$12 advance / $15 day of show
2026 Summit House
Special Engagement: $25 advance / day of show
$12 advance / $15 day of show
Harmony, rhythm, indelible songs – these are the hallmarks of Rani Arbo & daisy mayhem, the New England-based folk quartet now in their 25th year. From the Newport Folk Festival to the California World Music Festival and beyond, this band’s steadfast brew of wit, camaraderie, and musicality leaves audiences everywhere humming and hopeful, spirits renewed!
The Friends of the Mount Holyoke Range Summit House Sunset Concert Series is supported by Kestrel Land Trust, the Massachusetts Cultural Council, the Hadley, South Hadley and Amherst Cultural Councils, the Massachusetts Department of Conservation and Recreation, the rangers of Skinner State Park, and the dedicated volunteers of the Friends of the Mount Holyoke Range.
Thurs., July 16, 7:30 pm
Thurs., July 23, 7:30 pm
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Steeped in traditional Irish music,
New Leaf is All-Ireland Fiddle Champion Kira Jewett and Jim Bunting on guitar, vocals and bouzouki. They'll be joined in the Summit House by special guest Sally Fortini on flute and whistle. Together they play Irish reels, jigs, hornpipes and polkas with tight, driving rhythm, interspersed with airs, waltzes, and Jim's unique take on Ireland's song repertoire.
$12 advance / $15 day of show
Thurs., July 30, 7:30 pm
The historic, 935-ft. elevation Summit House in Skinner State Park in Hadley will resonate with live local music on five Thursday evenings this July! And weather permitting, audience members can enjoy a glorious mountaintop sunset at intermission!
Enraptured by sound
Refreshing sunset air
Thurs., July 2, 7:30 pm
Internationally-acclaimed, multi-Grammy-nominated cellist Matt Haimovitz will present a solo concert overlooking the valley he once called home. A quarter century ago he recorded his legendary rendition of the Bach Cello Suites in Plainfield Congregational Church, and has since gone on to captivate the world with his "impressive virtuosity" (The New Yorker) mixed with a "refreshing dose of humanity" (Billboard). He plans to revisit the Bach suites at an elevation of 935 feet, sending them out to the treetops, sky, rocks and birds of the Mount Holyoke Range, as well as all of us! Join us for what is sure to be a transcendent evening of the finest musicianship in a spectacular venue!
Thurs., July 9, 7:30 pm
A bird's-eye view
daisy mayhem
$12 advance / $15 day of show
Sunset Concert Series
Pre-concert picnicking on the porch (elevation: 935 ft.!)
Matt Haimovitz
Libro Azul performs music based on the Son and Afro Cuban clave forms, and rhythms include Guaguanco, Son, Cha Cha and Afro 6/8 from Cuba, Bolero, Bomba and Plena from Puerto Rico, Merengue from Dominican Republic, Cumbia and Samba from South America, and American Jazz and Blues forms. Composers include Rafael Hernandez, Johnny Pacheco, Mongo Santamaria, Cal Tjader, Carlos Jobin, Dizzie Gillespie, as well as original compositions by the band's founder, Joe Velez. And yes, there will be a dance floor!
Eavesdrop
Libro Azul
Rani Arbo &
Originating as an acoustic trio, Kara Wolf, Laura Buchanan and Kerrie Bowden maintain their vocal roots and continue to shape their music through collaborative songwriting. These Western Mass natives have honed a special sound that surrounds the listener with contagious melodies and intricate harmonies. They’ve since expanded into a full band with some of the Valley’s finest musicians - Jared Quinn (guitar), Marc Seedorf (bass), Darby Wolf (keys) and Andrew Ricketts (drums) - filling their growing repertoire with synergy and heart.
At an elevation of 935 ft. overlooking the Pioneer Valley, the Summit House
was built in 1851, and its earliest visitors reads like a Who's Who of 19th-century
writers, poets, artists and dignitaries such as Charles Dickens, Jenny Lind and Thomas Cole.
Its original timbers are over a century and a half old, and the building has a warm acoustic
resonance, like an enormous vintage wooden musical instrument perched on top of a
mountain. The sunsets viewed from its porch can be the most spectacular in western
New England. And, picnicking is both welcomed and encouraged on the rolling
high grounds of J. A. Skinner State Park. It is an ideal, exhilarating place for
an evening of friends, food, music, and nature in all its summer glory!
A bustling sunset intermission
...and, picknicking on the mountain!
New Leaf
Advance online tickets for all shows (highly recommended) will be sold online until 12:00 noon day of show. All tickets purchased online will be available to be picked up at the entrance gate day of show. Any remaining tickets will be available for sale at the gate after 6:00 pm day of show, cash only.
Entrance Gate opens at 6:00 pm, and the Summit House will open at 6:45 pm. Picnicking is welcome (neither food nor beverages will be available for sale at the event). The Summit House is wheelchair accessible. All hikers/walkers should please carry flashlights.
Porch Tickets: Once all indoor seating has been sold and weather permitting,
60 "Porch Tickets" will be available for sale at the gate day of show after 6:00 pm, cash only. The music can be clearly heard on the porch, and concert goers are welcome to bring their own lightweight, portable folding chairs.
Carpooling to the Top: Parking at the top of the mountain is extremely limited, so please consider carpooling up with other concert goers. Our volunteer staff can help you coordinate carpooling at the entrance gate and Halfway House, just let them know when obtaining your tickets you're willing to carpool. You'll be helping the evening go much more smoothly, and you just may make some new friends!
Indoor seating is strictly limited, and advance tickets go on sale May 15!
(check back here for details)
Collage by Marcia Howard