MARK YOUR CALENDARS FOR A SUMMER OF OUTDOOR CONCERT SERIES
By Mark Greenlaw
This article originally ran in the May/June issue of Berkshire Magazine. We’ve updated it to include newly announced concerts and links to the performances on our music calendar.
The Berkshire region is world-renowned for its premiere summer outdoor concert venue, with Tanglewood ramping up its season in late June and continuing through Labor Day. The tradition of picnicking on the lush lawn embodies the essence of a Berkshire summer.
Beyond Tanglewood, the landscape resonates with music from numerous outdoor music venues, each offering its own scenic charm. Many offer incredible natural scenery and allow food and beverages to be brought into the venue, much like Tanglewood. The Berkshires will host an impressive array of 13 outdoor concert series and nine one-day or weekend festivals. Here’s a comprehensive guide to the musical feast awaiting you.
Berkshire Botanical Garden’s Music Mondays series runs Monday evenings from July 1 through August 12 from 5 to 7 p.m. You can enjoy these ticketed performances from the lawn or while strolling through their delightful gardens in Stockbridge. Planned musicians include Misty Blues, Zikinna, and Brother Sal Blues Band. View Performances.
Berkshire Busk offers ten weeks of performances on Friday evenings and Saturday afternoons and evenings from June 28 to August 31. Most performances are in downtown Great Barrington. Berkshire Busk typically has five to six performances each night, with more than 100 groups and 300 entertainers for the season. Highlighted acts include Rees Shad & The Conversations, Katherine Winston, Michael Aaron, and Sample The Cat. All shows are free; tipping the buskers is highly encouraged. View Performances.
Catamount Mountain Resort in Egremont offers free outdoor concerts on Friday evenings from 5:00 to 8:30 p.m. at the mountain starting July 12 and running through August 23. These are family-friendly events. Bring a lawn chair; pets are welcome. View Performances.
Clark Art Institute in Williamstown hosts outdoor concerts on five Wednesdays starting June 26 and a special August 31 performance by The Knights Orchestra, all tied to their upcoming exhibit of Guillaume Lethière (see page 76), a neoclassical painter born in the French colony of Guadeloupe. Scheduled performers include Guadeloupe-born Jacques Schwarz-Bart, and Grammy®-nominated Haitian-American musician Nathalie Joachim. Additionally, there will be two Sunday concerts in June and July. Concerts are free and open to the public. View Performances.
Dalton CRA continues its summer series with Wednesday and Sunday concerts at the CRA Memorial Lawn and at the corner of Mill and Main streets in Dalton. All shows are at 6:30 p.m. The season kicks off July 6 and wraps up in early August but may be extended for concerts rescheduled due to weather. Performers include The Eagles Band, Mark Franklin, Jack Waldheim, Just N’ Kace, and Melissa Brinton. Free and open to the public. View Performances.
Town of Great Barrington Concert Series runs from mid-June through early September, with performances on Wednesday and Friday evenings from 5:30 to 7:15, weather permitting. The concerts are held at Grover’s Corner Gazebo next to Town Hall, 334 Main St. Confirmed performers include local favorites Wanda Houston, the BTUs, Bobby Sweet, Berkshire Sings!, and the Eagles Trombone Ensemble. Free and open to the public; donations are appreciated. View Performances.
Town of Lee Sundays in the Park outdoor concert series runs Sundays from the first or second week in July through the second week in August. All concerts occur from 12:30 to 2:30 p.m. on the lawn at the First Congregational Church of Lee. The series is hosted by the Lee Cultural Council, Lee Chamber of Commerce, the Town of Lee, and the First Congregational Church of Lee. Free and open to the public. View Performances.
The Lenox Loves Music! concert series is hosted by the Town of Lenox and offers performances every Sunday at 3:30 p.m. in Lilac Park starting Memorial Day weekend and for the months of June and September. Lenox also hosts street busker musicians on some Saturdays in July and August. Free and open to the public. View Performances.
Lich Gate Concerts in the Park offers two outdoor chamber music performances under the pavilion in the Sheffield Town Park. The first ticketed performance is Saturday, June 8, at 4 p.m. and features the music of 18th-century composers Handel, Mozart, and Beethoven. The second ticketed performance is Saturday, June 14, at 4 p.m. and features works for string orchestra from the Baroque and Modernist periods, including composers Edward Elgar, Piotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky, Béla Bartók, and Antonio Vivaldi. View Performances.
The Mount, Edith Wharton’s Home in Lenox, will offer a Music After Hours outdoor jazz series on the terrace on the 2nd Thursday of every month, beginning June 13 and continuing through August. Confirmed performers include Tarik Shah, Natalia Bernal, and Standard Edition. Concerts are free and open to the public. View Performances.
Downtown Pittsfield Summer Music Series takes place on Fridays, Saturdays, and Sundays starting June 1 and running through September 6, 2024. All performances are free and open to the public and take place in Persip Park. Confirmed performers include Michael Junkins, Rees Shad and The Conversations, and the Matt Steckler Trio. View Performances.
Town of Washington’s Music in the Park concerts continue for a fourth season, every Sunday during August from 4 to 6 p.m. in Washington Town Park. Confirmed musicians include Bobby Sweet, the Krishna Guthrie Band (playing in the Guthrie family’s hometown), and the Rev Tor band. The series is a fundraiser for the town’s Parks Commission, with sales of ice cream, cold drinks, snacks, and raffle tickets. Free and open to the public. Watch washington-ma.gov for the announcement of performances.
Windsor Lake Concert Series in North Adams runs every Wednesday from 6:30 to 8 p.m. from June 5 through August 28, weather permitting. Pack a picnic, bring a chair or blanket, and enjoy the beautiful natural backdrop of Windsor Lake. The lineup is still being finalized, but Bang on a Can is confirmed. Free and open to the public. View Performances.
In addition to these concert series, the Berkshires is also home to several single-day or weekend summer outdoor concerts.
Solid Sound 2024 music festival takes place on four stages on the grounds of MASS MoCA in North Adams from June 28 to 30. Headliners include Wilco, Jason Isbell and the 400 Unit, Iris Dement, Nick Lowe and Los Straitjackets, and many other musical performers. Held rain or shine, tickets are on sale now. View Event.
The Common Ground Arts Festival takes place July 6 on The Common in downtown Pittsfield. Music headliner is Funky Dawgz Brass Band. The event also features performances by ensembles from Tanglewood, Jacob’s Pillow, and community groups. Free and open to the public. View Event.
Bousquet Mountain Day takes place July 20 at Bousquet Mountain in Pittsfield. One of the Berkshire’s favorite regional folk-Americana bands, The Whiskey Treaty Roadshow will headline the ticketed event with supporting acts include Bella’s Bartok, Love Crumbs, Vaguely Pagan, and Jackson Whalan. View Event.
The Thirsty Cat Festival takes place at Catamount Mountain Resort in Egremont on July 20 and 21. Performers include Frank Viele & The Fallout, Blanket Statement, The Englishtown Project, Dave Keller Band, and Reed Foehl and Friends. Free to attend; food and beverages are available for purchase. View Saturday and Sunday event line-ups.
Fire on the Mountain takes place on August 3 at Bousquet Mountain. The band Dead Man’s Waltz will perform the music of the Grateful Dead, Allman Brothers, and The Band. This is a ticketed event. View Event.
Bousquet Folk Festival is on Saturday, August 10, from 5:00 to 10 p.m. at Bousquet Mountain. Performers include Session Americana, Glori Wilder, and Johnny Irion & US Elevator. View Event.
Bousquet Jazz Festival is on Saturday, August 17, from 4 to 10 p.m. at Bousquet Mountain. Performers for the ticketed event include The Luke Franco Quartet, Samirah Evans Quartet, and the Brubeck Brothers Quartet. View Event.
5th Annual Lenox Jazz Stroll will take place on September 7 from 3 to 7 p.m. in Lilac Park in downtown Lenox. It will be followed by additional performances at restaurants and bars in downtown Lenox. Free and open to the public. Watch for more information later in the summer at lenoxjazzstroll.com.
FreshGrass 2024 runs from September 20 to 22 on the grounds of MASS MoCA. It is a family-friendly, weekend-long festival featuring bluegrass and roots music performed across multiple outdoor stages. Performers will be announced later this spring. Held rain or shine, tickets are on sale now. View Event.
We hope you are as excited as we are to attend these outdoor music events. As the outdoor concerts and festival dates are published, you’ll find the events listed on our Music Calendar. You can also sign up for Music in the Berkshires free weekly newsletter and never miss a live music event – click on the button below!