The Asparagus Valley Pottery Trail is celebrating its 20th annual studio tour on April 27 and 28! Visit Franklin County and the 'Asparagus Valley' and enjoy the self-guided tour from 10 am to 5 pm on Saturday and Sunday, shopping 29 ceramic artists at eight studio locations, while also taking in the rich cultural life, scenic drives, and culinary delights that western Massachusetts has to offer. Pottery will be available for sale in a wide range of wheel-thrown and hand-built ceramics. Visitors will have the opportunity to talk with the artists about their work, techniques, and sources of inspiration. The self-guided Pottery Trail winds along scenic rivers and through the historic villages and college towns of Western Massachusetts. 

Click here for directions and details.

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Photo: Kyle Klein

Wicked Queer, a project of the Queer Film Institute, returns to Boston for its 40th year on April 5-14! This highly anticipated event is the 4th oldest LGBTQ+ Film Festival in North America and largest of its kind in New England. In celebration of work by and for the global queer community, WQ:40 will showcase screenings at premier venues throughout Boston including the Institute of Contemporary Art, MFA Boston, Emerson Paramount Center, and more.

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Spring blossoms are beginning to carpet Cape Cod and bring a burst of color to the region! For early blooms, head to the Brewster in Bloom Festival May 3-5, featuring a colorful parade, 5k Bloom run, Brewster Band concert and an arts & crafts show at Drummer Boy Park. Opening day for Heritage Museums & Gardens in Sandwich is Saturday, April 20; carve out time to celebrate Spring in all its glory with a peaceful walk amidst the acres of vibrant gardens. And save the date for Heritage's annual Rhododendron Festival on May 17-27, showcasing thousands of their world-famous rhododendrons in over 100 varieties. A true feast for the senses!

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Spring is in the air, bringing days filled with sunshine and those necessary rain showers. No matter what the weather throws at us in April, Western Mass is bringing the fun. Six Flags New England, opens for the season on April 5 and will be bringing the thrills every weekend in April and daily from April 12-21. The Springfield Museums’ popular “Spark! Your Imagination” activities will be held during School Vacation Week featuring Animationland – inventions and techniques behind your favorite movies and tv shows.

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Photo: Academy of Music by Lynne Graves Photography

Explore something new in Hampshire County! Thrill to the mysterious Welcome To Night Vale theatrical show at the Academy of Music. Catch Dustbowl Revival at The Drake and hear the future of Americana, or explore the deliciously unexpected pairing of Cello & Chocolate – with local chocolatier and cellist Dave Haughey – at Bombyx Center for Arts & Equity. Stretch out and greet spring with a Full Moon Hike at Mt. Norwottuck with Adventure East, and experience all the beauty of Hampshire County!

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Music and merriment will take center stage when Winchendon Community Park is transformed into the mythical town of Wyndonshire, complete with royalty, minstrels, trolls, and other fantastic folk! The town’s inaugural Renaissance Faire will offer a weekend filled with fun for the whole family on April 27 and 28. But wait! There’s more! The days of yore will continue on the following weekend, when Red Apple Farm in Phillipston is transformed into an Enchanted Orchard. Step back in time here in ye olde Johnny Appleseed Country! 

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Martha’s Vineyard’s April awakening is heralded by flowers, greening foliage, birdsong and warming temperatures! As businesses shake off winter, cyclers and hikers hit the trails, galleries open, and visitors return. Take in Alpaca Shearing Day (4/27) at Island Alpaca Farm, ride Flying Horses Carousel, stroll Oak Bluffs’ 314 eye-popping Gingerbread Cottages, shop, dine, visit Chappaquiddick’s Mytoi, Wasque and Cape Poge and don’t miss Martha’s Vineyard Museum exhibits! Click here to stay on Martha’s Vineyard!

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The Clark Art summer schedule features a robust program of exhibitions, events, and activities! Leading its summer program is a major new exhibition of works by French artist Guillaume Lethière featuring some eighty paintings, prints, and drawings. Guillaume Lethière runs June 15–October 14;

Kathia St. Hilaire: Invisible Empires runs May 11–September 22; Treasures from the Corning Museum of Glass runs July 4 –October 27;

Edgar Degas: Multi-Media Artist in the Age of Impressionism runs July 13–October 6; David-Jeremiah: I Drive Thee runs February 10–January 26, 2025.

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Spring has sprung! Nothing is more quintessentially Massachusetts than Patriot’s Day in April – immerse yourself in the marathon by visiting the StART Line Experience at Hopkinton Center for the Arts. It’s also Earth Day! Attend the Climate Hope Concert at the Christa McAuliffe Center or Framingham Earth Day Festival! Plus, live music all month long at atac: downtown arts + music, The Center for Arts Natick and Exhibit “A” Brewing. See our website for event details!

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Nantucket is the perfect April destination! With its signature three million daffodils splashed across the island and beloved 48th Annual Daffodil Weekend April 25-28, Nantucket salutes spring! Relish hundreds of gaily-decorated antique cars festooned with daffodils, then enjoy the Antique Car Parade and ‘Sconset Tailgate Picnic plus community-wide events, laughter, smiles and fun! Don’t miss the Daffodil Hat Pageant, Childrens Beach Bike Parade, and Dog Parade. Click here to stay for Daffodil Weekend!

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Help kick off Cider Hill Farm’s 43rd season on April 19 when the farm store, bakery, and play areas officially open daily 8am to 6pm. Enjoy a free hard cider tasting 4 to 6pm and the food truck from 11am-3pm. Join CraneOutdoors Family Full Moon Hike in the Dunes on April 21–23. Start this unique hiking experience with a sunset stroll along Crane Beach with the full moon rising over the Atlantic, then head into the dunes to explore the trails under the light of the full moon.

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Coming up this April in Plymouth County: The US Army Field Band 50-piece orchestra and 20-member chorus perform a FREE concert of contemporary, classical and patriotic songs at the Duxbury Performing Arts Center on April 6 at 7 pm; Tours of the first floor of the lifelong home of American Revolutionary War General Benjamin Lincoln happen Wednesdays - Saturdays at 10 am., noon and 3 pm; Storywalk and Scavenger Hunt at Round Pond on Mayflower Street om April 22, with materials available all day at the trailhead on Mayflower Street in Duxbury. Find all April events here.

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Spring is coming fast, and we have your next adventure! Southeastern Massachusetts always has a lot to offer, and April is no exception. School Vacation Week activities are plentiful. Visit Battleship Cove, the New Bedford Whaling Museum, Buttonwood Park Zoo, Capron Park Zoo, Easton Children’s Museum or the Greater Fall River Childrens Museum. The New Bedford Art Museum has been gifted a magnificent sculpture created by master of glass Dale Chihuly, and will host the All-Day Glass Art Festival for local school children on April 26. Viva Fall River Portuguese Poetry Festival, a waterfront poetry walk and celebration of Portuguese culture, poetry and Fall River poets, which takes place at Heritage State Park in Fall River on April 27!

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Berkshires Jazz’ flagship event, Pittsfield CityJazz Festival, has been bringing great music to the Berkshires for eighteen years. Make plans to enjoy open jam sessions and jazz brunches both Sundays, as well as a jazz crawl, a swing dance, the jazz prodigy concert introducing two young musicians to Berkshires audiences, and the headline concerts featuring Brandon Goldberg and Marcus Roberts. The festival, which runs April 18-28, is a highlight of national Jazz Appreciation Month, a program of the Smithsonian Institution.

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The Town and The City Festival will be celebrated April 26 and 27! This 2-day music and arts festival takes place in various event spaces, bars, cafes, and galleries throughout downtown Lowell. The festival celebrates the spirit of Jack Kerouac in direct and indirect ways. It is named after Kerouac's earliest novel which was primarily set in this historic mill city. The Town and The City Festival is inspired by the creativity and exploration for which the author was so famously known and will present a diverse mix of musical genres and artistic disciplines to inspire discovery and to celebrate a love of life.

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Spring in Central Massachusetts means fresh air and local fun. From Morning Bird Walks at Broad Meadow Brook to Spring Discoveries at New England Botanic Garden at Tower Hill, outdoor adventures here know no bounds. Discover a Guide to April Vacation Spots, tailor made to the kiddos in the crowd. And the kids at heart will find their own fun with 21+ events like Electric Haze’s Trivial Trivia and Thursday Nights at Launch Entertainment Park.

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