Hilltown Families 
Suggested Events 12/05/09 – 12/11/09
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Discover fun and educational events happening this weekend in Western Mass, along with announcements, upcoming events, links, resources and the HFVS podcast.
SUGGEST AN EVENT
Click here to suggest an event.
FEATURED EVENT: Eco-Craftmaking & Winter Fair in the Hilltowns - As an alternative to traditional holiday buying, the Hilltown Cooperative Charter Public School will host a family book and eco-craftmaking fair on Saturday December 5, 2009 from 10 am to 4 pm at the “Brassworks” building on Rte. 9 (132 Main St.) in Haydenville, MA. Parents and children alike will have the opportunity to make a variety of eco-craft items, many using recycled and natural materials including full-sized wreaths, fabric gift bags, felt key chains, gnomes and fairies, decorated candles, lavender sachets and gingerbread people. Click on the banner for more info.
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.
BULLETIN BOARD
- Maureen Shea of Cummington, MA writes: New ABC Club: Storytelling for Young Children, at the Bryant Free Library in Cummington from 10-11:30am on the first Monday of every month. Parent-led and all are welcome. Call for more info: 634-5431.
- CONGRATULATIONS: to Kimberly Canning of Springfield, MA and Justin Bassett of Vergennes, VT. Both of these families have won a family 4-pack of tickets to see two time Grammy winner Bill Harley at the Iron Horse in Northampton, MA this coming Sunday at 2pm. Thank you to everyone for participating in our giveaway. Tickets are still available to see Bill Harley at the Northampton Box office, online at http://www.IHEG.com, or by calling 413-586-8686.
HILLTOWN SKIING FOR KIDS: Register by December 15th for Bill Koch Youth Ski League, held on Sundays, 2-4 pm, Notchview Reservation, Windsor, MA. This cross-country ski program introduces young people to the lifelong sport of cross-country skiing. Have a winter of fun with relays, games on skis, and age-appropriate races to develop cross-country ski skills for ages 5 to 13. Parents and children participate in league activities. Contact cdefrancis@MassMutual.com or call Notchview at 413-684-0148 for information.- VIDEO CONTEST: Putumayo Kids Dance-Off Video Contest wants your home videos! Right now and through December 30th, you can submit videos of kids and parents dancing to Putumayo tunes. Winners in each category will have their videos posted on our website and will receive the full Putumayo Kids Collection. Details are on the site.
- LOCAL EDUCATIONAL RESOURCES: Teachers and families, find out about the educational programs, resources and activities offered with current exhibits at the Berkshire Museum in Pittsfield, MA.
- WEATHER ADVISORIES: The Massachusetts Emergency Management Agency (MEMA) has issued their annual winter weather advisories. Thanks to Charlie Kaniecki, District Health Officer for the Department of Public Health, they are all compiled into a single document. Brush up and plan ahead for winter snow, ice, winds, power outages, and the like!
- FOOD DRIVE IN HILLTOWNS: Students at R. H. Conwell are collecting food for the Gateway Hilltown Food Pantry, as part of a larger community effort to collect 1000 food items for the pantry. These donations help local families who are currently struggling to provide adequate food to their children. Please be as generous as possible. The food drive will run from November 23 to December 21. Items may be brought to the school.
- HANUKKAH MUSIC FOR KIDS: Celebrate the Festival of Lights with the Hanukkah music for kids.
- MA 4H PROGRAM – Hampshire County 4-H Fair Association Annual Wreath Sale at Amherst Farm Supply on Saturday from 9am-3pm, and at Belchertown Tractor Supply on Sunday from 9am-3pm. May order wreaths by calling 413-253-7721.
- SPONSORSHIP, ADVERTISING & ANNOUNCEMENTS: Deliver your message to a large local family based audience while supporting the work of Hilltown Families. Advertise your event, camp, workshop, fundraiser, business or announcement on our Weekly List of Suggested Events. Serious inquiries can email us at hilltownfamilies@gmail.com for details.
WEEKLY LIST OF SUGGESTED EVENTS
Suggest an Event | Local Forecast | School Closings and Delays | Free Museum Passes | Family Centers (Ages 0-4)
Events Happening in the Hilltowns
SATURDAY – 12/05/09
6-10am – FAMILY RADIO: Valley Free Radio (WXOJ-LP 103.3FM Northampton, MA) offers 4-hours of commercial-free family programing every Saturday, incuding the Hilltown Family Variety Show and Spare the Rock. Tune in on your FM dial, or listen live via streaming audio at www.valleyfreeradio.org.- 9am-3pm – FOOD | WINTER FARMERS’ MARKET: Winter Farmer’s Market at the Dynamite Space at Thornes Marketplace. From honey to hamburger, kale to apples, you’ll have access to the best in local produce, brought to you by the best in local farmers. Plus, live music, art, and a warm space to get out of the cold and into the community.
- 9am – COMMUNITY RUN: Mayor Higgins’ Hot Chocolate Run for Safe Passage. www.hotchocolaterun.com Northampton, MA (FUNDRAISER)
- 9-11am – CHRISTMAS EVENT | COMMUNITY BREAKFAST: Pancake BRRReakfast with Santa with the Easthampton Family Center at Pulaski Club Hall (79 Maple St) 563-767 www.easthamptonfamilycenter.org Easthampton, MA (FUNDRAISER)
- 9:30-11am – CRAFT WORKSHOP: The Eric Carle Museum will host a Book-In-A-Box Gift-Making Workshop for families. www.carlemuseum.org Amherst, MA
- 9am-4pm – CRAFT FAIR: 4th Annual Bizarrest Little Snowflake Bazaar at the Unitarian Meetinghouse. 835-5163 snowflakebazaar.googlepages.com Amherst, MA
- 10am – FOOD DRIVE | CHRISTMAS MOVIE: Showcase Cinemas is having a food drive. Bring in a canned good and get in free to see “White Christmas.” 733-5134 West Springfield, MA (DONATION OF FOOD)
- 10am-12Noon – NATURE STUDIES | BIRDS: Bird Banding Demos at Pleasant Valley Wildlife Sanctuary. Here’s a chance for kids to observe hand-held wild birds. Demonstration of the proper way to capture wild birds in mist nets and band them. Families will learn what valuable information can be obtained by this fieldwork. Participants will help gather data and release the birds unharmed. Families are free to come and go during the program. Instructor: Christyna Laubach, science teacher at Lenox Memorial Middle and High School. Open to families with children ages 3 and up. Lenox, MA (Free with regular sanctuary admission)
- 10am-2pm – HOLIDAY EVENT | CRAFT: Red Gate Farm will host, “Holiday Cheer & Card Making.” Come visit the farm during this festive time of year. Create holiday cards for your friends and family. Take a fun tour of the animal barns to see the animals preparing for the winter. Savory snacks and refreshments will be on hand. All ages welcome. Pre-reg. www.redgatefarm.org Buckland, MA ($)
- 10am-4pm – HOLIDAY ART SHOW: The Hilltown Artisans Guild will have their Holiday Show at the Town Hall Bring the family to meet local artisans while supporting local hilltown economy! Worthington, MA
- 10am-4pm – CRAFT FAIR: Greenfield Center School will be hosting a craft fair with children’s crafts workshops, music by Dennis Caharer. www.gcsrumpus.blogspot.com Greenfield, MA
- 10am-4pm – CRAFT FAIR: The Marketplace at Eastworks will holds its annual Winter Arts and Crafts Festival. 527-1243 www.eastworks.com Easthampton, MA
- 10am-5pm – CRAFT FAIR: Crafted in the Village in the village of Ashfield. Craft booths, open studios, food, book readings. Ashfield, MA
- 10:30am – FAMILY CONCERT: Sarah Pirtle will be giving a free concert at the Greenfield Public Library of music from her newest CD, “Pocketful of Wonder.” www.sarahpirtle.com Greenfield, MA (FREE)
- 1-4pm – SELF-SUFFICIENCY WORKSHOP: Emergency Survival & Self-Sufficiency Skills Workshop is being offered by Earth Work Programs. 522-0338 www.earthworkprograms.com Ashfield, MA ($)
- 1-5pm – VOLUNTEER OPPORTUNITY: Share in cocoa and holiday music as volunteers help Pioneer Valley homeless families with the 2nd annual Fleece Fiesta. Volunteers will create warm, durable fleece no-sew blankets, and collect non-perishable food. Help do your part to make sure our neighbors don’t go cold or hungry this winter. No talent necessary. Anyone can help. At First Churches. To benefit Servicenet, Inc. 508.641.1546 Northampton, MA
- 2-4pm – HOLIDAY EVENT | FOOD: Gingerbread house making at Stanton Hall. Come “recreate Huntington” with gingerbread. Huntington, MA (FREE)
- 2:30pm – HOLIDAY CONCERT – The Florence Community Band presents, “A Holiday Concert” at the Northampton High School. Northampton, MA (FREE)
- 4pm – FAMILY CONCERT: Dennis Caraher at Thornes Marketplace. Northampton, MA (FREE)
- 4-9pm –HOLIDAY EVENT: Look Park’s Winter Wonderland is a series of Holiday Events that combine the long standing tradition of “Santa’s Workshop” with the Look Park “Holiday Light Displays”, Hayrides around the park and our Look Park Zoo. Florence, MA
- 4-9pm – CHRISTMAS EVENT | MUSEUM ADVENTURES: Twelve Nights of Christmas at Old Sturbridge Village. Dec. 3-6; 10-13; &. 17-20. Stroll our candlelit Village, enjoy sleigh rides (snow permitting), meet Santa and Father Christmas. 1-800-SEE-1830 www.osv.org Sturbridge, MA ($)
- 4:30-6pm – CHRISTMAS EVENT: Annual Holiday Tree Lighting in Pulaski Park. Mrs. Claus will lead the singing, and Santa will arrive on a Northampton Fire Truck. Northampton, MA (FREE)
- 5-8pm – GAME NIGHT: Free Soup and Game Night at Hope and Olive. 774-3150 www.hopeandolive.com Greenfield, MA
- 5:30pm – CAROLING – Caroling on the Greens. Sleigh rides, hot chocolate, hot apple cider, food and cookies for the whole family. Center of Williamsburg on the Grange Hall lawn. Williamsburg, MA (FREE)
- 6-8pm – DINNER IN THE HILLTOWNS: Beef Stroganoff Dinner at the Remington Lodge. 634-5493West Cummington, MA ($)
- 7pm – CHRISTMAS CONCERT – Hilltown Choral Society Christmas Concert at the First Congregational Church. Worthington, MA (>$ donation)
- 7:30pm –MUSIC & DANCE -Juniper Talbot and Michael Dunning will perform “Spirit of the Trees” at the Community House. 634-0132 Cummington, MA (>$)
SUNDAY – 12/06/09
- 10am-4pm – CRAFT FAIR: The Marketplace at Eastworks will holds its annual Winter Arts and Crafts Festival. 527-1243 www.eastworks.com Easthampton, MA
- 10am-4pm – HOLIDAY ART SHOW: Tthe Hilltown Artisans Guild will have their Holiday Show at the Town Hall Bring the family to meet local artisans while supporting local hilltown economy! Worthington, MA
- 10am-5pm – CRAFT FAIR: Crafted in the Village in the village of Ashfield. Craft booths, open studios, food, book readings. Ashfield, MA
- 11am-2pm – HOLIDAY CRAFT AND BRUNCH: The Blandford Elementary PTO reports that the annual Holiday Craft and Buffet Brunch. Santa will be on hand to visit with kids and have photos taken. All are welcome to share in the good food and fun! Make and take crafts will be available for kids. A buffet brunch complete with holiday goodies will be served throughout the event. Blandford, MA
- 1pm – HOLIDAY CONCERT: Holiday Cabaret presented by the Berkshire Music School. Pittsfield, MA ($)
- 1-4pm – SANTA – Santa and Mrs Claus will be at the Chester Railroad Station. Festive event with music, storytelling and more. Food drive. 354-7878 Chester, MA
- 2pm – FAMILY CONCERT & STORYTELLING: Grammy winner Bill Harley will be at the Iron Horse. Doors open at 1:30pm. Northampton, MA. ($)
- 2pm –MUSIC & DANCE -Juniper Talbot and Michael Dunning will perform “Spirit of the Trees” at the Community House. 634-0132 Cummington, MA (>$)
- 2-5pm – HOLIDAY EVENT | CRAFT: The Williamstown Rural Lands Foundation will host an afternoon of making handcrafted holiday cards and small gifts at Sheep Hill. 58-2494 www.wrlf.org Williamstown, MA (DONATION)
- 3pm – HOLIDAY FESTIVAL: Family Holiday Festival. Photos with Santa, our Musical Petting Zoo, make your own holiday decorations, hear student musicians from the Springfield Symphony Youth Orchestras, prior to a fun filled concert with beloved carols and holiday songs. Sing-alongs, children’s choruses, join the Springfield Symphony and a special guest star, for an unforgettable start to the holidays. www.springfieldsymphony.org Springfield, MA
- 4pm – CHRISTMAS CONCERT – Hilltown Choral Society Christmas Concert at the Village Church. Cummington, MA (>$ donation)
- 4pm & 7:30pm – CHRISTMAS CONCERT: Christmas Vespers at John M. Greene Hall on Smith College campus. 413.585.ARTS Northampton, MA (FREE)
- 4-9pm –HOLIDAY EVENT: Look Park’s Winter Wonderland is a series of Holiday Events that combine the long standing tradition of “Santa’s Workshop” with the Look Park “Holiday Light Displays”, Hayrides around the park and our Look Park Zoo. Florence, MA
- 7pm – CONCERT – Concert at the Institute for the Musical Arts with Jill Sobul & Erin McKeown. 268-3074 ima.org Goshen, MA ($$)
We have a winner! See who won the Putumayo Kids Dance-Off Video Contest here: http://bit.ly/adukbe
SATURDAY
Friday, December 4, 7:30 PM & Saturday, December 5, 7:30 PM
Join the Lisa Leizman Dance Company for an evening of bamboo, birds, fish, seaweed, reptiles… what Charles Darwin called life’s “endless forms most beautiful and most wonderful”. And did we mention the silvery moon? With music by Arvo Part, Josquin De Pres, H.I.F. Biber and company composer-in-residence Andrea Kwapien. The performance is followed by a dessert reception. All tickets at the door: $10 adults/$5 children under 10. Information at 413.584.7327. Child-friendly.
Northampton Center for the Arts | ncfa@nohoarts.org | http://www.nohoarts.org
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SATURDAY & SUNDAY
Fun and Fundraising– At Berkshire Botanical Garden Holiday Fair
Dec. 5-6, 2009 at Berkshire Botanical Garden
Kick off your holidays at the 19th Annual Holiday Fair and Gallery of Wreaths, December 4, 5, 6. Shop for one-of-a-kind holiday gifts in a festive setting to benefit the Berkshire Botanical Garden, Routes 102 &183 in Stockbridge, Massachusetts. Open to shoppers Saturday, December 5, from 10am-5pm and again Sunday, December 6, from 10am – 3pm, all are invited to come sip some cider and select from wide variety of unique and hand-made holiday decorations, one-of-a-kind gifts, hundreds of ornaments, table top decorations, door-hangings, centerpieces, swags and a wide selection of hand crafted wreaths. Decorations, gifts, greens and wreaths are made in advance by community volunteers at workshops which take place in November and December. “All the holiday decorations on sale are made by friends of the Garden and donated to help support the many events and educational classes offered at the Garden throughout the year, ” says Holiday Fair Chairperson and Garden Trustee, Janet Laudenslager. For further information call 413-289-3926 or visit http://www.berkshirebotanical.org
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SATURDAY & SUNDAY
Horsedrawn wagon rides in downtown Pittsfield, MA. Bring the whole family and take an old fashioned horsedrawn wagon ride downtown. You’ll see downtown in a whole new way, just as folks did one hundred years ago! Catch a ride at the Handmade Holiday Festival. Saturday & Sunday, December 5 & 6 | 12 noon – 4pm | 40 Melville Street | $3 per person
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SUNDAY
Sunday, December 6, 1-3 pm, please join us for a hike with Pete Westover and Jane Wilkie. We’ll meet at 1160 So. East St., in South Amherst, and walk the Brookfield Trail through fields and into the woods near Lawrence Swamp and back. Distance is about 2 miles.
Goggle map:
http://maps.google.com/maps?hl=en&q=1160+south+east+street+amherst&um=1&ie=UTF-8&hq=&hnear
=1160+S+East+St,+Amherst,+MA+01002&gl=us&ei=r0MZS8-9N4mn8AbMr5jcAw&sa=X&oi=geocode_result&
ct=title&resnum=1&ved=0CAgQ8gEwAA
Sponsored by Valley Land Fund: http://www.valleylandfund.org/
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MONDAY
1st Monday of the month, December 7th, January 4th, February 1st in Cummington, MA
New! – The ABC Club: Storytelling for Young Children
Bryant Free Library (Route 9 across the street from The Creamery)
The first Monday of every month (December 7, January 4, February 1, etc.)
Parent-led and all are welcome!
For more info, please contact Maureen Shea at 413-634-5431
*Please note: there are no washrooms at the library, the closest are at the Creamery.
The ABC Club: Storytelling for Young Children meets the first Monday of each month from 10-11:30am!
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TUESDAY
The newly formed Perennial Food Growing Group will be meeting at 6:30p.m. at Warner Farm in Cummington, MA on the following dates:
Our goal for now is to learn more about permaculture, by teaching each other and reading selected books on the subject. For the next month or two the text we are working out of is Gaia’s Garden by Toby Hemenway. Please join us. We intend to read part one (70 pages) by the November 10th meeting and Part Two by the November 24th meeting. Our immediate focus is apple guilds (the community/ecosystem of flora, fauna, fungi and conditions that comprise a healthy environment for apple trees/orchard). So really, please join us…Let’s build some momentum for perennial food gardening in the hilltowns!
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THURSDAY
“Food, Inc.: You’ll never look at dinner the same way again. How Industrial Food is Making us Sicker, Fatter and Poorer – And What You Can Do About It”
Discussion sessions featuring members of the local agricultural community on December 10 at 7:00 at the town hall in Plainfield, MA. People interested in participating in the follow-up discussion sessions are encouraged to read the companion book of essays, “Food Inc.: A Participant Guide.” A limited number of copies will be available at the Cummington Creamery for half the retail price and the Plainfield Library will have copies to lend.
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THURSDAY
December 10th, 4:00 – Mister G – another local hero with an enthusiastic fan base plays at Thornes Market Place in Northampton, MA – free!
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FRIDAY
Friday, December 11th in Northampton, MA – FREE
December Second Friday at Smith College Museum of Art
Date: December 11, 4-8pm
Location Name: Smith College Museum of Art
Address: Elm Street at Bedford Terrace
City, ST: Northampton, MA
Website: http://www.smith.edu/artmuseum
On December 11, from 4-8 PM, enjoy extended Museum hours. From 4-6 PM, Second Friday Fun! Try your hand at video art, the new wave in the art world! Check out the Museum’s new acquisition, What Will Come, a video by William Kentridge, and then experiment with video-making using a Flip® camera. Also, Student Picks will be on display in the Cunningham Center. At 6pm, Dean Nimmer, Holyoke-based artist and author, will lead a gallery talk on his favorite works in the Museum’s collection.
Contact: scmagen@smith.edu
413-585-2760
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FRIDAY
December 11th, 5:00 – Uncle Rock, presented by 93.9 The River, who will be broadcasting live from Thornes Marketplace in Northampton, MA. Uncle Rock has a great new holiday record out and will be playing bunches from it. Free!
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FRIDAY
Pioneer Valley Ballet presents The Nutcracker
The Nutcracker is a ballet for all those who love the magic of theatre. First performed in St. Petersburg, Russia in 1892, it is now performed around the world by countless ballet companies. Pioneer Valley Ballet is proud to present its 31st annual production of this enchanting, classic ballet at the Academy of Music Theatre under the artistic direction of Thomas Vacanti and Maryanne Delisle Kodzis. The Pioneer Valley Ballet’s Nutcracker has been noted by local media as “a pure confection…as pristine and beguiling as ever.”
Show Date/Times:
December 11, 12, 13, 2009
Friday, December 11 – 4:00pm and 7:30pm
Saturday & Sunday, December 12 & 13 – 1:00pm and 4:30pm
For More Information: http://www.pioneervalleyballet.org or Tel: 413.527.6363
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FRIDAY
Fancy chocolate event/dinner in Ashfield. More info here: http://wp.me/p2aDO-1o3
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FRIDAY
Welcome Yule: A Midwinter Celebration
Music, Dance, Songs and Stories to Drive the Dark Away
The Shea Theater, 71 Avenue A, Turners Falls
Friday, December 11, 2009 at 7:30 pm
Twenty-five years ago a small group of Valley residents began celebrating the return of the light at midwinter with music, dance, songs and stories. A reunion cast of adults and children, plus a few newcomers, bring this year’s 25th anniversary performance to the Shea Theater for three days in December. The show will feature many of the all time favorite songs from years past, including the Gloucestershire Wassail and Lord of the Dance, as well as dancing of all kinds—spooky, serious, and riotous—a mummers play, and stories for all ages.
TICKETS: Shea Box Office (413) 863-2281
and at World Eye Bookshop, Greenfield; Jones Library, Amherst; Broadside Books, Northampton.
Adults $10, seniors & children under 16 $7, children 4 and under are free.
For more information, call 413-665-3206 or check http://www.welcomeyule.org.
ALSO ON Saturday, December 12, 2009 at 7:30pm & Sunday, December 13, 2009 at 2pm