Finish Summer Strong with Arts & Culture Festivals in Massachusetts

Summer 2021 may be winding down, but there are still so many opportunities and events to fill your spirit, find inspiration and make connections. Create memories by checking out one of the arts and cultural festivals happening across Massachusetts. This summer, in partnership with our colleagues at Mass Cultural Council, we’re connecting you with festivals on the ArtsBoston Calendar with a range from barbecues to the baroque, from the beaches to the Berkshires, and across a variety of genres that you’ll be sure to love. As you explore, share your adventures with us on Instagram by tagging @MassCultural and @ArtsBoston and use #PowerOfCulture and #MassFestivals.

August 7: Arlington Jazz Festival

Arlington Jazz is partnering with The Samba Jazz Project in a performance benefitting Dana Farber Cancer Research. The performance includes the talents of Dan Fox, director of ArlingtonJazz.org and owner of Arlington’s Morningside Music Studio, Brazilian drummer Rafael Barata, and local musicians and professors, pianist Alexei Tsiganov and bassist Oscar Stagnaro.

August 7 – 8: 8th Annual Pocumtuck Homelands Festival: A Celebration of Native American Art, Music and Cultures

This educational and entertaining festival is free, family-friendly, and accessible, and features Native American presenters, arts, music, dance, children’s activities, history presentations, food, and more.

July 31 – August 7: Woods Hole Film Festival

The 30th Woods Hole Film Festival presents new works from emerging filmmakers around the world. In this eight-day festival, enjoy screenings and events available both in-person and virtually across a variety of genres and styles of innovative filmmaking.

June 11 – August 13: Amplify the Soul

Boston Art & Music Soul Festival (BAMS Fest) is presenting a summer-long digital concert series focused on restoring Black joy, making connections, and building community for music lovers, culture seekers, and everyday people. Every Friday at 8pm, enjoy 20-minute videos of local artists performing from the stage of Big Night Live, airing on YouTube.

Hone your painting skills, or pick up a brush for the first time in Taunton, MA, at the En Plein Air Festival! Following a demonstration from a professional artist instructor, they will offer some guidance and instruction to participants. Join in with your own paints (or whatever medium you choose).

August 20 – 22: Boston GreenFest 2021

Celebrate the planet and get inspired to make a difference at this year’s Boston GreenFest! Create conversations and connections on Boston’s Rose Kennedy Greenway at exhibits ranging in topic from eco-chic fashion designs and jewelry, to electric vehicles, oceans, and so much more. Plus, enjoy world cuisine and a stage for music and dance performances, and more activities.

August 21 – 22: Jamaica Plain Porchfest

Enjoy 2 days of live community arts in Jamaica Plain, organized by Dunamis, with both virtual and in-person options on both days. Celebrate the cultural and artistic diversity of JP, and honor the community’s spirit, with performances and gatherings scattered among porches in the heart of the Boston neighborhood.

August – September: Nantucket Book Festival 

Don’t miss out on the final two events of this year’s hybrid Nantucket Book Festival: August 19th’s Cocktails, Couture, & Conversation with New York Times bestselling authors Elin Hilderbrand and Jennifer Weiner; and September 18th’s, Fall and Rise: The Story of 9/11 with former Boston Globe reporter Mitchell Zuckof.

 

Header Image: JP Porchfest

 


Elena Morris (she/her/hers) is ArtsBoston’s Community Outreach and Marketing Manager. She is a dramaturg and arts administrator passionate about forward thinking in the arts. Elena holds a BFA in Theatre Arts from Boston University, focusing her studies on dramatic literature and movement. twitter-4-512 @elena_pearl

 

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