We’re Doing the Wiz Live!
NEPM Studios, 44 Hampden St., Springfield
Saturday, Oct. 4 at 7 p.m.
Enjoy an evening with Ian Coss and Sakina Ibrahim, co-creators of "Radiotopia Presents: We’re Doing The Wiz," the acclaimed podcast about the high school musical that changed their lives, right here in western Mass. The two Pioneer Valley Performing Arts alums look back on their starkly different experiences on the frontlines of the school’s bussing experiment, and what if anything has really changed in the 20 years since.
WIT Literary Festival 2025
Shakespeare & Company, Lenox
Thursday, Sept. 25 – Sunday, Sept. 28
The Words, Ideas, and Thinkers (WIT) Literary Festival is a celebration of writers, their work, and the vital role they play in society. By bringing writers and readers together for a weekend of conversations, the festival reflects the belief that a rich culture of free expression is essential to a thriving democracy. Who are we? What do we believe? In what kind of country do we want to live? A distinguished group of speakers renowned for their artistic virtuosity, intellectual passion, moral seriousness, restless faith, and civic engagement, will dig deep into these questions.
Connecticut River Conservancy Source to Sea Cleanup
Friday, Sept. 26 – Saturday, Sept. 27
Get your gloves and trash bags ready and join thousands of volunteers! This annual cleanup is an opportunity for people of all ages to directly contribute to the health of the 410-mile Connecticut River system by removing litter from riverbanks, waterways, and surrounding communities. The Cleanup is the cornerstone of Watershed Week, which includes museum tours, films, exhibits and more.
The Friends of Storrs Library Annual Book Sale
Longmeadow Community House, 735 Longmeadow Street
Friday, Sept. 26 and Saturday, Sept. 27 from 9 a.m. – 6 p.m.
Sunday, Sept. 28 from 9 a.m. – 2 p.m.
I go to this book sale every year and I can tell you that it is massive! Volunteers have been managing drive-through donations and sorting books for weeks, and it’s now our chance to load up on books to cozy up with this winter. This year’s theme, A World of Words Awaits You, says it all.
Northampton Jazz Festival 2025
Friday, Sept. 26 from 4:30 p.m. – midnight
Saturday, Sept. 27 from 11 a.m. – 6:30 p.m.
Ticketed show: New York Voices at the Academy of Music at 7:30 p.m.
Friday’s free Jazz Strut gives you the chance to stroll, sip and dine your way through downtown Northampton to the sounds of jazz ensembles at establishments across town, ending with a late-night jam session at the Toasted Owl. On Saturday you can catch free performances at Pulaski Park, the Iron Horse, the Parlor Room, the UU and other venues. The festival culminates in a ticketed show by New York Voices at the Academy of Music.
Seeing Violet
First Congregational Church of Ashfield
Friday, Sept. 26 at 7 p.m.
Saturday, Sept. 27 at 2 p.m. and 7 p.m.
Sunday, Sept. 28 at 2 p.m.
In this workshop production of a new play by Peter Snoad, a modern couple are converting the carriage house at their New England "old manse" into an apartment. The renovation unearths a manumission paper for a slave named Violet and human remains. As clues to Violet's life are revealed, the lives of the couple begin to intertwine with hers in frightening and surprising ways. Learn more: tune in to Thursday's Fabulous 413.
SOLE Defined: ZAZ
The ’62 Center for Theatre and Dance at Williams College
Friday, Sept. 26 and Saturday, Sept. 27 at 7:30 p.m.
Williams College welcomes African diasporic percussive dance group SOLE Defined for the East Coast premiere of ZAZ. The show is an archive of stories honoring the resilience of Hurricane Katrina survivors. Dancers perform in tap shoes, hard-soled shoes, gumboots, and barefoot, creating a rhythmic score that supports the narration woven into the performance. The stories are conveyed through speaking, singing, rapping, and projections, creating a unique experience that transports the audience to New Orleans. Co-presented with Jacob’s Pillow.
North Quabbin Garlic & Arts Festival
Forster Farm, 60 Chestnut Hill Road, Orange
Saturday, Sept. 27 and Sunday, Sept. 28 from 10 a.m. – 5 p.m.
There is something for everyone at this hugely popular family-friendly “festival that stinks.” Three stages with wonderful musicians, performers and entertainers, renewable energy and local living workshops. activities for children, and garlic games galore. Plus! On Saturday at 11:30 a.m., the first ever “Stinkin’ Chef Competition.” Two chefs will roam the festival field for ingredients and head to the Chef Demo tent for a Cook-Off. The audience will determine the winner.
Festival Latino of the Berkshires
Behind Town Hall and Saint James Place on Main Street, Great Barrington,
Saturday, Sept. 27, from 2 – 6 p.m.
This year marks the 29th anniversary of the Festival Latino of the Berkshires, which takes place on the last Saturday of September, during National Hispanic Heritage Month. With folkloric dance, artisan arts and crafts, and delicious food, this festival provides a familial space of joy and learning for the residents and visitors of the Berkshires. It’s free of charge, open to the public, and alcohol-free.
Want to really pack it in? You can also hit the 44th annual Lenox Apple Squeeze for music, a kid’s carnival, and more than 70 vendors selling food and artisan crafts. It’s happening Saturday from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Annual Country Fair
Hancock Shaker Village, Pittsfield
Saturday, Sept. 27 and Sunday, Sept. 28 from 10 a.m. – 5 p.m.
Here’s an early fall celebration of what makes the Berkshires special: fine artisanship, local food, breathtaking beauty, and family fun. This year’s fair includes live music, workshops and demonstrations, family activities, farm animals, a farmer’s market, craft beer, antique tractors, a quilt show, and dozens of craft vendors. The Beaks are performing from 11 a.m. – 1 p.m.
MISTER G: Baby Ballena Book Release Concert
Eric Carle Museum of Picture Book Art, Amherst
Saturday, Sept. 27 at 1 p.m.
Join MISTER G and Marcos Almada Rivero as they celebrate the release of their new book, Baby Ballena, a fascinating glimpse into a baby whale’s first migration from Mexico to Alaska. Eye-catching illustrations and a playful narrative in Spanish and English combine to shine a light on these magnificent creatures. MISTER G and Marcos Almada Rivero will be signing copies of their book after the concert.
Secrets, Spies, and Survival
Elms College Library, Chicopee
Sunday, Sept. 28 at 2 p.m.
Raised by World War II exiles in New York City, Alex Storozynski grew up with fragments of his family’s extraordinary past. Through years of research and reporting, he uncovered remarkable truths which are revealed in his gripping memoir, “Spies in My Blood: Secrets of a Polish Family’s Fight Against Nazis and Communists.” The Kosciuszko Foundation New England chapter hosts Storozynski at Elms College for an appearance that is free and open to the public.
Frederick Historical Piano Concert: Kirian Trio
Ashburnham Community Church
Sunday, Sept. 28 at 3 p.m.
The Frederick Collection of Period Grand Pianos includes over twenty original pianos in playing condition — the sorts of pianos known to important composers from about 1790 to 1928. There is no comparable collection of period, playing grand pianos in the United States. These pianos come to life through the concert series, where the historical context of the repertoire on a program guides the choice of which piano will be played. On Sunday, the Kirian Trio are presenting a program called “Franz, Fanny & Felix.” Their pianist will play on a piano made by Johann Nepomuk Tröndlin in Leipzig in the 1830s. Perfect!
CowParade
Old Sturbridge Village
On view through Sunday, Sept. 28
More than 25 fiberglass cows — transformed into works of art by New England artists — have been grazing the Old Sturbridge Village grounds this summer. Designs range from Revolutionary-inspired to modern and whimsical. But they’re moo-ving on after this weekend!
NAB TICKETS NOW
The Incredible Naumkeag Pumpkin Show
Naumkeag, Stockbridge
Wednesdays through Sundays, Oct. 1 – 31 from 5 – 9 p.m.
Plus! More midday timeslots this year
Naumkeag transforms into a celebration of autumn with more pumpkins, more fun, and an expanded schedule. Over 1,500 jack-o-lanterns, hundreds of mums, pumpkins, and countless gourds — most grown at Naumkeag — enchant this Berkshires hillside all October long. This is an iconic after-sunset event, but the daytime slots are perfect for garden enthusiasts, families, or anyone seeking a quieter, more peaceful experience. Advanced purchase of timed tickets is required (one ticket per person). Tickets are not sold on site.
Bewitched
Springfield Museums
Thursday, Oct. 23 from 6 – 8:30 p.m.
If you’re looking for a grownup Halloween experience, this is for you. Travel down a witches’ path to the George Walter Vincent Smith Art Museum for a night of mystery and enchantment, featuring culinary concoctions, live music, and magic. Explore the galleries in a Gilded Age museum to discover treasures from around the world. Enjoy immersive experiences. with tarot card readings, costumed performers, a DJ and pianist.
Wicked: Immersive sing-along film screening and cOZplay event
Randolph W. Bromery Center for the Arts, UMass
Friday, Oct. 24; cosplay event starts at 6:30 p.m.; film screening starts at 8 p.m.
This event’s gonna be pop-U-lar! Head to the Randolph W. Bromery Center for the Arts (formerly known as the Fine Arts Center) for a sing-along screening of the 2024 blockbuster movie Wicked. And start your evening by getting your Oz on at our third-annual cosplay event featuring food, music, games, and prizes! Emceed by NEPM’s very own wicked awesome Monte Belmonte, co-host of The Fabulous 413.