LEMONADE STANDS, AN ALL-AMERICAN SIDEWALK TRADITION
I’m a SUCKER for a lemonade stand! Not because I have an enduring thirst that can only be quenched by something sweet & tart. It’s those little entrepreneurs selling tiny pixie cups full of (often times overly sweet) tart lemonade for a quarter that get me. I stop out of encouragement. I stop for the cultural experience of an all-American sidewalk tradition of kids selling lemonade in the heat of the summer. Sometimes my daughter and I find lemonade made from a mix, and sometimes we find the real deal. If your kids are thinking about having a lemonade stand, my vote is real old fashion lemonade. I’d pay a whole buck for a cup of real lemonade!
Over at lemonflower.com they’re serious about their lemonade. They offer a slide show and free business plan on running a lemonade stand, along with a profit calculator. For the older kids this could be a great supplement to their education in economics.
KIDS MARKET IN ASHFIELD
In the summer, on Wednesdays in Ashfield there is the Kids Market. From 4-6pm kids sell their wares, ranging from lemonade and homemade pretzels, to fairy balm and handmade potholders. For several years the folks at the Ashfield Hardware Store have been sponsoring this event in their parking area on Main Street, giving hilltown kids an opportunity to participate and learn about commerce. All children are welcome to participate. Buying is encouraged. Hope to see you there.
SUGGESTED EVENTS
If you have a family-friendly event or educational program happening in Western Massachusetts 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!
Check your local forecast | Get directions | Add an event | Free Museum Passes
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MA Agriculture Fairs | Printable Format
Events Happening in the Hilltowns
Friday – 08/10
12:30pm – PERFORMANCE ART – At the Springfield Museums, the Tanglewood Marionettes perform The Fairy Circus. The art activity for the day at the museum is “Balancing Clowns.” For more info call 413.263.6800 [Families] (Free with museum pass.
5pm – COMMUNITY DINNER – Elmer’s in Ashfield, MA, invites community members to come together to share dinner and conversation every Friday evening. Menu: Thai Corn Fritters, Pad Thai & Two Thai Teas. 413.628.4003 [Families] ($)
Saturday – 08/11
ROAD TRIP – At 10am, learn about the 14th Century Knight at the Higgins Armory Museum in Worcester, MA. For more information click here or call 508.853.6015. [Families] (Free with museum pass)
8am – MUSIC – While traveling around town, tune-in to WXOJ 103.3 FM in Northampton, MA, from 8-10am to hear fabulous family-friendly music on Spare the Rock, Spoil the Child [All ages] (Free)
11am-7pm – POW WOW – The 2nd annual Rock, Rattle and Drum Pow Wow, a two day family event of American Indian culture, history and performing arts, happens this weekend in Pittsfield, MA, on the Common. Click here for more information. [Families] ($)
11am & 2pm – PERFORMANCE ART – The Berkshire Theatre Festival presents Hey, Ho, Pinnocchio at the Berkshire Museum in Pittsfield, MA. August 11th at 11am & 2pm and August 12th at 2pm & 4pm The classic story of a wooden puppet full of tricks and mischief, but wants more than anything to become a boy. 413.443.7171. [Families] ($)
Time TBA – OUTDOOR CONCERT – Katie Clark & the Green River Band outside of Elmer’s in Ashfield, MA. Fun, fun, fun kind of blue-grassy, folky – weather permitting, we’ll be outside (on the other side of Elmer’s). Bring your kids and your lawnchairs!
Sunday – 08/12
11am – INDOOR CONCERT – Singer/songwriter Jesse Molina will be performing at Cup & Top in Florence, MA. [Families] (Free/$)
Noon – 7pm – CULTURAL FAIR – The Pittsfield Ethnic Fair with over 50 international vendors, music and dance, and more. Click here for more information. 413.499.9348 [Families] (Free/$)
1pm – OUTDOOR CONCERT – Local kids band, The Pop Rockets, will be outside at Chandler’s in South Deerfield, MA. Rain location: Inside Yankee Candle. Click here to read more or call Yankee Candle. [Families] (Free)
11am – 4pm – HILLTOWN COMMUNITY CELEBRATION – Hinsdale Dayz Day in Hinsdale, MA. First annual community event with music, crafters, artists, businesses, marching band and organizations at the town park and surrounding area. Bring chairs and blankets to lounge in. Rain date: 08/22. [Families] (Free/$)
7:30pm – SUMMER ASTRONOMY – Take the kids to Arcadia Wildlilfe Sanctuary in Easthampton for a viewing of the Perseid meteor shower. If you can’t make Sunday’s viewing, they will be having another one on Monday at 8pm. 413.584.3009 [Ages 5 & up] ($)
Monday – 08/13
10am – CHILDREN’S ENTERTAINMENT – Marcus Gale will be at Look Park in Northampton at the Pines Theater with a children’s performance. Everyone gets a chance to dance and sing. [Families] ($)
11am & 2pm – PUPPET SHOW – The Robbins-Zust Family Marionettes will be performing Snow White & The Seven Dwarfs at the Guthrie Center in Great Barrington, MA. On a sunny day, bring a picnic lunch to share with your family. 413.698.2591 [Families] ($)
8pm – OUTDOOR EDUCATION – Arcadia Wildlife Sanctuary in Easthampton, MA, will be hosting a nighttime canoeing adventure to view the Perseid Meteor Showers while canoeing the Mill River and the oxbow. 413.584.3009 [Ages 10 & up] ($)
Tuesday – 08/14
11am & 2pm – PUPPET SHOW – The Robbins-Zust Family Marionettes will be performing Winnie The Pooh at the Guthrie Center in Great Barrington, MA. On a sunny day, bring a picnic lunch to share with your family. 413.698.2591 [Families] ($)
7pm – HILLTOWN FAMILY VARIETY SHOW – Tune-in between bath and bed time to the Hilltown Families very own radio show on WXOJ LP 103.3 FM, Valley Free Radio, out of Northampton, MA. www.valleyfreeradio.org This week’s show is hosted by Guest DJ Uncle Rock. [Families] (Free)
Wednesday – 08/15
11pm – FAMILY DAY SWIM – Grab a pizza from Country Pie on Main Street in Ashfield (or pack a picnic lunch) and head over to Ashfield Pond for swimming, swinging and munching on some pie. For more information call 413.296.0096. [Families] (Free/$)
3pm – FRUIT PICKIN’ – Bring the kids to pick blueberries at Summit Farm, located at 131 Summit Street in Plainfield, MA. 413-634-5024 [Families] (Free/$)
Thursday – 08/16
10:30am – COMMUNITY SING – Join Penny Schultz at the Worthington Library. click here for more information or call the library. [Families] (Free)
10am – KIDS DANCE CLASS – Earthdance in Plainfield, MA. Click here for more info or call 413.634.5431. [Ages 3-5] ($)
11am & 2pm – PUPPET SHOW – The Robbins-Zust Family Marionettes will be performing Hansel & Gretel at the Guthrie Center in Great Barrington, MA. On a sunny day, bring a picnic lunch to share with your family. 413.698.2591 [Families] ($)
6:30pm – OUTDOOR MUSIC – Every Thursday in July & August there will be a free summer music series in Huntington, MA. Bring lawn chairs and join the community at the gazebo. Rain location: Stanton Hall. [Families] (Free)
Friday – 08/17
WEEKEND FAIR – The Annual Heath Fair begins in Heath, MA, Aug. 17-19. Fireworks at 9:30pm on Friday. For more information click here or call 413.337.5525. [Families] ($)
WEEKEND FAIR – The Annual Westfield Fair begins in Westfield, MA, Aug. 17-19. Saturday is kids day. For more information click here or call 413.568.2016. [Families] ($)
10am – PERFORMANCE IN THE PARK – Paul Helou to perform at Stanley Park’s Friday Mornings for Children in Westfield, MA, in the Beveridge pavilion. Click here for more info or call 413-568-9312. [Families] (Free)
3pm – SWIMMING PLAYDATE – Join other Hilltown Families at Ashfield Pond in for a swimming playdate. For more info call 413.296.0096. [Families] (Free)
5pm – COMMUNITY DINNER – Elmer’s in Ashfield, MA, invites community members to come together to share dinner and conversation every Friday evening. 413.628.4003 [Families] ($)
Saturday – 08/18
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)
10am – OUTDOOR EDUCATION – Take your budding entomologist to Laughing Brook Wildlife Sanctuary to learn about the migrating Monarch butterflies. Learn how to catch, tag and release them, as part of the research to learn about their migration patterns. To register call Arcadia Wildlife Sanctuary in Easthampton at 413.584.3009 [Ages 5-12] ($)
1pm – INDOOR PERFORMANCE – At the Eric Carle Museum in Amherst, experience the power and rhythm of taiko. Learn how to kiai (a type of vocalization) and see the various styles of Japanese drumming. Odaiko New England, as “keepers of rhythm”, share the importance of culture and music in community building as they create the new tradition of American taiko. 413.658.1100. [Families] (Free with museum pass)
Sunday – 08/19
5pm – COMMUNITY DINNER – The 3rd Annual Free Harvest Supper of Local Food will be happening on the Greenfield Town. Click here for more details or call 413.774.3150 [Families] (Free)
Monday – 08/20
11am & 2pm – PUPPET SHOW – The Robbins-Zust Family Marionettes will be performing Beauty & The Beast at the Guthrie Center in Great Barrington, MA. On a sunny day, bring a picnic lunch to share with your family. 413.698.2591 [Families] ($)
Tuesday – 08/21
11am & 2pm – PUPPET SHOW – The Robbins-Zust Family Marionettes will be performing Brementown Musicians at the Guthrie Center in Great Barrington, MA. On a sunny day, bring a picnic lunch to share with your family. 413.698.2591 [Families] ($)
6:30pm – COMMUNITY SING – Penny Schultz will be leading a community sing at Earthdance in Plainfield, MA. Rounds, part songs, chants and spirituals from a wide variety of cultures. All ages and abilities welcomed. 413.634.5678 [Families] (Children Free, Adults $5)
Wednesday – 08/22
4:30pm – FAMILY COOKING – The Easthampton Family Center in Easthampton, MA, will be offering a 4 part cooking for the family series. Click here for more info. 413.563.7672 [Families] (Free)
7pm – HILLTOWN FAMILY VARIETY SHOW – Tune-in between bath and bed time to the Hilltown Families very own radio show on WXOJ LP 103.3 FM, Valley Free Radio, out of Northampton, MA. www.valleyfreeradio.org This weeks show is hosted by Guest DJ Uncle Rock. [Families] (Free)
Thursday – 08/23
0am – KIDS DANCE CLASS – Earthdance in Plainfield, MA. Click here for more info or call 413.634.5431. [Ages 3-5] ($)
11am & 2pm – PUPPET SHOW – The Robbins-Zust Family Marionettes will be performing Emperor’s New Clothes at the Guthrie Center in Great Barrington, MA. On a sunny day, bring a picnic lunch to share with your family. 413.698.2591 [Families] ($)
6pm – COMMUNITY PICNIC – Join other Hilltown Families for a community picnic happening on Main Street [St. John’s Corner] in Ashfield, MA. Potluck. Hot dogs, burgers and beverages provided. Bring a lawn chair and a game, if you wish. [Families] (Free)
6:30pm – OUTDOOR MUSIC – Every Thursday in July & August there will be a free summer music series in Huntington, MA. Bring lawn chairs and join the community at the gazebo. Rain location: Stanton Hall. [Families] (Free)
Friday – 08/24
WEEKEND FAIR – The Annual Cummington Fair begins in Cummington, MA, Aug. 23-26. For more information click here or call 413.634.5091. [Families] ($)
3pm – SWIMMING PLAYDATE – Join other Hilltown Families at Ashfield Pond in for a swimming playdate. [Families] (Free)
5pm – COMMUNITY DINNER – Elmer’s in Ashfield, MA, invites community members to come together to share dinner and conversation every Friday evening. 413.628.4003 [Families] ($)
Anyday – Anytime
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August 28 in Pittsfield
Back 2 School Block Party
3rd Annual Back 2 School block party hosted by Meeting Our Community’s Youth Needs, or MOCYN, a grassroots West Side neighborhood group. Enjoy free food, dance contest, bounce house, games, double dutch, free school supplies and much more!
Tuesday, August 28th | 2-7pm | 1st block of Robbins Ave | 446-8860 | Free
Hello friends,
This is just a last minute reminder not to miss this fun evening at the Iron Horse coming up next Wednesday. I’m seeing it as a celebration of the glorious last days of summer, and I’m looking forward to seeing many of you! This show is fine for older kids (my eight-year-old is coming). You can get tickets from me directly for $12 (email me to work it out, call me at 413-634-8062, or send a check made out to me to P.O. Box 983, Williamsburg MA 01096). The more tickets I sell directly the better, and cheaper for you!
Or you can get them at the Northampton Box Office on Main St. (near CVS), online at http://www.iheg.com, or at the door for $15.
Coyote Run
plus Sarah Stockwell Arthen
Live at the Iron Horse Music Hall in Northampton, MA
Wednesday, August 29th • 7:00 PM
Doors open at 5:30 pm- come for dinner if you like
Coyote Run’s ‘New Celtic Alternative’ music is original with threads of traditional melodies interwoven then garnished with an eclectic styling. Referred to as ‘Frontier Celtic Musicologists’ Coyote Run is part of the new tradition breathing fresh life into Celtic music and keeping it vital and alive.
Coyote Run’s support, /*Sarah Stockwell*/ is a passionate connoisseur of songs, a finder and nurturer of their shy secret beauties, a caresser of melody and rhythm. She is a voracious seeker of songs that bring awakening and regeneration. Part seer, part iconoclast, part romantic, her art is the creation of moments — the concert, the performance, the recording. Her fierce, hungry, generous spirit can take an audience from laughter through tragedy to hope and an awakening of communion and purpose.
August 26th in Hadley
At Whole Foods there will be a Farmer’s Market & Local Vendor Festival from 11:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m., featuring locally grown has been celebrated every day for over 20 years at Whole Foods Market, and we invite you to drop by and meet a few of our hundreds of local vendors and growers.
http://www.wholefoods.com/stores/calendars/HAD.html
Healthy Habits Take Root: From the Garden to Your Table
Local Chefs Cook up Healthy Family Friendly Meals
Join the Easthampton Family Center for an Evening of Tasting and Cooking Demonstrations
August 22 at 5:30pm
Healthy Munchies for Your Munchkins….and Family.
Join Jennifer Winnick, chef and owner of Kaleidoscope Institute, for an interactive cooking demonstration.
Seasonal Produce will be used in recipes. Participants will take home produce donated by Mt. View Farm and Pepin Farm. Recipes that are easy, affordable and kid friendly will also be provided. Children and parents will be encouraged to participate in meal preparation. Children are welcome at the demo, if they are interested and attentive.
There will be FREE childcare available on site, with pre-registration. Pre-registration for this FREE evening is requested. All families are welcome. For more info or to register, please call Mindy at 563-7672. Event held at the Easthampton Family Center, 271 Rocky Hill RD. We share space with the Christ United Methodist Church.
This program is supported by the Cooley Dickinson Hospital’s Healthy Communities Grant.
Mark Your Calendars Now for the next monthly cooking Demonstrations.
Sept 10 – Larry Guyette from Tavern on the Hill
October 10 – Jennifer Winnick from Kaleidoscope Institute
Mindy Brown
EFC Coordinator
http://www.easthamptonfamilycenter.org
563-7672
August 28th in Chesterfield
10am – Birds of Prey Program with Tom Ricardi at the New Hingham Elementary School. Hosted by Bonnie’s Program. (Free)
August 17th & 18th in Pittsfield
Berkshire Children’s Circus will be performing at the Berkshire Community College in Pittsfield on Friday at 7pm and on Saturday at 1pm. Kids from the Circus camp will be performing a one-ring performance, including trapeze, wire walking, tumbling and pyramid building, and much more.
Location: Berkshire Community College, 1350 West Street, 413.236.6511
September 7th in Northampton
Homeland(s): India and the Pioneer Valley
Free dance performance on Friday, September 7, 2007 @ 7:30 p.m.at Northampton High School
“Homeland(s): India and the Pioneer Valley” is an hour-long show especially created for this year’s On the Same Page event. Weaving sound, images and live dance, “Homeland(s)” shares the stories of six vastly different Pioneer Valley individuals, all of whom have a strong connection to India. Through narratives and dance, “Homeland(s)” is an intimate exploration of life journeys and the memories, images and impressions that influence our conceptions of “home.”
Dahlia Nayar is a dancer/choreographer based in Northampton. She is a first generation American, born to immigrant parents from India and the Philippines. She creates meditative pieces that explore connections between her heritages and her present context.
About On the Same Page:
Jhumpa Lahiri’s novel, The Namesake, has been chosen by the On the Same Page Committee as the next book for Northampton to read together as a community. The novel tells the story of Gogol Ganguli, the son of Indian immigrant parents, who can feel entirely at home neither in the American culture around him, nor in the Indian culture to which his parents remain deeply attached. We follow Gogol to adulthood and watch the nuances of this dilemma change in subtle ways as he grows older. The Namesake not only conveys the idiom of an individual experience over time, but also epitomizes the social and personal difficulties of second-generation immigrant experience. It is a skillfully written and deeply satisfying novel that will provoke thought and generate discussion.
A number of activities are planned in connection with the collective reading project including several book discussions. Copies of the book are available to borrow at the Forbes and Lilly libraries. Upcoming book discussions will take place at the following times:
Wednesday, Sept. 19, 6:30pm, Forbes Library
Friday, Sept. 28, 10:30am, Lilly Library
Monday, Oct. 1, 7pm, Broadside Bookshop
Tuesday, Oct. 11, 1:30pm, Council on Aging
DISCUSS AND ENJOY AN INDIAN MEAL, Sunday, Sept. 9, 6pm, India House
Restaurant, cost: $20 + tip OR
Thursday, Oct. 4, 1pm, India Palace Restaurant, cost: $8 + tip
(Preregistration is required. Call Nancy @ Broadside Bookshop 586-4235).
Additional events:
THE NAMESAKE AND THE LITERATURE OF IMMIGRATION”
WEDNESDAY, SEPT. 26, 7PM
Neilson Browsing Room
Smith College
SEE AND DISCUSS THE FILM THE NAMESAKE
THURSDAY, OCT. 18, 7PM
Media Education Foundation
60 Masonic Street
For more information call the Forbes Library (587-1011), Lilly Library 587-1500), or Broadside Bookshop (586-4235). On the Same Page supporters include the Daily Hampshire Gazette, Friends of Forbes Library, Friends of Lilly Library, Smith College, and the Bruce MacMillan Fund
Kid Stuff exhibit extended at the Berkshire Museum.
Due to popular demand, Kid Stuff: Great Toys from Our Childhood has been extended through October 21! Click here to find out where to get a free museum pass.
August 16th in Pittsfield
Learn about Cleopatra on 3rd. Thursday at the Berkshire Museum @ 5:30 p.m. Uncover the life of the real Cleopatra in a special illustrated program. Egyptologist Lawrence M. Berman will speak. The program is offered in conjunction with Shakespeare & Company’s production of Antony & Cleopatra
PROJECT LEMONADE STAND
Summer is definitely here now, with kids out of school, and the Fourth of July just around the corner. Can you believe how fast time flies!? We’ve been looking for great parent/child activities around our house lately that are both fun and educational–and MomsRising has a perfect idea to test out. Here goes:
LEMONADE STAND OR BAKE SALE–WITH A TWIST:
Would you, and yours, like to be some of the first to test out a new, national MomsRising project? The idea is that lemonade and/or bake sale items could be sold in your neighborhood, at your park, at your parade, or any other fun place to hang out with kids, with a twist. Reflecting real-world wage differences (although donations of any amount would be accepted), we’d provide you with a suggested price list on which items would cost a different amount of money depending on where the buyer falls in the wage gap scale. Only this time moms get a break!
How does the suggested cost structure work? Single moms would pay only 60 cents per item, moms would pay 73 cents, women without children would pay 90 cents, and men would pay $1.00. (This is the actual wage gap that’s alive and well in our nation). We’ll have signs you can just print out available for your kids to decorate. And, don’t forget that donations of any amount could be accepted, so you don’t have to stick to this cost structure. The cost structure is mostly a great conversation starter, as well as a fun way to spread the word about shared issues.
http://www.momrising.org
August 25th (Saturday) Sandisfield
Lobster Supper put on by the Friends of Yanner Park.
http://www.yannerpark.org
August 18th (Saturday) Sandisfield
Fireworks Show put on by the Friends of Yanner Park.
http://www.yannerpark.org.
August 17th-19th Wilbraham
The 23rd annual Peach Festival at Fountain Park.
http://www.peachfestival.org.
August 19th (Sunday) Ashfield
Folk music is be performed at the First Congregational Church in Ashfield. Music will include gospel, spirituals, Jamaican music, Eastern European folk music, and more. A potluck supper will follow the concert. 802.426.3210.