Northampton Arts Council

20 Days Until Northampton Juneteenth 🎉 Mark your calendar—June 6 is coming. A full day celebrating Black freedom, art, music, and community right here in Northampton. Expect Black joy, culture, connection, and incredible vendors ready to make it unforgettable. Featured Vendor Spotlight: Provisions 💜🥂 Provisions will be on-site with a curated hospitality station—signature specialty items and refreshments to keep the celebration flowing all day long. Stop by, grab something refreshing, and enjoy the day. See you there. Bring your crew. June 6, 2026 | EJ Gare Plaza, 2 Brewster Court, Northampton, MA 01060 | Free 🏙️ Learn more + RSVP + full schedule /event/northampton-juneteenth-festival-2026/ Check “Going” or “Interested” on Facebook /share/1D1SgSouj5/?mibextid=wwXIfr Positively Africana By Aimee | Founder-led cultural platform and media brand | Authentic African retail, gifts, fitness and community experiences | Northampton, Massachusetts | Shipping Nationwide | 25% of profits support women entrepreneurs in the Congo 💛💚❤️🖤 #NorthamptonMA #Juneteenth #BlackJoy #ShopLocal #PositivelyAfricana

Pssst! Tag a friend who is a fellow go-getter and needs a project😘 As many of you may know, we have a small volunteer crew planning, fundraising, organizing, and overall orchestrating Flo Fest…and we could use some extra help!❤️ ⭐️We are going to begin deploying volunteer helpers very soon, starting with some flyering in the neighboring communities this spring, and ending with quickly cleaning up Main Street post-festivities. ⭐️We are also in need of a few Volunteer Captains! More info on our Volunteer Google Form ❤️Community help is essential to pulling off this shindig, and we need some extra hands Check out our 🔗in b!0 to let us know how you would like to help, and thank you in advance! . . . #helpus #community #findthehelpers

Featured Artist Spotlight: Kimaya Diggs 🎤 22 DAYS UNTIL NORTHAMPTON JUNETEENTH 🎉 Kimaya Diggs is one to know. She’s an emerging artist and songwriter from Western Massachusetts, and her new album, Quincy, explores her unique blend of Soul, Folk, and R&B. Honest, powerful, and completely her own. She was nominated for Best New Artist and Album of the Year at the 2023 New England Music Awards, named “Female Performer of the Year” in 2021, and recently honored by WBUR as one of 10 artists of color making a difference in the Boston area. The Boston Globe said it best: “Expressive, smooth vocals…she’s kind of an unstoppable force.” 🎶 This is our first Northampton Juneteenth, and we are so ready. We can’t wait to experience this together. Live music, community, art, and celebration of Black freedom and joy. See you in our beautiful Northampton. June 6, 2026 | EJ Gare Plaza, 2 Brewster Court, Northampton, MA 01060 | Free 🏙️ Learn more + RSVP + full schedule: /event/northampton-juneteenth-festival-2026/ Check “Going” or “Interested” on Facebook: /share/1D1SgSouj5/?mibextid=wwXIfr Follow Kimaya Diggs: @kimayadiggs Organizers & Sponsors • Northampton Youth Commission • Positively Africana By Aimee • Mass Cultural Council (a state agency) • City of Northampton’s Economic Development Department • Northampton Arts Council • Provisions • ValleyCreates Tag a friend you’re coming with. Positively Africana By Aimee | Founder-led cultural platform and media brand | Authentic African retail, gifts, fitness and community experiences | Northampton, Massachusetts | Shipping Nationwide | 25% of profits support women entrepreneurs in the Congo 💛💚❤️🖤 #NorthamptonMA #Juneteenth #BlackJoy #SupportBlackBusiness #LiveMusic

Who is ready for THE Jeff Kinney?! 🧀 Mr. Wimpy Kid himself will be at R.I.S.E. on Saturday!!! Be sure to support @carlemuseum by picking up a book at their pop-up bookshop!

Reminiscing on some of the responses we got to our first attempt at R.I.S.E. last year. We hope you can join us on Saturday for the second annual R.I.S.E. Fest! We are so excited to host this event at Northampton High School this year!

Louis Walker Phipps joined us in the studios of @nepublicmedia to record an episode of The Fabulous 413 with @montebelmonte and @kaliisisontheair ! What a gift to witness this—and you all can experience this guy’s talent on Saturday at R.I.S.E.!

We want you to attend RISE on Saturday! Because space is limited, signing up for tickets ahead of time is super helpful. While the price is set to $10, we don’t want price to be a barrier. Please use code ART for complimentary tickets—nobody gets left out!

You are cordially invited to join Cutchins Programs, Rep Lindsay N. Sabadosa, District Attorney David E. Sullivan, Gina and Jarrett J. Krosoczka, and other local luminaries for a ceremony recognizing Children’s Mental Health Awareness Month. The event is free and will take place at R.I.S.E. at 10 am, before our first act takes the stage at 11 am. We hope to see you there. Come and recognize the importance of the arts and mental health care!

Northampton Arts Council's Arts EZ Grant is open and the deadline is THURSDAY 5/14 at MIDNIGHT! This year, the they are pivoting to a high-impact Micro-Grant model and will award 15 micro-grants at a flat rate of $500 each. This shift is designed to lower barriers for new applicants and provide streamlined, accessible funding for artists and cultural programmers in Northampton, Florence, and Leeds.

My friend McCoy and the City of Northampton are bringing Salsa back to Northampton this summer, and Positively Africana By Aimee is proud to support this community moment. 💃🏾🎶 Salsa in the Plaza is a free weekly outdoor Latin dance series at the EJ Gare Plaza. Every Monday from June 1 to August 31 at 7:00 PM, experience a rotating celebration of Salsa, Bachata, Merengue, Kizomba, and Cha-Cha. All skill levels welcome. No partner or experience needed. 🌟🕺🏽 Our platform highlights community cultural moments like this. Join us as we dance and celebrate together. 🙌🏾🔥 I’m so looking forward to dancing outside. See you there. 🎉 Details: /news/local-news/hampshire-county/free-salsa-in-the-plaza-dance-series-returns-to-northampton/?fbclid=IwdGRjcARv5jBleHRuA2FlbQIxMQBzcnRjBmFwcF9pZAo2NjI4NTY4Mzc5AAEeRnDlBLYO-k0wCPj_GbVCXPEDtVNUPm-TU9oTpQymLwL4IaLwLrMTNXQdtvY_aem_edOVveLkdi9FZMFvTnS8fg #SalsaInThePlaza #NorthamptonMA #LatinDance #CulturalPlatform #DanceCommunity

🔥Announcing…our lineup for Flo Fest🔥 Let me set the scene: it’s September 19th and you’re in downtown Florence Massachusetts. For several blocks, Main Street has been closed down and a huge music, art, and food festival have taken over the town! There are performances all throughout the festival, everything from your favorite local rock bands to youth crews, dance performances, acoustic country sets to juggling. This event? It’s COMPLETELY FREE to attend, you can watch all of the performances, make some art, play some games, and if you get hungry or thirsty, the local restaurants in town have taken to the street and opened their doors to make buying dinner a breeze. Will we see you there?❤️💋 . . . #community #musicandart #florencema #northamptonma #leedsma

Northampton Juneteenth is almost here 🎉 26 days until we gather to celebrate Black freedom, art, music, and community in the heart of Northampton. Expect a full day of Black joy, culture, and connection—and yes, our vendors are lined up and ready. Featured Vendor Spotlight: Aimee Salmon 💜 🎤 Aimee is the Founder and CEO of Positively Africana By Aimee, a founder-led cultural platform bringing authentic African retail, gifts, fitness, and community experiences to Northampton and nationwide. Come shop handmade African jewelry, cultural pieces, home decor, Aimee Dolls, and more curated with purpose and rooted in culture. Every purchase supports impact: 25% of profits support women entrepreneurs in the Congo. Bring your friends, bring your family, and come ready to celebrate. We can’t wait to see you there. June 6, 2026 | EJ Gare Plaza, 2 Brewster Court, Northampton, MA 01060 | Free 🏙️ Learn more + RSVP + full schedule /event/northampton-juneteenth-festival-2026/ Check “Going” or “Interested” on Facebook /share/1D1SgSouj5/?mibextid=wwXIfr Shop Positively Africana By Aimee and other amazing vendors Organizers & Sponsors - Northampton Youth Commission - Positively Africana By Aimee - Mass Cultural Council (a state agency) - City of Northampton’s Economic Development Department - Northampton Arts Council - Provisions - ValleyCreates Positively Africana By Aimee | Founder-led cultural platform and media brand | Authentic African retail, gifts, fitness and community experiences | Northampton, Massachusetts | Shipping Nationwide | 25% of profits support women entrepreneurs in the Congo 💛💚❤️🖤 #NorthamptonMA #Juneteenth #BlackJoy#ShopLocal #PositivelyAfricana