Hilltown Families 
Suggested Events for September 22nd – 28th, 2018
To find out about more event, be sure to visit our Suggest an Event Bulletin Board to see what our readers have recently shared! Have an event to share? Feel encouraged to self-post community events here at any time!
If you have a community event, educational program, or service-learning opportunity happening in Western Massachusetts that you’d like to let us know about, self-post your event at any time on our Suggest An Event bulletin board. The events below are “suggested.” Please take the time to confirm that these events are happening, along with time, place, age appropriateness, and costs before attending.
Serving Western Massachusetts since 2005, Hilltown Families supports development and enhancement of our local economy and community. Local businesses, individuals, schools, and non-profits are encouraged to partner with Hilltown Families through sponsorship and advertising. Let us help get the word out about your after school/homeschool class, event, camp, workshop, fundraiser, business/school, service, open house, volunteer opportunity or general announcement. Deliver your message to thousands of families living throughout the four counties of Western MA while supporting the community development work of Hilltown Families! Click HERE to find out more.
After-School Classes & Enrichment Programs
Reach thousands of families in the region with our 2018-2019 directory! Reserve your space.
Our community is rich in learning opportunities to supplement the interests of children, teens, and life-long learners. We have put together a directory of after-school & weekend classes and enrichment programs happening across Western Massachusetts throughout the school year. Many of these programs aren’t just for kids, so to all the adults out there – feel encouraged to pursue your interests and honor your callings through these enrichment classes, too!
If you have a class or program you would like to have included in our directory, contact us at sales@hilltownfamilies.org to learn about our advertising options and sponsorship packages.
Bulletin Board
Sept. 23
The Hitchcock Center for the Environment invites the community to Pollination Celebration Day, Sunday, September 23rd from 11am to 3pm. Come and celebrate the pollinators in our world — bees, caterpillars, monarchs and more! Activities for the whole family include: building bee hotels, tagging monarchs, gardening workshops, face painting, the Caterpillar Lab from Keene, NH, pollinator parade and obstacle course, crafts, and treats from Crooked Stick Pops. Bring a picnic, stay for the day! Information, including full event schedule and tickets are available at hitchcockcenter.org or call 413-256-6006. Members: $4 Children/$7 Adults, Non-members: $5 Children/$8 Adults. Sponsored by: Western MA Master Gardener Association and Shumway Services.
Oct 6
Piti Theatre Youth Troupe Fall Session: Greenfield’s Grumpiest T-Rex to be performed for the Great Greenfield DinoFest on October 6th at Hawks and Reed Performing Arts Center. The troupe will perform again in December. Performers ages 8 and up learn improvisation, magic, singing, movement, acting and puppetry skills while developing their capacities for trust, confidence, teamwork and creativity! “We loved watching the show; our children loved being part of it.” – C.W., Shelburne Falls Rehearsals on Thursdays, 4:00 – 5:15 and some Saturday mornings, 10 – noon in Shelburne Falls and Greenfield. Registration: info@ptco.org, (413) 339 – 4569. Also watch out for improv classes for teens and adults. More at ptco.org/classes.
Enroll Now!
Stoneleigh-Burnham School offers Community Dance programs for all children ages 5-18 from Sept. 26, 2018 to May 22, 2019. Director Cat Wagner offers quality creative movement, ballet, and contemporary classes in a nurturing environment. Students build confidence and a sense of well-being through dance. The program’s foundation is on robust skill development, but also brings dance alive using a collaboration. Students build trust, community, and new perspectives. Classes are limited to 15 students and take place in the school’s dance studio in Greenfield. The program ends with a full-length collaborative piece with SBS students at a Spring Dance Concert. Questions: wtherrien@sbschool.org or Register: www.sbschool.org.
Add your class
Reach thousands of families in the region with our 2018-2019 directory! Reserve your space. Our community is rich in after-school learning opportunities to supplement the interests of our children, teens, and life-long learners. We are putting together a directory of after-school & weekend classes and enrichment programs happening across Western Massachusetts to be published on our web site later this month and featured throughout the school year. If you have a class or program you would like to have included in our directory, contact us at sales@hilltownfamilies.org to learn about our advertising options and sponsorship packages.
Add your school
Hilltown Families Preschool Directory: Are you looking for a preschool that fits your child’s personality and reflects your family’s values? Check out our growing Preschool Directory, covering all four counties in Western Massachusetts, and find the perfect place for your young one! — Have a school you’d like to include in this list? Click here to find out how to have it added.
ADVERTISE HERE: Reach thousands of families in Western MA while supporting the community development work of Hilltown Families! See your summer camp, class, community event, school, open house, audition, homeschool program, workshop, volunteer opportunity, wellness program, local business, after-school class, or non-profit featured here in the Bulletin Board section of our list of Weekly Suggested Events and in our weekly eNewsletter, reaching thousands of families living throughout the four counties of Western MA while supporting the community development work of Hilltown Families! Find out more about our advertising options and how you can partner with Hilltown Families in your online marketing by emailing us at at sales@hilltownfamilies.org.
JOIN OUR TEAM OF CONTRIBUTING WRITERS: Interested in becoming a Contributing or Guest Writer for Hilltown Families? We welcome writings that reflect the community-building and educational efforts parents, teens, teachers, artists, activists and community leaders work towards and accomplish, and how that affects, supports and empowers our families. All writing styles welcomed, including local reviews, DIY posts, seasonal cooking/local food, and community-based educational & community service learning opportunities/resources. Send your query to info@hilltownfamilies.org.
LIST OF WEEKLY SUGGESTED EVENTS
September 22nd – 28th, 2018
Saturday • Sunday
Monday • Tuesday • Wednesday • Thursday • Friday
Suggest an Event | Cultural Itineraries | Forecast | Museum Passes | Weekly eNewsletter | Farmers’ Markets | Storyhour & Playgroups| Berkshire Family Fun | Advertise/Sponsorship | en Español
Events Happening in the Hilltowns
Saturday, September 22, 2018
Click HERE to discover classes. Click HERE to find out about other community events. Click HERE to leave a comment about upcoming events.
9-10am – HILLTOWN FAMILY VARIETY SHOW: Tune in on your FM dial, or listen live via streaming audio at www.valleyfreeradio.org. Sarah Aroeste, a children’s singer and songwriter in the rare and eclectic dialect of Spanish called Ladino, will take listeners around the globe to explore some contemporary kids music in lesser-known dialects. From Quechua to Yup’ik to Amharic and more, Aroeste hopes listeners will agree that good music is good music, no matter the language! Encore of Saturday’s broadcast airs Sunday morning from 7-8am and podcast is posted here on Hilltown Families immediately following Sunday’s broadcast. Listen to the Hilltown Family Variety Show podcasts anytime. Click here select from over 10 years of archived shows!
Saturday, September 22, 9am-2:30pm
NATURE STUDIES/CITIZEN SCIENCE
Saturday, September 22, 9am-5pm
HARVEST FESTIVAL/HISTORY
Saturday, September 22, 9-9:30am
MUSIC STUDIES/DANCE STUDIES
Young kids have a lot of energy. Music and dance is a great way to take that energy and direct it toward something creative and artistic! Music is so valuable, particularly to young children. It helps them develop important parts of their brains and teaches them great social skills. Ascendance Inner Worlds Arts is offering a special free Introduction to Music and Movement class for children ages 1 to 4 and their caregivers. Ascendance Inner Worlds Arts. 192 Pine Street, Florence, MA (FREE)Saturday, September 22, 10am-5pm
PLACEMAKING/FESTIVAL
Now that the weather is beginning to turn, that can only mean one thing: the apple harvest is right around the corner! For almost forty years, the Berkshire community has been welcoming the fall with a special festival, celebrating the apple harvest. The Lenox Apple Squeeze features musical performances, vendors, and fun for the whole family. Don’t miss this beloved local tradition. 4 Housatonic Street, Lenox, MA (FREE)Saturday, September 22, 10am-12pm
NATURE STUDIES/LOCAL HISTORY
Even some of the most pristine natural landscapes in our area have a long history of human intervention. By the mid 19th century, much of the forests in this part of the state had been cleared and turned into farms and pasture. The forests we see all around us now are less than a hundred years old. We can see the evidence of this in the old stone walls we come across so often in the woods, which identify where farms and pastures once stood. The Fitzgerald Lake Conservation Area is no exception. In fact, the lake itself was only created in the late 1980s when the Broad Brook was dammed. Come learn all about the changes that this land has seen, with a walk and talk by Laurie Sanders! 196 Cooke Ave, Northampton, MA (FREE)Saturday, September 22, 12-11pm
PLACEMAKING/FESTIVAL
As Lord of the Rings author, J.R.R. Tolkien once wrote: “The world is indeed full of peril, and in it there are many dark places; but still there is much that is fair, and though in all lands love is now mingled with grief, it grows perhaps the greater.” Indeed, hope is most important in times of struggle. If everything was perfect all the time, there would be no need for hope. Written during the rise of fascism and the chaos of World War II, Tolkien’s words may resonate with our time as well. Today, we need hope and love more than ever. All day this Saturday come celebrate hope and the promise of a better tomorrow at the Cosecha de Esperanza/Harvest of Hope Festival! Join the community to sing, dance, share food, and discuss creative ways to work towards social justice and environmental sustainability. The Common Park. 100 First Street, Pittsfield, MA (FREE)Saturday, September 22, 3-6pm
HEALTH AND WELLNESS/PLACEMAKING
With more and more research being done on the adverse health effects of loneliness, it’s no surprise that former Surgeon General of the United States Vivek recently described it as an “epidemic.” It might not be surprising that loneliness increases stress and is linked to suicide but it also appears to increase the risk of conditions such as dementia and diabetes. The World’s Largest Eye Gazing Experiment is an attempt to counter the negative impact of loneliness by giving people the opportunity to create a genuine, albeit brief, connection with a complete stranger! The premise is simple: find a comfortable spot, sit down in front of someone, and look into their eyes for as long as you want. Bells will ring at the 1, 5, and 10 minute mark. Afterwards, you will have the opportunity to process, reflect, and share your experience with others. This is an incredible opportunity to practice connection and acceptance. Pulaski Park. Northampton, MA (FREE)Saturday, September 22, 4-5pm
PARADE/ART STUDIES
This saturday, East Pleasant street in downtown Amherst will be transformed with color, sound, and movement, as the Cross Town Contemporary Art parade brings local art into the streets! Put on a fun costume, bring a musical instrument, and join local theater companies, artists, musicians, local business owners, academics, union organizers, and community members, in marching from UMass to Kendrick Park to create a unique form of interactive, community art. Express yourself and engage with the place we live and the community we are a part of. UMass Fine Arts Center. 151 Presidents Drive, Amherst, MA (FREE)Saturday, September 22, 4-5:30pm
LITERARY STUDIES/SINGALONG
Everybody’s favorite umbrella wielding magical nanny is coming to the Greenfield Library! In addition to being the source of the longest word in English, “supercalifragilisticexpialidocious,” Mary Poppins has delighted readers and viewers ever since the character first appeared in Pamela Lyndon Travers’ 1934 novel Mary Poppins. Travers went on to write another eight novels centering around the character and numerous film adaptations have been made. Nevertheless, the character is best known for the 1964 Disney film, starring Julie Andrews and Dick van Dyke. So be sure to “pop in,” promptly at tea time, at Mary Poppins in the library, featuring singing and gifts! Greenfield Public Library. 402 Main Street, Greenfield, MA (FREE)Saturday, September 22, 7pm
THEATER/LITERARY STUDIES
Saturday, September 22, 7:30-10pm
CONTRA DANCE/DANCE STUDIES
According to 19th century folklore, Fiddler’s Green is the afterlife to which sailors go if they have served for at least 50 years at sea. It is a place where joy abounds and the fiddling never ceases. As novelist Frederick Marryat wrote in 1856: “At Fiddler’s Green, where seamen true / When here they’ve done their duty / The bowl of grog shall still renew / And pledge to love and beauty.” Well, they don’t have an endless bowl of grog, but Fiddlers Green Contra Dance is a casual, fun, joyful community folk dance where everyone is welcome. Musicians are encouraged to join in and this event is perfect for beginners and all levels of experience. Ages 10 and above suggested. Midway through the event there will be potluck snacks and socializing. Munson Memorial Library. 1046 South East Street, Amherst, MA ($)
Sunday, September 23, 2018
Click HERE to discover classes. Click HERE to find out about other community events. Click HERE to leave a comment about upcoming events.
Sunday, September 23, 10am-5pm
PLACEMAKING/FESTIVAL
Now that the weather is beginning to turn, that can only mean one thing: the apple harvest is right around the corner! For almost forty years, the Berkshire community has been welcoming the fall with a special festival, celebrating the apple harvest. The Lenox Apple Squeeze features musical performances, vendors, and fun for the whole family. Don’t miss this beloved local tradition. 4 Housatonic Street, Lenox, MA (FREE)Sunday, September 23, 11am-3pm
NATURE STUDIES/POLLINATION
For the first time ever the Hitchcock Center will be holding a special Pollination Celebration Day, this sunday! We know that pollinators such as bees and butterflies play a vital role in plant reproduction but there is so much more to learn about these amazing creatures. This day long celebration features a wide variety of fun and educational activities, games, and workshops. Perhaps most importantly, you can learn about easy things you can do to promote the health of local pollinators in your area. Whether it’s making a bamboo bee hotel in your own backyard or designing your garden with pollinators in mind, you can make an important difference for our winged friends. Hitchcock Center for the Environment. 845 West Street, Amherst, MA ($)Sunday, September 23, 1-3pm
NATURE STUDIES/BUTTERFLIES
Sunday, September 23, 1-3pm
MYCOLOGY/WORKSHOP
Shiitake is one of the most delicious and easy to cultivate mushrooms in the world! In Japan, the mushroom has traditionally been cultivated by placing logs near shii trees, which contained the spores. This same basic technique is still used in commercial production of shiitake, often with other kinds of hardwood that are more commonly available. Oak logs are highly suitable to produce shiitake and if you would like to learn how you can grow them in your very own backyard, come check out this free workshop with Willie Crosby, who will be sharing his experiences from the last several years of research he has put into shiitake cultivation. Fungi Ally. 311 River Drive, Hadley, MA (FREE)Sunday, September 23, 2-3:30pm
CONCERT/HISTORY
The mandolin, or “Little Mandola,” became phenomenally popular in American music after a group of young Spanish musicians toured the country in 1880. While the group, dubbed simply “the Spanish Students,” in fact played a smaller Spanish variation of the mandolin, they were so popular that musicians all over the country started picking up the instrument, which had been almost totally unknown until then. By the early 20th century, there were mandolin orchestras all over the United States, and especially in New England. The group Mandolin New England is reviving this tradition, playing a repertoire of music from the 15th century to today. Come enjoy a lively afternoon of music with Mandolin New England! Porter Phelps Huntington Museum. 130 River Drive, Hadley, MA (SUGGESTED DONATION)Sunday, September 23, 3-4:30pm
LITERARY STUDIES/POETRY READING
For the sixth year, the Amherst Poetry Festival will be celebrating some of the best voices in contemporary poetry and the legacy of poetry in the Amherst community and beyond. From Emily Dickinson to Robert Frost and William Cullen Bryant, our area has been home to some of the greatest poets in American history and continues to be a hub of creativity for some of the most exciting, dynamic poets of today. Don’t miss this opportunity to attend a reading by poets Rafael Campo and Ellen Dore Watson, followed by a question and answer session. For a complete list of events, please visit Amherst Poetry Festival. Jones Library. Amherst, MA (FREE)
Monday, September 24, 2018
Click HERE to discover classes. Click HERE to find out about other community events. Click HERE to leave a comment about upcoming events.
Storyhour & Playgroups: East Longmeadow, Pelham & Whately
Monday, September 24, 6pm
STEM/PHYSICS
From 3D printing to growing meat in a petri dish (yes, you read that correctly), scientists are always coming up with extremely creative solutions to problems. Often, the best inspiration for scientists comes the natural world itself. It’s is difficult to improve on nature and by studying biological patterns and materials, scientists can develop exciting new models and applications. In this SciTech Cafe presentation, professor Jennifer Ross will be discussing the future of biotechnology and bioengineering, including, perhaps most importantly, the profound ethical considerations that are raised by this powerful and potentially harmful technology. Union Station. Northampton, MA (FREE)
Tuesday, September 25, 2018
Click HERE to discover classes. Click HERE to find out about other community events. Click HERE to leave a comment about upcoming events.
Tuesday, September 25, 7:30-8:30pm
LOCAL HISTORY
Living in a quiet rural area can make it seem that the dramatic events of world history are happening so far away that they are radically removed from everyday life. This must have been especially true for the residents of Greenfield when the First World War began in the early twentieth century. As the war dragged on, however, members of the community began seeing young men, especially from immigrant families, setting off for Europe. Around the same time a deadly flu outbreak occurred in Greenfield. Come learn all about how the Greenfield community persevered through these difficult times at this special presentation. Historical Society of Greenfield. 43 Church Street, Greenfield, MA (FREE)
Wednesday, September 26, 2018
Click HERE to discover classes. Click HERE to find out about other community events. Click HERE to leave a comment about upcoming events.
Wednesday, September 26, 10-10:45am
STEM/EARLY CHILDHOOD EDUCATION
It’s never too early to expose children to new ideas! For young children, sensory activities and exploration are the perfect ways to learn. The bi-weekly WeeMuse Parent/Child Stem session introduces children ages 2 to 4 to science, technology, engineering, and math, through fun games and activities. Older and younger siblings are welcome to join. Berkshire Museum. 39 South Street, Pittsfield, MA (FREE)Wednesday, September 26, 4:30-6:30
MUSIC STUDIES/LECTURE
It was once said of Pandit Pran Nath, the legendary Indian singer: “Rich, resonant, vibratoless tones seem to emerge from his head, his chest, his fingers, as he sits and sways slightly from side to side, describing in the air with fluid hand and arm movements the musical shapes he is sculpting from the drone of his accompanying tambouras. To put it another way, he doesn’t ‘hit’ notes, he materializes them. He gives the impression that he is working with solids rather than the most evanescent of mediums.” Indeed, the incredibly long and rich musical traditions of India present a radically different framework for understanding melody, rhythm, and tone. Raga, the mode for which Pran Nath became best known, literally translates to “color, hue, tint.” The raga has no analog in western music, despite being perhaps the central mode of Indian Classical Music. There are hundreds of distinct ragas in the classical tradition and each is defined by a set of melodic parameters, with discrete themes and motifs. Within that basic melodic structure, however, the raga is entirely improvisational. As we can see in the definition of the word itself, the purpose of the raga is to “color” the emotions of the audience, to create a particular emotional reaction. If you would like to learn more about raga and other key features of Indian Classical Music, you won’t want to miss this amazing event on Emotion in Classical Indian Music. Pandit Shantanu Bhattacharyya, Pandit Ashis Sengupta, and Ms. Durba Bhattacharyya will be discussing how music creates emotional ambience and various structures and compositions in Classical Indian Music. The Center for Humanistic Inquiry at Amherst College. 61 Quadrangle Drive, Amherst, MA (FREE)Wednesday, September 26, 7-9:30pm
FILM SCREENING/PLACEMAKING
The Star Wars films have delighted audiences for decades. But for philosopher Joseph Campbell, the films’ resonance stems from the structures and themes that link them to the world’s oldest myths and legends. Campbell saw the films as a modern exploration of the universal archetypes, and his theory of the hero’s journey. In his interview with Bill Moyers, Campbell observed that “Darth Vader has not developed his humanity. He’s a robot. He’s a bureaucrat, living not in terms of himself but of an imposed system. This is the threat to our lives that we all face today. Is the system going to flatten you out and deny you your humanity, or are you going to be able to make use of the system to the attainment of human purposes? How do you relate to the system so that you are not compulsively serving it?” Come see the latest installment in the Star Wars series The Last Jedi at Pulaski Park this Wednesday! Pulaski Park. Northampton, MA (FREE)Wednesday, September 26, 8-9pm
LITERARY STUDIES/READING
When first time novelist Monique Truong’s novel The Book of Salt was first published in 2003, the Vietnamese-American author won some of the most prestigious literary awards in the United States. The stream of consciousness narrative centers on the character of a young, gay, Vietnamese chef named Binh, who becomes Gertrude Stein’s personal chef, while living in Paris during the first half of the 20th century. The novel shifts back and forth between Binh’s childhood in French-occupied Indochina and his experiences with Stein and her partner Alice B. Toklas. A leading figure in the French modernist art community, Stein’s Paris salons were attended by visionary pioneers such as Ernest Hemingway, Pablo Picasso, Ezra Pound, and F. Scott Fitzgerald. Among the themes of diaspora and postcolonialism, Truong’s novel explore salt, as a metaphor and symbol. At one point in the novel, Binh reflects on the fact that salt can evoke many different ideas, depending on its source: the kitchen, sweat, tears, or the sea. Truong will be giving a free reading this wednesday and this is an amazing opportunity to see and hear one of the foremost figures in Asian American literature today! Amherst Books. 8 Main Street, Amherst, MA (FREE)
Thursday, September 17, 2018
Click HERE to discover classes. Click HERE to find out about other community events. Click HERE to leave a comment about upcoming events.
Thursday, September 27, 10am-6pm
ARTS AND CRAFTS/TEXTILE ARTS
The two most famous types of tweed are Harris and Donegal. Harris tweed is defined according to the 1993 Harris Tweed Act as “Handwoven by the islanders at their homes in the Outer Hebrides, finished in the Outer Hebrides, and made from pure virgin wool dyed and spun in the Outer Hebrides.” Donegal tweed on the other hand comes from County Donegal in Ireland, where sheep amble happily among hills and bogs. Dyes for Donegal Tweed are typically derived from indigenous plants such as fuschia and blackberry. If you are mad for tweed, don’t miss this opportunity to give Tahki Yarns Donegal Tweed a test drive! Try out this beautiful yarn and connect with other tweed enthusiasts. WEBS America’s Yarn Store. 75 Service Center Road, Northampton, MA (FREE)
Friday, September 28, 2018
Click HERE to discover classes. Click HERE to find out about other community events. Click HERE to leave a comment about upcoming events.
Friday, September 28, 8-9:30pm
NATURE STUDIES/BIRD WATCHING
Autumn is an ideal time for bird watching, as they travel south on their migration routes. What could be lovelier on an early fall morning than to be in a quiet, peaceful meadow, watching the birds as they come and go. Our local wildlife sanctuaries protect these lands and the creatures that make their homes there. It is thanks to them that we have the opportunity to observe the beauty of the natural world. So bring your binoculars or call ahead to reserve a pair and come on out for Birding at Canoe Meadows! Canoe Meadows Wildlife Sanctuary. Holmes Road, Pittsfield, MA (FREE)Friday, September 28, 5:30pm
PLACEMAKING/PARADE
Come celebrate community and the coming fall with the
North Adams Annual Children’s Parade. This event is part of North Adams’ weeklong Fall Foliage Festival, featuring a wide variety of events and activities. All children from the Northern Berkshires are invited to dress up and join the parade! The theme of this year’s festival is “The Year of the Dog.” And don’t forget to check out all exciting Fall Foliage Festival events. Main Street, North Adams, MA (FREE)
Hilltown Families’ list of Suggested Events is supported in part by a grant from the Belchertown, Buckland, Chicopee, Plainfield, Shelburne, Westhampton, and Worthington Cultural Councils, local agencies which are supported by the Massachusetts Cultural Council, a state agency.
