If you are interested in immersing yourself in an entire weekend of music, look no further than the Back Porch Festival.

This celebration of roots music presented by Signature Sounds and the Northampton Arts Council will take place this weekend. The festival will feature more than 50 artists playing in eight different venues in downtown Northampton. The music begins on Friday, March 3, at 6 p.m. and will run past midnight. On Saturday, March 4, and Sunday, March 5, the music will begin at 2 p.m. and run late into the evening.

The Back Porch Festival started in 2014 as an offshoot of The Back Porch radio show, which airs every Sunday morning on WRSI The River, hosted by Signature Sounds President Jim Olsen. The festival eventually evolved into a weekend event, and now with Signature Sounds and the Northampton Arts Council teaming up, has expanded to allow attendees to go to multiple shows throughout the weekend by purchasing a weekend Ramble Pass.

The goal of the revamped format is to make the festival more like a festival in that you can take in various music on various stages throughout the weekend. Participating venues include The Parlor Room, Bishop’s Lounge, Progression Brewery, the Academy of Music, Hotel Northampton, ClickSpace and more.

As for the extensive lineup, there are three main events at the Academy of Music each night. Friday night will feature a tribute to songwriting legend John Prine, and recent Grammy winner and bluegrass star Molly Tuttle & Golden Highway will be featured on Saturday. The Sunday show will feature Watchhouse.

Please note that these three events are separately ticketed, and admission to them is not included when you purchase a Ramble Pass.

The bad news is that the first two Academy of Music shows are sold out, but there are a limited amount of tickets for the Watchhouse show. There are also a limited amount of weekend Ramble Passes available, and for $30 you can enjoy all the other shows, including performances by Cedric Burnside, Kelly Willis, Sunny War, Mile Twelve, The Po’ Ramblin’ Boys and more. And there is an abundance of local talent, many from right here in Franklin County: Rosie Porter, Mikey Sweet, The Gaslight Tinkers, Occult Classic, Poor Monroe, The Lonesome Brothers, Deep River Ramblers, Appalachian Still, Wallace Field, Ray Mason Band, Johnny Memphis Band, Christa Joy, Sandy Bailey, The Fiddle Orchestra of Western Massachusetts and so many more.

It’s going to be tough to decide who to see when, but I’ve singled out a small group of acts that you won’t want to miss.

Mamma’s Marmalade — There will be plenty of opportunities to hear bluegrass this weekend, but one of my favorites is local New Grass band Mamma’s Marmalade. This trio, featuring Turners Falls resident and fiddle player Lily Sexton, puts a fresh spin on bluegrass music as while playing originals and covers. Last year, the trio released an excellent cover album, “Fakin’ It, Covers Deserving of Coverage,” where they performed some very interesting tunes from the ’70s. They will play at The Parlor Room on Friday night at 6:15 p.m. and at the Unitarian Society on Sunday at 2:15 p.m.

Fancy Trash — Since forming in 2002, the indie-folk trio Fancy Trash has been popular on the local music scene. They’re led by Dave Houghton, whose punk-influenced acoustic guitar work and impassioned vocals defined the group’s sound. But in recent years Houghton moved to Cape Cod and began to focus on the group Opal Canyon that he formed with his wife, Debra DeMuth. After a 15-year hiatus, the original Fancy Trash — made up of Houghton, Jason Smith on drums and Joshua Thayer on bass — reunited this year for a handful of shows. They played to a packed house at Luthier’s Co-op in Easthampton last month and will be at Bishops Lounge on Saturday night at 8 p.m., so catch them while you can.

The Gaslight Tinkers — If you go to a festival you need to do some dancing, and there’s no better band to dance to then The Gaslight Tinkers. Their genre-blending music, combined with the high-energy vocals of I-Shea, make for a winning show and their new album “Gaslight Tinkers II” is an excellent collection. Besides, they are playing at the Hotel Northampton ballroom on Saturday at 7 p.m. and who doesn’t want to check that place out?

Sunny War — Talented singer-songwriter and guitarist Sunny War has been making music for a while now, but her new album “Anarchist Gospel” explores topics like anxiety and alienation and has made her a rising star on the roots music scene. The album hasn’t been out for a month, and War, who lives in Nashville now, is generating substantial buzz. War will play at the Unitarian Society on Sunday at 5 p.m. I’d get there early.

Session Americana — This group is a collective of top players, singers and writers who tour internationally. When they get together it’s a wild time as they play their own songs and covers from the American songbook. But the reason I recommend this show is that local favorite Shelburne Falls resident and singer-songwriter Kris Delmhorst will join them. They will play two shows at the Hotel Northampton on Saturday at 4:45 p.m. and 5:45 p.m.

Once you are at the festival you need to exchange your ticket for a button. You can do this at the Academy of Music or the festival’s box office at 164 Main St. (the former Birdhouse, next to Thorne’s). Your button will provide you with admission to the shows. A limited amount of buttons will be sold during the weekend and can be purchased at these two locations. Buttons will not be sold at the venues. Please note, all shows are general admission and first come, first served. Children are welcome but you must purchase a child’s pass.

Tiffany at the Shea Theater

Eighties teen pop sensation Tiffany will bring her “Shadows and Pop Art” show to the Shea Theater Arts Center in Turners Falls on Saturday, April 22, at 8 p.m.

Tiffany was only 16 in 1987 when she started performing in malls, bringing her an immediate connection with people her age and leading to her status as the teen queen.

She later scored a No. 1 hit with her cover of “I Think We’re Alone Now” and also topped the charts with the song “Could’ve Been.” She set a record as the youngest female artist to top the Billboard charts with her debut album.

Tiffany has continued to make music and done some acting over the years. Her latest album “Shadows” was released last year. Her current tour is billed as the shadows in art as she performs material off the new album and plays some of her hits. To date, she has sold more than 15 million albums worldwide.

The Shea Theater also just announced a heavy metal double bill of the Ozzy Osbourne tribute band Crazy Train: The Ozzy Experience and AC/DC tribute band Back in Black on Friday, April 28, at 8 p.m. On Saturday, April 29, it’s The Whiskey Treaty Roadshow and the Adam Ezra Band.

For more information and to purchase tickets visit: sheatheater.org.

Sheryl Hunter is a music writer who lives in Easthampton. Her work has appeared in various regional and national magazines. You can contact her at: soundslocal@yahoo.com.

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