ARCADIA FOLK
FESTIVAL
Three stages with a full music lineup at Arcadia Wildlife Sanctuary, D2
ARCADIA FOLK FESTIVAL
Following federal cut to Mass
Audubon, folk festival on Saturday will benefit Arcadia Wildlife Sanctuary
Josh Ritter headlines this weekend’s Arcadia Folk Festival, taking place on Saturday at the Arcadia Wildlife Sanctuary in Easthampton.
By Ashley P otter apotter@repub.com
Saturday’s Arcadia Folk Festival is “about as green as you can get for a music festival,” according to organizer Jim Olsen.
Everything about the festival is eco-friendly — from only offering plant-based food vendors to using solar power to power the stages, right down to the “venue” itself: Arcadia Wildlife Sanctuary.
“Because we work with Arcadia, which is all about
Aviva Jotzke and Niko Gessner, of Easthampton, dance to the music at the Arcadia Folk Festival in Easthampton on Aug. 24, 2024. This year’s festival returns Saturday to Arcadia Wildlife Sanctuary in Easthampton. (LEON NGUYEN PHOTO)
“It’s called a folk festival, but this year we’ve got such a great variety of artists that cover folk and old-time music.”
JIM
OLSEN, ORGANIZER OF ARCADIA FOLK FESTIVAL
Arcadia
sustainability and reserving natural resources, we thought the festival had to have the same thought process,” said Olsen, who also serves as president and founder of Signature Sound, a recording studio based out of Northampton. “So, from very early on we’ve been a zero-waste festival.”
Arcadia Wildlife Sanctuary, which stretches 751 acres of land between Easthampton and Northampton, is a part of Mass Audubon, New England’s largest conservation organization.
It is home to “a diverse terrain of forest, meadows, grasslands, marsh and wetlands,” according to the Mass Audubon website, and on Aug. 23, it will also be home to three stages for the one-day folk festival.
“It’s called a folk festival, but this year we’ve got such a great variety of artists that cover folk and old-time music,” Olsen said.
This year’s headliner, Josh Ritter and the Royal City Band, will play the Main Stage
at 6 p.m.
Ritter, whose 2002 album “Golden Age of Radio” propelled him to fame in Ireland, was named one of the “100 Greatest Living Songwriters” by Paste magazine in 2006, placing him along the likes of Bob Dylan and Leonard Cohen. He is backed by band members Zachariah Hickman, Sam Kassirer, Ray Rizzo and Josh Kaufman.
The lineup on the Main Stage includes Viv and Riley, from 11:30 a.m.-12:10 p.m.; Steve Poltz, from 12:45-1:45 p.m.; Amy Helm, from 2:303:30 p.m.; Red Baraat, from 4:15-5:20 p.m.; and Josh Ritter and the Royal City Band from 6-7:30 p.m.
The Pavillion Stage will see Little Roots, 10:45-11:30 a.m.; Rachel Baiman, 12:10-12:45 p.m.; Cloudbelly, 1:45-2:30
p.m.; Jerron Paxton, 3:304:15 p.m.; and Kissing Other Ppl, 5:20-5:55 p.m.
The In The Woods Stage — true to its name, it’s located in the heart of Arcadia — will feature the Deep River Ramblers, 10:45-11:30 a.m.; BettySoo, 12:10-12:45 p.m.; Little Roots, 1-1:30 p.m.; Old Hat Stringband, 1:45-2:30 p.m.; a “surprise guest,” 3:30-4:15 p.m.; and Steve Poltz, 5:20-5:50 p.m.
Gates to Arcadia Wildlife Sanctuary open on Aug. 23 at 10 a.m. Tickets, which are $79.99 adults and $49.99 for teens ages 11 to 19, must be purchased on the festival’s website.
The sanctuary is located just off the NorthamptonEasthampton bike trail, Olsen said, and biking is
Clockwise from top left, artists playing Saturday’s Arcadia Folk Festival include: Steve Poltz, Amy Helm, Red Baraat, and BettySoo. The complete lineup can be found online at arcadiafolkfest.com.
Nightclubs
THURSDAY
Delaney House: Alex Touhey. 3 Country Club Road, Holyoke
Northampton Brewery: Bands on Brewster: Ruby Lou. 11 Brewster Court, Northampton
The Drake: Romperayo. 44 N. Pleasant St., Amherst
Theodores’: Alex Amato. 201
Worthington St., Springfield
Pridelands on Mane Street: Drinks from White Lion Brewing and music by DJ Boogie. 1477 Main St., Springfield
FRIDAY
Delaney House: Ari and Jeff Lynch. 3 Country Club Road, Holyoke
East Mountain Country Club: Jim Blanch and Boot Hill. 1458 E. Mountain Road, Westfield
MGM Springfield: MGM Free Music Friday: Tramps Like Us. 1 MGM Way, Springfield
The Meeting House: Dave Brinnel. 827 Williams St., Longmeadow
Theodores’: Buddy McEarns. 201
Worthington St., Springfield
Uno Chicago Grill: Roots, Blues and Rock. 820 W. Columbus Ave., Springfield
West Springfield’s Irish House Restaurant & Pub: S Factor
Acoustic. 429 Morgan Road, West Springfield
Buddy McEarns Band returns to Theodores’
BUDDY MCEARNS first became interested in songwriting for several reasons, the first one being pretty common among young men.
George Lenker LIVE WIRE
Taylor Swift announces 12th studio album
‘The Life of a Showgirl’ due out in October
By M ArIA SHerMAn Associated Press
“Besides trying to impress a girl — now my wife, by the way, so it worked — the songwriters that got me really focused on the craft were John Prine, Gillian Welch, Big Bill Broonzy, Paul Simon and Robbie Robertson.” McEarns, who originally hails from Springfield but now lives in Southampton, will bring his band to Theodores’ on Aug. 22.
SEE
Taylor Swift
NEW YORK — Look what you made her do — Taylor Swift has announced her 12th studio album, “The Life of a Showgirl.” It will arrive Oct. 3, she revealed last week. Swift, Max Martin and Shellback are the credited producers, which includes a notable absence of her longtime collaborator Jack Antonoff. The final track, “The Life of a Showgirl,” will feature Sabrina Carpenter.
A special limited vinyl edition of the album will be released in “Portofino orange glitter,” according to a preorder page on her site. A special cassette edition is also available for preorder.
The road to ‘Showgirl’ “The Life of a Showgirl” follows last year’s “The Tortured Poets Department,” announced during the 2024 Grammys and released during her record-breaking tour, which raked in over $2.2 billion across two years and five continents, making it the highest-grossing tour of all time. The album is also Swift’s first release since she regained control over her entire body of work. In May, the pop star said she purchased her catalog of recordings — originally released through Big Machine Records — from their most recent owner, the private equity firm Shamrock Capital. In recent years, Swift had been rerecording and releasing her first six albums in an attempt to regain control of her music. The project was instigated by music executive Scooter Braun’s purchase and sale of her early catalog. Previous “Taylor’s Version” releases have been more than conventional rerecordings, arriving with new “from the vault” music, Easter eggs and visuals that deepen understanding of her work.
The Buddy McEarns Band will play Theodores’ in Springfield on Friday. (KATHLEEN MCCARTHY)
Kalin Veraidi sits at a table with her three friends at Theodores’ in Springfield. The venue hosts plenty of live music including, on Friday, the Buddy McEarns Band. (DOUGLAS HOOK)
LIVE WIRE, PAGE D8
Gary Mullen will bring his “One Night of Queen” tribute show to the music of Freddie Mercury to MGM Springfield.
tribute, led by Gary Mullen, to play MGM Springfield
on Sunday
ONE NIGHT OF
QUEEN Freddie Mercury
Nightclubs
CONTINUES FROM PAGE D4
SATURDAY
Delaney House: Bruce Gregori.
3 Country Club Road, Holyoke
Luthier’s Co-Op: Queerin’
Our Country. 108 Cottage St., Easthampton
MGM Springfield: MGM Roar
Comedy Club: Jessica Michelle Singleton. 1 MGM Way, Springfield
Theodores’: Barrett Anderson. 201 Worthington St., Springfield
Uno Chicago Grill: Modern, Contemporary Rock. 820 W. Columbus Ave., Springfield
SUNDAY
Delaney House: Trivia in The Mick. 3 Country Club Road, Holyoke
Uno Chicago Grill: Jazz. 820
West Columbus Ave., Springfield
MONDAY
The Drake: Steve Hofstetter. 44 N. Pleasant St., Amherst
Uno Chicago Grill: 50% off individual deep dish pizza (dine in only). 820 West Columbus Ave., Springfield
TUESDAY
Uno Chicago Grill: Blues Music. 820 W. Columbus Ave., Springfield
The Republican is not responsible for unannounced schedule changes. Listings must be received two weeks before the date of the event. Items should be mailed to: Entertainment Guide, The Republican, P.O. Box 1329, Springfield, MA 01102-1329, emailed to pmastriano@repub.com or submitted online to www.masslive.com/myevent
By K eith O ’C onnor Special to The Republican Gary Mullen wants one thing for the audience when he brings his Queen tribute “One Night of Queen performed by Gary Mullen and The Works” to MGM Springfield on Sunday.
He wants them to have fun.
“We are trying to create a time that you’ll never see again which is, you know, Queen with Freddie Mercury. It’s all about the costumes and
the music and the lights and the energy, because Queen live was always an exciting concert experience,” Mullen said in an interview with The Republican.
“We are trying to give that to the audience and make them part of the show. You can sing, you can dance, just get into the show,” he added.
Queen was formed in 1971 and in 1973, signed a recording contract with EMI to release their first self-titled album.
One of the world’s best-selling musical acts, Queen released some 18 albums spawning an equal amount of hit singles, including “We Are the Champions,” “We Will Rock You,” “Another One Bites the Dust” and many others. The band originally consisted of Freddie Mercury on lead vocals backed by band members Brian May, John Deacon and Roger Taylor.
Considered by critics as one of rock’s most versatile performers, Mercury is often remembered for his flamboyant style as the band’s frontman and for his mock operatic masterpiece, “Bohemian Rhapsody.”
On Nov. 23, 1991, Mercury announced to the world in a prepared statement that he had AIDS. He died at home the next day surrounded by
TUESDAY
Chicopee Elks #1849
431 Granby Road, Chicopee 413-592-1849
Bingo Tuesday
Doors Open at 4PM
2 Progressive Jackpots
6:15PM Early Bird
6:20PM Start
Min. Entry Package $15
Open Seating
2 Halls for Players Handicap Restroom 1st Floor
WEDNESDAY
Polish American Citizens Club 355 East Street, Ludlow, 583-6385
Bingo Wednesdays 6:30-9:30pm
Doors Open at 4pm. Minimum Admission $50 1 - 1199 Progressive Betty Boop 50/50 Prize $900
2 - $500 Cover Alls
3 - $400 Special Games All regular games $100 with 80 people or More. All Cards are included with Admission. Prizes climb with additional attendence. Full Kitchen 4-6:30pm.
THURSDAY
Fairview Knights of Columbus 1599 Memorial Drive, Chicopee (413) 532-2011
DOORS OPEN 4:30PM
MASKS OPTIONAL Progressive Jackpot 6:15pm Early Bird 6:20pm Start
Electronic Bingo Aval. Snack Bar, Open Seating, Handicap Restrooms
Min. Entry Package $15
“This year more than ever, it’s really important that we have this be financially successful and raise some money for Arcadia.”
JIM OLSEN
Arcadia
encouraged.
“It is part of the mission for everybody to be as low-consumer as possible as part of this,” Olsen said. “Come on out, have a great time, and let’s do our part to stay green and help the environment.”
Benefit for Arcadia
This year’s festival comes just over a month after the Trump administration axed a $25 million grant that Mass Audubon was set to receive from the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Regional Conservation Partnership Program. The money was to help Mass Audubon protect 10,000 acres of land in the Connecticut River Watershed.
While the protected land that encompasses Arcadia is not directly impacted, there is
a greater need than ever to support and celebrate the work Mass Audubon does, according to Olsen.
“We have great support from the community, from our sponsors and from people who come, and it raises quite a bit of money for the park,” Olsen said. “So this year more than ever, it’s really important that we have this be financially successful and raise some money for Arcadia.”
To further its mission, the Arcadia Folk Festival was recently named a Musicians for Stability-certified event.
Musicians for Sustainability calls on venues and promoters to “eliminate plastic waste, food waste and carbon emissions,” according to its website.
the six solutions, and I think it’s great that there’s a venue that really cares about it and is taking concrete actions to making it happen,” said Kogan, who is also a musician, in an interview with The Republican. “One thing that’s positive in this space is that despite whatever is happening in the government, this is a space where people have control over.”
Kogan will have a booth at Saturday’s Arcadia Folk Festival, and he will be on hand to answer any questions people have about Musicians for Sustainability and how to get involved.
“It’s not that hard, and it’s a way to do something if you’re feeling anxiety about the climate and you don’t know what to do. This is an actionable way to do something about it with a concrete badge at the end of it,” Kogan said.
Bob Dylan tribute
For the second year in a row, Arcadia Folk Festival will “kick off” a day early at the Academy of Music. “The Basement Tapes: Songs of Bob Dylan & The Band” will be staged on Friday, Aug. 22, starting at 7:30 p.m.
meaning a venue has implemented three ecofriendly solutions to “4 leaves,” for venues that have incorporated six ecofriendly solutions.
To be certified, venues must pledge to several eco-friendly solutions, and are rated on a “leaf” scale, from “1 leaf,”
The Arcadia Folk Festival is “3-leaf certified,” meaning it has implemented five eco-friendly solutions.
“There are a lot of music
festivals who don’t prioritize this and end up generating a ton of waste and really stretch the infrastructure of wherever it is they are,” Olsen said. “We’re trying not to do that.”
Musicians for Sustainability founder Benjamin Kogan echoed those sentiments. “They’re doing five out of
During the show, a lineup of artists will cover Bob Dylan and The Band’s late 1960s collaboration, “The Basement Tapes,” which featured a number of original Dylan songs as well as traditional folk and blues covers.
Artists scheduled to perform include the Deep River Ramblers, Sandy Bailey, Steve Sanderson, Evelyn Harris, the Lonesome Brothers, Cliff Eberhardt, Tracy Grammer, Cloudbelly and Lisa Bastoni.
“It’s very collaborative and just kind of unusual, to have that kind of show and deep dive into somebody’s music,” Olsen said.
Tickets to “The Basement Tapes: Songs of Bob Dylan & The Band,” which range from $39.48 to $44.41 after fees, must be purchased separately from admission to Arcadia Folk Festival. For more information and to purchase tickets, visit the Academy of Music’s website.
Concertgoers enjoy the music during last year’s Arcadia Folk Festival in Easthampton. (LEON NGUYEN PHOTO)
Paul Kochanski, of the Deep River Ramblers band, performs in the woods at the 2024 Arcadia Folk Festival. (LEON NGUYEN PHOTO)
CUMMINGTON FAIR
This weekend’s fair is a 157-year-old tradition
By K eith O ’C onnor
Special to The Republican
Similar to days gone by, fairs today continue to provide good, old-fashioned fun for families like the four-day Cummington Fair, established in 1869, which continues today when gates open at 4 p.m.
But some things were a little different back then.
When the first Cummington Fair took place on Main Street in Cummington, it focused, like other early New England fairs, on education. Farmers would meet at the fair to learn about the latest farming practices and livestock breeding, as well as to
show off their best animals and crops in competition.
“Agriculture is what fairs like ours stem from today and education is still a part of what we do. Farmers and others, including youths, still come to compete in our many livestock competitions and other shows where they might brag, for one example, about how their tomatoes are the biggest,” said fair president Albert Judd, noting
about much more than agriculture, with amusement rides, games, live music, demolition derby, craft barn with local handmade items, and, of course, all those well-loved fair foods along with a special Polish kitchen.
And that’s not all.
A quick look at this year’s event schedule also lists an antique engines and tractor show, a display of classic cars, lumberjack competition, corn-
“They come to enjoy some of the same traditions we have had year after year, while hoping to see and experience something new.”
Albert Judd, Cummington Fair president
they have four agricultural education sheds focusing on different aspects of agriculture such as cattle, vegetables and plants, forestry and more.
Jump ahead more than 150 years to today’s Cummington Fair and it is
hole tournament, Golden Wedding contest, oxen and antique tractor parade, as well as truck, horse and oxen pulls, and so much more.
Judd said two things attract fairgoers back year after year.
“They come to enjoy some of the same traditions we have had year after year, while hoping to see and experience something new. The other is to watch someone who may be competing at the fair and to see folks that they may only see during fair time,” he said.
Live music on the fair’s two stages begins Thursday night at 7 p.m. with Shelburne Falls Military Band followed on Friday at 6:30 p.m. by Sarah the Fiddler. Saturday features a classic country music celebration live in concert with The Country Jamboree at 3 and 6:30 p.m., as well as Square Dancing with Doug Wilkins & Fall String Band. The music comes to an end on Sunday with Rock 201 at 2:45 p.m. and Ragged Blue at 5:30 p.m.
Other family entertainment will include the Aim High Canines, Silver Circus, and ventriloquist Al Getler all four days, while hypnotist Benjamin
Above are scenes from past Cummington Fairs. This year’s fair, the 157th such fair, opens today and runs through Sunday. (THE REPUBLICAN, FILE PHOTOS)
White Lion’s
head brewer Mike Yates has had a long, strange trip
IN A WEIRD WAY, MIKE Yates’ brewing career has come full circle.
“I started out with one Ray and now I’m brewing for another Ray,” he said with a laugh during a recent interview with The Republican.
The two gentlemen he is referring to are the late, great brewing genius Ray McNeill of Brattleboro’s McNeill’s Brewery and Springfield’s entrepreneur extraordinaire Ray Berry, founder of White Lion Brewing.
“On paper, everything can seem perfect, but then you have to execute it and it’s all about temperatures and time. I’m kind of a control freak in that I want to do that stuff myself.”
MIKE YATES, HEAD BREWER, WHITE LION BREWING
But it wasn’t a straight line between those jobs. In between Yates spent time at a handful of breweries, including Cambridge Brewing, Amherst Brewing and Northampton’s much-missed Building 8, as well as stops at Berkshire Brewing and Connecticut’s Cambridge House Brewing.
Unlike many brewers, Yates wasn’t a home brewer, but sort of fell into the trade accidentally.
“When I was at UMass in the early ’90s, we used to go to McNeil‘s because it had some of the best beer for miles,” he said. “Then fast-forward a few years later, and I had moved to Brattleboro and went in there looking for a bartending job, but
they gave me a job cleaning the bar and helping out in the bottling room.”
also helped open two notable breweries from scratch,
SEE BEER, PAGE D12
Live
The singer-songwriter and guitarist started out humbly but quickly honed his craft from numerous local luminaries.
“I started playing the guitar with high school friends in the late ’90s, played rhythm guitar in a bar band called The Swift in the early 2000s. In 2012, I started to attend Eva Cappelli’s open mics and also Wildcat O’Halloran’s blues jams. There I met many local musicians like Wally Greaney, Johnny Marino, Janet Ryan, Ray Chaput,” he said. “Along with Wildcat, they taught me a lot about delivering a performance, leading a band, and working for opportunities.”
Ultimately, he formed The Buddy McEarns Band, which features Jeff Turcotte on drums and backing vocals, Tommy McCarthy on bass and backing vocals, and Bob Toriani on keyboards. The band occasionally is joined by Wally Greaney (harmonica, sax), Justin Monah (sax), or Johnny Marino (harmonica, guitar). McEarns describes their sound as “a roots rock-based band that’s a blender of early rock ’n’ roll, blues, funk, and soul.”
As far as his guitar style, McEarns had trouble narrowing his influences down to just a few players, rattling off names such as John Lee Hooker, B.B. King, Ani Difranco, Leo Nocentelli of The Meters, R.L. Burnside, Robbie Robertson, Eric Krasno of Soulive,
and Lowell George, among others.
“But it’s funny how you unconsciously find your voice with an instrument, and how bits and pieces of influences make it into that voice,” he said. “I could go on and on, as it’s a tough question. If your ears remain open and prejudice remains low, influences will keep flowing in.”
McEarns writes the band’s original material but allows his band’s members a lot of freedom for their parts of a song’s arrangement.
“I write the songs alone, and I usually have the skeleton of melody and structure. Then I release it to the other members where they add their own feel to it,” he said. “From there it gets morphed into what it currently is. I never tell my musicians to follow strict orders when creating.”
The band also covers material by well-known artists, ranging from The Beatles to Prince to Queen to Alice Cooper — and even Sia. But the band always tries to put a new spin on any cover song they play.
“Rarely do we play a cover that is a note-for-note copy. There is a freedom in doing it your own way, but there is also a responsibility to deliver something that is authentic to the listener,” he said. “You can’t be discouraged throwing an idea in the trash because it seems forced. So, when we take Sia’s ‘Cheap Thrills’ and deliver it like an early ’60s rock ’n’ roll tune, it needs to be believable in both delivery and subject matter.”
As fate would have it, one of the brewers assisting Ray McNeill quit and Yates was asked if he wanted to learn how to make beer.
“And I said, ‘why not?’ So I’m not one of those guys who started out in the garage. I just fell into it,” he said.
Serendipitously, Yates’ college degree turned out to be brewing-adjacent.
“I studied plant pathology at UMass, which is a division of microbiology, so there’s a lot of yeast and bacteria and fungi in there,” he said. “So, my college education actually came in to play later on.”
While Yates got his various jobs in different ways, he
George Lenker Beer Nut
Mike Yates is the head brewer at White Lion Brewing Company. (PHOTO COURTESY WHITE LION)
THURSDAY
Newtown Kennel Club Dog Show: Thu. and Sat., Eastern States Exposition, Better Living Center. Free. 1305 Memorial Ave., West Springfield, 413-737-2443 or www. thebige.com.
Open Stage at LAVA Center: Thu., starting with signups at 6:30 p.m. and 7 p.m. showtime. For more information, visit www.lavacenter. org. There will be a five-minute limit for each act and there is a $1–$5 suggested donation for this event. 324 Main St., Greenfield.
Root Fiyah with Abdul Baki Jamaican Rock Steady Reggae: Thu., 7-8:30 p.m. Peskeomskut Park. Free. Avenue A and 7th Street, Turners Falls.
Thursday Night Live Music Series: Thu., 6:30-8:30 p.m. Liston's Bar and Grill. Performances will take place outdoors (weather permitting). Guests are welcome to bring their own lawn chairs, but seating also will be provided. While outside food or beverages are not allowed, the event’s outdoor bar will be open and offering a limited selection of food and beverages. In addition, Liston’s regular restaurant and menu will be open, with indoor and patio seating available for those who want to enjoy a meal while listening to the music. Free. 324 Old North Road, Worthington. 413-238-5353.
FRIDAY
Ox Ridge Kennel Club All Breed Show: Fri., Eastern States Exposition, Better Living Center. Free. 1305 Memorial Ave., West Springfield. 413-737-2443 or www. thebige.com.
Tangle Trivia Night: Fri., 7 p.m. Tangle Chocolate Lounge. Bring your team of family, friends and neighbors or join solo for a night of trivia at Tangle Chocolate. Bring your own dinners and enjoy wine, beer and desserts from Tangle and perhaps learn something new while having fun doing it. All are welcome. Admission is free. 5 Main St. Route 9, Williamsburg.
Tanglewood 2025 Season presents Keith Lockhart 30th Anniversary Celebration: Fri., 8 p.m. Tanglewood, Boston Pops presents Keith Lockhart 30th Anniversary Celebration in the Shed. Tickets range from $43 - $222. 297 West St., Lenox. 888-266-1200 or www. tanglewood.org.
SATURDAY
ACAA 5th Annual Pioneer Valley Art Festival: Sat.-Sun., 10 a.m.-4 p.m. Agawam Polish American
Club. There will be 75 artists and artisans participating in the festival. The featured event, The New England Mosaic, a 120-foot wall of art composed of 170 canvases painted by community members, will be on display. The canvases also will be sold at the festival, with net proceeds benefiting the Gloria McLellan Art Scholarship. This year, there will also be a Children’s
Arcadia Folk Festival: Sat., 10:30 a.m.-7:30 p.m. Mass Audubon-Connecticut River Valley Wildlife Sanctuaries. Adult general admission: $79.99 Teen general admission ticket: $49.99 Kids 10 and under are free. 127 Combs Road, Easthampton. For more information and to purchase tickets, visit www.arcadiafolkfest.com, 413-584-3009.
Newtown Kennel Club Dog Show: See Thursday listing
Tanglewood 2025 Season presents Poulenc Gloria and Holst the Planets: Sat., 8 p.m. Tanglewood, Boston Symphony Orchestra. Poulenc Gloria and Holst The Planets with Kazuki Yamada, in the Shed. Tickets range from $35-$146. 297 West St., Lenox. 888-266-1200 or www. tanglewood.org.
SUNDAY
ACAA 5th Annual Pioneer Valley Art Festival: See Saturday listing “Breathe” with Hazel Basil: Sun., 7:30 p.m. Blue Room at CitySpace, For more information or to purchase tickets, visit www.city spaceeasthampton.org, $10, $15, $20. 43 Main St., Easthampton; Elm City Kennel Club Dog Show: Sun., Eastern States Exposition, Better Living Center. Free. 1305 Memorial Ave., West Springfield. 413-737-2443 or www.thebige. com.
‘America’s Top Psychic Medium’ comes to Springfield
Do you have a message from “the Other Side”? Find out on Saturday when Matt Fraser, described as “America’s Top Psychic Medium,” hosts a live audience reading at MGM Springfield. Fraser, a New York Times bestselling author and star of the reality TV show “Meet the Frasers,” has amassed more than 100 million views across social media. His live readings have also caught the attention of celebrities. Tickets to the show begin at $45 and are available to purchase on MGM Springfield’s website.
Quadrangle
George Walter Vincent Smith Art Museum: “The Comedy Wildlife Photography Awards” exhibit, through Sept. 14. Permanent exhibit: “Ancient Treasures,” a display of artifacts from ancient China, Greece, Rome and Egypt. On the first Wed. of every month through the end of 2026, admission to the Springfield Museums is free. Summer at the Museums: Through end of Aug., featuring various activities throughout the museums. For more information, visit www.springfield museums.org.
Lyman and Merrie Wood Museum of Springfield History: “Witch Panic! Massachusetts Before Salem,” through Nov. 2 The exhibition explores how the first instance witchcraft hysteria in the American colonies influenced the early history of the city and how the conversation continues today. Permanent exhibit: more than two dozen Indian motorcycles and related memorabilia.
Mosaic made up of 40 canvases painted by children directed by members of the Agawam Public Library, the West Springfield Public Library and the Red Thread Art Network of West Springfield, 139 Southwick Road, Feeding Hills.
MGM Presents Matt Fraser-America's Top Psychic Medium: Sat., MGM Springfield, In the Aria Ballroom 8 p.m. For tickets, visit mgmspringfield.mgmre sorts.com/en/entertainment/ aria-ballroom.html, Tickets start at $72. 1 MGM Way, Springfield.
Tanglewood 2025 Season presents Boston Symphony Orchestra: Sun., 2:30 p.m. Tanglewood, Boston Symphony Orchestra, in the Shed. Tickets range from $46 - $273. 297 West St., Lenox. 888-266-1200 or www.tangle wood.org.
Wes Brown Trio: Sun, 3 p.m. Peskeomskut Park, Jazz Piano from Ragtime to Modern Improv, Free. Avenue A and 7th Street, Turners Falls.
Michele and Donald D’Amour Museum of Fine Arts: “Portraits in RED: Missing & Murdered Indigenous Peoples Painting Project.” Through Sept. 7. In this striking series of portraits, artist and activist Nayana LaFond sheds light on the crisis affecting Indigenous peoples, particularly women, who are eleven times more likely to go missing than the national average. The exhibition is the last time the works will be
Keith Lockhart conducts a past concert at Tanglewood. The conductor will be honored with a 30th anniversary celebration concert at the music venue on Friday.
artifacts, furniture, clothing and documents from 1754-1902. call for open house schedule and individual tours. $3, $1 children 6-12, free for members, 70 Park St., West Springfield, 413-734-8322.
Mead Art Museum: Permanent exhibit: Various American and European paintings, Mexican ceramics, Tibetan scroll paintings and more. Museum hours: Tues.-Thurs. and Sun. 9 a.m.-midnight; Fri. 9 a.m.-8 p.m.; Sat. 9 a.m.-5 p.m. Free. 220 South Pleasant St., Amherst or www.amherst.edu.
New England Air Museum: “Behind the Scenes Restoration Hangar Tours,” Aug. 23, 10 a.m.-2 p.m. Get up close with historic aircraft, meet the restoration team, and see how aviation history is brought back to life. Included with museum admisison. “Open Storage Hangar Days,” Aug. 24, 31, 10 a.m.2 p.m. Step behind the scenes into the Storage Hangar and discover planes that aren’t on display. Included with museum admission. 36 Perimeter Road, Windsor Locks or www.neam.org.
p.m., except for inclement weather and holidays. Other times may be scheduled by appointment. $5 donation, 33 South St., Chicopee or www.polishcenter.net.
Porter-Phelps-Huntington Museum: “Forty Acres and the American Revolution: Stories of Independence and Servitude,” through Oct. 15. Guided tours are offered Sat.-Wed. from 1-4 p.m. Admission is $5 for adults and $1 for children, 130 River Drive, Hadley or www. pphmuseum.org.
Smith College Museum of Art: Permanent exhibits: “Ancient World Gallery, Beyond the Museum: Art on Smith’s Campus.” Hours: Tues.-Sun. 11 a.m.-4 p.m., closed Mondays and major holidays. Smith College Museum of Art (SCMA) is free to all. Elm Street at Bedford Terrace, Northampton or www.scma.smith.edu.
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on view together: at its close, the portraits will be returned to living family members. “Van Gogh for All,” through Sept. 14.
Springfield Science Museum: “Here Be Dragons,” through Sept. 14, on the second-floor Changing Exhibits Gallery. “Reputation: Under the Stars in the Seymour Planetarium,” Fri, Sat, and Sun. at 4 p.m. The show features the original recordings from Taylor Swift’s 2017 album “Reputation” and dazzling effects created by a full-dome projector. Permanent exhibit: State-of-the-art Zeiss Projector and updated International Space Station Exhibit.
The Amazing World of Dr. Seuss Museum: Permanent exhibit. Firstfloor exhibition provides opportunities to explore new sounds and vocabulary, play rhyming games, invent stories, and engage in activities that encourage teamwork and creative thinking, with interactive three-dimensional exhibits. Second floor contains Geisel’s personal memorabilia.
Quadrangle admission - $25 for adults, $16.50 for seniors (60+) and college students with ID, $13 for children ages 3-17; free to children under age 3 and members, Springfield residents are free with proof of residency. Welcome Center and Museum store. Tues.-Sat. 10 a.m.-5 p.m.; Sun. 11 a.m.-5 p.m.
Museums
Amelia Park Children’s Museum: Permanent exhibits include spaceship, construction site, library, grocery store, and weekday activities. Visit ameliaparkmuseum. org for information. Hours: Thu.Tues., 9 a.m.-4 p.m. Closed Wed. Admission: $8 adults; $8 children (12 months and older); $4 grandparents/seniors (60+); military personnel and teachers receive a 10% discount off the price of regular admission; members/infants free. 29 S. Broad St., Westfield or www. ameliaparkmuseum.org.
Anchor House of Artists: Rotating art exhibits, self-staged by fine regional talents. The best leastknown gallery in the Pioneer Valley. Free public receptions on the second Fri. of the month from 5-8 p.m. For more information, email artists@anchorhouseartists.org, visit anchorhouseartists.org, or call 413-588-4337. 518 Pleasant St., Northampton
Connecticut Trolley Museum: Summertime acivities, through Sept. 1. From interactive exhibits to themed events, the Trolley Museum offers a summer experience filled with fun, learning, and unforgettable memories for visitors of all ages. 58 North Road, East Windsor or www.cttrolley.org.
Edith Wharton — The Mount: Outdoor Sculpture: “Sculpture at the Mount,” through Oct. Free and open to the public. 2 Plunkett St., Lenox or www.edithwharton.org
Eric Carle Museum of Picture Book Art: “Sunset Thursdays,” Aug. 21, 5-8 p.m. The Wolf Pit Collective. Wandering Waffles food truck. “Open + Shut: Celebrating the art of Endpapers,” through Nov. 9, guest curated by Bruce Handy. “The Art of Grace Lin: Meeting A Friend in an Unexpected Place.” Through Jan. 4. Included with general admission. Permanent exhibit: Gabrielle Healy Carroll Storytime Programs are held Tues. and Fri. 10:30 a.m.; Sat. 10:30 a.m. and 2 p.m.; Sun. 2 p.m., free with admission. Museum hours: Wed.-Fri, 10 a.m.-4 p.m.; Sat, 10 a.m.-5 p.m.; Sun, noon-5 p.m. $6, $9, $22.50 for a family of four, 125 West Bay Road, Amherst or www. carlemuseum.org.
Historic Deerfield: “Natural History Walking Tour Around Old Deerfield,” Aug. 21, Sept. 18, Oct. 16, Nov. 20, 3 p.m. Meet at the Visitor Center at Hall Tavern. Included with general admission. 80 Old Main St., Deerfield or www. historic-deerfield.org.
Historic Northampton Museum and Education: Permanent exhibit. Hours: Wed.-Sun. noon-5 p.m. $5 suggested donation, 46 Bridge St., Northampton or www. historic-northampton.org.
Holyoke Heritage State Park: Sarah Marquesen Exhibit, through Sept. 29. The exhibit is on display daily at the visitor center from noon–4 p.m. 221 Appleton St., Holyoke, 413-534-1723.
Josiah Day House: Permanent exhibit: Featuring guided tours,
Norman Rockwell Museum: “Hidden Worlds and Wonders: Outdoor Sculpture Exhibition,” through Oct. 26. Online Exhibit: “Imagining Freedom.” “I Spy! Walter Wick’s Hidden Wonders,” through Oct. 26. “Summer Saturdays for Families,” Sat. through Aug, 11 a.m.-3 p.m. Drop-in programs inspired by the art of Norman Rockwell and Walter Wick, creator of the “I Spy” books for children. Free with admission, 9 Route 183, Stockbridge or www. nrm.org.
Old Sturbridge Village: “CowParade,” through Sept. 4, features more than a dozen, life-size cow statues that have been transformed into imaginative works of art by a selection of New England artists. “For the Purpose of Illumination.” Learn how New Englanders needed, used, and created artificial lighting methods in the 1830s and see first-hand artifacts from the era. Included with standard daytime general admission. Standard daytime admission is $30 for adults, $28 for seniors (55+), $15 for youth (4-17), $15 for college students (with a valid college ID), and free for children 3 and under. Route 20, Sturbridge or www.osv.org.
Pan African Historical Museum USA: Permanent exhibit: exhibitions by local artists. Hours: Tues.Fri. noon-4 p.m. Free, 1500 Main St., Springfield, 413-733-1823. Polish Center of Discovery and Learning: Permanent exhibit:Galleries include “Coming to America”; “At Home in America”; “Folk Art”; “History.” The Polish Center is open to the public daily, Mon.-Fri, 1-5
Springfield Armory National Historic Site: Ranger-led interpretive programs offered in the museum in the afternoon. Junior Ranger programs conducted frequently each day. Wed.-Sun, 9:30 a.m.-4 p.m. 1 Armory Square, Springfield or www.nps.gov/spar.
Titanic Museum: Permanent exhibit: Exhibits from the collection of the International Titanic Historical Society. Hours: Mon.-Fri. 10 a.m.-4 p.m.; Sat. 10 a.m.-3 p.m. $4, $2 children and students. 208 Main St., Indian Orchard or www. titanic1.org.
University Museum of Contemporary Art - Fine Arts Center: Permanent exhibit. The University Museum is open Tue.-Fri., 11 a.m.–4:30 p.m.; Sat.-Sun., noon–4 p.m.; and first Thu. until 8 p.m. Closed Mondays, holidays, and academic breaks. 151 Presidents Drive, Amherst
Volleyball Hall of Fame: Permanent exhibit. Volleyball Hall of Fame: Open Tues.-Sun, 11 a.m.-3 p.m. Closed Mon. Last admission is 30 minutes prior to close. $8 adults; $5 seniors 65 and older; $5 students, active and retired military; and free for children 12 and under. Group rates also available online. 444 Dwight St., Holyoke or www.volleyhall.org.
Wistariahurst Museum: Permanent exhibit: Gardens and grounds. open daily from dawn to dusk. Carriage House and gift shop open Mon.-Fri. 10 a.m.-2 p.m. For information about house tours, group tours and upcoming events visit wistariahurst.org. Standard admission: $7 Holyoke residents; $5 seniors; $5 youth (under 18); free museum members, active military and family members. 238 Cabot St., Holyoke or www. wistariahurst.org.
Brothers, Logan, 13, Connor, 9, Brody, 5, and their mother, Christina Dutoit, use the interactive displays at the Dr. Suess Museum in July. The Springfield Museums’ summer activities continue until the end of August. (DOUGLAS HOOK / THE REPUBLICAN)
Fair hours are Thursday and Friday from 4 to 9:30 p.m., Saturday from 7 a.m. to 9:30 p.m. and Sunday from 7 a.m. to 7:30 p.m.
the driver,” Donny said.
D7
Jackson and the Jolley Interactive Experience are featured on Saturday and Sunday.
“Our largest draw, especially if the weather is good, is the Stoney Roberts Demolition Derby which takes place on Friday and Saturday evenings on the hill,” Judd said.
“I can’t really say what the reason is, but they always draw a large crowd,” he added.
Donny and Dawn Veasey, owners of Stoney Roberts Demolition Derby know what the reason is for both drivers and audiences.
“It’s an adrenaline rush for
family and friends.
Journey to becoming Freddie Mercury
Mullen’s journey to becoming his idol began in 2000 when his wife and mother secretly entered him into the Granada TV show “Stars in Their Eyes.”
“The difference between ‘Stars in Their Eyes’ and other shows like ‘American Idol’ or ‘X Factor’ was that you would go on this show to impersonate someone like Elvis or Madonna, or in my case, Freddie Mercury. You would go on and they would dress you up, and there was a band and then people would vote for the singer they thought sounded most like the person that they were impersonating,” Mullen said.
He won the overall Live Grand Final, polling 864,838 votes, more than double the runner up. He also set the record for most votes on the show.
“The other difference with the show is that for the winner there was no money or recording contract, just the glory of winning and saying ‘Hey,
“For audiences, they want to see what happens next. There is an anticipation for something to happen — the unknown — whether it is a car rolling over or catching fire.
And for some it is whether a family member behind the wheel is going to win,” Dawn said.
And the audience can play a role in all the action in a special decorator contest.
“Drivers can decorate their cars to one of two themes. The first night it is the NFL teams and the second night is cancer awareness. The crowd decides who wins with the loudest cheers and the winners gets a trophy and $50,” Dawn said.
There also will be an an-
nouncer adding “play by play” color to the smash and crash derbies.
“But it often gets so loud that you can’t hear him,” Dawn said.
Kids also have their own events schedule at the fair with a Kids Fun Corner open from 4-7 p.m. on Thursday and Friday, 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. on Saturday and 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Sunday. There is a Scavenger Hunt around the fairgrounds on Friday, Saturday and Sunday with a map at the Kids Corner, and a Kids Pedal Tractor Pull at 11 a.m. on Saturday and Sunday. There is also a bicycle giveaway at 6:30 p.m. on Friday night when 20 lucky youngsters will bring home a new prized possession.
Tickets are free.
“The special place for kids and families offers a chance for adults to come in, sit down and unwind while their children can enjoy crafts, a milking cow, pedal tractors and other fun things to do,” Judd said.
All performances, concerts, truck pulls, demotion derby and more are free with admission.
Fair hours are Thursday and Friday from 4 to 9:30 p.m., Saturday from 7 a.m. to 9:30 p.m. and Sunday from 7 a.m. to 7:30 p.m.
Discount tickets are available online before 4 p.m. on Thursday and are $12 for adults ages 16-64 and $10 for seniors 65 and over. Veterans and active military are $10
that was great.’ Then you went back to your sort of life,” Mullen said.
But Mullen didn’t go back to his “sort of life.”
Eventually, there would be a “Stars in Their Eyes Tour,” but by that time Mullen had formed his own show with The Works in 2001.
In 2002, he hit the road with his band, embracing frontman
Freddie Mercury.
“We never anticipated the response our show would get, but we’ve been touring ever since. It’s just been wonderful, and we never thought it was going to do this well. We thought, well, maybe a couple of year, but it has just been growing,” Mullen said.
While Mullen noted it was “always Queen” for him,
with valid ID. Youth ages 10-15 are $5. Tickets online or at the gate after 4 p.m. on Thursday are $15 for adults ages 16-64, $12 for seniors 65 and over, $12 for veterans and active military with valid ID, and $7 for children ages 10-15. Kids under 10 are free. There is also an option for an adult 4 pack for $46 and family 4 pack for $32 online only. All veterans and active military with ID are free on Saturday. Cash only at the gate.
Fair parking at 94 Fairgrounds Road is $10. For a full list of events and times planned for this year’s fair, visit cummingtonfair. com. The Cummington Fair also has an Instagram presence @Cummington_Fair.
“Freddie’s voice, for me, it was incredible. How could someone sing like that? And the music, it was big and clever.”
GARY MULLEN
growing up he listened to “all sorts of music.”
“There was always a record playing in the house. It was an important part of life for my family. I heard a lot of things, an eclectic mix, anything from country to Motown to rock and roll. Elvis would be on one minute, then it would be Stevie Wonder up next,” he said.
But none topped Mercury. “Freddie’s voice, for me, it was incredible. How could someone sing like that? And the music, it was big and clever. They took risks and the music was so differing going from something so operatic to rock ’n’ roll,” he said.
Showtime for “One Night of Queen performed by Gary Mullen and The Works” is 7 p.m.
Tickets, ranging in price from $39 to $68, are available online at mgmspringfield. com.
Gary Mullen will bring his Freddie Mercury tribute, "One Night of Queen," to MGM Springfield. (SUBMITTED)
Summer still on at the Zoo
The Zoo in Forest Park in Springfield offers daily admission, from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., through Sept. 14. The Zoo will then move to a weekends-only operating schedule Sept. 20-Nov. 2. Admission is $13 adults, $9 seniors 62 and older and military, $7 children ages 1 to 12 and free for children under 1 year old. For more information and to purchase tickets, go online to forestparkzoo.org. (LEON NGUYEN PHOTO, FILE)
broken.”
Does he have any specific philosophy or goals with each beer he brews?
Building 8 and White Lion. What is the difference in approaching a new business as opposed to an established one?
“Well, I helped design the layout for Building 8 and White Lion, so it made sense to me as far as raw materials coming in and the finished product going out. There was a flow to it. It’s kind of like being able to build your own house: You get to decide where things go and how you want it,” he said.
“That said, if you’re going to place like Cambridge House Brewing in Connecticut, they’ve been there for years and everything was running just fine, so there was definitely an advantage when you walk into a turnkey system but then again, everything can be old and
“On paper, everything can seem perfect, but then you have to execute it and it’s all about temperatures and time. I’m kind of a control freak in that I want to do that stuff myself. Like, here at White Lion, I’m still up on the brew deck, making all the beer,” he said.
Yates stressed that the process is about attention to detail and making sure the beer that is designed on paper comes out to expectations.
“And if it doesn’t, that’s where you learn and go back and change things,” he said. “But I’ve been doing this for almost 30 years, so there aren’t a lot of surprises anymore. But it’s always about aiming for that perfection that you never ever really get to.”
