While the arts in these bucolic hills and mountains are vibrant year-round, it's in the summertime when some of its biggest attractions draw huge crowds to this region.
Tanglewood in Lenox is the summer home of the Boston Symphony Orchestra. The name "The Berkshires" can mean slightly different things, depending on whether you're talking about geographically, geologically, or culturally.
But when most people use the name, they're referring to the rich artistic and cultural area that runs along the westernmost parts of Massachusetts and northern Connecticut.
While the arts in these bucolic hills and mountains are vibrant year-round, it's in the summertime when some of its biggest attractions draw huge crowds to this region.
Probably the most well-known of these arts venues is Tanglewood, the outdoor concert venue that features everything from the Boston Symphony Orchestra to jazz to internationally known popular music stars, and more. This year, you can see shows such as Boston Pops performance of the Jerry Garcia Symphonic Celebration on June 22 or A Prairie Home Companion night on June 29. Pop concerts include Joan Baez with the Indigo Girls on June 23 and The Steve Miller Band on July 29.
Not far down the road, serving as a counterpoint on point, is Jacob's Pillow. The internationally renowned dance festival which is held in Beckett, has actually been around slightly longer than Tanglewood. A national historic landmark, the festival this year opens with the Dance Theatre of Harlem June 19-23. The dance center also mixes in photography, art exhibits, lectures and dance classes and draws dance companies from as far away as Australia, Brazil, China, and Israel.
Heading to the northwest corner of Massachusetts, one can find the cutting-edge works of the Massachusetts Museum of Contemporary Art. A mere 14 years old, the North Adams museum has over 100,000 square feet of space to house all manner of contemporary creations.
This summer MassMoCA will feature exhibitions by Jason Middlebrook, Joseph Montgomery, and Marko Remec. The museum also hosts live shows and will kick off the performance section of its lineup with Aaron Neville who will play there on May 25. MassMoCA also hosts the massively popular Solid Sound Festival, which is produced by the band Wilco, June 21-23
If you are venturing into the area around Independence Day, the 12th annual Berkshires Arts Festival is a great way to spend the weekend. The festival runs July 4-6 and July 12-14 at the Butternut Ski Area in Great Barrington.
The always popular Norman Rockwell Museum in Stockbridge has several new exhibitions this year. In June, you can see the Art of Walt Disney's Snow White, while July brings Jarvis Rockwell's art works to the museum. While visitors are in Stockbridge, they might also want to enjoy the unadorned beauty of the Berkshire Botanical Gardens. Sitting on 15 acres of land, the gardens house more than 3,000 species plant life, many of them indigenous to the Berkshires.
The Berkshires also features all sorts of shopping delights for those of you who are retail- and thrift-minded. One of the big destinations is the Lee Premium Outlets center, which has 60 outlet stores, including many designer names. Among these are Eddie Bauer, Ann Taylor, Coach, The Gap, Brooks Brothers, and Ralph Lauren.
The area is also rife with great restaurants of all genres, as well as a few orchards, wineries, and farms. Craft beer enthusiasts will also be happy to find a brewpub, Barrington Brewery, as well as several great beer halls, such as Moe's in Lee, Hops and Vines in Williamstown, and Ye Olde Forge in Lanesboro.