DOWNLOAD THE 2024 PRESS RELEASE
RECREATION/CONCERT EVENT PRESS RELEASE
RELEASE DATE: June 1 2024
CONTACT: Raianne Richards
ORGANIZATION: Massachusetts Walking Tour
PHONE (508) 981-6245
EMAIL masswalkingtour@gmail.com
WEB masswalkingtour.org
Folk Troubadours trek through Hampden County offering Daily Hikes and Free Community Concerts
Holland, Brimfield, Warren, Palmer, Wilbraham – June 21-25 2024 – Since 2010, singer-songwriters Mark Mandeville & Raianne Richards have organized a grassroots bipedal trek annually to raise awareness of recreational greenspace throughout the state and create folk coffeehouse-style musical events in each town. This June, sponsored by the Massachusetts Cultural Council and Blackstone Valley Music & Performing Arts Collaborative, the 13th Annual Massachusetts Walking Tour will offer a series of daily public hikes and free community concerts, while walking with their backpacks and instruments from Holland to Wilbraham. Hiking properties featured include Westville Dam, Stevens Brook Sichol Community Forest & the Grand Trunk Trail, Lucy Stone Park, Midura Family Conservation Area and Rice Preserve/Sunrise Peak. Most days include an option for a short hike with the group and then each evening a free community concert. The concert venues include the Holland Community Center, Hitchcock Academy in Brimfield, Lucy Stone Park in Warren, Second Congregational Church in Palmer and Wilbraham Public Library. For complete details visit www.masswalkingtour.org.
The Massachusetts Walking Tour has performed over 135 concerts in 120 towns across the state, partnering with the National Parks Service, Mass Audubon, Trustees, DCR, Freedoms Way and AMC to hike sections of the Appalachian Trail, Mid-State Trail, New England National Scenic Trail, Bay Circuit Trail, Cape Cod Rail Trail, South Coast Bikeway and many of the region’s smaller recreational greenspaces. In 2017, Senator Ed Markey officially recognized the Massachusetts Walking Tour in the congressional record for an annual commitment to promoting trails, arts and culture throughout the state.
“Our intention is simply to help people understand the importance of greenspace in our busy
lives by inviting them out for a walk, to see younger and older folks hiking together, sharing
thoughts on a nice day out in the woods,” states co-founder Mark Mandeville. “As for the
concerts, we do our best to create a respectful listening environment which highlights local
performers, artists and folks with good work to announce – in that way, each concert is unique.”
Aside from organizing the Massachusetts Walking Tour, performing and recording their original compositions, Mandeville and Richards have served for over a decade as music teachers in central MA and this year in 2024 the couple helped form the nonprofit Blackstone Valley Music and Performing Arts Collaborative to assist the operation of their music school, continuing all the great programs there such as individualized music lessons, Rock Band Camp and Community Coffeehouse nights.
June 21 2024
Daily Hike: Westville Recreation Area 9 am
125 Wallace Rd. Sturbridge, MA 01566
Concert: Holland Community Center 6 pm
40 Brimfield Rd, Holland, MA 01521
June 22 2024
Daily Hike: Stevens Brook Sichol Community Forest 10 am 1
Blodgett Road Holland, MA 01521
Concert: Hitchcock Academy 6pm
2 Brookfield Rd, Brimfield, MA 01010
June 23 2024
Daily Hike and Concert: Lucy Stone Park 3 pm
199 Old West Brookfield Rd, Warren, MA 01083
June 24 2024
Daily Hike: Midura Family Conservation Area 12pm noon
568 Old Warren Road Palmer, MA 01069
Concert: Second Congregational Church 6pm
1080 Pleasant St, Palmer, MA 01069
June 25 2024
Daily Hike: Sunrise Peak/ Rice Preserve 12 pm
Concert: Wilbraham Public Library 6pm
25 Crane Park Dr, Wilbraham, MA 01095
2022 Interview with Rich Frederick at Community Television for The Southern Berkshires
Additional Links:
WBUR’s All Things Considered with Lisa Mullins, Interview 2016
Photos:
