Summertime is a great time to get away, but in Western Mass., it’s also a great time to stick around and enjoy the many events on the calendar. Whether you’re craving live music or arts and crafts, historical experiences or small-town pride, the region boasts plenty of ways to celebrate the summer months. Here are a few dozen ideas to get you started.
Evan Plotkin has always been a firm believer in the arts as an economic-development strategy and vehicle for “changing the conversation about Springfield,” as he likes to say. And this belief has manifested itself in a number of ways, from the manner in which he has turned 1350 Main St. (the downtown Springfield office building he co-owns) into a type of art gallery to the sculptures he has helped bring to the central business district, to his long-time support of the Springfield Museums and other institutions.
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Starting today, May 22, White Lion Brewing will expand on its highly recognized White Lion Wednesday pop-up concept which was recognized in 2017 by Food and Wine magazine as a beer garden to visit. This year’s White Lion Summer Beer Garden is sponsored by MassLive and will operate on the corner of Bridge and Main streets each Wednesday through Friday, 4 to 9 p.m., and Saturday, noon to 6 p.m. “Springfield continues to witness an uptick in general attractions,” General Manager Ray Berry said. “There is a lot of creativity taking place in every corner of the ...
MGM Resorts is pulling out of talks with Wynn Resorts to negotiate a purchase of Encore Boston Harbor Casino in Everett. The company released a statement saying “We have noted the anxiety raised by various stakeholders regarding a transaction and this troubles us at MGM. We only wish to have a positive impact on communities in which we operate. We think the best course of action is to discontinue discussions concerning this opportunity. We wish the company and the Everett community all the best and look forward to visiting their beautiful resort when it opens and welcoming the 5,600 ...
The Greater Springfield Convention and Visitors Bureau honored a dozen workers in the hospitality industry Monday during the 24th-annual Howdy Awards for Hospitality Excellence. The Visitors Bureau hosts the awards each year to recognize front-line employees at restaurants, attractions, modes of transportation, hotels and the like who help make a visitor’s stay in Western Massachusetts special.
From the rural farm to your urban table, the Downtown Springfield Farmers Market is gearing up for their best season yet, and it’s at a great NEW LOCATION! Kicking off THIS FRIDAY, May 17th, the market is being held in beautiful Court Square in downtown Springfield, which will be able to accommodate the growth in vendors for this popular market.The market runs every Friday from May 17 – September 27 from 11am – 3pm.
MGM Resorts International announced that MGM Springfield has received the world’s first U.S. Green Building Council’s Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) New Construction Platinum level certification for a gaming resort. MGM Springfield, which opened in August 2018, is the company’s most recent development. Working closely with state and city officials, as well as the local community, MGM Resorts committed to designing and building a property that exemplifies the company’s values in support of environmental sustainability and positive social impact while honoring local history and architecture.
The Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame will use augmented reality technology to help it raise funds. Augmented reality adds images or video to the screen as users look at the real world through the camera function on their phone or another electronic device. Its best-known application thus far has been in the game “Pokémon Go.” The hoop shrine announced Wednesday a deal with Imagination Park Entertainment of Vancouver and Los Angeles for the augmented reality technology.
Hornbuckle said New England winters tend to keep visitors at home. “Obviously, it’s seasonal. Northeast Corridor, particularly, spring will bring more business. It’s happened throughout Connecticut and throughout the region. We anticipate that,” Hornbuckle said. “We’re in full leverage mode on entertainment, Cher, Aerosmith, Steve Martin all come to Springfield in the near future.” Cher, a veteran of stage and screen, appears at the MassMutual Center on Tuesday night.
White Lion Brewing Co. announced Tuesday that it will host a summer beer garden, May 22 through Aug 31, in Tower Square Park, the former Steiger’s department store site at 1477 Main St.“We are going to activate that park and bring more good things to downtown Springfield,” said Raymond Berry, president and general manager of White Lion
They might be so lost without you, but you’ll be able to find 1980s soft rock duo Air Supply at Springfield Symphony Hall on June 23 at 8 p.m.. MGM Springfield announced the show Monday. Air Supply — Graham Russell and Russel Hitchcock — had a string of No. 1 hits including “All Out of Love”.
MGM Springfield is pleased to announce comedic icons Steve Martin and Martin Short will bring their new comedy special “Now You See Them, Soon You Won’t” to Symphony Hall Thursday, Sept. 12 at 8 p.m. The comedy legends Martin and Short will present new material in a variety of musical sketches and conversations about their careers, most memorable encounters, and of course, their legendary lives in show business. The duo will be joined on stage by GRAMMY Award-winning bluegrass band The Steep Canyon Rangers as well as Jimmy Kimmel Live! band member Jeff Babko.
MGM Springfield unveiled a new logo this week it is using for shows at Symphony Hall, a venue it began managing in February. The new logo combines the letters "S" and "H" with pillars forming the neoclassical auditorium’s portico.
It’s that time of year again in Springfield when dozens of restaurants around the city offer a night out for a fraction of menu price. 2019 marks the fifth annual Springfield Restaurant week and features over 40 participating restaurants this year, from April 5 through April 14. Most menu offerings are for $20.19, with reduced prices for lunch and a higher price at steakhouses and a picnic option.
MGM Springfield, New England’s premier entertainment destination, is heating up the summer season with MGM LIVE Presented by The Big E. The Plaza will host the exciting concert series featuring a variety of complimentary and ticketed live performances beginning in May. With the beauty of the historic Armory as its backdrop, MGM LIVE’s incredible lineup of talent will bring an eclectic mix of artists and bands to an incredible outdoor stage in downtown Springfield. Guests from across the region will rock to performances from artists like LOCASH, Matt + Kim, Collective Soul & Gin Blossoms, Hanson and Warrant as well ...
The Original Western Mass Home & Garden Show promises 350 vendors specializing in all aspects of the home and garden improvement and maintenance with more than 600 booths at the Eastern States Exposition grounds this weekend. The four-day show, which begins Thursday, is put on each year by Home Builders & Remodelers Association of Western Massachusetts.
The Western Massachusetts Home & Garden Show may last only four days each March, but Lori Loughlin says vendors reap the benefits all year long. “The exposure at the show is tremendous,” said Loughlin, manager of Frank Webb Home in Springfield. “It pays for itself within the first week after the show closes. In May, June, July, people are coming in saying, ‘I was at the home show, and I saw this showerhead.’ They come back six months after and want to buy something they saw there. It’s nice.”
Wahlburgers is still coming to MGM Springfield, Michael Mathis, president and chief operating officer of the $960 million casino, said Monday. MGM is negotiating a lease with Wahlburgers — the casual restaurant company founded by actors Mark Wahlberg and Donnie Wahlberg with their chef brother, Paul Wahlberg — and hopes to begin construction later this year, with an opening at the end of 2019 or in early 2020, Mathis said.
Lt. Gov. Karyn Polito visited the Springfield Museums Thursday to unveil the Dr. Seuss license plate, produced in cooperation between the Registry of Motor Vehicles and the Springfield Museums, home of The Amazing Word of Dr. Seuss Museum.
American International College (AIC) and the Springfield Business Improvement District have teamed up to recognize this milestone with a block party. Join us on Friday, March 15 from 5 pm – 7 pm on Market Street in downtown Springfield for a celebration that will include a concert featuring Axis performing favorite classic rock songs along with food, beverages, and fun. The Shops at Marketplace and NOSH will be open.
A half-year after opening its doors, MGM Springfield is well behind its stated goals and expectations for gross gaming revenues, or GGR, and the numbers have been declining each month since the fall. But the winter months are traditionally the slowest in this industry, said Mike Mathis, president and COO of the resort, and the company is still ramping up its operation. Overall, he said, there are a number of positive indicators.
MGM Springfield has an interim contract with the city to take over management of Symphony Hall. Under the agreement, the city is proposing to pay an initial fee of $110,000 to MGM to cover costs for the remainder of the fiscal year, which ends June 30. The City Council must approve the funds while negotiations continue for a permanent long-term contract, said Timothy J. Plante, the city’s chief administrative and financial officer. “The new contract aims to enhance the City of Springfield’s role as the sports and entertainment capital of Massachusetts and to position Symphony Hall to ...
There’s more than one way to look at a number. That’s especially true when it comes to hotel occupancy rates. Take Greater Springfield’s occupancy rates through the last six months of 2018. At almost 67%, they’re 5% higher than they were over the same period in 2017. That’s good news on its own, but especially positive when considering the capacity added over the past 18 months, from Holiday Inn Express on State Street in Springfield to Fairfield Inn & Suites in Holyoke; from Tru by Hilton in Chicopee to, of course, the hotel at MGM Springfield ...