Fun Things to Do This Summer — from the arts to outdoor adventures

Now’s the time for hikes, farmers markets, outdoor concerts, and arts festivals.

One of the best things about a Berkshire summer is how much there is to see and do. Discover all the sights, sounds, and events of the season with our round-up of what’s happening in 2024!

Theatre & Dance

Award-winning plays and performers delight audiences on Berkshire stages into September.

Berkshire Theatre Group’s three stages come alive this summer with Roger & Hammerstein’s Pipe Dream (July 28-August 31, Unicorn), Robert E. Sherwood’s Pulitzer Prize-winning Abe Lincoln in Illinois (June 15-July 14, Mainstage), and Young Frankenstein (June 29-July 21, Colonial). Williamstown Theater Festival calendar features plays and cabarets (July 2-August 10). Barrington Stage Company opens its 30th-anniversary season with La Cage Aux Folles (June 11-July 6). Enjoy more folly and fun with the madcap mishaps of The Comedy of Errors at Shakespeare & Company (July 13-August 18). Looking for a musical? Mac-Haydn’s theatre-in-the-round in Chatham runs through September 1, opening with West Side Story (June 13-June 23). Jacob’s Pillow, home to America’s longest-running international dance festival, runs June 26-August 25. 

Music

From classical to jazz to popular music and buskers, there’s a summer music festival or concert series with your vibe in mind. 

Tanglewood, summer home of the Boston Symphony Orchestra (BSO), opens and closes the season with its Popular Artist series including Shed concerts featuring John Fogerty, Roger Daltrey, Jon Batiste, The Pretenders, Brandi Carlisle, and sold-out James Taylor performances over the Fourth of July weekend. Tickets for Saturday morning rehearsals during the BSO’s Tanglewood season include yoga on the Lawn with teachers from Kripalu. The Mahaiwe Performing Arts Center summer music events include Keb Mo (June 15) and Ben Folds (June 22). Berkshire Busk! returns to downtown Great Barrington Fridays and Saturdays from June 28-August 31. Musicians also take the stage at local inns, pubs, and cultural attractions throughout the summer. Keep up to date on the latest live performances throughout the Berkshires all season with our events calendar.

Tour historic homes and gardens, such as Chesterwood. Credit: Great Sky Media.

Art & Featured Exhibitions

The world-class collections and visiting exhibitions at Berkshire art museums attract visitors from around the globe.

MASS MoCA celebrates its 25th anniversary year in 2024 with Carly Glovinski: Almanac (opens June 22) and Amy Podmore: Audience (opens July 27). At Clark Art, Edgar Degas: Multi-Media Artist in the Age of Impressionism (July 13-October 6) and Kathia St. Hilaire: Invisible Empires (May 11-September 22) are on view. Fragile Beauty: Treasures from the Corning Museum of Glass is set in the Clark’s light-filled Michael Conforti Pavilion (July 4-October 27). Chesterwood reopens May 25 with tours of the studio and residence of sculptor Daniel Chester French and the featured contemporary art exhibition Birth of a Shadow, featuring seven local sculptors,  (June 29-October 21). For lovers of art and satire, the Norman Rockwell Museum presents What, Me Worry? The Art and Humor of MAD Magazine (June 8-October 27). Over at The Mount, Edith Wharton’s Home, the annual outdoor sculpture exhibition SculptureNow relaunches in 2024 as Sculpture at The Mount (May 24- October 20).

Taste Berkshires

The Berkshires is a foodie’s delight, from farm-to-table restaurants to wineries, craft breweries, and distilleries.

In a region with a long agricultural history, it’s no surprise that Berkshire restaurants proudly feature the seasonal bounty of local farms and food makers on their menus. You can also find the tastes of summer at our farmers markets, creameries, tasting rooms, and grocers. Award-winning chefs and artisans call the Berkshires home—don’t miss the chance to Taste Berkshires, especially in summer!

Photo by Christina Lane Photography.

Explore Outdoors

With mountains, lakes, rivers, and streams at every turn, there’s no shortage of scenic places for an outdoor adventure. 

Discover a new hiking trail with the Berkshire Natural Resources Council app, do an overnight on the Appalachian Trail, or take a guided walk on properties maintained by The Trustees or Mass Audubon. For high-adrenaline adventure, head for a mountain coaster, zipline, canopy tour, or whitewater rafting trips. Or just take a quiet walk reconnecting with nature. Wherever you are outdoors, be prepared for the unique weather conditions and terrain of the Berkshires with a visit to local outfitters Nature’s Closet, Arcadian Shop and Berkshire Bike and Board. Find beaches, tent sites, parks, playgrounds, and more with our outdoor guide.

There’s something for every type of traveler in the Berkshires all summer long! Find more ways to eat, play and stay with our Guide to the Berkshires and other planning tools.

Funded, in part, by the Massachusetts Office of Travel & Tourism

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