Great Barrington — The fourth season of Berkshire Busk! will start on Friday, June 28, in downtown Great Barrington. This year, the event will be held on Fridays and Saturdays, starting at 6:30 p.m., at various locations throughout downtown Great Barrington up until Saturday, August 31.
Over the past three years the immersive arts festival has been host to hundreds of performers and groups, including musicians, circus arts performers, magicians, and dancers.
“The reason why we have been so successful is because we have been able to get support from the town and community to make Berkshire Busk! happen,” co-organizer Carli Scolforo told The Berkshire Edge. “We have a fiscal sponsorship agreement with the Nonprofit Center of the Berkshires. For all intents and purposes, we act as a nonprofit. This event only happens because people have donated and supported us, which allows us to put this on.”
“In the past four years, the word has gotten out that the festival has become kind of a community draw,” said Berkshire Busk! founder and Director Gene Carr. “People make it part of their summer to come down to Great Barrington to hang out and see all sorts of different performers. It’s become a must-see Berkshire experience, which is kind of what we were hoping to create in the first place.”
Berkshire Busk! started back in 2020 during the pandemic. “Back then, people were nervous about being together, even in an outdoor environment,” Carr said. “Now the pandemic has subsided, I am thrilled to see that people are realizing that coming together in a safe, warm, entertaining, and engaging environment is critical to life. Our Surgeon General [Vivek H. Murthy] once wrote a report that, as a society, we are facing an epidemic of loneliness. We’re in the business of bringing people together. I think the success of the Berkshire Busk! series of events demonstrates the degree to which people just want to be with each other. Mixing together the arts, outdoor dining, the Berkshire hills, and shopping is all a magic combination.”
“What continues to delight me is realizing that there are a lot of people on the street that are there at events week after week,” Scolforo added. “We have children who were barely toddlers when the event started who are all now walking and talking, and we have people who grab dollar bills and tip our musicians every summer. To me, that’s something that is very special to me, to see that this is truly a community event by seeing so many familiar faces each and every week.”
This year, Berkshire Busk! will be partnering with multiple organizations throughout the year.
This year, Berkshire Busk! will include theme nights where local organizations will be part of Saturday night events.
Saturday, June 29, will be Pride Night, in partnership with Berkshire Pride. The event will include LGBTQ+ vendors and performers, including fire dancer Opal Raven; beatboxer Galush; and drag performers Bella Santarella, Poppy DaBubbly, and Vuronika Baked. The Triplex Cinema will host a pre-festival Drag Story Hour in the afternoon and a Pride-themed outdoor movie screening as the night draws to a close.
Saturday, July 27, will be Latin Night, in partnership with Festival Latino and Latinas413. Acts for the night have not yet been announced.
Saturday, August 9, will be Dance Night in partnership with Jacob’s Pillow. Dancers will be stationed throughout downtown, including a salsa lesson with Jacob’s Pillow dancers on lower Railroad followed by a dance party with music by DJ Bongohead.
Returning performers this year will include Rees Shad and The Conversations, Katherine Winston and Michael Aaron, Sample The Cat, The Midnight Anthem, and 14-year-old Australian busker Noah Robertson. Returning dancers for this year include Flamenca Joanne, Scoil Rince Bréifne Ó Ruairc, and Qualia Dance Collective. Other performers returning will include Balloon Ben, Bowey The Clown, fire dancer Opal Raven, stunt comedians Wacky Chad, Cate Great, Alakazam, drag queen Bella Santarella, and busking poet Kevin Devaney.
New musicians performing in Berkshire Busk! this year include musicians Americana trio Eavesdrop, Berkshire supergroup The Sirens, and rock band Hack Monet. New dancers performing this year include modern duo When Paths Cross and fire dancer Luna Faun Fire. Other first-time-Berkshire Busk! performances include comedy juggling by Guy Collins Variety, hula hooping by Lessa Hoops, acrobatic by The Red Trouser Show, and drag performers Poppy DaBubbly and Vuronika Baked.
For more information about this year’s Berkshire Busk! season, visit its website.
