NEPM Book Club: Seek Immediate Shelter by Vincent Yu
Thursday, July 23 at 7 p.m. on Zoom
On an otherwise unremarkable morning, the residents of a small town in Massachusetts all receive the same alert: BALLISTIC MISSILE THREAT INBOUND. SEEK IMMEDIATE SHELTER. THIS IS NOT A DRILL. Confronted with the options of fight or flight, planning or panicking, the people of Beckitt are stripped to their basest instincts and revealed as their truest selves. Then the second message comes in: FALSE ALARM. PLEASE DISREGARD. ALL CLEAR. First comes relief, then comes the reckoning, as each person is forced to face the unforeseen aftermath of decisions they thought might be their last. Author Vincent Yu was born in Longmeadow. He’ll be joining the NEPM Book Club Zoom meet-up for a Q & A.
John & Jen
The Unicorn Theatre, Stockbridge
Wednesday, May 20 – Sunday, June 7
The Unicorn Theatre’s 2026 summer season opens with a deeply moving musical by Andrew Lippa. The story, told through a soaring contemporary score that blends pop, folk and musical theatre influences, follows Jen as she reflects on her childhood with her younger brother John. As Jen grows into adulthood and raises her own son, the echoes of her past shape her hopes, fears and fierce love as a parent. Poignant, personal and quietly powerful, this show exemplifies the kind of artist-driven storytelling that defines the Unicorn Theatre.
Forty Acres & the American Revolution: Stories of Independence & Servitude
Frost Library, Amherst College
On view through August, 2026
Reception Thursday, May 21st at 4 p.m.
Drawing on 18th-century objects from the Porter-Phelps-Huntington Museum (PPH) collection and fresh scholarship on the nuances of Northern Enslavement, the exhibit surfaces stories of freedom and unfreedom during the American Revolution. The promises of the American Revolution stated in the Declaration of Independence and the Massachusetts Constitution of 1780 remained beyond reach of many at Forty Acres, the large homestead in Hadley that is now the PPH Museum. A version of this exhibit was first presented at the PPH Museum in June of 2025.
Lexi Weege Jazz Night
The Parlor Room, Northampton
Thursday, May 21 at 7:30 p.m.
Lexi Weege is no stranger to the road. The western Mass.-based powerhouse singer/songwriter grew up in a traveling Cabaret troupe, and she’s been on the move ever since. Combining the best of jazz, Motown, and soul, Weege’s original songs are full of spirit. Her acrobatic vocals soar high and plunge low, tugging at your heartstrings. Expect to dance, and maybe shed a bittersweet tear, too.
Why’s It Gotta Be? Theater Group: Legoland
The Blue Room at CitySpace, Easthampton
Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays May 22 – 31
Why’s It Gotta Be? Theater Group is a new troupe committed to producing queer, diverse, challenging, uplifting, and fresh stories through theater. They are making their debut with Legoland, a dark comedy by Jacob Richmond, the writer behind Ride the Cyclone. It follows siblings Penny and Ezra Lamb, who grew up on a hippie commune, got shipped off to private school, and then set out on a wildly ill-advised cross-continent trip, financed by selling their ADHD meds. Adult language, not one for the kiddos.
Paradise City Arts Northampton
Three County Fairgrounds, Northampton
Saturday, May 23 – Monday, May 25
We know it’s Memorial Day weekend when Northampton transforms into the nation’s premiere destination for lovers of handmade arts with 200+ world-class artists and makers traveling from every corner of the country to showcase their craft, Plus, fabulous music and live food. Plan to stay for the 6 p.m. Saturday night concert featuring Winterpills.
Journey Through Oz
Shea Theater, Turners Falls
Saturday, May 23 at 3 p.m. and 7 p.m.
Sunday, May 24 at 3 p.m.
North Star Players present a new take on the classic tale. Follow a contemporary Dorothy and her beloved Toto as they make their way through the lands of Oz, trying to get back home. Familiar characters like the Scarecrow, Tin Woodman, and the Cowardly Lion are joined by lesser-known folk from the original book like Queen of the Field Mice, the Stork, the Hammer-Heads, and more.
Third Annual Community Day
Shakespeare & Company, Lenox
Saturday, May 23 from 11 a.m. – 4 p.m.
Here’s a free, family-friendly celebration on the beautiful campus of Shakespeare & Company in Lenox. Guests of all ages can enjoy performances, interactive activities, film screenings, food trucks, and opportunities to learn about the good work of two dozen+ nonprofit and community organizations serving the Berkshires and beyond.
Spatial Poems
Cecilia Vicuña, Sam Frésquez, Lola Ayisha Ogbara
MASS MoCA
Opens Saturday, May 23
Spatial Poems is a communal exhibition developed by MASS MoCA Curatorial Exchange Initiative Fellow Marissa Del Toro in collaboration with guest curators Ninabah Winton and Jamillah Hinson. Artist Cecilia Vicuña’s ‘precarios’ is a series of multidisciplinary works composed in part of sculptures made out of debris and in part of collective rituals of dissonant sound. They serve as the overarching conceptual framework for the three interrelated projects by Vicuña, Sam Frésquez and Lola Ayisha Ogbara. Together, the projects can be understood as a score or spatial poem.
Odenong Powwow
Amherst-Pelham Regional High School, Amherst
Saturday, May 23 from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. and Sunday, May 24 from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m.
The 6th annual Odenong Powwow brings together Native American, First Nations, and Indigenous American cultures for a weekend of singing, dancing, food, vendors, and community. The powwow is free, open to the public, family-friendly, educational, and held in a disability-accessible space.
West Stockbridge Chamber Players Spring Concert
Old Town Hall, West Stockbridge
Sunday, May 24 at 3 p.m.
Featuring the West Stockbridge Chamber Players artistic director and clarinetist Catherine Hudgins (photo above), oboist Amanda Hardy, violinist Sheila Fiekowsky, violist Daniel Getz, and double bassist Edwin Barker. The program will include works by Michael Haydn; Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, Ema Quiñones Núñez, and Sergei Prokofiev. These concerts, which benefit the West Stockbridge Historical Society, routinely sell out, so order your tickets today.
MIFA Victory Players: Golden Age
De La Luz Soundstage, Holyoke
Thursday, May 28 at 7 p.m.
The Victory Players bring a new era of contemporary classical music to Holyoke with Golden Age, a daring concert series presented in collaboration with the MIFA Victory Theatre. The evening features world premieres and adventurous new works from a lineup of visionary composers including Felipe Salles, Emily Koh, David Ibbett, Charles Shadle, and Kiegan Ryan. Guided by Music Director Tianhui Ng, the series explores stories of endurance, imagination, and cultural exchange through bold, boundary-pushing sound.
A Tribute to Eleanor Powell
HOPE Center for the Arts, Springfield
Thursday, May 28 at 7 p.m.
Discover the life and legacy of Springfield’s own Eleanor Powell — Hollywood’s Queen of Tap — whose dazzling career defined an era of American entertainment. This one-time tribute will honor one of the most celebrated tap dancers in the world, and the city that shaped her. The free program features guest speaker Lisa Royère, co-author of the definitive biography Eleanor Powell: Born to Dance. Royère’s illustrated presentation will weave together carefully selected dance clips with commentary and anecdotes drawn from years of original research. A Q&A session and book signing will follow.
Game On!
Springfield Museums
Open through Sunday, Sept. 13
Head to the Springfield Science Museum where kids can spin the wheel, roll the dice and have fun in an exciting family game room. This hands-on, bilingual exhibit brings the fun of gameplay to life in big, bold ways. Interactive games strengthen communication, collaboration and creative thinking skills while also building confidence and challenging muscles through big body movement.
NAB TICKETS NOW
Barrington Stage Company: Driving Miss Daisy
Limited seating Wednesday, May 27 – Sunday, June 21 in Pittsfield
New dates added Friday, June 26 – Sunday July 5 in Williamstown
Directed by BSC Founding Artistic Director Julianne Boyd, this production of Driving Miss Daisy features performances by Ray Anthony Thomas (Shutter Island, American Fiction) and Debra Jo Rupp (That 70’s Show, WandaVision). With limited seats now remaining for the Pittsfield run, Driving Miss Daisy will move to Williamstown on June 26, offering us another opportunity to experience an enduring American classic.
Son Lux
MASS MoCA, North Adams
Saturday, Sept. 12 at 8 p.m.
MASS MoCA member ticket pre-sale Thursday, May 21 at 10 a.m.
Tickets go on sale to the general public Friday, May 22 at 10 a.m.
Son Lux are kicking off their world tour with a concert on Sept. 12 showcasing their forthcoming album Out Into! Across nearly two decades, Son Lux has earned its reputation for splendor and sweep, but this new album is something different: a punchy suite of songs born from dazzling moments of collective improvisation. Did you know that they composed the soundtrack for the movie Everything Everywhere All At Once?
COMING SOON
Hampshire Choral Society Spring Concert
First Congregational Church, Amherst
Saturday, May 30 at 7 p.m.
The Hampshire Choral Society is a 45-voice community choir which has been performing in the Valley since 1953. Under the direction of Paige Graham, this year's spring concert will feature the Bach Magnificat, Zelenka's Miserere and pieces for treble voices by Pergolesi and Cozzolani, accompanied by organist Scott Bailey and orchestra.
Django in June
Django Camp at Smith College June 8 – 14
Concerts at the Academy of Music Friday, June 12 and Saturday, June 13 at 7:30 p.m.
Northampton’s “Django in June” again plays host to world class artists and avid amateurs with a shared passion for the musical tradition associated with pioneering jazz guitarist Django Reinhardt and violinist Stéphane Grappelli. Tickets are on sale for two fabulous concerts at the Academy of Music.
Wednesday Folk Traditions
Porter-Phelps-Huntington Museum, Hadley
Opens Wednesday, June 10 at 6:30 p.m.
The PPH Museum presents the 45th season of Wednesday Folk Traditions, its outdoor concert series featuring global folk music performed in a lovely sunken garden. The series kicks off on June 10 with The Wholesale Klezmer Band, then continues on June 17 with Rosemary Caine and The Wilde Irish Shenanigans, on June 2 with the Amherst Area Gospel Choir, continuing Wednesdays through July 29. General admission tickets are sold at the door, $12 adult, $2 children, cash only.
Turnpark Summer Festival 2026: Myth
TurnPark Art Space, West Stockbridge
Saturday, June 13 from 3 – 10 p.m.
TurnPark is a beautiful 16-acre open-air museum, sculpture park, and performance place in West Stockbridge, situated on the grounds of a former lime and marble quarry. It features winding trails, sweeping cliff views, and a collection of contemporary and Soviet-era art. The festival will be filled with performance art, immersive installations, wearable sculptures, music, dance, and meditative rituals inspired by this year’s theme: myth.
Green River Festival
Franklin County Fairgrounds
Friday, June 19 – Sunday, June 21
The 40th annual Green River Festival brings another big-hearted weekend of music, food, art and family-friendly fun, with a lineup that stretches from country and roots to indie rock, soul, reggae and global grooves. This year’s headliners are Charley Crockett on Friday, Spoon on Saturday, and Geese on Sunday.
Young Singers in Harmony: A Summer Vocal Music Exploration Program
Bombyx, Florence
Monday July 13 – Friday July 17
Join Heart of the Valley Chorus for a high energy week-long half-day program where young singers don’t just sing — they create, experiment, and shine. Students entering grades 4 - 9 will explore the "science of sound” with hands-on projects that bring music to life. The morning program will include art & science exploration, musical games and challenges that are designed for singers of all abilities, to learn more about vocal sound and a cappella singing. Plus! Singers entering grade 10 and up are eligible to apply to attend and serve as unpaid interns and enjoy the program free of charge.
Brahms Across the Berkshires
The Clark, Williamstown
Sunday, July 19 at 3 p.m.
In collaboration with the Tanglewood Learning Institute, a group of 2026 Tanglewood Music Center Fellows will perform Brahms’s Sextet in G major.