Great Barrington — Berkshire Busk! will start its fifth season on Friday, June 27, and Saturday, June 28, in the downtown area. The outdoor summertime event began in 2020, during the pandemic, to draw people to the downtown area through live musical performances and acts by magicians, circus artists, and dancers.
According to festival director Eugene Carr, last season, more than 25,000 people attended the series of events throughout the summer. Carr estimates that Berkshire Busk! generated over $1 million of economic impact in Great Barrington last year, with attendees visiting stores and dining at restaurants.
This year’s season will be held every Friday and Saturday starting at 6:30 p.m. There will be stages at upper and lower Railroad Street, along with a newly constructed stage at the Triplex Cinema Courtyard. The portable 12-foot-by-12-foot stage was designed by Upstate Scenic and includes a backdrop by Oscar-nominated designer Carl Sprague. Construction of the stage was funded by a $35,000 grant awarded to Berkshire Busk! last year through T-Mobile’s nationwide Hometown Grant program.
For this season, a Berkshire Busk! shuttle bus will operate with South County Connector from Great Barrington to Sheffield during festival hours, along with the Berkshire Regional Transit Authority’s 921 Express operating from Pittsfield to Great Barrington.
As for programming, highlights for this season include:
- The third-annual Berkshire Pride Night on Saturday, June 28, with performances by Opal Raven, Bella Santarella, and Christine Bilé;
- An outdoor screening of “Jaws” at Giggle Park on Friday, July 4, in partnership with Triplex Cinema and the Boondocks Film Society;
- Barrington Stage Company’s Musical Theatre Conservatory performing on Saturday, July 5;
- Magnificent Monster Circus by CactusHead Puppets at the Mason Public Library on Saturday, August 2, at 1 p.m.; and
- The Black Legacy Project performing on Friday, August 22.
Berkshire Busk! General Manager Carli Scolforo told The Berkshire Edge that the series has thrived over the last five years because it allows people to connect with each other and art. “We’ve discovered several studies that have determined that we are in a ‘loneliness epidemic,’” Scolforo said. “Everyone around the country is looking for ways to connect with the people around them. Because the festival is free to attend, and you can come as often as you want; you don’t have to worry about the ticket prices for your family of four. Every time you come to the Berkshire Busk!, you will see something different, but you will also see many of the same faces in the audience at the same time. That builds relationships and connections to others.”
“Like any kind of live event production, there are a million moving parts to make sure everything works right,” Carr said. “It’s a huge lift every Friday and Saturday to make everything work right. When I walk up and down the street, I see children dancing, chalk drawings on the street, and musicians having a great time. I keep thinking to myself, ‘Boy, this is worth it!’”
Carr said that word of mouth has helped build the momentum for Berkshire Busk! since its inception. “When you are only operating during the summertime, you have a break of 10 months in between,” Carr said. “It takes a while, but the word of mouth builds on itself. People enjoy the series, and then they tell all of their friends and family members.”
“We’ve always said that we will do this as long as the community wants us to do this,” Scolforo said. “When I see people meeting up with their friends or children coming and dancing every single weekend, it makes me feel like we’re doing something important here. We’re proud that we’re going to be part of the next generation’s memories of growing up in Berkshire County.”
For more information about this season’s Berkshire Busk!, including a full schedule and updates, visit the festival’s website.
