FESTIVALS

We discuss the future of the MCAS tests with Mary Tamer of Democrats for Education Reform, have our weekly check- in with Congressman Jim McGovern who has a lot on his proverbial plate this week, and explore the recent announcement about the Green River Festival with Jim Olsen of Signature Sounds and John Sanders of DSP Shows.

We find out about the Springfield Dragon Boat Festival, discover how the team behind Latinas 413 is building community in the Berkshires, and continue our conversation with Greenfield mayor Roxann Wedegartner

We check out a tiny piece of the 978 in our four counties when we survey the wonders of the North Quabbin Garlic & Arts Festival, get a teaser of the 690 new words Merriam Webster just added to their dictionary, find out all about Latino Arts Day at Springfield Museums, and hear exciting news from the Parlor Room about a well known Northampton venue.

We get in-between the stanzas of the Tell It Slant festival being thrown by the Emily Dickenson Museum, and speak with Actor/director/author John Lithgow about why libraries are important before his appearance supporting one of our local ones this weekend.

The Fresh Grass Festival opens today at Mass MoCA in North Adams, so we head to the berkshires to get the lay of the Roots & Americana festival with founders Chris Wadsworth & Rachel Chanoff, Festival producer Ollie Chanoff, Mass MoCA General Manager Addison McDonald, plus live music from Becky Buller and Ned Luberecki of the Becky Buller band, and with the band Mr. Sun, helmed by Bluegrass Legend Darol Anger.

We discuss ethical meat eating with Hettie Belle Farm, take a trip down the Connecticut River to get prepared for the Paper City Regatta, and rue yet another possible federal government shutdown in our weekly McGoverning with Rep. Jim McGovern

We fawn over quodnam poet laureate and multi disciplinary writer Rita Dove, and find out about film editing and festivals from Harry Keramides, curator of the Ashfield Film Festival, and editor extraordinaire.

We discover the WIT festival happening next week in Lenox, bring the Wine Thunderdome to Franklin County (finally), and get a quick look at the Millpond series, which opens tonight in Easthampton

We view the juried sculpture show, now all ability accessible, at Park Hill Orchard with proprietor Russell Braen and accessibility advocate and wheelchair user Christos Palames, and take a Umass AI professor to Mike's Maze where this year's theme is artificial intelligence and the very nature of humanity.

We check out the local literary magazine Meat for Tea as they gear up for their quarterly Cirque, Hang out with Jonah Keane from Arcadia Wildlife Sanctuary and Wallace Field who'll be playing the Arcadia Fold festival on those grounds next week, and drink the wine we abandoned for PInot Grigio with the Wine Snobs at State Street.