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There’s no single way to experience a Berkshire summer—but in Stockbridge, MA and its neighboring towns, the season unfolds as one continuous cultural journey. A morning in the galleries can lead to an afternoon in the gardens, followed by an evening concert beneath the stars or a late-night jazz set in a historic inn.

In summer 2026, that rhythm carries special resonance as many of the Berkshires’ leading institutions reflect on America’s story in honor of the nation’s 250th anniversary. Across the region, museums, theaters, music venues, and historic estates are presenting exhibitions, performances, conversations, and celebrations that connect past and present in fresh and inspiring ways.

Whether you arrive for a weekend or linger for the summer, the Berkshire calendar offers countless ways to move between inspiration, relaxation, and discovery.

The calendar is full! Start planning here.

The gardens come into full expression at the BERKSHIRE BOTANICAL GARDEN |Stockbridge, MA (May 1 – October 31) Step into a world where clay becomes living form in Grand Gesture: Monumental Vessels in the Garden (May 16 – October), an exhibition featuring the striking sculptures of Vermont-based ceramicist Stephen Procter. Placed throughout the Garden, Procter’s works feel both grounded and expressive. In the Leonhardt Galleries Grounded in Nature exhibition (June 6 – August 23) pair art with the season’s peak bloom. This season the Garden is hosting a variety of classes from cooking to watercolors, Farm to Table Lunch Series, Sunset Yoga, Farm in the Garden Camp (June 22-August 21), and the traditional Grow Show (August 8-9). Music Mondays continue featuring The Rejuvenators with Wanda Houston (June 29), The Eagles Trombone Ensemble (July 6), Zoot Allures and the Zydeco Playboys (July 13) and others.

BERKSHIRE THEATRE GROUP continues its tradition of dynamic storytelling at the Unicorn Theatre in Stockbridge, MA. This summer’s programming includes John & Jen (May 20 – June 7) an intimate and deeply moving musical by Andrew Lippa that traces the evolving bond between siblings—and later between mother and son—across three decades, The American Five (June 18 – July 11) Written by Chess Jakobs, explores pivotal moments in the lives of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., Coretta Scott King, Bayard Rustin, Stanley Levison and Clarence B. Jones during the height of the Civil Rights Movement, LOVESONG (July 22–August 28), a lyrical and emotional exploration of love across time, and The Legend of Georgia McBride (July 31–August 28) a heartfelt celebration of identity, performance, and reinvention. While at the Colonial Theatre in Pittsfield, MA, performances include Rhapsody: The Music of Queen (June 25 & 26) and 1776 America's Prize-Winning Musical. (July 2, 3, 5 & 16)

As the United States approaches its 250^th anniversary, the BIDWELL HOUSE MUSUEM in Tyringham, MA is planning a season of intriguing and educational

programs to connect visitors with the history of the Berkshires and beyond.

Plan your first visit for Memorial Day weekend where the Museum will present an opening concert by local favorite Diane Taraz, which will then be followed

by a reception to celebrate the start of the new season. The Museum’s summer history talks series returns with four

talks on topics as varied as the Massachusetts state constitution, the plight

of Loyalists during the Revolutionary War, women’s clothing during the

Revolutionary era and the first Indigenous soldier to die at the Battle of Bunker

Hill. In June visitors can attend the Bidwell Artisan Fair, a free community event with craft demonstrations, music and family fun

on the grounds of the Museum. And in August, the Museum will hold their annual

fundraiser at a stunning property in Richmond.

CHESTERWOOD |Stockbridge, MA (May 15 – October 31) invites visitors to explore exhibitions, outdoor sculpture, performing arts, and educational programing across its 122-acre property. This year's exhibition The Minute Man: Examining Patriotism, Victory and Loss, presented in the galleries of French’s recently renovated residence commemorates the 250^th anniversary of the signing of the Declaration of Independence, bringing together works by Daniel Chester French and his colleagues that celebrate notable Americans and address themes of loyalty, freedom, triumph, and grief. “As the United States celebrates its 250th anniversary, institutions across the country are grappling with how to address themes of patriotism in a politically charged and divided time,” says Chesterwood’s Curatorial Researcher and Collections Manager and exhibition curator Dana Pilson. “By centering the 250th as a constructive moment, the works presented in The Minute Man: Examining Patriotism, Victory, and Loss are intended to spark contemplation and conversation, and to foster an understanding of the past and hope for the future.” The exhibition extends outdoors with the 48th Contemporary Sculpture Show, In the Open: Emerging Sculptors Reclaim the Landscape (June 15-October 31) transforming the grounds with large-scale sculpture.

Also opening at the start of the season is architect Grigori Fateyev’s exhibition Art Studios: How Artistic Processes Inform Architectural Design, (May 15 – July 15) in the Woodshed Gallery.  Special events include ArtsAlive! (June - Sept) with a highlight-Patriotism in Practice: History, Media, and Civic Life – A conversation with Governor Deval Patrick, journalist Martin Baron, historian Kendra Field (July 8), the Garden Tea Party (July 18), a Kids Summer Sculpture Studio, family ice cream socials, and The Patriot’s Table, a culinary experience with Chef James Gop (Aug 28–29).

The CLARK ART INSITUTE |Williamstown, MA is featuring a robust program of exhibitions, events, and activities. An Exquisite Eye: Introducing the Aso O. Tavitian Collection (June 13, 2026–Feb 21, 2027) an exhibition of approximately 150 works is the first public presentation of selections from the Tavitian Collection, one of the most significant private collections of European art formed in North America in the 21st century.

The presentation brings together a vibrant range of paintings, sculpture, drawings, and decorative arts from more than four centuries of artistic production (c. 1450-1850). An Exquisite Eye includes rare early Netherlandish painting, Italian Renaissance sculpture, Baroque portraiture, and eighteenth-century French works by artists such as Jan van Eyck, Jean-Antoine Houdon, and Elizabeth Louise Vigée-Lebrun, offering a compelling view of the collection’s depth across mediums and geography. “This exhibition marks a defining moment for the Clark,” said Olivier Meslay, Hardymon Director of the Clark Art Institute. “The Tavitian Collection represents an extraordinary act of generosity and vision, one that profoundly expands our ability to present the history of European art at the highest level.”

Also opening on June 13, is the first solo museum exhibition in the United States of artist Giorgio Griffa, Giorgio Griffa: Paths in the Forest (June 13-October 12). CoastLines: American Prints and Drawings (July 4–September 27) exhibition presents American nineteenth- and twentieth-century watercolors, etchings, drawings, lithographs, and wood engravings from the Clark’s permanent collection that depict the culture and landscapes of the coastline.

Modern art finds a quiet, refined setting at the FRELINGHUYSEN MORRIS HOUSE & STUDIO |Lenox, MA (open June through Columbus Day), visitors can explore: The artists’ home and working studio, A remarkable collection of paintings, frescoes, and sculpture, An exceptional assemblage of American and European Cubist art and the ongoing exhibition Get to Know George and Suzy, installed in the studio. A newly developed exhibition adds another dimension through recently discovered 1918 garden plans from Frelinghuysen’s childhood home, designed by pioneering landscape architect Marian Coffin. Recurring programs include Director’s Corner, held Thursdays and Saturdays at 11:15am, Artist Demonstrations held Fridays at 11 am and

Exercise Your Creativity held Sundays 11am-1pm.

A short drive away in Becket, MA, JACOB'S PILLOW DANCE continues its 94th International Festival, welcoming companies to the Ted Shawn Theatre such as the Martha Graham Dance Company in the company’s 100th anniversary year (August 12-16), San Francisco Ballet, returning to perform at the Festival for the first time in 70 years (August 5-9) and Akram Khan Company, returning for the first time in 20 years to perform what will be the company’s final touring production (July 8-12), and others.

In the Doris Duke Theatre highlighted performances are Ilya Vidrin: Proxies (July 3-5), Ephrat Asherie Dance (August 5-9) and Brinae Ali (August 12-16).

Outdoor performances beneath the Berkshire sky remain one of the most distinctive cultural experiences in the country including performances by Uppercut Dance Theater (June 25-26), Compañía Nélida Tirado Flamenco (July 2), Eisenhower Dance Detroit (July 3), Anubhava Dance Company (July 4), and many others, along with community and student performances. The season also offers Pillow Talks, Exhibitions, Classes and workshops and more.

At the MAHAIWE PERFORMING ARTS CENTER, in Great Barrington, MA, the summer lineup brings an eclectic mix of music and performance. Highlights include Ben Folds & A Piano Tour (June 5), whose piano-driven storytelling fills the historic theater, and Railroad Earth (May 9), blending folk and jam-band energy in an intimate setting. Later in the season, audiences can look forward to performances by Tab Benoit (July 12) and Tom Papa (July 18), each offering a different lens on live entertainment in one of the region’s most cherished venues.

Back by popular demand, 100 Years of Movies returns to the Mahaiwe Performing Arts Center for another summer of classic American films. Once again, the movies will be introduced by film director Deborah Reinisch. The series will celebrate the 250th anniversary of the signing of the Declaration of Independence along with highlighting the careers of beloved stars we lost this past year, including Robert Redford, Diane Keaton, Gene Hackman, Rob Reiner and Robert Duvall.  The series kicks off on May 15 with the definitive American screwball comedy Bringing Up Baby (1938) with Cary Grant and Katharine Hepburn, followed on May 22 Humphrey Bogart and Lauren Bacall’s classic film noir The Big Sleep (1946). The series continues with All About Eve (1950) on June 6; North by Northwest (1959), on June 18; and The French Connection (1971) on July 5; with five more dates to-be-announced. 

This summer, let Edith Wharton's world take your breath away. Perched in Lenox, MA, THE MOUNT, Edith Wharton Cultural Center is more than a historic mansion — it's a living, breathing celebration of art, ideas, and imagination. Step inside the elegant home Wharton herself designed, then wander through breathtaking restored French and Italian gardens. Discover Sculpture at The Mount, a stunning outdoor exhibition throughout the grounds. All season long, The Mount buzzes with summer Author Series (July 6-Aug 25), opening with Julia Ioffe, Motherland: A Feminist history of modern Russia, from Revolution to Autocracy (July 6-7), In Conversation with Andre Bernard (July 16-August 20), opening with Jodi Kantor, Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist and author (July 16). The season offers lively conversations, workshops, live Jazz, performances, nature adventures, and family programs that delight every age. Best of all, admission to the grounds is free. Come curious. Leave inspired.

NORMAN ROCKWELL MUSEUM in Stockbridge, MA will unveil an ambitious, multifaceted 2026 program of exhibitions, events, and creative workshops that invite visitors to explore — and imagine America’s journey through art and visual storytelling.

This summer’s major exhibition, American Stories: From Revolution to Rockwell (June 6 – October 26, 2026), traces more than two centuries of visual culture—from early American engravings to Rockwell’s iconic depictions of everyday life. American Stories brings together over 150 powerful works from the Revolutionary era through the modern day—including paintings, prints, book illustrations, posters, advertisements, and digital media—to trace how artists have reflected and shaped what it means to be American. Organized around a series of foundational chapters, the exhibition explores the evolving ideals, struggles, and aspirations that define the nation’s story. “The role of artists in framing the trajectory of the United States of America over the past 250 years continues to the present day, illuminating a bold vision to create a nation governed of, by and for the people, seeking human rights and freedom for all,” said Laurie Norton Moffatt, Museum director and CEO. “American Stories aims to illustrate these aspirational ideals.”

Summer programing at the museum brings the galleries to life. Highlights include the Opening Gala for American Stories (June 6), We Hold These Truths Independence celebration (July 4), American Stories: Rebels and Revolutionaries of the Berkshires every Wednesdays, and Art of Brewing Festival (August 15th).

Theater thrives at SHAKESPEARE & COMPANY, in Lenox, MA where Twelfth Night (July 4–26) brings a lively comedy filled with music, disguise, and joyful confusion. Set in a breathtaking outdoor amphitheatre, this production invites audiences to experience Shakespeare under the open sky in one of the nation’s top outdoor theater venues. Circus & The Bard: The Next Chapter (July 16-26) offers a joyful blend of Shakespeare and circus artistry. This family-friendly production brings acrobatics, humor, and classic characters together in a playful, high-energy experience. Shake It Up: The Remix (July 29-August 2) is a dynamic, music-driven celebration of Shakespeare’s language fused with modern rhythm and performance. Expect a lively, interactive theatrical experience that invites audiences into the action. Hamlet (August 13–30) is a powerful and intimate staging of Shakespeare’s most famous tragedy.

From outdoor summer comedy to bold reimaginings and classical tragedy, Shakespeare & Company continues its tradition of vibrant, thought-provoking theater in the Berkshires.

STOCKBRIDGE LIBRARY, MUSEUM & ARCHIVES offers numerous events and programs for adults and children. 
This summer’s Author Talks include:

• Francesca Wade - Gertrude Stein: An Afterlife (May 23) This critically acclaimed, “superb” (The Washington Post) biography of one of the most influential and mythologized literary figures of the 20th century examines both Gertrude Stein’s life and her partner’s emergence from the shadows after her death, in the decades-long fight to ensure her legacy.
• Robert Kaplan in conversation with Jim Brooke (June 6) China Whisperers: The Voices That Have Shaped America’s Views of Its Chief Geopolitical Rival. From one of the most prominent post-Cold War geopolitics experts and “a grand strategist to whom the Pentagon turns” (The Wall Street Journal), a probing and insight-filled look at the China experts who have influenced—and continue to influence—America’s policy toward its greatest rival.
• Rob Bildner - Berkshires Farm Table Cookbook (July 18)

At TANGLEWOOD, with its beautiful property in Stockbridge, MA stretching into the entrance in Lenox, MA, summer reaches its peak (June 21-September 2). This year’s programming highlights American music and voices as part of the Boston Symphony Orchestra’s E Pluribus Unum: From Many One theme, in celebration of the nation’s 250th anniversary.

Music Director Andris Nelsons leads the BSO (July 10–August 2) in programs featuring major works by Mozart, Tchaikovsky, Beethoven, and Mahler, alongside contemporary composers including Carlos Simon and Sarah Kirkland Snider. Guest soloists include Emanuel Ax, Joshua Bell, Seong-Jin Cho, Renée Fleming, Augustin Hadelich, Thomas Hampson, and Daniil Trifonov, with a debut by young violinist Himari.

Season highlights include:

• Opening Night (July 10): All-Tchaikovsky program with dancers from Boston Ballet
• Concert Opera (August 1): Mozart’s The Marriage of Figaro in its first full Tanglewood performance
• Yo-Yo Ma Residency (August 4–9): We the People: Our Shared Past, Present, and Future
• Festival of Contemporary Music (July 23–27): Directed by Esa-Pekka Salonen
• Boston Pops Highlights: July 4 weekend with James Taylor; John Williams Film Night (August 15); Cynthia Erivo (August 21)

The season also features appearances by Yefim Bronfman, Renaud Capuçon, and Jean-Yves Thibaudet, along with performances by the Jazz at Lincoln Center Orchestra with Wynton Marsalis (June 26).

Additional programming spans Ozawa Hall recitals, the Tanglewood Music Center Orchestra, and the Popular Artist Series, with artists including Paul Simon (June 27 & 28), Ziggy Marley and Trombone Shorty & Orleans Avenue (July 14, 7pm),“Weird Al” Yankovic: Bigger & Weirder 2026 Tour (July 21, 7pm), Jason Isbell and the 400 Unit (July 28, 7pm), Hugh Jackman with the Boston Pops (August 11, 7pm), Brandi Carlile (August 18) and Cynthia Erivo with the Boston Pops (August 21) and others.



The TOWN OF STOCKBRIDGE is hosting REBEL TOWN A NEW MUSICAL (July 10-19) at Monument Mountain High School in Great Barrington, MA as part of their 250th celebrations. The performance is a new American musical set in pre-Revolutionary Boston, leading up to the Boston Tea Party & Paul Revere's ride. With heart, humor, and 27 original musical numbers, the story follows a tight-knit community of ordinary citizens pushed to extraordinary acts of courage. Through rousing tavern songs, ballads, & big ensemble moments, Rebel Town explores loyalty, love, and the cost of standing up for freedom when it matters most. Stockbridge residents will be able to enjoy the show for free on July 15th at 11am. The town is also offering a Stockbridge 250 Passport that can be picked up at local organizations. In the passport you will find a list of events, exhibitions, and performances celebrating the 250th. Passport holders are entitled to be entered into a raffle for one of several grand prizes after they attend every event listed in the booklet.

TRUSTEES OF RESERVATIONS

NAUMKEAG offers a variety of summer activities including Berkshire Pride Tea Dance, Sunset Yoga, Mindfulness meditations. Backstairs tours of the house run May 30 through the first week of September.

MISSION HOUSE Built ca. 1742 as part of a colonial mission to convert the Mohican people, the Mission House is one of the oldest surviving homes in the region and a powerful place to connect with local history. Peek inside the house and be sure to explore the traditional medicine garden and exhibit Nda’keenã, Weekeyaak, Nda’anã (Our Lands, Our Home, Our Heart) created by the Stockbridge-Munsee Community Cultural Affairs Department.

VENTFORT HALL MANSION AND GILDED AGE MUSEUM in Lenox, MA offers a step into Berkshire history with daily tours and special events throughout the summer. The Mansion is host to Berkshires’ premier pop-up clothing sale and fundraiser, BerkChique! (June 5 - June 7). The annual event features new and gently-used clothing and accessories -– all at accessible prices. Since its inception in 2012, BerkChique! has donated more than $345,000 to support local nonprofits.

Summer Tea & Talk span July through August, offering lectures followed by decadent English Teatime gathering in the den and dining room. Highlights include: A Step Back in Time with Carole Owens (July 7), Gardens of the Gilded Age with Jana Milbocker (July 14), New England Movies: Why & How with Jay Craven (August 4), Behind Closed Doors of the Berkshire Cottages with Cornelia Brooke Gilder (August 18) and History and Renovation of Ventfort Hall with Wendy Healey (August 25).

Plan your stay in Stockbridge, MA where authentic New England hospitality awaits year-round. Browse area accommodations, explore their websites for the full experience, and book directly with the property of your choice.

Our galleries, shops, restaurants, and local services are open throughout the seasons, and we encourage visitors to Support Local. Stroll through town and rediscover the charm of brick-and-mortar businesses, where you’re often greeted by the owners themselves. Many shops also offer online shopping, while restaurants feature alfresco dining, takeout, and services upon walk-in or by appointment.

Outdoor adventure is part of every season in Stockbridge. Hike the trails maintained by the Laurel Hill Association, or spend the day at the Stockbridge Bowl. From kayaking, canoeing, sailing, swimming, and fishing in summer, the Berkshires offer recreation for every age and interest.



Discover more outdoor adventures #intheberkshires at BerkshiresOutside.org — a comprehensive guide to trailheads, boat launches, and recreation access points throughout the Berkshires.

See What’s Happening Here 

This page is updated weekly to assist you with events, hours of operations, outdoor activities and more. The summer cultural programming is here. check it out! 

Summer offerings: click on image for details