Hilltown Families 
Suggested Events 08/15/09-08/21/09
Fresh locally grown foods served up this Sunday at the Greenfield Local Harvest Supper on the Town Common in Greenfield, MA. (Photo credit: Sienna Wildfield)
SUGGEST AN EVENT
If you have a family-friendly event or educational program happening in Western Massachusetts that you’d like to let us know about, post your event on our “Suggest An Event” page. The events below are “suggested.” Please take the time to confirm that these events are happening, along with time, location, age appropriateness and costs before attending
FRIDAY NIGHT IN THE HILLTOWNS:
- Stargazing at Notchview in Windsor, MA at 9pm. Nebulae, constellations and planets are on view when Arunah Hill Natural Science Center sets up their scopes to view the heavens. Dress for a cool evening. Free to all. Call The Trustees of Reservations at 413.532.1631 x13 for more information.
- Angel Park (free) Summer Music Series continues in Williamsburg, MA. Outdoor concert begins at 5pm. Rain moves concert inside to grange. More info here.
- At 4pm the gates open to the Middlefield Fair in Middlefield, MA. Children 12 & under are free.
Young and old love the food and festivities at the Greenfield Local Harvest Supper, happening this Sunday from 4:30-6:30pm in Greenfield, MA. (Photo credit: Sienna Wildfield)
MARK YOUR CALENDARS:
- The Nields will be performing a family set at the Heath Fair in Heath, MA at 1:00pm.
- This year, Tanglewood is offering a concert just for families so they can share together in the joys of music. The Family Concert will take place in Ozawa Hall on Saturday, August 22, at 2:30pm. The concert program and guests will be announced at a later date. Tickets are $10, and children under 18 are free.
- Justin Roberts & the Not Ready for Naptime Trio will be at the Iron Horse on Sunday, August 23rd at 2pm.
BULLETIN BOARD:
- River Camp in West Chesterfield, MA begins this Monday, August 17th and runs through the 20th. Sponsored by Hilltown Wilderness Adventures.
- ArtStar: A Creative Arts Lounge is planning on reopening in the hilltowns and is looking to connect with local homeschooling famlies. More info here.
- Campus Home Exchange can help families arrange exchange of home with visitors to area college campus. A great alternative to traditional vacation planning. More info here.
- Hilltown CDC seeks part time Commonwealth Corps volunteers for a one-year stipend interships. More info here.
- Volunteer Opportunity with the Wild & Scenic program on the Westfield River. More info here.
- August 15-September 12 is the Eat Local America! Campaign. Pledge to eat meals from primarily local products. Be entered in daily drawing at the River Valley CoOp in Northampton, MA for fabulous local food prizes!
HILLTOWN FAMILY VARIETY SHOW (WXOJ 103.3FM)
Tune in to the Hilltown Family Variety Show on Saturdays from 9-10am on Valley Free Radio (VFR), WXOJ 103.3FM (Northampton, MA), or listen via streaming audio at www.ValleyFreeRadio.org.
Every Saturday VFR offers four hours of commercial-free, quality family program from 6-10am, including Spare the Rock, Spoil the Child from 7am-9am. It’s better than Saturday morning cartoons! Turn off the T.V. and turn on local community radio!
New music we’re listening to:
- My Trampoline by Peter Himmelman
- Great Day by Milkshake
Suggest an Event | Local Forecast | Get Directions | Free Museum Passes | Farmer’s Market | Family Centers (Ages 0-4)|Facebook
Events Happening in the Hilltowns
Vibrant dishes of locally grown foods are served up at the Greenfield Local Harvest Food Supper this Sunday afternoon. (Photo credit: Sienna Wildfield)
Saturday – 08/15
- 6-10am – FAMILY RADIO: Valley Free Radio (WXOJ-LP 103.3FM Northampton, MA) offers 4-hours of commercial-free family programing every Saturday, including Spare the Rock, Spoil the Child from 7-9am, and the Hilltown Family Variety Show from 9-10am. Listen via streaming audio at www.valleyfreeradio.org. SRSC can also be heard on The River from 8-10am.
- AGRICULTURE FAIR: Middlefield Fair all weekend at 7 Bell Road in Middlefield, MA. 413-623-5350
- 9am-12noon – FISHING: Join DCR and Mass Anglers Education association at the day use boat launch area for an all ages program at DAR State Forest in Goshen, MA. Bring fishing gear for fishing and educational fun. Flyfishing demo and instruction. Prizes. Wheelchair accessible. (Free)
- 9am-5pm – AGRICULTURE FAIR: Berkshire Co. 4-H Fair in Pittsfield, MA on Utility Dr. (off of Holmes Rd.). 413-448-8285 (Free)
- 8:30am-12:30pm – Ashfield Farmer’s Market.
- 9am – VOLUNTEER OPPORTUNITY: Aquatic invasive plant removal on Fitzgerald Lake in Northampton, MA (Free)
- 10am-2pm – KITCHEN SKILLS: Join Pat Shearer and Alison Wahlstrom in the Northfield Trinitatiarian Church kitchen to can some blueberry jam and zucchini relish. Then go home with the skill and confidence to can foods in your own kitchen. Program is suitable for ages 12 and over. Pre-register by calling 800-859-2960.
- 10am-5pm – MUSEUM ADVENTURES: Age of Iron weekend at Hancock Shaker Village in Pittsfield, MA.
- 10:30pm – ZOOLOGY: Birds of Prey with Tom Ricardi at the Odyssey Bookshop in South Hadley, MA. (Free)
- 10:30 & 11:30am – ENTERTAINMENT: Alphabet Rockers at the Eastfield Mall in Springfield, MA. (Free)
- 11am & 1pm – THEATER: How the Frog Learned to Leap, presented by Castle Hill Theater Co. at the Berkshire Museum in Pittsfield, MA.
- 12Noon – 3pm – BLUEBERRIES: Blueberry Social at River Valley Market Co-Op in Northampton, MA. Come enjoy local blueberries, blue foods and blues music with Art Steele. (Free)
- 12noon-4pm – AGRICULTURE CELEBRATION: Pestopalooza at Stockbridge Farm in South Deerfield, MA. (Free)
- 2-10pm – CONCERT: Concert opens the new Mountain Park, a new outdoor venue and recreation area on Mt. Tom on Rt. 5 in Holyoke, MA. For all ages. (Free)
- 3pm – MUSIC FESTIVAL: Music outside, museum adventures inside at MASS MoCA this weekend in North Adams, MA.
- 8pm – THEATER: Double Edge Theatre presents The Arabian Nights in Ashfield, MA. Special ticket prices for Hilltown families.
Sunday – 08/16
- AGRICULTURE FAIR: Middlefield Fair all weekend at 7 Bell Road in Middlefield, MA. 413-623-5350
- 7am-7pm – BLUEBERRIES – Take your family blueberry picking at Running Fox Farm (74 Thrasher Hill Rd) in Worthington, MA.
- 10am-5pm – MUSEUM ADVENTURES: Age of Iron weekend at Hancock Shaker Village in Pittsfield, MA.
- 1pm & 3pm – THEATER: How the Frog Learned to Leap, presented by Castle Hill Theater Co. at the Berkshire Museum in Pittsfield, MA.
- 1-5pm – OUTDOOR ADVENTURES: ON Saturdays and Sundays through Columbus Day, also Labor Day, Tour the William Cullen Bryant Homestead (207 Bryant Road) in Cummington, MA. Explore this National Historic Landmark, the ancestral home of the great 19th-century poet, newspaperman, and essayist, and wander the grounds and trails above the Westfield River. Sponsored by Trustees of Reservations. Call 413-532-1631 x13 on weekdays or 413-634-2244 on weekends for information.
- 1-5pm – OUTDOOR ADVENTURES: On Saturdays and Sundays through Columbus Day, also Labor Day, participate in I Spy! at the Bryant Homestead (207 Bryant Road) in Cummington, MA. Be a detective and discover the Homestead’s secrets on this self-guided walk using a hands-on spy pack. Sponsored by Trustees of Reservations. Call 413-532-1631 x13 on weekdays or 413-634-2244 on weekends for information.
- 6pm – OUTDOOR CONCERT: Mike Harrington at Look Park in Florence, MA. (Free. Entrance fee for vehicle)
- 8pm – THEATER: Double Edge Theatre presents The Arabian Nights in Ashfield, MA. Special ticket prices for Hilltown families.
- 4:30-6:30pm – HARVEST SUPPER: Free Harvest Supper on the town common in Greenfield, MA. Please bring reuseable/compostable place-settings for the meal. (Free)
Thursday in Pittsfield, MA
Celebrate Woodstock at 3rd.Thursdays August 20!
Downtown Pittsfield’s award-winning 3rd.Thursdays outdoor monthly street festival returns on August 20 from 5pm to 8pm and beyond to celebrate the 40th anniversary of the Woodstock music festival, a transforming event of the 60s generation. Live music, tie dye, yoga, face painting and henna tattoos will fill the streets of downtown, and everyone is invited to come in your finest hippie regalia! And WTBR-FM will be broadcasting LIVE from the first block of North Street, spinning Woodstock favorites!
Events happening elsewhere in MA:
On Saturday: Southeast Asian Water Festival (Lowell), West End Children’s Festival (Boston); on Sunday: August Moon Festival (Boston), Arts on the Shore (Quincy); and through the weekend: Gloucester Waterfront Festival (Gloucester).
Friday & Saturday in Pittsfield, MA
Friday & Saturday, the Berkshire Children’s Circus Camp presents its annual Grande Finale performance featuring young performers, ages 8-15, performing tumbling, artistic cycling, juggling, clowning, stilt and wire walking, trapeze skills, and pyramids. Saturday, come to the Berkshire County Youth Fair, “For Youth, By Youth” put on by the Berkshire County 4-H Fair Association. Saturday & Sunday, blacksmiths from all over converge on Hancock Shaker Village for the Age of Iron Weekend. Forges and workshops throughout the historic Village feature demonstrations, activities for the whole family. Plus check out The Village Store’s annual tent sale!
Circus Camp Grande Finale | Friday, August 14 at 7pm, Saturday, August 15 at 1pm | Paterson Field House at BCC | 1350 West Street | 236-2122 | $4
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Monday-Friday in Whately, MA
Nourse Farms
FAMILIES ARE WELCOMED
Farm Tours available of Lab, Greenhouse, and Fields. By appointment only.
Please call during regular business hours 8am-5pm Monday-Friday to schedule a tour. 413-665-2658
http://www.noursefarms.com
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Tuesday in Plainfield, MA
Community Sing Led by Penny Schultz
At the Community Sings, we celebrate the capacity to make music through song that is our birthright. Rounds, part songs, chants and spirituals from a wide variety of cultures carry us into worlds of beauty, humor, sadness and joy.
All ages and abilities are welcome.
Tuesday, August 18th
6:30-8pm followed by potluck supper
At Earthdance in Plainfield, MA
Suggested donation – $5/person (children free)
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Tuesday in Pittsfield, MA
Natural History Lecture Series
On Tuesday, August 18, at 7:30 p.m., Smith College professor of evolutionary biology, Stephen Tilley will present his lecture, Salamanders: The Other Amphibian” in the Berkshire Museum classroom. He will discuss the unique biology of these unheralded animals and will discuss their role in the environment and the impact that the environment plays in their evolution.
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Tuesday in Florence, MA
Tuesday August 18 7pm-9pm – Official Art Opening and Free Art Class with Rythea Lee
In addition to an opportunity to view the paintings at the opening, Rythea will facilitate a free Playful Art class from 7pm-8pm. Rythea’s show, “My Peeps,” will be at the Cafe from August 1st- September 30th.
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Tuesday & Wednesday in Florence, MA
Wednesday, August 19th in Florence, MA
Tuesday August 18 & Wed August 19, All Day – CISA’s 6th Annual Local Hero Restaurant Celebration
Participating restaurants will highlight dishes featuring locally grown vegetables, fruits, meats, dairy products and maple syrup. Cup and Top Cafe is one of 38 Local Hero restaurants participating in this event.
http://www.buylocalfood.com/
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Wednesday in Holyoke, MA
Birding for Kids – Program for ages 9-12 WEDNESDAYS, 10-11:30 a.m., Mount Holyoke Summit House, Skinner State Park, off Rte. 47, Hadley. Preregistration required. Free. 586-0350.
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Thursdays in Florence, MA
Thursday Night Music on the Porch Series in Florence, MA from 6:30 to 8:00. Free concerts. Bring lawn chairs or blankets, picnics welcome. Beverages and popcorn for sale. Florence Civic and Business Association – Corner of Meadow Street and Route 9.
August 20: South Hadley Community Band
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Thursday in Northampton, MA
A Positive Discipline Parent Workshop and 4-Week Series will be offered at Cradle, a newly opened center for new and expecting families, in Thornes Marketplace in downtown Northampton.
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Thursday in Pittsfield, MA
Thursday: Drawing Cartoons Workshop
On Thursday, come to a free drawing class taught by comic artist legend, Joe Staton, who worked on DC Comics’ revival of the Justice Society of America in All Star Comics (and later Adventure Comics). He also illustrated Guy Gardner, the Millennium mini-series, The Huntress and The New Guardians. He currently draws DC’s Scooby Doo title for younger readers, as well as the more mature-themed Femme Noir for Ape Entertainment.
Thursday, August 20 | 1-3pm | Storefront Artist Project | 124 Fenn Street | 442-7201 | FREE
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Thursday in Becket, MA
Thursdays all Summer in Becket, MA
Dance Together at the Pillow
Thursdays, July 9, 16, 23, 30 and August 6, 13, 20 • 5:00 pm – 6:00 pm • Followed by INSIDE /OUT performance 6:30 pm – 7:20 pm
Ages: 5-12 accompanied by an adult.
Site: Meet at Jacob’s Pillow on the porch of Avnet House, across from the Tea Garden. Wear loose clothing and bring a snack.
Family* per class: $10; Non-members $15
Family* Series of 7: $56; Non-members $84
*Family = one household
Scholarships available primarily for year-round Hilltown residents
Come discover how simple movements can create an exciting dance. Following class, hear a brief talk about the Inside/Out artists and then attend the free Inside/Out Performance from 6:30-7:20pm.
Jeff Bliss is a former member of the Liz Lerman Dance Exchange and was a faculty member of Lincoln Center Institute’s program in the schools. He is a founding artist with the Wolftrap Institute for Early Learning through the Arts and continues to teach and perform Contact improvisation throughout the US.
Becket Arts Center
413-623-6635 fax: 413-623-6122
becketarts@aol.com
http://www.becketartscenter.org