Come from Away
Majestic Theater, West Springfield
Thursday, April 16 – Sunday, May 31
Come From Away is a heartwarming and uplifting musical that tells the true story of 7,000 passengers who were stranded in the small town of Gander, Newfoundland, after the events of September 11, 2001. It highlights the generosity and warmth of the real-life townspeople who welcomed strangers into their homes and hearts. The show has garnered critical acclaim, winning the Tony Award for Best Direction of a Musical and a Grammy Award for Best Musical Theater Album.
WonderPartyEveryone! (A Being Human Festival event)
Mead Art Museum, Amherst College
Friday, April 17 from 4 – 7 p.m.
In partnership with the legendary Quantum Soup Surfer, Jones Library, Being Human Festival, and Artist JooYoung Choi, the Mead is hosting a drop in, all ages, family-friendly afternoon full of crafts, art experiences, music, and more, all evolving out of Choi’s solo exhibition, Adventures of the Quantum Soup Surfer (on view at the Mead through July 5). Participants will be able to choose their own adventure through a range of drop-in workshops. Open to the public, registration required.
Acting Class: 2 Fast 2 Furrious with Dame Judi Dentures and Friends
The Blue Room at CitySpace, Easthampton
Friday April 17 at 7:30 p.m. and Sunday April 19 at 4 p.m.
The College of Community Knowledge, Center for Unique New Theatre is back in session — and Dame Judi Dentures is returning to the podium with a motley crew of lecturers. It’s part drag extravaganza, part theatrical masterclass, part group ritual, part clown riot — blending drag, commedia dell'arte, experimental performance, and deeply human silliness. Minimum age to attend is 16.
Gregory Brown's Rural Hours
Grace Episcopal Church, Amherst
Friday, April 17 at 8 p.m.
Gregory Brown is a supremely creative composer — I’ll never forget his Missa Charles Darwin performed by New York Polyphony. Rural Hours is his new multi-movement work for tenor and string quartet featuring texts by Susan Fenimore Cooper. Her under-appreciated nature diary (also titled 'Rural Hours') gives a first-hand account of living in rural New York in the mid-19th century and provided the inspiration for Brown’s new piece.
Smith Arts Day 2026
Saturday, April 18 from 10 a.m. to 9 p.m.
Introduced in 2024, Smith Arts Day is a daylong celebration of the artistic and creative community at Smith College that brings the arts together—across disciplines and across campus. SOFA invites community members to attend performances, exhibitions, workshops, art-making activities, and more. Things that caught my eye: a porchfest, the Gamelan 30th Anniversary Concert, a calligraphy workshop, an open ukelele rehearsal, and sonic meditation. Go and play!
Historic Deerfield Season Opening
Saturday, April 18
Historic Deerfield opens its 2026 season with three new Revolution-themed exhibitions.
Picturing the Revolution Throughout the American War for Independence, scores of images circumnavigated the globe, fighting their own battles to establish a comprehensible narrative for the momentous events occurring in British North America. A Town Divided: Deerfield in the Age of Revolution This exhibition explores how a rural Massachusetts community responded to the upheaval of the late 1760s through the 1780s. Dressing the Revolution: Fashion and Politics 1760–1789 This exhibit places clothing at the center of the political debates, shedding light on dress as a powerful tool that communicated status, identity, and political affinities.
Baby Animals
Hancock Shaker Village, Pittsfield
Saturday, April 18 – Sunday, May 10
Welcome the arrival of Spring with the adorable Baby Animals Festival. Meet lambs, piglets, calves, chicks and kids (goats, that is), and enjoy events and activities throughout the Village, from daily talks about the farm and the Shakers to craft demonstrations to walks along the “Farm & Forest Trail.”
Daffodil & Tulip Festival
Naumkeag, Stockbridge
Open Saturday, April 18 – Monday, April 20
Then, Thursdays – Sundays through May 10
Timed-entry tickets are on sale for the annual Daffodil & Tulip Festival at Naumkeag. The Gilded Age Berkshire “cottage” is renowned for its landscape architecture and elegant gardens. Food, snacks, and drinks are available during the festival at the Naumkeag concession stand. You can also tour the first floor of Naumkeag and visit its gift shop during the festival.
18th Annual Empty Bowls
Amherst Survival Center
Saturday, April 18 from 12 – 4 p.m.
What a lovely and meaningful concept! Choose a beautiful handmade bowl from hundreds of generously crafted and donated by local artists, then fill your bowl with soup prepared by favorite local restaurants. In addition to soup there will be fresh bread, salad, and dessert. Vegetarian, vegan, and gluten-free options will be available. Plus, live music, and the chance to connect with community leaders and special guest hosts. Take your bowl home as a reminder of the important work that the Center does to provide food and nutrition programs to 12,000 neighbors every year.
Berkshire Book Con
Berkshire Athenaeum Auditorium and Hot Plate Brewing Co, Pittsfield
Saturday, April 18 from 12:30 – 6:30 p.m.
Berkshire Book Con is a one-day, community-wide celebration of reading and writing, designed to bring adults together around a shared love of books. The event will feature creative contests, opportunities for readers and writers to connect, and a community read featuring “Rules for Ghosting” by local author Shelly Jay Shore. And it’s completely free to attend.
Lyracle: The Family Band
Lyman Hall at First Churches, Northampton
Saturday, April 18 at 3 p.m.
Lyracle is a historical music ensemble that explores the role that music has played in people’s lives and communities. The Family Band takes us to the 17th century and imagines a musical afternoon in a German castle spent with the immensely talented Sophie Elisabeth, August II, and their six children. A community sing and play with tea and cookies will immediately follow the concert. All voices, instruments, and levels are welcome.
NEPM's Smart & Funny People: An Evening with Fran Lebowitz
Academy of Music, Northampton
Saturday, April 18, at 8 p.m.
NEPM is rolling out a new event series called “NEPM's Smart & Funny People.” In a cultural landscape filled with endless pundits and talking heads, Fran Lebowitz stands out as one of our most insightful social commentators. Lebowitz's essays and interviews offer her acerbic views on current events and the media — as well as pet peeves including tourists, baggage-claim areas, after-shave lotion, adults who roller skate, children who speak French, or anyone who is unduly tan.
Earth Day Festival 2026
Springfield Museums
Sunday, April 19 from 11 a.m. – 4 p.m.
It’s Springfield Museum’s annual celebration of clean air, land, and water. Take part in a wide array of environmental displays and activities that will get you thinking locally and globally about conservationism. Discover fun ways to enjoy the outdoors and learn about the beautiful natural world around us. The Boys of the Landfill Bluegrass Band performs at 11:30 a.m. and 1 p.m.
Greenfield’s Earth Day Celebration
Tuesday, April 21 from 12 – 3 p.m.
Parade Starts at the Town Common at noon
Celebration at Energy Park from 12:30 – 3 p.m.
Join the City of Greenfield, Interfaith Council of Franklin County, Greenfield Cooperative Bank, Connecticut River Conservancy, and many more local organizations to celebrate Earth. There will be tables hosted by environmental groups, kids activities, musicians, and Stone Soup’s “Pay what you can” café.
Franklin County Intergenerational Film Festival
Greenfield Community College Dining Commons
Thursday, April 23 at 6 p.m.
Local youth and older adults have collaborated to create short films, which will be screened during the festival. The evening includes a talk-back session where participants will share their experiences and reflect on the meaningful connections formed through the project. The entire event, including a community meal, is free and open to the public. RSVP requested.
Breabach
Bombyx, Florence
Thursday, April 23 at 7 p.m.
Ranked among Scotland’s most skilled and imaginative contemporary folk acts, Breabach unites deep roots in Highland and Island tradition with the innovative musical ferment of their Glasgow base. They’ve released six albums, while fueling their creative appetites in collaborations with indigenous Australasian artists, Quebec’s Le Vent du Nord, and most recently as artists-in-residence at 2019’s Celtic Colours festival with Cape Bretoners, Beolach.
Hamlet Open-Captioned
Shakespeare & Company, Lenox
Thursday, April 23 – Saturday, April 25
Shakespeare & Company presents open-captioned performances of Hamlet from the Northeast Regional Tour of Shakespeare. It’s a dark and powerful story of mystery, revenge, and loyalty in which Hamlet discovers that his uncle murdered his father, the King, and has seized the crown. Open captioning adds to the performance by displaying supertitles on a large projection screen above the stage.
SCHOOL VACATION WEEK
Get Surreal
Springfield Museums
Monday, April 20 – Friday, April 24 from 10 a.m.– 5 p.m.
Here’s a week of museum activities inspired by the avant-garde art and literary movement. Kids can experiment with the Surrealist practice of automatism by drawing while listening to music, create a 3-dimensional self-portrait with fun craft materials, try powering a clock with a potato, and more. Free with museum admission.
Spies, Ciphers, and Secret Codes
The Discovery Center, Historic Deerfield
Saturday, April 18 – Monday, April 20
Wednesday, April 22 – Sunday, April 26
During the American Revolution, spies used methods like invisible ink and secret codes to carry important information. Visit the Discovery Center during April School Vacation Week (April 18–20, 22–26) to learn about spy techniques and try some of them yourself! Children must be accompanied by an adult. Admission is free on April 23, thanks to the Highland Street Foundation. General admission tickets are required on all other days. The Discovery Center will be closed Tuesday, April 21.
April School Vacation Week at the Clark
Tuesday, April 21 – Friday, April 24
The Clark is offering activities that celebrate art, nature, and student creativity! Grab a free Ground/work 2025 activity pack to explore the outdoor sculpture exhibition across the grounds. While out on the trails, stop by the Lunder Center’s Hunter Studio to see the inspiring student art show “How Shall We Live: Berkshire Youth Artists Explore Their Relationship with the Earth in the Time of Climate Change.”
Free Admission Day
The Zoo at Forest Park, Springfield
Thursday, April 23 from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m.
The Zoo is hosting a Free Admission Day sponsored by the Highland Street Foundation. You must register for this event. If the temperature is 60° or above, you may be able to see the Zoo’s newest residents — two baby capybaras! Their temporary enclosure is across from the goats.
Performance Workshop: Theater Games and Exercises
Shakespeare & Company, Lenox
Thursday, April 23, from 2 – 3 p.m.
Perfect for participants ages 8 and up, this workshop features theater games and exercises, plus a playful exploration of Will’s Wild and Whirling Words. Parents of participants under 13 are required to stay on the premises. Reservation required.
COMING SOON
Soles of Duende: Can We Dance Here?
Jacob’s Pillow, Becket
Friday, April 24 – Sunday, April 26
Formed in East Harlem in 2016, the multicultural trio Soles of Duende are bonded by a deep love of music and percussive dance. Following their Jacob’s Pillow debut on the outdoor stage in 2022 and their appearance in the 2024 Season Opening Gala, the group returns for a one-weekend-only run in the Doris Duke Theatre
Perfect Beasts: Modern Bouffon Clown
Northampton Center for the Arts at 33 Hawley
Friday, April 24 and Saturday, April 25 at 6 p.m.
Related workshop Sunday April 26 from 2 – 6 p.m.
Bouffon is a form of modern clown and physical theater rooted in the art of satire and mockery. The audience laughs at the Clown and the Bouffon laughs at the audience. Perfect Beasts is an evening of modern Bouffon Clown performance by Stephen Daytime and Joshua Kilcoyne, devised and presented in collaboration with Jay Dunn. This is not suitable for children under 12 years of age.
Pioneer Valley Ballet: Cinderella…With A Twist
Academy of Music, Northampton
Saturday, May 9 at 1 p.m. and 4:30 p.m.
Performed by professional dancers alongside hundreds of Pioneer Valley Ballet students and community performers from across western Mass., "Cinderella… With A Twist" offers a playful new interpretation of the familiar story. Set to Sergei Prokofiev’s score, the production features whimsical costumes, beautiful scenery, and intricate choreography.
Tiny Glass Tavern: Where shall I fly?
Asbury Hall at Trinity United Methodist Church, Springfield
Saturday, May 9 at 7:30 p.m.
Tiny Glass Tavern is a joyful celebration of musical variety, texture, and experimentation. This program features Sophie Michaux joined by a string quartet, harpsichord, and bass. Enjoy samplings of early music, French chansons, opera arias, art and folk songs, new compositions, and more. You’ll hear some Handel, Rossini, Price, Converse, Vivaldi, and music written by the Tiny Glass artists, performed in delightfully unexpected arrangements.
Illumine Vocal Arts Ensemble: Sergei Rachmaninoff’s All-Night Vigil
St. Brigid's Parish, Amherst
Sunday, May 17 at 4 p.m.
Sometimes referred to as the "Rachmaninoff Vespers," this work is a compilation of texts from three canonical hours of the Eastern Orthodox church service: Vespers, Matins, and the First Hour. It does not last all night. Its 15 movements soar for a bit over an hour. Illumine will be joined by Grammy-award-winning basso profundo Glenn Miller, who has performed and recorded the "All-Night Vigil" with leading professional choral ensembles throughout the United States and Europe.
NEPM's Smart & Funny People presents Ear Hustle Live!
Iron Horse, Northampton
Saturday, May 30 at 7 p.m.
Ear Hustle was the first podcast created and produced in prison — featuring stories of the daily realities of life inside California’s San Quentin State Prison, shared by those living it. Co-hosts Nigel Poor and Earlonne Woods launched the podcast when Woods was incarcerated at San Quentin. In 2018, Wood's sentence was commuted and he was released; he received a pardon in 2024. They’re coming to the Iron Horse to share stories from inside and outside prison, accompanied by musical performances and never-before-seen visuals.