It’s Officially Summer!

We spent the weekend huffing and puffing until we finally got my daughters kiddie pool blown up – which officially makes it summer for us (even though it’s technically spring). Last year we had a round pool that just barely made it through the summer. This year we decided to get a lap pool… We mowed a patch of lawn, put the pool in a place where we wouldn’t mind killing the grass, positioned the slide, negotiated with Persephone to not use the tetter-totter as a diving board, and invited friends of the family over. While the grill blazed and adults swatted bugs, the kids filled the pool up with toys and blades of freshly mowed grass, initiating her shinny new green blow-up pool into swamp status.

In addition to blowing up the swimming pool, cooking out with friends & family and putting away the winter coats & sweaters (or rather shoving them under the bed), I took my daughter to the Sheep & Woolcraft Fair at the Cummington Fairgrounds last weekend. Mind you, I don’t know how to sew a button on but the beautiful yarns and knitting paraphernalia displayed at the fair have inspired me to learn to knit … in my “spare” time.

Both of my daughter’s grandmothers were talented seamstresses. My mother made much of my clothes growing up. I remember a green satin jumpsuit she made that I wore in one of my elementary school pictures, thin metal gold belt included (have I dated myself?). And Jim’s mother was a seamstress in Greece before moving here after he was born, and now spends her days knitting blankets and crocheting doilies at the kitchen table. You’d think somewhere along the line the talents of sewing and knitting would have rubbed off on me … but they haven’t. Too many other exciting things to master, like how to build a tower out of playing cards, or 20 fun things to do with a string.

This coming weekend offers several outdoor educational opportunities, as well as international dance and music, and opportunities to participate in fundraisers for wonderful community service programs.

If you have a family-friendly event or educational program happening in the Hilltowns or Pioneer Valley that you’d like to let us know about, or would like to submit your event to the Hilltown Families calendar of Suggested Events, email Sienna at swildfield@juno.com. Comments are warmly welcomed!

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Events Happening in the Hilltowns

Friday – 06/01

4pm – FIRST FRIDAYS @ THE CARLE – At the Eric Carle Museum in Amherst. From 4-7pm the Eric Carle Museum invites all visitors to head to the Museum after school/work, grab a quick and casual bite to eat (pizza!) in the Museum’s Café, enjoy a story-time in the Reading Library, drop by the Galleries, take in a short film in the Auditorium, and create a masterpiece in the Art Studio… all before bedtime! First Friday of each month. [Families] ($)

5pm – COMMUNITY DINNER – Elmer’s in Ashfield, MA, invites community members to come together to share dinner and conversation every Friday evening. Menu TBA. 413.628.4003 [Families] ($)

7:30pm – OUTDOOR EDUCATION – Late spring and summer nights are filled with the flashing light of the various firefly species. By watching the location and duration of the flash, you can learn to distinguish different species and tell whether it is a male or female. Join Environmental Educator Rebecca Moretti in a firefly game, make a firefly craft, and walk into the fields to enjoy and learn about the incredible light show that fireflies provide at Arcadia Wildlife Sanctuary in Easthampton, MA. 413.584.3009. [Ages 5 & older] ($) CANCELLED

Saturday – 06/02

Visit the Saturday Farmer’s Market

8am – MUSIC – While traveling around town, tune-in to WXOJ 103.3 FM in Northampton, MA, from 8-10am to hear fabulous family-friendly music on Spare the Rock, Spoil the Child. [All ages] (Free)

9am – OUTDOOR EDUCATION – Holiday Farm in Dalton, MA, is having a Seed Starting Basics workshop. Des & Jess are working on a new Children’s Garden and invite the community to come to a hands-on activity to start the planting. 413.684.0444. [Families] ($)

9am – TAG SALE – Littleville Elementary School is holding its first ever school-wide tag sale in Huntington. [Families] ($)

10am – FAMILY PERFORMANCE – Mr. Richard will be performing at Cup and Top in Florence, MA. [Families] (Free/$)

10am – OUTDOOR EDUCATION – “It’s a Small World” at Arcadia Wildlife Sanctuary in Easthampton, MA. Explore nature through microscopes. 413.584.3009 [Ages 6 & older] ($)

10am – CULTURAL BAZAAR – On the Amherst Commons from 10am-6pm all weekend. There will be indigenous art, music, and food from around the world. Rain or shine. 617-441-5410 [Families] (Free)

10am – DANCING – Family Dance Party in Northampton, MA, at NorthEast American School of Dance (above Fitzwilly’s). Structured activities & unstructured free dancing. 413.584.8521 (Ages 8 & under) ($)

Sunday – 06/03

8am – WALK-A-THON – The Garden, a center for grieving families is having a 5K road race & 8th annual “A Walk to Remember.” Registration at 89pm Walk/run at 9am at the YMCA in Northampton, MA. Family entertainment afterwards with face painting, food, swimming, music and magic show. 413.584.7086 [Families] ($$)

9am – OUTDOOR EDUCATION – Join John Body and Rosanne Risner on a canoe/kayak Tour of Burt’s Pit Bog (Brookwood Marsh Conservation Area). Explore an incredibly diverse ecosystem of wild cranberries and orchids on a floating peat mat. Kayak’s and canoes will be provided. Meet at the top of Ellington, off Brookwood Drive in Florence, MA. [Ages 7 & older] (Free)

2pm – FAMILY PERFORMANCE – At Cup & Top in Florence, MA, join Jesse and Xochi. This mother and daughter duo will perform music and poetry accompanied by acoustic guitar. 413.585.0445. [Families] (Free)

2pm – BELLY DANCING – An Oriental Caravan belly dance show at the Northampton Center for the Arts in Northampton, MA. 413.367.2036 [Families] ($)

3pm – FAMILY CONTRA DANCE – From 3-5:30pm there will be a family contra dance at the Guiding Star Grange in Greenfield, MA, with Wild Asparagus. This is a dance for kids of all ages. No experience is necessary and all dances will be taught. Easy contras, Sasha, Jump Joe, singing and more! Bring your friends and be part of this growing and evolving tradition. 413.772.0501 [Families] ($)

Monday – 06/04

Biodiversity Week

All Day – COMMUNITY CEREMONY – Public ceremony to establish sister village relationship between Shelburne Falls, MA, and Mutianyu China. Location of events include 1:30pm at Children’s Art Museum, 10:30am at the Bridge of Flowers, and 2pm at the Trolley Museum. Click to read more. 413.625.6826 [Families] (Donation)

Tuesday – 06/05

7pm – Hilltown Family Variety Show – Tune-in between bath and bed time to the Hilltown Families very own radio show on WXOJ LP 103.3 FM, Valley Free Radio, out of Northampton, MA. www.valleyfreeradio.org [Families] (Free)

6:45pm – PARENTS’ NIGHT OUT – Meet at Cup & Top Café in Florence, MA, for an Art Salon. Simple creative writing & drawing exercises to bring out your creativity and to get “unstuck.” Materials provided. 413.584.8328 [Parents] ($)

Wednesday – 06/06

9am-ish – HILLTOWN PARENTS SOCIAL – Breakfast at Elmer’s! After dropping your children off at school, Hilltown Families invites you to head on over to Elmer’s in Ashfield, MA, for coffee, tea and crumpets. Bring your lap tops and get some work done too. 413.628.4003 [Parents] (Free/$)

4pm – MASK MAKING – At the Wistariahurst Museum in Holyoke, MA. A historical and cultural look at masks and mask making is thread through out this 3-day, 2-hour long after-school workshop. RSVP 413.322.5660 [Ages 5 & older] (Free)

6:30pm – DANCE PERFORMANCE – At Jacob’s Pillow in Becket, MA, bring the family for an informal outdoor setting to see artists from the Doris Duke Studios Theatre, emerging artists from all over the world, and The School at Jacob’s Pillow. 413.243.9919 [Families] (Free)

Thursday – 06/07

1:30pm – HOME SCHOOL THURSDAYS – Meet at the Eric Carle Museum in Amherst, MA, to explore the museum while connecting with other home school families; visit the galleries, explore art-making in the Studio, books in the Reading library, and view a short film at 2:30pm. [Ages 5 & up] ($/Check out free pass from your local library)

4pm – YOUNG FARMERS – Young Farmers at Red Gate are invited to help a farmer feed animals, check for eggs and take care of other chores in Buckland, MA. Parents and younger siblings also welcome. [Ages 5 and older] (Free)

Friday – 06/08

4pm – ARTS NIGHT – Take the family and explore 23 open galleries and studios the 2^nd Friday of every month in Northampton, MA. In one easy stroll, enjoying light refreshments along the way. It happens all year round, rain or shine, from 4pm-8pm. Click here for a map of galleries. [Families] (Free)

5pm – COMMUNITY DINNER – Elmer’s in Ashfield, MA, invites community members to come together to share dinner and conversation every Friday evening. Menu TBA. 413.628.4003 [Families] ($)

Anyday – Anytime

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