Peachy keen

Stone fruit season is in full swing and this Sunday, Aug. 18, there will be an opportunity to celebrate at the Outlook Farm Peach Festival in Westhampton. Located at the scenic Outlook Farm winery and brewery, the event will include a pig roast and barbecue from noon to 3 p.m. and a live performance by The Losers: A Tribute to Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers from 1 to 4 p.m.

There is added cause to enjoy peaches this year, as the region was without any last year and farmers have worked hard to ensure their sweet return.

“We’re pitching everything peaches because it’s a great peach season this year,” said Jeff Morse, owner of Outlook Farm Winery and Brewery. “After nothing last year, we got wiped out, but so did many farmers around. It’s just promoting everything for the season, which is peaches right now.”

The event is family friendly and there is a $5 cover charge.

Jorma Kaukonen at the Iron Horse

On Aug. 18 and 19, Jorma Kaukonen, guitarist of Jefferson Airplane and Hot Tuna will take the stage at the Iron Horse Music Hall in Northampton.

Kaukonen has been hailed as a “pioneer of San Francisco psychedelia ... unfurling melodies and savoring every note,” by Rolling Stone magazine.

His two-day stop in Northampton consists of a two-guitar performance on Aug. 18 with longtime collaborator John Hurlbut (the two released an album together, “One More Lifetime,” earlier this year). On Aug. 19, Kaukonen performs solo.

Ticket prices range from $50 to $70 and can be found at ironhorse.org.

Concert for Community

The annual Concert for Community returns to the Pines Theater in Northampton’s Look Park on Aug. 25.

For the past 40 years, the concert (which benefits the Northampton Community Music Center) was run by musician Roger Salloom, who last year announced from the stage that it would be his last time hosting the concert and that he would be passing the torch on to his longtime friend, Jamie Kent.

Kent, who is a Florence native, says he is more than thrilled to take over in hosting the event and continuing a over-40-year tradition that is cherished by many community members.

This free event includes performances by eight local artists, including The Gaslight Tinkers, Poor Monroe, StompBoxTrio, among others. There was also be a special appearance by Salloom.

Gates open at noon and the event runs from 1 to 7 p.m.

Three cheers for the county fair

From Aug. 30 to Sept. 2, the 207th consecutive 3 County Fair will be held in Northampton.

The group behind the fair, The Hampshire, Franklin & Hampden Agricultural Society, was formed in 1818 with a mission of “promoting agriculture, agricultural education, and agricultural science in the Commonwealth.” Since then, the fair still provides exhibitions, displays, competitions and demonstrations in a variety of agricultural and domestic categories. Additionally, many experiences have been added to the Fair throughout the years including carnival rides, games, crafts, demolition derbies, music, food and more.

Gates open at 4 p.m. on Aug. 30 and at 10 a.m. on Aug. 31 through Sept. 2.

Tickets for the fair can be purchased at 3countyfair.com.

Sharing a love for jazz

The Pioneer Valley Jazz Shares kicks off its 13th season on Sept. 5 with a performance by the Eric Vloeimans & Will Holshouser Duo at the historic Wistariahurst Museum in Holyoke.

Vloeimans, a highly acclaimed multi-instrumentalist from the Netherlands, has won six Edison awards (the Dutch equivalent to the Grammy awards) and has played with multiple orchestras and bands from all over the world.

Holshouser has been playing the accordion since the late 1980s and has since performed in over 30 countries around the world. He has worked on Broadway with the New York City Ballet, and the Brooklyn Philharmonic.

The duo plays “evocative original compositions that bring together sounds from jazz, classical and folk music,” according to the organization’s website.

The show will take place from 7:30 to 9:30 p.m., and tickets, as well as shares to the entire Pioneer Valley Jazz Shares season, can be purchased at jazzshares.org.

Exploring queer punk

On Sept. 6, two-piece punk band, Film and Gender, will be returning to CitySpace’s Blue Room in Easthampton.

The band consists of lead vocalist and bassist Issley Ziggen and drummer Brett Forgette. Based out of Agawam and founded in 2021, Film and Gender is known for its brutally honest lyricism and heavy-set bass and percussion instrumentalism.

A prime example of Film and Gender’s true colors is their song “City Hall,” a liberating anthem about working against powerful figures and protesting against police brutality and unfair systems of capitalism.

Opening acts are expected to join the lineup, which will be announced soon. Tickets can be purchased at cityspaceeasthampton.org. Doors open at 7 p.m., and the show begins at 7:30 p.m.

UMass Amherst journalism student Paige Hanson is Arts & Features intern for the Gazette and Recorder.