, and literaries. Creative hearts from every discipline line the street and open their businesses’ doors to share their unique wares and imaginations with the 10,000+ attendees who come from far and wide each year. Tip: The Fabulous 413’s Kaliis Smith is performing with the Soul Magnets on the stage overlooking Nashawannuck Pond at 2:15 p.m.
A Room of Her Own: Women Artists in Britain, 1875–1945
The Clark, Williamstown
Saturday, June 14 – Sunday, Sept. 14
In her 1929 essay “A Room of One’s Own,” Virginia Woolf (1882–1941) argued that for women to write fiction, they needed physical space of their own in which to think and work, as well as a sufficient income. (Extremely little-known fact: this is one of three works by Woolf that I examined in my undergraduate senior thesis many, many years ago.) A Room of Her Own: Women Artists in Britain, 1875–1945 celebrates twenty-five women artists working in Great Britain during Woolf’s lifetime; women who fought to establish themselves as professional artists at a time when the field was dominated by men.
Mohawk Trail Concerts
Amy Burton, soprano, and John Musto, piano
Charlemont Federated Church
Saturday, June 14 at 5 p.m.
Mohawk Trail Concerts has been presenting chamber music in a friendly and informal atmosphere since 1970. For the first concert of the 2025 summer season, husband-and-wife team Burton and Musto come to us from New York City to present a concert of songs from Old Broadway to the Boulevard, and more.
Muswell Hillbillies — A Night of Tom Petty
Iron Horse
Sunday, June 15 at 7 p.m.
Marking its 15th anniversary, the Valley’s Muswell Hillbillies returns to the Iron Horse stage with a career retrospective on acclaimed songwriter Tom Petty. Formed in 2010 in Hadley, Muswell Hillbillies began as a one-shot concept: to recreate The Kinks’ landmark 1971 album of the same name in its entirety. In 2015 the Hillbillies began spotlighting other musical heroes, including one-off "nights of" Neil Young, the Police and Tom Petty.
Wednesday Folk Traditions: Thea Hopkins
The Sunken Garden at the Porter-Phelps-Huntington Museum, Hadley
Wednesday, June 18 at 6:30 p.m.
Thea Hopkins, member of the Aquinnah Wampanoag Tribe of Martha's Vineyard, is acclaimed for the narratives and vivid imagery of her songs. Her program "In the Roundhouse: A Celebration of Traditional and Contemporary Indigenous Music" presents the scope and reach of what Indigenous musicians are doing in the 21st century. It will feature modern music created by members of Indigenous tribes, along with a sprinkling of traditional, timeless tribal artistry.
JUNETEENTH
Juneteenth Jubilee Springfield
Thursday, June 12 – Sunday, June 15
Over the course of three days, the third annual Juneteenth Jubilee Springfield gives us the chance to celebrate, learn, dance and enjoy food, fun and community.
Our Voice, Our Power: Black Youth Leading Change
UMass Amherst Henry M. Thomas III Center
Thursday, June 12 from 5 – 8 p.m.
Flag Raising
State Street and Ben Swan’s Way
Friday, June 13 at 12 p.m.
The weekend celebration kicks off at the Black Vietnam Veterans Memorial on State Street and Ben Swan’s Way
Adult Block Party
State Street and Ben Swan’s Way
Friday, June 13 from 5 – 9 p.m.
With music by DJ Volcano, free food, dominos, spades, vendors, raffles, and more.
Family Fun Day
Blunt Park
Saturday, June 14 at 12 p.m.
Enjoy family and youth activities, Taste of Dine Black, live performances, free haircuts and hair braiding, local business awards and more.
Father’s Day Brunch
Dunbar Community Center
Sunday, June 15 from 11 a.m. – 1 p.m.
5th Annual Ancestral Bridges Juneteenth Legacy Celebration
Downtown Amherst
Saturday, June 14 from 10:30 a.m. – 4 p.m.
Immerse yourself in the rich history, resilience, vibrancy, struggles, and triumphs of Amherst’s historic Black community and its Juneteenth roots. The day’s events are a tribute to heritage, culture, arts, the human spirit, and include a range of new experiences for all ages, including an open house at Amherst’s newest addition to the Cultural District, a visit to the historic West Cemetery, a poetic lunch at the Emily Dickinson Museum, a tribute to the jazz roots of Amherst at UMass Downtown, and more.
Juneteenth Celebration
Durant Park, Pittsfield
Sunday, June 15 from 10 a.m. – 6 p.m.
The NAACP Berkshire Branch is hosting a huge free celebration that will include a flag-raising, a freedom walk, a community worship service, a 5-on-5 basketball tournament, music, African dance, and more.
Clark Art Institute Celebrates Juneteenth
The Clark, Williamstown
Thursday, June 19 from 10 a.m. – 3 p.m.
Learn more about the Clark's recent acquisitions and reinterpretation work as they celebrate art, change, and expanding narratives this Juneteenth. From 11 am–1 pm, view photographs showing Black perseverance and dignity in the United States during the mid-nineteenth and early twentieth centuries in the Manton Study Center for Works on Paper. Plus, educator-led tours at 10:15 a.m. and 1 p.m., and a self-portrait activity from 1 – 3 p.m.
Celebrate Freedom: Juneteenth
Wistariahurst Museum, Holyoke
Thursday, June 19 from 12 – 3 p.m.
Join Wistariahurst Museum and Genuine Culture to commemorate the country’s second independence day through community and celebration. Enjoy activities throughout Wistariahurst’s grounds — lively music from the Young@Heart Chorus, song and spoken word from the Bethlehem Baptists, tunes for dancing provided by DJ Pzo Pete, food, drink, crafts, face painting and more.
Springfield Symphony Orchestra Juneteenth Celebration
Springfield Symphony Hall
Thursday, June 19 at 3 p.m.
Conductor Kevin Scott returns to lead the Springfield Symphony Orchestra for its third annual Juneteenth Freedom Day concert with the SSO, the Extended Family Choir and the Springfield Symphony Chorus performing a program of classical and spiritual music. I’ve been to the first two celebrations and have had a thrilling and meaningful experience both times. It’s a free concert; when you reserve your ticket you can choose to make a donation.
Juneteenth Mural Bus Tour
Starting and ending at the Mason Square Library, Springfield
Thursday, June 19
One-hour tours at leaving at 4 p.m. and 5:30 p.m.
Join Common Wealth Murals for a vibrant Juneteenth-inspired journey through Springfield’s streets to celebrate community, history, and creativity through public art! Hop aboard a vintage double-decker bus for a free, one-hour tour showcasing 20 powerful murals created with and for the community. From honoring local heroes to amplifying voices that have historically been silenced, these murals tell stories that reflect the heart of Springfield and the spirit of Juneteenth.
Dispatches from the American Black Film Festival
Amherst Cinema
Thursday, June 19 at 7 p.m.
Amherst Cinema presents a selection of short films from the American Black Film Festival, co-curated by Jeff and Nicole Friday. This program presents the complete roster of the 2024 HBO Short Film Award Showcase, featuring five narratives directed by Black women showcasing stories ranging from sweet family drama to inspiring historical fiction to abstract existential mystery.
Greenfield Juneteenth Celebration 2025
Court Square, Greenfield
Saturday, June 21 from 12 p.m. – 7 p.m.
Dance Party at Moose Lodge on School Street from 6 – 10 p.m.
The celebration at Court Square will special guest speaker Dr. Amilcar Shabazz, Professor in the W.E.B. Dubois Department of Afro-American Studies at UMass, live performances from NBS Malay and Thunderballs, family activities, small business sidewalk sales and more. Then we’re off to the Moose Lodge for an evening dance party!