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Header Photos

 

Clockwise from top left:  Boston Bluegrass annual Joe Val Festival;

North Adams Fall Foliage Parade; Pilgrim girl at Plimoth Plantation, credit Don Teague; Central Massachusetts; American Textile History Museum in Lowell 

 

 

 

 

 

April 2016

 

Massachusetts is rich in arts & culture, so it's no surprise that exciting events, exhibits and festivals are held in the state's 16 regions all year long. Find out more!

 

April Blossoms

Massachusetts truly blossoms in April with swan boats, daffodil festivals, botanical gardens, bird watching, nature walks and kite festivals throughout the state.  For history lovers, Patriot's Day celebrates our unique heritage with battle reenactments in Concord and Lexington and commemorations from New Bedford to Deerfield.  The world-renowned Boston Marathon features 25,000 runners racing through eight towns and cities, from Hopkinton to Boston, with millions of fans cheering them on.  April is Jazz Appreciation Month, so you'll enjoy amazing live music on college campuses, hotels, restaurants and jazz clubs.  
 
Plan your next getaway to Massachusetts! 

 

 

Featured Region: Greater Boston

April's sun and comfortable temperatures bring out the best of Boston. Annual rites of spring enjoyed by locals and visitors alike include the return of the Swan Boats, the spinning of the Greenway and Boston Common's carousels, and the Boys of Summer are back.  Patriot's Day brings historical reenactments, and commemorative ceremonies while 30,000 runners compete in the 120th Boston Marathon

Prefer following the yellow brick road?  Then make plans for The Wizard of Oz.  You can also take The Grand Tour with everyone's favorite - the Big Apple Circus - or perhaps one of your favorite things is the Sound Of Music, which entertains audiences at the Boston Opera House.  And ArtWeek featuring unexpected and creative experiences that are interactive or allow behind-the-scenes access runs for 10 days.  Be sure to take time and smell the flowers- all 26,000 tulips in the Public Garden.

Find more information on Greater Boston

 

 

Cape Cod

The ArtsApp Cape Cod is the best way to create your own Arts Trail. Cape Cod artists, craftspeople, galleries, museums and theaters are right at your fingertips! Download to your mobile device to find what's nearest to you while you wander around the Cape. Plan visits to studios of artists inspired by the Cape's natural beauty, galleries highlighting award-winning artists, and museums & performing arts venues that reflect the unique arts community of Cape Cod!  Download the App now.  Find more information on Cape Cod.

 

 

Greater Springfield

CityStage presents Cirque Zuma Zuma at Symphony Hall April 3. Non-stop action thrills all ages! Springfield Museums Festival of Flowers is April 7-10: Objects from the museum collections creatively re-interpreted by floral enthusiasts (free with museum admission). Sheraton Springfield Presents The Italian Trio - April 11, 5 p.m. A wonderful evening of Opera Classics - "Songs That Unified Italy" - in the Sheraton's Grand Ballroom.  Find more information on Greater Springfield.

 

 

Hampshire County

Stomp is an explosive, provocative and utterly unique stage show, appealing to audiences of all ages.  See this award-winning show Tuesday, April 12 or Wednesday, April 13 at 7:30 p.m. at the UMass Fine Arts Center in Amherst!  Stomp's eight-member troupe uses everything but conventional percussion instruments - wooden poles, brooms, garbage cans, hubcaps - to fill the stage with magnificent rhythms.  For tickets, call the box office at 545-2511, toll-free at 800-999-UMAS, or purchase online at fineartscenter.com.  Find more information on Hampshire County.

 

 

Johnny Appleseed Country

Spring has arrived in Johnny Appleseed Country, accompanied by music and bright bursts of flowers.  Immerse yourself in Mozart compositions, performed by the Thayer Symphony Orchestra on April 9. Enjoy a "Winds for a While" woodwind concert in Athol or a Historical Piano Concert in Ashburnham on April 24.  Or let your senses unwind at the Fitchburg Art Museum's Art in Bloom exhibition on April 7-10, a blend of music, flowers, art and farmer's market.  Let the music melt your winter blues away!  Find more information on Johnny Appleseed Country.

 

 

Martha's Vineyard 

Save the date of Saturday, April 16 for Sheepapalooza, happening 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. at the Farm Institute in Edgartown! Join this fun celebration of Sheep & Shepherds, Local Food, Farming & Fiber. Featuring sheep shearing, an intro to the new lambs, sheep dog demos, wagon rides, and fiber arts such as spinning, weaving, dyeing, felting, and knitting. Local food by the Artcliff Diner Food Truck. For more information please visit farminstitute.org.  For a full SPRING FOR THE ARTS calendar of events, visit MVY.com.  Find more information on Martha's Vineyard.

 

 

Mohawk Trail Region

Williams College Museum of Art
in Williamstown presents "Not Theories but Revelations": The Art and Science of Abbott Handerson Thayer through August 21! This is the first exhibition to address Thayer's artistic practice as part of his broader investigation of animal and human concealment. A renowned twentieth century painter of ethereal angels, landscapes, and delicate flowers, Thayer was at the center of a raging debate around Darwin's theories of evolution.  His study of the visual world led him to develop the first prototype of military camouflage. Free admission!  Find more information on The Mohawk Trail Region

 

 

MetroWest

What do basketball, gluten-free cupcakes, and playing the trombone have to do with science?  Framingham State University's McAuliffe Center (home of the Challenger Center and Planetarium) hosts Science on State Street on April 23. This family-friendly, outdoor festival takes place 10am-2pm. Bring a curious mind! And don't forget two major venues open for the season this month: Garden in the Woods in Framingham on April 20 and Southwick's Zoo in Mendon on April 20.  Find more information on MetroWest

 

 

Nantucket Island

Join us May 18-22 for the 20th annual Nantucket Wine Festival, a boutique experience of world-class vintages showcasing renowned vintners, chefs and sommeliers, and featuring grand tastings, a Harbor Gala, live cooking demos and artisan food samplings.  Kicking off the summer season, the 45th annual Figawi Race - May 28-30 - is an internationally acclaimed  sailing event, with 240+ sailboats in 13 divisions racing from Hyannis to Nantucket and back, making for a majestic sight as they sweep into Nantucket Harbor.  Find more information on Nantucket Island.

 

 

North of Boston

Reading is fundamental at the 11th Annual Newburyport Literary Festival!  Festivities include Dinner with the Authors, Coffee with the Poets, and appearances by a myriad of authors such as Anton Yakovelv, Senator George J. Mitchell, and Bruce Bennett.  This year, we'll have poet/biographer Daniel Mark Epstein in conversation with poet/arts journalist, carl little about Edna St. Vincent Millay's life, work, and influence.  Come join the celebration of literature, readers, and writers on April 29th and 30th in Newburyport.  Find more information on North of Boston.

 

 

Plymouth County

Savor a historical exploration of South Shore farming on land and sea through a series of mini-lectures by local historians! Sponsored by Backroads of the South Shore, the history symposium Land & Sea: Historical Agriculture & Aquaculture of the South Shore will be held from 10 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. on Saturday, April 9th at the Spire Center for Performing Arts in Plymouth.  $15 admission includes breakfast refreshments.  For more information or to reserve tickets, contact Paula Fisher at 508-747-0100.  Find more information on Plymouth County.

 

 

Southeastern Mass

Come spend the night on living history at Battleship Cove's Family Nautical Nights!  Parents and their children 6 years of age and up can camp on the battleship, explore the museum and take part in scheduled activities for our overnight campers.  The cost to spend the night on Friday, April 24th is $55.  For reservations, please call 508-678-1100 ext. 101 or 102.  Find more information on Southeastern Massachusetts

 

 

The Berkshires

Barrington Stage Company is the fastest growing arts venue in Berkshire County, attracting more than 56,000 patrons each year.  BSC continues to gain national recognition for its top-notch, compelling work; development of new plays and musicals; and fresh, bold ways of bringing in new audiences.  2016 offers three WORLD premieres; American Son, an explosive new drama, and two exciting new musicals, Presto Change-O and Broadway Bounty Hunter.  Come see the  revival of Pirates of Penzance, done by the team that did On the Town.  Find more information on The Berkshires

 

 

Greater Merrimack Valley

 

The William Diamond Jr. Fife and Drum Corps

Linger in Lexington this April!  Come to Lexington Open Studios April 9th and 10th.  Enjoy Patriots' Day Weekend April 16-18th.  Watch the reenactment of the Battle of Lexington on April 18th performed by members of the Lexington Minute Men Company and His Majesty's Tenth Regiment of Foot.  Activities throughout the month include historical reenactments, parades, the Liberty Ride Trolley Tour, pancake breakfasts, and a road race.  Find more information on Greater Merrimack Valley.

 

 

Central Massachusetts

Central Mass is bursting with life and it's time to get outside! The first signs of colorful bloom are showing in Tower Hill Botanic Garden's spectacular field of over 25,000 daffodils.  Visit a variety of baby animals and learn about 19th century agriculture at Old Sturbridge Village during their popular Family Farm Fest, April 16-24.  And don't miss the EcoTarium's annual Earth Day Celebration on April 22, with hands-on activities, entertainment, food vendors, and more!  Find more information on Central Massachusetts.

 

 

Franklin County

On Saturday, April 9th, the 53rd Annual River Rat Race will take place from Athol to Orange on the Millers River at 1 p.m.  Entry fee is $42 per canoe. The Kayak Races Pro-am at 10 a.m. on Sunday is open to youth and adults (registration 9-10 a.m.)  From 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. on Saturday, April 16, Our Lady of Peace Church in Turners Falls will host Stash Bash, a swap of fabrics, notions, buttons and yarns for quilters, knitters, crafters.  Finally, enjoy Contra dancing at Guiding Star Grange in Greenfield Fridays and Saturdays! Find more information on Franklin County

 

 

Regional Tourism Councils  

   
Funded by the Massachusetts Office of Travel & Tourism