Ballet Hispánico
Frederick C. Tillis Performance Hall, UMass
Thursday, Oct. 2 at 7:30 p.m.
Ballet Hispánico was founded only six years before the Fine Arts Center’s inaugural season. It had already established itself as a force in American dance on the on the strength of both exceptional talent and founder Tina Ramirez’s vision of a company that would challenge stereotypes and highlight the joy and celebration inherent in “Latinidad.” Today, it’s the largest Latino cultural organization in the United States Their presence is nothing short of essential in the Fine Arts Center’s fiftieth anniversary season.
Fall Foliage Festival
North Adams
Thursday, Oct. 2 – Sunday, Oct. 5
A full weekend of events that includes — count ‘em — three parades! On Thursday, there’s the Dog Costume Parade which starts at City Hall at 6 p.m. On Friday it’s the opening of the Mill Town Circus under the big top. Saturday is for kids with the Children’s Costume Parade, children’s road race and fair. Sunday brings a 5K road race for grownups and the 69th Annual Fall Foliage Parade in downtown North Adams with the theme, “To Northern Berkshires and Beyond.”
Great Ghouls Night Market and Bug Museum Parade
Downtown Turners Falls
Friday, Oct. 3 from 5 – 9 p.m.
The latest First Friday Turners Falls welcomes autumn with the Bug Museum Parade and Great Ghouls Night Market. Created during a three-week paper mâché workshop. large scale bug puppets will step off at 6 p.m. from Peskeompskut Park, Avenue A and Seventh Street, alongside the Skeleton Crew trolls and revelers from the Montague Shakespeare Festival. The parade route continues along Avenue A to the Great Ghouls Night Market, 147 Second St at Unity Park where spooky handmade goods, vintage clothing, haunted crafts, delicious foods, and more will be open until 9 p.m.
Mike’s Maze Beer Maze
Warner Farm, Sunderland
Fridays, Oct. 3 – 31 from 6 – 9 p.m.
Set aside a Friday night in October for an evening of maze-crawling and beer tasting at Mike’s Maze at Warner Farm! As dusk falls, you will grab a flashlight and head into the maze to play games, enjoy special-themed trivia, and track down local brews at tasting stations hidden inside the maze. Looking at the schedule, I see a rotating group of six breweries at each event.
Plainfield Concerts at 7: Avery Sharpe Double Quartet
Plainfield Congregational Church
Friday, Oct. 3 at 7 p.m.
Plainfield Concerts at 7 is a lovely free series that happens in August, with occasional additional fall dates. World-renowned double bassist, NEPM Jazz à la Mode host, and Plainfield resident Avery Sharpe will return with his double quartet (string quartet, double bass, piano, percussion, African drums) to reprise his composition “I Am My Neighbor‘s Keeper.”
Springfield 2 Northampton
A.P.E. Gallery, Northampton
Friday, Oct. 3 from 7:30 – 10 p.m.
More than a show, this is a Community Foundation of Western Massachusetts’ Valley Creates initiative with a mission — to bring together two communities that have thrived in parallel but rarely shared the same creative stage. Springfield’s burgeoning hip-hop culture and visual arts scene will take up residence within the heart of downtown Northampton. The night will feature four music producers showcasing their craft, demonstrating the range of Springfield’s hip-hop scene. Alongside them, four Springfield visual artists will give presentations of their work, giving context to the music through sharp, moving exercises in storytelling and world-building.
Paper City Fabrics Bag Sale
330 High Street, Holyoke
Saturday, Oct. 4 from 11 a.m. – 5 p.m.
Here’s a great opportunity for fabric lovers — from quilters to crafters to clothes makers — to find treasures while keeping hundreds of pounds of fabric out landfills. You can fill a reusable bag with as much fabric as you can for just $15.
Easthampton Porchfest
Saturday, Oct. 4 from 12 – 6 p.m.
Last month we had Porchfest in Williamsburg. This Saturday, we have the third annual Easthampton Porchfest. Kind of like open studios (typically for visual artists) but for music instead, Porchfest is a concept that’s really gaining traction here in western Mass. When you check out the schedule, you’ll find a long list of local musicians performing on porches, steps, storefronts and driveways throughout several neighborhoods in Easthampton, playing just about every popular music genre imaginable.
Fabric of Life Barnfest 2025
80 Bassett Road, Shelburne
Saturday, Oct. 4 starting at 12 p.m.
Fabric of Life is an organization of individuals who strive to see traditional skills flourish in our modern world and make these educational opportunities available to future generations. Barnfest features local crafters and artisans, musicians, children’s activities, dancing, and the weaving together of an amazingly vibrant community. It starts at noon with variety of live demonstrations and interactive workshops. People line up for the buffet community dinner, served in partnership with Stone Soup Café at 4:45, and live music and dancing go into the late evening.
Sarah Elizabeth Charles Album Release Concert
Community Music School of Springfield
Saturday, Oct. 4 at 5:30 p.m.
Sarah Elizabeth Charles is a CMSS alum, and a vocalist/composer/teaching artist now based in Brooklyn. She has worked and studied with artists such as Chief Xian aTunde Adjuah, George Cables, Geri Allen and Sheila Jordan and has performed at many venues including The White House, Carnegie Hall, The Kennedy Center, Rose Theatre with Jazz at Lincoln Center and many more. Sarah returns to CMSS and Robyn Newhouse Hall to celebrate the release of her fifth album, Dawn, which chronicles her experience of becoming a mother.
Jeffrey Foucault
The Iron Horse
Saturday, Oct. 4 at 7 p.m.
In two decades on the road, Jeffrey Foucault has become one of the most distinctive voices in American music. About a year ago, he released The Universal Fire, his first album of entirely new material since 2018. A series of high-voltage performances cut live in one room, the album is both a tribute to his best friend and drummer Billy Conway who passed away in 2021, and a meditation on the massive 2008 fire at the Universal Studios lot in California that destroyed the master recordings of some of our bedrock American music.
Tell Her This Community Storytelling
Bombyx, Florence
Saturday, Oct. 4 at 7 p.m.
Hosted by music artist Rochelle Rice, Tell Her This is a podcast that journeys into the lives of women, told through honest, intimate stories that transcend borders and generations. For the Saturday Tell Her This Community Storytelling event at Bombyx, local story tellers have been honing their presentation with Rochelle during the week.
Tell Her This Live!
Bombyx, Florence
Sunday, Oct. 5 at 3 p.m.
With over 100,000 downloads in 151 countries across six continents, the Tell Her This podcast has created a global community of listeners who are drawn to its raw authenticity and deeply personal narratives. Tell Her This Live! immerses the audience in audio vignettes from the podcast, paired with Rochelle Rice’s emotionally charged performances of original music. This is set against a backdrop of striking video imagery from Strong, Like Water, a large-scale portrait art installation. Plus! Rochelle will be on The Fabulous 413 on Friday!
Harold López-Nussa featuring Grégoire Maret
MASS MoCA
Saturday, Oct. 4 at 8 p.m.
The next installment in MASS MoCA’s series highlighting some of the best and brightest in contemporary jazz brings pianist and composer Harold López-Nussa to Club B10 for a performance, featuring harmonica virtuoso Grégoire Maret. Catch an energizing evening that reflects the full range and richness of the Cuban musical tradition with a distinctive combination of folkloric, popular, and classical elements, embraced by improvisation.
Conway Festival of the Hills
Sunday, Oct. 5 from 9 a.m. – 5 p.m.
It’s time for hills and thrills! Since 1962, Conway’s Festival of the Hills has celebrated community spirit and artistic talent with a lovely fall festival. Pre-festival events include a benefit concert on Friday. There’s a book sale, car show, turkey dinner and more on Saturday, all leading up to the Sunday festival featuring a parade, the Covered Bridge Classic 10K Road Race, a log-splitting contest, a skillet toss, live music, arts and crafts, local food, kids’ activities, and more. On Sunday, you can get oriented by visiting the info booth at Town Hall.
Pioneer Valley Symphony: Counterpoints on the Rhein
Greenfield High School
Sunday, Oct. 5 at 2 p.m.
The Pioneer Valley Symphony launches its 87th season honoring the contributions of women composers. Ethyl Smyth’s rousing March of the Women celebrates the resilient, daring, and effective advocacy of women. The beautiful and entrancing Piano Concerto by Clara Wieck Schumann forms the centerpiece of the concert and will feature Yang Liu on the piano. Palestrina’s Adoramus Te and Stokowski’s sumptuous rendering of it for orchestra prefaces Robert Schumann’s beloved Rhenish symphony, exploring the world of counterpoint and chorales.
Illumine Vocal Arts: Would You Harbor Me?
Grace Episcopal Church, Amherst
Sunday, Oct. 5 at 2:30 p.m.
Here’s a concert of music for choir and strings that will explore displacement, the quest for refuge, and the longing for safety. With music ranging from the Baroque to the contemporary, the program is anchored by selections from Dieterich Buxtehude’s masterpiece Membra Jesu Nostri, together with “To the Hands” by contemporary composer Caroline Shaw. Plus, a post-concert reception and a presentation of photographed details from works by local sculptor Harriet Diamond, who has addressed the suffering of refugees displaced by war and climate destabilization in sweeping panoramas.
Cécilia
De La Luz Soundstage
Wednesday, Oct. 8 at 7 p.m.
Experience the joy, fire, and finesse of Cécilia — a trio of extraordinary Canadian musicians whose spirited blend of Celtic and Québécois traditions fills the room with energy. With Timi Turmel on accordion, Erin Leahy on piano, and Louis Schryer on fiddle, Cécilia brings a fresh, dynamic sound to traditional music, weaving in hints of classical, swing, and jazz. Plan to arrive early for supper. The café opens at 6 p.m. with a themed menu inspired by Québécois and Celtic culinary traditions.