Circumzenithal Arc spotted in the morning sky in Haydenville, MA by Barbara Tomawski while waiting at the school bus stop with her granddaughter.

SUGGEST AN EVENT

Click here to 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

SUBMIT YOUR PHOTO OR KIDS ART WORK

Do you have a great photo of life or landscape in Western Mass, our a fabulous work of art your kids have created, that you’d like to submit to Hilltown Families?  Send your jpg or link to hilltownfamilies@gmail.com.

BULLETIN BOARD

• Jamie Bishop of Plainfield, MA writes: Throughout the year 4-H Youth have worked on projects to bring to the Fair.  The Big E offers the opportunity to highlight their work to all of New England.  You can find out more information at: http://www.thebige.com/agriculture/4-H/index.html
• CONTEST WINNER: Thanks you to everyone who signed up for a chance to win tickets Alegria! We had a great response and loved hearing from everyone.  Using the random number generator over at random.org we have selected a winner:  Angie Gregory of Northampton, MA. She is the winner of a family 4-pack of free tickets to see Alegria on its premiere night, Wednesday, September 16th at 7:30pm, at the Mullins Center in Amherst, MA.  If you did not win, we will have more giveaways in the very near future! So be sure to check back or join the Hilltown Families Emailed Newsfeed (Sign up!)
  
  

  MARK YOUR CALENDAR: The Third Annual Ashfield FilmFest will take place at 7:p.m., on September 26th at Town Hall, Ashfield, Massachusetts.

• FREE SUPPORT GROUPS: Free Positive Parenting and Kin Caregivers groups starting in the valley.  More info here.
• COMMUNITY CHORUS: The Hilltown Choral Society welcomes new singers and will hold rehearsals for their Holiday Concerts and Winter Concert on Monday evenings beginning September 14th, 2009 from 7:30 to 9:00pm in the Worthington Historical Society Building (intersection of Routes 143 and 112) in the center of Worthington, MA.  More info here.
• HOMESCHOOL DAY: Homeschool families are invited for an educational celebration of the fall harvest on Wednesday, September 16th, 2009 at the Historic Deerfield Museum in Deerfield, MA.  More info here.
• DENTAL CARE FOR KIDS: “Gator Grins”, the dental outreach program serving students in the Gateway Regional School District, will open the school year by seeing Littleville Elementary School students in Huntington, MA who are due for their six month checkups, beginning September 14 at the school.  More info here.
• MARKET YOUR LOCAL BUSINESS: The Hilltown Business Directory will list 350 local businesses in 20 towns, by category, by name, and by town. This 160 page reference book will be used all year by local residents. The Directory makes it easy for residents to support their neighbors by using locally available products and services, thereby strengthening the hilltown economy and preserving and creating local jobs.  More info here.
  
  

  FEATURED EVENT: On Saturday, in Ashfield, MA, friends and neighbors from across the region are invited to the Highland Communities Initiative’s (HCI) fifth biennial conference to celebrate the Highland’s rural nature and to share ideas from area residents that may hold the keys to its future. Click on image for more info.

• PUBLIC FORUM: To further his goal of being fully accessible to constituents from all cities and towns in his district, State Senator Benjamin B. Downing (D-Pittsfield) is bringing his rolling series of open monthly meetings, dubbed Coffee & Conversation to the hilltown Peru, MA on Friday, September 18th. Downing hosts these public forums in rotating communities across the Berkshire, Hampshire and Franklin Senate District ten months out of the year. More info here.
• MARKETING WORKSHOP: Hilltown CDC announces a three-session workshop on Marketing Your Website, on Sept. 16, 23 and 30, at Gateway Regional High School in Huntington, taught by Peter Pelland. Each three-hour evening session will be from 6 to 9 PM. The total cost is $90, with tuition waivers available for low and moderate income people, and with $5 off per session for Hilltown CDC members. More details are available at http://www.hilltowncdc.org, or by calling 413-296-4536 ext. 12.  More info here.

SUGGESTED EVENTS

Suggest an Event | Local Forecast | Get Directions | Free Museum Passes | Farmer’s Market | Family Centers (Ages 0-4)|Facebook

Events Happening in the Hilltowns

We’ve been getting great results from out 1,001 Post: A Poll. Thank you to all families that have responded so far. If you haven’t had a chance to tell us your 2-cents, click on over to our poll and give us your feedback. It’s short and easy and should take more than a couple of minutes. It will really help us determine how to best serve our community of families.

SATURDAY

• 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.
• 8:30am-12:30pm – FARMERS’ MARKET: Ashfield Farmers’ Market.
• AGRICULTURAL FAIR: This year’s Franklin County Fair will be held at the Franklin County Fairgrounds in Greenfield, Massachusetts, from September 10 – 13, 2009. Greenfield, MA.
• 9am-1pm – VOLUNTEER OPPORTUNITY: Rockin’ the Little Tom Trail at Little Tom Reservation. If you have always wanted to try your hand at a stone wall, this is your chance! Help relocate rocks as we fortify the visitor trail at Little Tom. Enjoy beautiful woodlands during this moderately technical, physically-engaging workday. All tools provided. Please dress in long-pants, a work shirt and sturdy shoes. Bring snack/lunch, gloves, and water bottle. 413-532-1631 x13 Holyoke, MA. (Free)
• 9am-2pm – TAG SALE: Outdoor Community Tag Sale at the Northampton Senior Center in the parking lot of the Senior Center at 67 Conz Street. 587-1226. Northampton, MA.
• 9am-2pm – BOOK SALE: Stock up on books at the Emily Williston Memorial Library book sale. Fall Festival & Art Walk same day. Easthampton, MA.
• 9am-3pm – CONFERENCE: The Trustee’s of Reservations Highland Communities Initiative’s biennial conference will feature inspiring stories, ideas and skill-building workshops for preserving the rural character and quality of life of our special region. 413-268-8219 Ashfield, MA.
• 9am-4pm – PICK YOUR OWN: Raspberries at Norse Farms. Whately, MA.
• 9am-6pm – FARM EDUCATION: On Raw Milk Dairy Day, nine Massachusetts raw milk dairies will open up their farms for tours and other activities. Learn why raw milk tastes so good and why it’s so good for you! Meet your farmers and their cows and get to know where your food comes from. (413) 634-5728. Western Mass. (Free)
• 10am-4pm – FOOD FESTIVAL: 8th Annual Honeybee Festival. Located at Warm Colors Apiary. Bee talks, and live bee demonstrations. Area chefs cook and offer samples of their favorite honey recipes, entertainment, and farmers market. 413.665.4513 South Deerfield, MA. (Free)
• MUSIC FESTIVAL: The Five College New Music Festival happens at Bezanson Recital Hall, UMass Fine Arts Center. A celebration of Five College musicians and new music composers, many presenting world premieres. Events include a Five College composers’ concert, an afternoon of premieres and an evening of work by Pioneer Valley composers. Amherst, MA. (Free)
• 10am-5pm – CORN MAZE:  MikesMaze at Warner Farm celebrates Charles Darwin’s 200th birthday with a maze that features this famed naturalist.  Click here to see maze and get directions.  Open all weekend and on Labor Day too! Sunderland, MA.
• 10:30-11:30am – BIKE RIDING: Join the Easthampton Family Center on the Manhan Rail Trail while the weather still cooperates. We meet on Payson Ave in the Parking Lot of the Public Safety Complex for a child friendly stroll down the Manhan towards South St. Snacks provided after the stroll. Bring bikes, trikes, strollers, push toys,or just your feet for fun with friends from your community. Easthampton, MA. (FREE)
• 11am – SPORTS: Smith College Cross Country hosts invitational. Northampton, MA.
• 12Noon-4pm – MUSEUM ADVENTURES: Historic Deerfield Museum features The Seed of Seeds: The Story of Corn and its Many Uses. Often called the “seed of seeds,” corn (or maize as it is properly named), is an ancient crop that was a staple of life in the Americas, both as a food source and as a fiber useful for many purposes. Learn about the history of corn in Native America, and how European colonists incorporated corn into their lives. Find out what makes popcorn pop and try your hand at grinding corn and make your own corn husk figure to take home. Included with general admission. Deerfield, MA.
• 12Noon-11pm – GREEK FESTIVAL: Every year, St. George Cathedral offers thousands of visitors the best in traditional Greek foods, pastries, music, dancing, and old-fashioned Greek hospitality, offering activities for children including games and a boucehouse,a Greek cultural and art exhibit, tours of our historic Cathedral and Byzantine Chapel, and an atmosphere that the whole family will enjoy.  737-1496 Springfield, MA
• 1-3pm – NATURE WALK: Broad Brook Coalition will sponsor a walk, In Search of Mushroom, with Pat McDonagh at the Fitzgerald Lake Conservation Area (Moose Lodge entrance). Identifica­tion, edibility, and responsible harvesting will be explored, with a period for discussion after the walk. 584-4176 Northampton, MA.
• 4:30pm – DINNER: The Directors of Red Gate Farm invite you to be our guests at the 6th annual Friends of Red Gate Farm Dinner. Enjoy refreshments on the lawn while visiting with Farm Directors and Staff. We will then dine in the big barn on wholesome grilled fare, vegetarian dishes, and delightful desserts. The evening will be finished with coffee and tea and a short visual presentation of the year in review. (413) 625-9503 Buckland, MA.
• 7am-Evening – BALLOONS: Look Park Balloon Festival. The festival will feature between 10 and 12 Hot air balloons throughout the course of the weekend, along with other activities. Florence, MA.
• 9pm – ASTRONOMY: Stargazing at the Notchview Reservation. 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.  532.1631 x13. Windsor, MA. (Free)

SUNDAY

• AGRICULTURAL FAIR: This year’s Franklin County Fair will be held at the Franklin County Fairgrounds in Greenfield, Massachusetts, from September 10 – 13, 2009. Greenfield, MA.
• 7am-Evening – BALLOONS: Look Park Balloon Festival. The festival will feature between 10 and 12 Hot air balloons throughout the course of the weekend, along with other activities. Florence, MA.
• MUSIC FESTIVAL: The Five College New Music Festival happens at Bezanson Recital Hall, UMass Fine Arts Center. A celebration of Five College musicians and new music composers, many presenting world premieres. Events include a Five College composers’ concert, an afternoon of premieres and an evening of work by Pioneer Valley composers. Amherst, MA. (Free)
• 9am-4pm – PICK YOUR OWN: Raspberries at Norse Farms. Whately, MA.
• 10am-5pm – CORN MAZE:  MikesMaze at Warner Farm celebrates Charles Darwin’s 200th birthday with a maze that features this famed naturalist.  Click here to see maze and get directions.  Open all weekend and on Labor Day too! Sunderland, MA.
• 11am, 1:15pm & 3pm – CRUISE:  The Northfield Mountain’s Quinnetukut II Riverboat.  Join captain Steve Larivee and first mate Sarah Doyle for a delightful hour and a half interpreted cruise on the Connecticut River. The cruise offers insights to dinosaurs, glacial activities in the area, river use from prehistoric times to present, as well as an excellent stage for wildlife and bird sightings.  Make reservations and purchase your tickets at the Northfield Mountain Visitor Center. Call 800- 859-2960 Northfield, MA.
• 12Noon-7pm – GREEK FESTIVAL: Every year, St. George Cathedral offers thousands of visitors the best in traditional Greek foods, pastries, music, dancing, and old-fashioned Greek hospitality, offering activities for children including games and a boucehouse,a Greek cultural and art exhibit, tours of our historic Cathedral and Byzantine Chapel, and an atmosphere that the whole family will enjoy.  737-1496 Springfield, MA
• 1pm – INFANT MASSAGE:  Five week infant massage class.  Class will run for 5 consecutive Sundays.  Give your baby the lifelong benefits of nurturing touch. This class will be conducted by licensed massage therapist, Jayne Thomas, who has been trained by Infant Massage USA. You will be the only one massaging your baby. Space is limited. Call Jayne today to register – 413-588-8137 Northampton, MA. (Free)
• 2pm – KIDS CHOIR AUDITIONS:  The Northampton’s Community Children’s Choir (grades 3-8) will have auditions at the Northanpton Community Music Center in Northampton, MA. To schedule an audition time call 413-585-0001. Choir meets on Tuesdays f rom 5-6:30pm and begins on September 15. Scholarships available for qualifying families. Joan Cornachio is the director. Northampton, MA.
• 3pm – KNITTING: The Yarn Spinners meet at the Meekins Library on the Second Sunday of every month. Knitting and other stitchery of all kinds welcome. Tea served. For more information, call 268-8343. Williamsburg, MA (Free)
• 7-9:30pm – PERFORMANCE ARTS: Happy Pill Circus 4 At the Academy of Music.  The Primate Fiasco, Bread and Puppet, and others invite the audience to participate in this music and puppet filled, high energy, socially charged circus.  Doors Open at 6pm.  Northampton, MA. (Free)