Traveling musicians will tote their musical gear and camping supplies over 100 miles in two weeks to bring music to Western Massachusetts this June.
The ninth annual Massachusetts Walking and Paddling Tour, lasting from June 15 through 27, seeks to recognize local arts, music and culture. Co-founders Mark Mandeville and Raianne Richards take roads, trails and the Connecticut River to get to each destination, and every night they perform a concert in a different town with other local musicians who join.
The troupe includes Mandeville who plays guitar and banjo, Richards who plays ukulele and penny whistle, Mark Kilianski who plays guitar and banjo, Amy Alvey who plays the fiddle, Vito Caccavelli who plays guitar and Kristen Sykes who plays ukulele. Sykes is also the Director of Conservation Strategies for the Appalachian Mountain Club, which has supported the tour since 2013.
The annual two-week hikes also raise awareness about the region’s hiking trails and greenways, using music to connect with others.
Each of the concerts will last from 6 to 8 p.m., and all of the concerts in Franklin County are free.
The tour will begin Friday, June 15 at the Northfield Golf Club Pavilion. They will perform June 16 at the Great Falls Discovery Center in Turners Falls and June 17 at Mt. Sugarloaf State Reservation in Deerfield.
The tour also makes eight stops outside of Franklin County, in Hadley, Northampton, Easthampton, two stops in Holyoke, South Hadley, Chicopee and ending in Longmeadow.