Great Barrington — The fifth season of Berkshire Busk! concluded on August 30.
The outdoor summertime event, which started in 2020 during the pandemic, aimed to draw people to the downtown area through live musical performances and acts by magicians, circus artists, and dancers.
The event was held on stages at Upper and Lower Railroad Street, along with a newly constructed stage at the Triplex Cinema Courtyard and throughout the Main Street downtown area.
Berkshire Busk! operates through a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization headed by Festival Director Eugene Carr and General Manager Carli Scolforo.
The organization recently issued a report on its summer season of events. According to the report, there were 25,000 attendees this season, with approximately 81 percent of attendees being year-round residents and 19 percent tourists from areas outside Berkshire County.
Of the 109 artistic groups that performed this season, 85 percent of the groups live within two hours of Great Barrington.
Of the 300-plus people who answered a survey during the season, 66 percent stated they specifically came to downtown Great Barrington for Berkshire Busk! Most attendees were between the ages of 41 and 70 years old, and 30 percent of the attendees who answered the survey said they brought their children.
“This season was, by far, the best summer we had in terms of audiences and performers,” Carr told The Berkshire Edge. “We didn’t lose a single day because of the weather. We had great crowds all around and a lot of familiar faces coming back here week after week.”
Carr said that word of mouth from people who have attended the event has helped Berkshire Busk! grow its audience. “I think that people love coming over and over again,” she said. “The growth is organic because people tell their friends and neighbors about us.”
“I think one of the things that continues to be a draw year after year is people coming to see their neighbors perform at the festival, along with touring acts they may not otherwise see at other venues,” Scolforo said. “Great Barrington is already a beautiful town, and there are already a lot of really wonderful shops and restaurants that friends can meet up and gather in. Having a unifying event like the Berkshire Busk!, and a shared experience through the arts, is something that we find really valuable. We hope that this is something that other people in the community agree is valuable enough to be supported.”
Both Carr and Scolforo have taken what they have learned organizing Berkshire Busk! and used it for a consulting service for towns and municipalities that want to start their own busking festival.
The two have consulted with the city of Lewiston, Maine, in their creation of the Lewiston Live festival. “We want to help inspire and train other municipalities who want to use the Berkshire Busk! as a blueprint and model for their festival,” Carr said. “We’re not talking New York City, Philadelphia, or Chicago. We’re talking about small towns where there are tons of performers all over the area who want to perform.”
Carr and Scolforo added that the event will be held again in Great Barrington next summer and that they are both deeply grateful to the festival’s supporters, including event attendees, performers, and sponsors. “At every event, we always watch the crowds just to see the great time everyone is having,” Scolforo said. “Whether people came out once, twice, or every weekend, we all appreciate them being there with their friends and supporting our artists.”
For more information about Berkshire Busk!, visit its website.
