Community Writing in Focus: Tig Notaro Opens First Rough Notes Festival in Kinderhook August 28 Presented by Kinderhook Books, the three-day event treats stand-up, songwriting, and screenwriting as seriously as it treats novels—with a kids' newsroom built entirely on typewriters. By Jamie Larson •
Arts Bring Your Boombox: Phil Kline's "Force of Nature" Takes Over Chatham Park A living sound sculpture where the audience is the orchestra, from the composer behind "Unsilent Night," on Crellin Park Day. By Jamie Larson •
Community A Night at the Mahaiwe: Inside the 2026 Gala Honoring Margaret Deutsch Grammy-winning countertenor Anthony Roth Costanzo took the stage as the Great Barrington theater honored former board chair Margaret Deutsch's years of leadership. By Jamie Larson •
Arts Four Nights with Laurie Anderson: A Career That Refuses to Sit Still at Tanglewood Amelia Earhart, Lou Reed's guitars, and a new work about the Declaration of Independence—the artist's first-ever Tanglewood appearance spans an opera, a conversation with Peter Sellars, a drone piece, and a night of storytelling By Jamie Larson •
Community Community Day at Jacob's Pillow: A Free Friday of Dance, Classes, and Local Talent Movement classes, kids' activities, and a Berkshire-region performance on the Henry J. Leir Stage cap the 94th season's outreach programming. By Jamie Larson •
Community "Inundated": American Mural Project Marks 70 Years Since Connecticut's Deadliest Flood A documentary screening and talk with historian Hamish Lutris opens History After Hours, alongside a month-long exhibit of photographs and artifacts from six local historical societies. By Jamie Larson •
Arts Mean Girls-Meets-Agatha Christie Mystery: "Dead Girl's Quinceañera" Opens at Barrington Stage The world premiere of Phanésia Pharel's dark comedy, co-produced with Goodman Theatre and Hartford Stage. By Jamie Larson •
Arts MacArthur Genius of Cabaret, Justin Vivian Bond at Spiegeltent "Heated Revelry" pairs songs from the Heated Rivalry soundtrack with Broadway, punk cabaret, and the Vienna Staatsoper. By Jamie Larson •
Arts Free Professional Shakespeare in a Great Domed Cow Barn that Mimics the Globe The Columbia County Players return to Churchtown Dairy this month for a two-weekend run of "The Comedy of Errors," staged in the local answer to Shakespeare's own theater. By Jamie Larson •
Community Hillsdale ArtsWalk Celebrates Local Creativity Throughout the Hamlet Hillsdale ArtsWalk returns with dozens of artists, artisans, musicians, and local businesses transforming the hamlet into a daylong celebration of regional creativity. By Jamie Larson •
Food 10 New (and Newish) Local Cafes, Markets, and Spots for a Quick Bite A round-up of the coffee shops, bakeries, delis, and small markets that have opened across the region over the past two years. By Jamie Larson •
Arts PS21's Late Summer Lineup Celebrates Art in Place and Place as Art The Chatham performance center closes out its 2026 summer season with a run of premieres built around a common thread: art made from the specific, close-up texture of a place. By Jamie Larson •
