Hilltown Families 
Suggested Events 09/04/10-09/10/10
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
Lucky Duck, one of the many games for kids at the Cummington Fair this past weekend. (Photo credit: Sienna Wildfield)
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, place, age appropriateness and costs before attending.
BEST BET
Saturday: Arunah Hill Days from 7am-11pm at The Arunah Hill Natural Science Center (218 Trouble St.) in Cummington. A family-oriented weekend of astronomy, star gazing, nature walks, and science education. Several large telescopes will be available for nightly viewing of Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, Neptune, galaxies, star clusters, and other wonders of the Summer Milky Way. Experienced amateur astronomers will conduct nightly constellation orientation talks. Specially filtered solar telescopes will also be used during daylight hours to reveal sunspots and solar prominences. 569.6336 www.arunah.org (FREE)
MARK YOUR CALENDAR
Saturday, September 11th from 12Noon-11pm – CULTURAL FESTIVAL: Glendi Greek Festival at the Greek Cultural Center (22 St. George Rd.), the best in traditional Greek foods, pastries, music, dancing, and old-fashioned Greek hospitality – activities for children including games and a bounce house, a Greek cultural and art exhibit. 737-1496 www.stgeorgecath.org Springfield, MA (>$)
Sunday, September 12th from 2:30-4:30pm – KIDS CONCERT: Primate Fiasco will be playing music from their “adult strength kids CD”, Wheels on the Bus at First Churches (Main Street). Circus and puppets before show. Northampton, MA (>$)
BULLETIN BOARD
SPONSORSHIP & ADVERTISING: Reach thousands of families in Western MA while supporting the work of Hilltown Families. Let us help get the word out about your event, camp, workshop, fundraiser, business or announcement. Email hilltownfamilies@gmail.com for more information. — Help us help you!
PARENTING WORKSHOP: Shana Hiranandani, M.A. will be offering a series of three group workshops for Parents and Caregivers titled “Put the Oxygen Mask On Yourself First!” *Create a life that nourishes your own needs as Parents. Discover useful tools and new ideas to create balance, enjoyment and meaning in our roles as Parents.* The cost of the series is $75 for all three meetings and will be offered in Easthampton on Wednesdays, September 22nd, 29th, and October 6th from 12Noon-1:30pm OR 5:30-7pm. Pre-registration is required. To register or for more information visit online at www.UniquePeople.net or call (413) 341-3158. Shana is a Personal Life and Career Coach and a Licensed Mental Health Counselor.
Deadline to enter to win: September 22nd.
AFFORDABLE HOUSING: Andrew Baker of Shelburne Falls, MA writes: Families at the Solar Circle affordable condominium community in Haydenville are hosting a “Vote NO on 2” potluck picnic on Sunday, September 19th from 12:30-3:30pm to showcase their affordable housing community in order to highlight the importance of voting no on Question #2 on the ballot in November. The event is open to the public. Solar Circle is a housing development for first time home buyers built using the affordable housing law, otherwise known as Chapter 40B. This November, Massachusetts voters will weigh in on Question 2, which asks voters to repeal Chapter 40B, a law that has created 80% of the affordable housing built in Massachusetts, outside of the major cities, over the last decade. More info on this topic HERE.
HOMESCHOOL OPPORTUNITY: The Springfield Museum will be offering à la Carte Programs on Thursdays at 12:15pm. Programs may be suitable for older homeschool students. Programs include: Springfield: A Life in Postcards (Sept. 9th); A Hungry Hill Trinity: Life and Times of Three Generations (Sept 16th); A Window to the World of Honey Bees: Beekeeping at the Springfield Science Museum (Sept 23rd); and How Art Made the World, Part Five: To Death and Back (Sept 30th). The programs are held in the Michele and Donald D’Amour Museum of Fine Arts. The D’Amour Museum of Fine Arts is located on the Quadrangle at 21 Edwards St. in downtown Springfield. Parking is free. For more information about Museums à la Carte, call 413-263-6800, ext. 488. (>$)
HILLTOWN FAMILY VARIETY SHOW
Tune in every Saturday from 9-10am. Encore episodes are aired every Sunday from 7-8am.
This week on the HFVS is our BACK TO SCHOOL episode. Our playlist includes new music by Imagination Movers, Clint Holmes, Key Wilde & Mr. Clarke, The Sweet Colleens, Lisa Loeb, Tom Paxton, Ellis Paul, The Not-Its!, Chuck Berry, and many others!
Families have several ways to tune in to the Hilltown Family Variety Show:
Streaming Audio: Surf on over to ValleyFreeRadio.org on Saturday & Sunday mornings and listen to us live via streaming audio. On Your FM Dial: Tune in to WXOJ 103.3FM if you live near Northampton, MA.
PODCAST: Listen to the most recent episodes of the Hilltown Family Variety Show anytime you wish! Click here to see our current select of episodes, and be sure to subscribe to our podcast too!
WEEKLY LIST OF SUGGESTED EVENTS
Saturday • Sunday • Monday • Tuesday • Wednesday • Thursday • Friday
Suggest an Event | Local Forecast | Free Museum Passes | Playgroups & Family Centers | Movies in the Valley | Movies in the Berkshires | Farmers’ Markets | Listen Here
Events Happening in the Hilltowns
♦ On-going Events
Saturday – 9/4
9am-10pm – AGRICULTURAL FAIR: 193rd Three County Fair (54 Fair St.) 584-2237 www.3countyfair.com Northampton, MA ($)
MUSEUM ADVENTURES: Free Admission to the Berkshire Museum (Pittsfield) and the BasketBall Hall of Fame (Springfield) today, courtesy of the Highland Street Foundation. www.highlandstreet.org (FREE)
9:30am-5pm- FAMILY DAY: Family Fun Days at Old Sturbridge Village. Pay base ball the way early New Englanders did, make a craft, join a game of French & English (left), meet the young oxen in training, try your hand at marbling paper, watch a toy fire-balloon flight, visit the Freeman Farm, stop and see craftsmen at work, and much more. 800-733-1830 www.osv.org Sturbridge, MA (FREE)
10am-5pm – MUSEUM ADVENTURES: Free day at the Berkshire Museum. 443-7171 www.berkshiremuseum.org Pittsfield, MA (FREE)
♦ 12Noon-3pm – COMMUNITY MEAL: Montague Farm Zen House presents the weekly Montague Farm Cafe -a free, weekly family oriented meal and gathering, with healthy food, art activities, live music, and games. 367-5275 Montague, MA (FREE)
♦ 12:30pm – MUSEUM ADVENTURES: Chow Time in the aquarium at the Berkshire Museum. 443-7171 www.berkshiremuseum.org Pittsfield, MA (FREE w/museum admission)
♦ 1pm – ASTRONOMY: Amherst Solar will be set up with their telescopes on the Amherst Town Common all summer. Stop by with the kids and see Sunspots, Prominences, Limb Darkening and more. 256-6234 amastro.org Amherst, MA (FREE)
♦ 1-5pm – HISTORIC ADVENTURES: Tour the William Cullen Bryant Homestead. Explore the ancestral home of the great 19th-century poet, newspaperman, and essayist, and wander the grounds above the Westfield River. Try the “I Spy” family activity using a hands-on spy pack to discover the Homestead’s secrets. 634-2244 Cummington, MA (>$)
♦ 3pm – ASTRONOMY: Observe the sun with Northampton Solar at A2Z Science and Learning Center. See Sunspots, Prominences, Limb Darkening and more. Northampton, MA (FREE)
6pm – SPORTS FANS: Take the family out to the ballpark to see a Pittsfield Colonials baseball home game at Wahconah Park. www.pittsfieldcolonials.com Pittsfield, MA ($)
6:30pm – FAMILY MOVIE: The Friends of the M.N. Spear Memorial Library will host a family movie night at the Town Hall: showing Star Wars, episode 4, A New Hope. Shutesbury, MA(Donation >$)
♦ 8:45pm – DRIVE-IN MOVIE: Northfield Drive-In movie theater call or visit online for Films. (603) 239-4054 www.northfielddrivein.com Northfield, MA ($)
♦ 9pm – ASTRONOMY: View the Moon, Planets, Satellites, Multiple Stars, Star Clusters, Galaxies, Nebulas and more through the 6 ton, 25 foot long, 18 inch F/17, World Class Clark Refractor at the Wilder Observatory at the Amherst College. Set up a telescope on the lawn, view through public use telescopes. www.amherstastronomy.org Amherst, MA (FREE)
Sunday – 9/5
9am-10pm – AGRICULTURAL FAIR: 193rd Three County Fair (54 Fair St.) 584-2237 www.3countyfair.com Northampton, MA ($)
9:30am-5pm- FAMILY DAY: Family Fun Days at Old Sturbridge Village. Pay baseball the way early New Englanders did, make a craft, join a game of French & English (left), meet the young oxen in training, try your hand at marbling paper, watch a toy fire-balloon flight, visit the Freeman Farm, stop and see craftsmen at work, family-friendly games/crafts, free Stagecoach and Riverboat Rides, and much more. 800-733-1830 www.osv.org Sturbridge, MA (FREE)
11am-8pm – COMMUNITY CELEBRATION: 2nd Annual Holyoke Block Party and Arts Festival with live music, food, and more. Holyoke, MA (FREE)
1-3pm – ZOO: Zoo on the Go visits Magic Wings. www.magicwings.com 665-2805 South Deerfield, MA ($)
♦ 1-5pm – HISTORIC ADVENTURES: Tour the William Cullen Bryant Homestead. Explore the ancestral home of the great 19th-century poet, newspaperman, and essayist, and wander the grounds above the Westfield River. Try the “I Spy” family activity using a hands-on spy pack to discover the Homestead’s secrets. 634-2244 Cummington, MA (>$)
2pm – SPORTS FANS: Take the family out to the ballpark to see a Pittsfield Colonials baseball home game at Wahconah Park. www.pittsfieldcolonials.com Pittsfield, MA ($)
♦ 4-6pm – OUTDOOR GAME: Pick-up Ultimate Frisbee at the Ashfield Ballfield. Ages 10 & older. More info call William at 628-3336. Ashfield, MA
♦ 8:45pm – DRIVE-IN MOVIE: Northfield Drive-In movie theater call or visit online for Films. (603) 239-4054 www.northfielddrivein.com Northfield, MA ($)
Monday – 9/6
LABOR DAY
9:30am-5pm- FAMILY DAY: Family Fun Days at Old Sturbridge Village. Pay base ball the way early New Englanders did, make a craft, join a game of French & English (left), meet the young oxen in training, try your hand at marbling paper, watch a toy fire-balloon flight, visit the Freeman Farm, stop and see craftsmen at work, and much more. 800-733-1830 http://www.osv.org Sturbridge, MA (FREE)
11am-8pm – AGRICULTURAL FAIR: 193rd Three County Fair (54 Fair St.) 584-2237 http://www.3countyfair.com Northampton, MA ($)
2-5pm – VOLUNTEER OPPORTUNITY: Marie Westburg of Williamsburg, MA writes: Transition Williamsburg is sponsoring a Community Work Day at the Williamsburg Grange Monday, September 6th from 2-5pm. Help fix up the Grange! We will paint and spruce up the front garden. Bring a paint brush and your community spirit! For more information call Marie Westburg at 268-7899 or amwestburg@verizon.net. (FREE)
7pm – SPORTS FANS: Take the family out to the ballpark to see a Pittsfield Colonials baseball home game at Wahconah Park. http://www.pittsfieldcolonials.com Pittsfield, MA ($)
7pm – SUSTAINABILITY: 10-10-10 planning meeting at Rao’s. curiouscarol@gmail.com Amherst, MA (FREE)
Tuesday – 9/7
♦ 11:00am in Hatfield: Preschool story hour lead by Carolyn Mazel at the Hatfield Library (39 Main St.). Geared to ages 3-5, each story hour includes books, songs, finger plays, a play along with musical instruments, and a simple craft. 247-9097 (FREE)
♦ 10-11am in Greenfield: Pre-School Storyhour at the Greenfield Public Library (402 Main Street). Mrs. Sally Ahearn leads this story time for children ages 5 and under. 772-1544 http://www.greenfieldpubliclibrary.org (FREE)
♦ 11am in Lenox: Toddler Story Time at the Lenox Library (18 Main Street). Story Time is for children age 18 months to 3 years. Children & their caregivers sing songs, learn finger plays & listen to a story. Following the structured program, participants are invited to stay so that the children can play together & their caregivers can visit. (FREE)
♦ 12:30pm in Pittsfield: Chow Time in the aquarium at 12:30pm at the Berkshire Museum. 443-7171 http://www.berkshiremuseum.org (FREE w/museum admission)
♦ 1:30-6:30pm in Northampton: Tuesday Farmers’ Market in Downtown Northampton, behind Thornes Marketplace! Food, plants, baby animals, live music, family-friendly. 586-7586 (FREE)
♦ 2:15pm in Amherst: Baby-friendly movie screening at the Amherst Cinema. ($)
♦ 3:30-4:45pm in Miller Falls: Millers Falls Library Club (23 Bridge St.). An afterschool program with drop-in sessions for children of all ages. Activities include arts and crafts, snacks and homework help. 659-3801 http://www.montaguepubliclibraries.org (FREE)
Wednesday – 9/8
10:30am-1pm in Springfield: Homeschool Open House = Homeschool Co-op now forming. Open house will be at the Central Library in downtown Springfield. Group is going to work with the grade groups: 1-2, 3-5, 6-8, and 9-12 and will study science, Spanish, art and social studies. (FREE)
7pm in Northampton: Raising Financially Literate Children, a workshop at the Forbes Library. In school, children learn reading, writing, and ‘rithmatic, but very little attention is given to one of the most important life skills: financial literacy. Untrained and unprepared, young people enter the world of credit cards and advertising and get taken for all they are worth. In this workshop, Michael Whitehouse, Professional Problem Solver, will discuss strategies for preparing your child to budget, plan, and avoid debt. (FREE)
6-8pm in Chester: Book & bake sale at the Hamilton Memorial Library. 354-7808. (SALE)
————
♦ 10am in Greenfield: Sunshine Story Time, an all-ages story hour – During the school year, this story time will take place, weather permitting, on the library’s back lawn. 772-1544 http://www.greenfieldpubliclibrary.org (FREE)
♦ 10am in Northfield: Story time at the Northfield Public Library. with stories, crafts and snacks. 498-2455 http://www.northfieldpubliclibrary.org (FREE)
♦ 10:30am in Williamsburg: Preschool Storytime at the Meekins Library with Children’s Librarian Rochelle Wildfong. (FREE)
♦ 10:30am in Leverett: Children’s story hour at the Leverett Library. http://www.leverettlibrary.org
♦ 10:30-11:45am in Amherst: Momma and Baby Yoga (Start after 7 weeks postpartum) at the CDH outpatient offices at 170 University Drive. Pre-registration is required: 582-2736, press “3” for Yoga
♦ 1pm in Northampton: Baby-friendly movie screening at the Pleasant Street Theater. ($)
♦ 2pm in Florence: Wednesday Farmers’ Market on the lawn at the Florence Civic Center (Route 9) from 2-6pm
♦ 2-6pm in Turners Falls: Great Falls Farmers Market. Located on the corner of 2nd Street and Avenue A. in Turners Falls, right next to the Great Falls Discovery Center.
♦ 3-6pm in Greenfield: Guiding Star Grange Farmer’s Market (401 Chapman Street)
♦ 4-6pm in Conway: Conway Farmers Market. Main Street (Rte. 116) in front of the Filed Memorial Library.
♦ 4:15pm in Northampton: Family Yoga for ages 3yo and up at the Hampshire Regional YMCA. 584-7086 (MEMBERS)
♦ 4:30pm in Northampton: Yo-Yo School at A2Z. Come visit yo-yo school and learn to yo-yo for free with A2Z. (FREE)
Thursday – 9/9
9:30am & 11am in Westfield: Fantastic Fours & Fives, a storytime specifically designed for 4 and 5 year olds. This program includes stories, song, fingerplays and a craft! Registration is required. 562-6158 ext. 5. http://www.westath.org (FREE)
3pm in Greenfield: 162nd Franklin County Fair (89 Wisdom Way). 774-4282 http://www.fcas.com ($)
————
♦ 10:30am-12:30pm in Greenfield : Meme and Pepe supports grandparents (55+ primary caregivers of children). 475-1553 (FREE)
♦ 11am in Springfield: Public ice skating at Smead Arena (1780 Roosevelt Ave.) until 1pm. Skate rentals available. 781-2599 ($)
Friday – 9/10
8am-8pm in Northampton: Northampton Chalk Art Festival. (Rain date: 9/11) http://www.nohoarts.org (FREE)
9:30am & 11am in Westfield: Terrific Twos & Threes, a storytime specifically designed for 2 and 3 year olds at the Westfield Athenaeum (on Fridays for 4 sessions). Siblings are welcome. Enjoy songs, activities, stories and a craft. Registration is required for all 4 sessions. 562-6158 ext. 5. http://www.westath.org (FREE)
12Noon in Greenfield: 162nd Franklin County Fair (89 Wisdom Way). 774-4282 http://www.fcas.com ($)
5pm in Florence: Balloon Festival at Look Park with cruise night, 50’s/60’s music, Walking Dreams Puppets, and Balloon Glow. http://www.lookpark.org 584.5457 (>$)
5pm-11pm in Springfield: Glendi Greek Festival at the Greek Cultural Center (22 St. George Rd.) he best in traditional Greek foods, pastries, music, dancing, and old-fashioned Greek hospitality – activities for children including games and a bounce house, a Greek cultural and art exhibit. 737-1496 http://www.stgeorgecath.org (>$)
————
♦ 7:30am in Lanesboro: Guided hikes on Mount Greylock, followed by an optional breakfast at historic Bascom Lodge. Meet at the Visitors Center (30 Rockwell Rd.) Steve Linscott will lead a moderate to strenuous hike. 499-4262 (FREE HIKE; $ FOOD)
♦ 10am & 11am in Pittsfield: Aquarium Adventures. Each week children ages 2-4 meet a different animal from Berkshire Museum’s aquarium and watch as their new friend enjoys a meal. Story time is included. Free with Museum admission.
♦ 11am in Greenfield: Mother Goose on the Loose makes early learning lots of hands-on fun with songs, rhymes, and activities geared for the 3 and under audience. http://www.greenfieldpubliclibrary.org (FREE)
♦ 5:30pm in Holyoke: Pavillion Summer Concert Series at the Summit View House. http://www.summitviewbanquethouse.com 538-7431 (FREE)
♦ 5:30pm in South Haldey: Cruise Nights at Butter Brook Park. Plan to join friends for supper—proceeds from food sales help to support park improvements, such as the new playground area now under development. Stroll through the park and enjoy classic cars, DJ music, refreshments, the company of neighbors and friends, and just being outdoors on a nice summer evening. Cruise nights are free and open to the public. friendsofbutterybrook@yahoo.com (FREE)
♦ 5-8pm in Northampton: Northampton Arts Night Out