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!


     Advance online tickets ($12 per person) 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 for $15 per personcash 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, $15 per person, 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!


       

       All indoor seating for Ardaigh has SOLD OUT. However, there will be 60 "Porch Tickets" available for sale at the gate day of show (see below)....

...and, picknicking on the mountain!

2024 Summit House 

A bird's-eye view

A bustling sunset intermission

​​​​​​ 

Admission: $12 advance (online) / $15 day of show (at gate, cash only

Indoor seating is strictly limited, and advance tickets

are on sale now! Just click here:

 

​​Thurs., July 18, 7:30 pm

     ​Led by Uganda native Gideon Ampeire, Zikina plays an exciting fusion of Ugandan folk music with contemporary influences, highlighting originality with a traditional past. Ampeire draws you in with traditional East African instruments including enanga, adungu, and kalimba - all of which he builds himself. His vocals can cut powerfully through the fabric or float lightly above. Backed by Mike Cardozo (guitar), Roston Kirk (bass) and Kurt Eisele-Dyrli (drums), they weave a sonic landscape that flows seamlessly from intense grooves to dreamy textures to joyous dance beats!

Collage by Marcia Howard

Thurs., Aug. 8, 7:30 pm

          The historic, 935-ft. elevation Summit House in J. A. Skinner State Park in Hadley will resonate with live local music on five Thursday evenings this summer! And weather permitting, audience members can enjoy a glorious mountaintop sunset at intermission!

     ​Arcadia Viols play viola da gamba, a family of bowed string instruments originating in the 1500s during the Baroque era. Viols resemble the violin family but have six strings, frets like a lute, are bowed differently, and yield a distinctive, subtle timbre. Arcadia Viols performs works by Baroque composers such as Dowland, Purcell and Couperin, as well as contemporary pieces from the 20th and 21st centuries. Its members have played in such esteemed ensembles as The Folger Consort, Long & Away, Hesperus and The Newberry Consort. For the uninitiated, this is an earthy yet ethereal music that will transport your mind, heart and worldview in any century!

Thursday, July 11, 7:30 pm

        The Friends of the Mount Holyoke Range Summit House Sunset Concert Series is supported by Kestrel Land Trust, the Massachusetts Cultural Council, the Hadley and South Hadley 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.

         All indoor seating for Arcadia Viols has SOLD OUT. However, there will be 60 "Porch Tickets" available for sale at the gate day of show (please see below)...

Pre-concert picnicking on the porch (elevation: 935 ft.!)


     Surf's up in Skinner State Park! SPF4 plays vintage, early 1960's instrumental surf rock - from classic covers (Ventures, etc.) to mighty originals! Bathing suits, beach towels, sunglasses and flipflops welcome! And, you can Frug, Swim, Shimmy and Hula Hoop on our dance floor and wrap-around, 935 ft.-high boardwalk!... Come join us for a mountaintop beach party, cuz it's gonna be crazy, man!

Sunset Concert Series

Thurs., Aug. 1, 7:30 pm



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       All indoor seating for Zikina has SOLD OUT. 

However, there will be 60 "Porch Tickets" available 

for sale at the gate day of show (please see below)....

       All indoor seating for the Hot Club of New England has SOLD OUT. However, there will be 60 "Porch Tickets" available

for sale at the gate day of show (please see below)....

Enraptured by sound

Thurs., July 25, 7:30 pm

        All indoor seating for SPF-4 has SOLD OUT. However, there will be 60 "Porch Tickets" available for sale at the gate day of show (please see below)...

     Ardaigh (pronounced Ar'-da, Irish Gaelic for 'lift up') is Hungry Hill native Tim Donoghue (concertina), All-Ireland Champion Kira Jewett (fiddle), international jet pilot T.J. Ezold (flute, accordion), music schoolteacher Adam Braunschweig (banjo, mandolin) and retired sideshow gorilla Dave Meuser (guitar) - together they offer up traditional Irish reels, jigs, waltzes, slides, polkas, airs and songs, with an ample dose of craic for good measure!


     The Hot Club of New England is a musical collective featuring the top swing, gypsy, and hot jazz musicians of New England, with their mission to bring the elegant and classic style of the swing era and roaring 20's to a modern audience. Anchored by 

jazz power couple vocalist Atla DeChamplain and pianist Matt DeChamplain, this musical iteration includes Matt on piano, Atla on vocals, Evan Artnzen on clarinet and saxophone, and Matt Dwonszyk on bass. Together they'll render echoes of Ella Fitzgerald, Duke Ellington and many other legends of the Great American Songbook... and yes, there will be a dance floor!