Summertime Tunes

In the Berkshires there’s a vibe for every taste and tune.

Sing Along with Culture & History

Catch a Musical at a Berkshire Theatre

The Mac-Haydn Theatre stage is filled with music this summer! Sister Act, Rent, All Shook Up, and The Fantsticks are among the season highlights. Rogers and Hammerstein meet John Steinbeck’s Cannery Row and Sweet Thursday in the production of Pipe Dream July 26-August 31 at the Berkshire Theatre Group. Rock out with the Pulitzer Prize-winning musical Next to Normal at  Barrington Stage Company. Check out a one-woman musical comedy, Death, Let Me Do My Show, on the Mainstage at Williamstown Theatre Festival.

Sip Wine to Live Tunes at MoCA

If you love art and music then don’t miss MASS MoCA’s The Chalet – a free sculpture-turned-riverside-beer garden – on Thursday nights through August. The fun summer spot promises “frothy beverages, riverside regulars, and friendly new faces” to the tune of local music under the Berkshire stars. Arrive early to view Chris Dole’s The Coast of Industry and Eluding Capture: Three Artists from Central Asia! (Extended Berkshire stay? The Clark is down the road in Williamstown – see the new Guillaume Lathiere exhibit and catch a show at their Summer Concert Series.)

Experience History & Music Combined

You can also find music at many of the cultural locations throughout the Berkshires. The Mount, Edith Wharton’s Home, offers the Sounds of Summer concert series, live performance curated by jazz musician Michael Jenkins. Berkshire Botanical Gardens has a Music Mondays series, updated this year to include food trucks at each performance. Bring a picnic blanket or lawn chair to listen to live tunes under the Berkshire sky.

More cultural inspo: music, poetry, and performances at Chesterwood, and Jacob’s Pillow Dance Festival.

Jam Out at Jubilant Music Festivals

Music with Mountain Views

Catamount Mountain Resort invites you to enjoy fresh mountain air and live music with food and drinks during their Summer Music Series on Friday nights, July 12  through August 23. Into beer and cider? Check out their Thirsty Cat Festival on July 20 and 21 to sample craft brews and regional ciders and wines while you listen to a five-band line up. Kids’ can taste craft lemonades and everyone can ride the scenic chairlift and get their heart pumping on zip tours and in the aerial adventure park.

Bousquet Mountain offers live music and great food on the weekends. Be sure to check out the Mountain Day Festival in July, the Fire on the Mountain Jam, the Bousquet Folk Festival and the Bousquet Jazz Festival, all in August. You can find live music every Friday at Berkshire East, and have yourself an adventure beforehand on the zip line or aerial adventure park.

Berkshire Music Festivals

The Berkshires is home to a multitude of music festivals such as Aston Magna Music, the “oldest annual summer festival devoted to music performed on period instru­ments.” Each weekend between July 11 and August 4, a new program is featured.  If you like jazz, don’t miss Berkshires Jazz performances, including the Summer Showcase in July; the Bousquet Jazz Festival in August; and the Lenox Jazz Stroll in September. You can also immerse yourself in a series of classical concerts offered by Sevnars Music Festival through July and August. This year, the Mahaiwe Perfoming Arts Center is host to the music of the Berkshire Opera Festival, with a focus on Faust. 

Music with Your Mmmmm…

Mix live music with dinner at these Berkshire establishments. Champney’s Restaurant at the Deerfield Inn is offering a Summer Concert Series on Thursdays, rain or shine. The Dream Away Lodge in Becket is the venue for local music talent, and offers a full calendar of events.  On Monday nights through the end of August, catch local entertainment at The Williams Inn Barn Days. Their signature restaurant, The Barn Kitchen & Bar, serves New England classics and seasonally-inspired fare.

More festive inspo: Lion’s Den at The Red Lion Inn, Race Brook Lodge, Great Barrington’s Summer Concert Series, Balderdash Cellars, and weekend music series all around Great Barrington from Berkshire Busk!

Enjoy Traditional Tunes in Renowned Settings

Tanglewood, A Berkshire Classic

The Tanglewood Music Festival, the summer home of the Boston Symphony Orchestra, has long been synonymous with summertime in the Berkshires. Relax on the lawn with a sumptuous spread and a bottle of wine to the BSO featuring the Boston Ballet, TMC Chamber Music, Beck with the Boston Pops, and more. Come early to stroll the picturesque grounds – you’ll want to take advantage of the photo opp against the mountain views.

Performances at The Mahaiwe

In the heart of Great Barrington, The Mahaiwe Performing Arts Center provides a variety of live performances, film, and cultural events. This summer you can hear Big Bad Vodoo Daddyi; Justin Hayward of the Moody Blues; Grammy Award winners Ladysmith Black Mambazo; or crooner Suzanne Vega – and that’s only a few!

Other classical inspo: South Mountain Concerts, Berkshire Concert Choir, Norfolk Chamber Music Festival

Explore more things to do. Discover where to dine. Find places to stay. We can’t wait to see you in the Berkshires!

Return to the Berkshire Blog.