Amherst Dog Park hosts free Friday concert
The Amherst Dog Park is hosting a free Friday evening concert on Aug. 21, from 5 p.m. until dusk. Juliana Hatfield, alternative rock recording artist for ALR will open the evening. The acoustic trio, Nectar, plays music from the Americas with guitar, bass and vocals.
The community and their dogs are invited. The dog park, located at 2 Old Belchertown Road, has separate areas for large and small dogs; people must stay with their dogs. Organizers encourage patrons to bring chairs or blankets, but food and glass bottles are not allowed inside the dog park.
Ladama returns to Watermelon Wednesdays
Ladama returns to Watermelon Wednesdays at 7:30 p.m. Aug. 22 at Whately Town Hall. The Latin alternative band features musician-activists from Brazil, Colombia and Venezuela, along with American bassist Pat Swoboda. Their music blends South American and Caribbean sounds with soul, R&B and pop. Tickets are available at bit.ly/4xx4KjR.
learning center located at 13 Church St. in Ware. CONTRIBUTED
Workshop13 presents 8th annual Northeast Fine Arts Exhibition
Workshop13 in Ware opens its 8th annual juried Northeast Fine Arts Exhibition on Saturday, Aug. 22, with an opening reception from 1 to 4 p.m. and a $1,000 Best in Show award announcement at 3 p.m. Juried by renowned Northampton artist Scott Prior, the exhibition showcases realism through sculptures, paintings, drawings and mixed-media works by dozens of artists from across the northeastern U.S. The collection is on display through Sept. 6 in the newly renamed, chair-lift accessible Urban Hall gallery, with public viewing hours on Fridays from 4 to 7 p.m. and weekends from 1 to 4 p.m. For additional details or gallery information, visit workshop13.org.
North Hall Arts Festival continues
The North Hall Association’s 2026 Historic North Hall Arts Festival continues on Aug. 23 at 2 p.m. with “The Composer’s Voice.” It will feature original songs by Jerry Noble and Tania Coletta, including poems set to music by Mary Oliver, Emily Dickinson and Rumi, along with other original works. The program will include solo and ensemble performances by Emily Baker, Kate Saik, Liam Shannon and Marc Winer, accompanied by Noble on piano. Doors open at 1:30 p.m., and upstairs seating is limited to 75 people. Donations are welcome. North Hall is located at 40 Searle Road in Huntington, and is wheelchair accessible and air conditioned. For updates, visit northhallhuntington.org.
Northampton Community Music Center hosts ‘Instrument Petting Zoo’ on Aug. 25
On Tuesday, Aug. 25 at 3:30 p.m., the Northampton Community Music Center will host a free “Instrument Petting Zoo.” This popular event, now in its third year, is presented in collaboration with Northampton’s JFK Middle School, whose Band Director and Music Teacher Shelby Serio has invited incoming students to learn how musical instruments work, hear them played and choose an instrument to play in the band. The event also serves as an open house with refreshments. NCMC teachers will be on hand along with musical instruments of all varieties — strings, woodwinds, pianos, percussion, brass and the ever-popular rock guitars — for participants to hold and learn about. For more information, visit ncmc.net/events/instrument-petting-zoo-%26-open-house!
WHISPER IN MID-ZONE to take the stage in Hadley
WHISPER IN MID-ZONE, featuring Jim Matus, Bob Markey and Michel Moushabeck will perform on Wednesday, Aug. 26 at 6:30 p.m. at the Porter-Phelps-Huntington Museum. This concert will be held in the Sunken Garden, located at 130 River Drive in Hadley. Admission for adults is $12 and $2 for children 16 and under. Picnics are welcome on the museum’s grounds starting at 1 p.m. The museum and its grounds are a smoke-free site. For further information, visit pphmuseum.org.
The Institute for the Musical Arts announces its Eclectic Fall Concert Series
The Institute for the Musical Arts will present five Saturday evening performances at its historic Big Barn from late August through October. The series highlights a range of musical styles, bringing together pioneering rock, folk and feminist icons alongside klezmer fusion and contemporary jazz. All performances begin at 7:30 p.m. at IMA in Goshen. The lineup is as follows: June Millington and the IMA All-Stars will perform on Aug. 29, Lydiah Dola opening; ISLE of KLEZBOS quartet with special guest Rachel Leader on Sept. 19; Dimensionality on Oct. 3; Cris Williamson on Oct. 17; and Bitch, with Kay Turner & the Pages opening on Oct. 24. For tickets and additional information, visit ima.org.
Playwrights sought for new play on Shays’ Rebellion
The Majestic Theater in West Springfield has announced that it is the recipient of a fiscal year 2026 grant award of $15,000 from the National Endowment for the Arts. This funding will support a new play about Shays’ Rebellion in commemoration of Freedom 250 Network, the public-private partnership leading the nation’s 250th anniversary celebration.
Shays’ Rebellion (1786-1787) was an armed uprising of farmers in western Massachusetts, centered around towns including Springfield, Northampton and Great Barrington. Led by Revolutionary War veteran Daniel Shays, the rebellion was sparked by high taxes, mounting debt, and aggressive court actions that resulted in farmers losing their land and being imprisoned for unpaid debts.
The rebellion reached its peak in January 1787, when the insurgents attempted to seize the federal arsenal in Springfield. The attack was repelled by the state militia, and the uprising soon collapsed. Although the rebellion was ultimately unsuccessful, it exposed the weaknesses of the Articles of Confederation and helped build support for a stronger national government, leading to the Constitutional Convention later that year.
The Majestic Theater is inviting submissions from playwrights interested in developing an original full-length play about Shays’ Rebellion — a defining yet often underrepresented event in American history that began in western Massachusetts.
“The Majestic is honored and grateful for this opportunity from the National Endowment for the Arts,” said Terence LaCasse, the managing director of the Majestic Theater. “Telling a familiar story in a new way allows us to breathe new life into a pivotal moment in American history.”
Rooted in historical research and community engagement, the commissioned play will explore the rebellion through the voices and lived experiences of those who shaped it, creating a work that is both historically grounded and theatrically compelling. For more information about submissions, visit majestictheater.com/call-to-playwrights.