Western Massachusetts

When June rolls around, festival season has arrived in western Massachusetts with something happening nearly every weekend. And there’s a festival for everyone, from foodies and cultural fiends to jazz buffs and book lovers.

WGBY Asparagus Festival on the Hadley Town Common, June 6, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Spend the day on the historic Hadley Town Common (the longest in Massachusetts!) celebrating one of our region’s most famous crops—“Hadley grass.” Savor food and beverages in the Beers & Spears Pavilion; sing and dance to live music on the Rooted in the Valley Stage, presented by Signature Sounds and Rise Up Singing; shop the Asparagus Festival Market where you’ll find art and crafts vendors, farmers, growers and other agricultural value added food producers, and meet some of our community cultural partners. Admission for the festival is free with a suggested donation of $5. Additional tickets are available for the Chefs' Spearit Farm to Table Luncheon from 1 to 3 p.m.

Children’s Book Festival, June 6, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.
Inspired by The Carle’s exhibition, The Art of Eric Carle: Bees, Butterflies, and Other Bugs (on view through August 30, 2015), join The Eric Carle Museum of Picture Book Art for a day celebrating these small creatures! There will be exhibition, book signings, storytimes and art projects with artists from The Western Massachusetts Illustrators' Guild throughout the day as well as programs and signings with Tony DiTerlizzi (The Spider and The Fly, author and illustrator) and Angela DiTerlizzi and Brendan Wenzel (Some Bugs, author and illustrator respectively). Workshops with Magic Wings Butterfly Conservatory and Gardens and Luminarium Dance Company. Festival activities are free with museum admission.

Cultural Chaos, June 13, 12 to 7 p.m.
Easthampton has a lot to celebrate this year: new breweries, being recognized for having the best tasting waterin the country, a new boardwalk, and its ever-thriving cultural scene. On Saturday, June 13, Cottage Street is closed to traffic for the second annual Cultural Chaos Street Festival with a Twist. At noon the city celebrates the grand opening of the new Easthampton Boardwalk around Nashawannuck Pond. There’s music, street performers, artist demos, food vendors, beer gardens and more. The festival coincides with Cottage Street Open Studios as well where over 25 artists open their studios to the public. Festival admission is free.

Django in June, June 19 & 20
Each year for over a decade now Django in June has played host to world class artists and avid amateurs with a shared passion for the musical tradition associated with jazz guitarist Django Reinhardt and his best known sideman, violinist Stephane Grappelli. The “Django Camp” which began in 2004 as a small, single day of workshops topped off by an evening concert, now spans the better part of a week, with over 200 attendees from around the world filling Northampton with an ebullient sound that goes by many names: “Gypsy jazz”, “hot jazz”, “jazz manouche.” At week’s end, the instructors take the stage at the historic Academy of Music in Northampton, MA to offer the general public a sampling of contemporary Gyspy jazz at its best. Tickets available here.

Taste of Amherst, June 18-21
For the past 24 years, the Taste of Amherst is the premier occasion to sample some of the best food in western Massachusetts. Amherst, MA has quite the food reputation, most recently being named one of 13 of the Best College Towns in America for Food and Drink. Presented by Atkins Farm Country Market and the Amherst Area Chamber of Commerce, the Taste offers more than just four days of tasty food—there’s also live music arranged by WRSI 93.9 The River and plenty of fun family games and events.