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

Red, orange, yellow and purple carrots fill the stalls at area Farmer's Markets this time of year. (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 BETS

Saturday, September 11th, All Day – BALLOON FESTIVAL: Look Park Balloon Festival. Balloon launch at 7am and again at 5pm. Walking Dreams Puppet group performs during the day. Jamie Kent performs on the field. Tether rides and play. www.lookpark.org 584.5457 Florence, 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 (>$)

MARK YOUR CALENDAR

Saturday, September 18th at 1pm & 3pm – RESKILLING: “To Bee or Not to Bee” – An Introduction to Backyard Beekeeping at the Hancock Shaker Village.  Learn how to set up an apiary and learn all about bees.  Hands-on honey extraction and other bee activities. 443-0188  www.hancockshakervillage.org Pittsfield, MA (FREE w/Admission)

Sunday, September 19th, all day – BIRTHDAY CELEBRATION: The Old Creamery turns 10!  Come celebrate with food, music, storytelling, and much more! Cummington, MA (FREE)

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!

GIRLS BOOK DISCUSSION GROUP: The Lenox Library Association Youth Department (18 Main Street) is hosting two book discussion groups for girls in grades 4 and grades 5 to 6 and a “girl” adult of their choice—mother, aunt, grandmother. The first meeting of the 4th grade group will be held on Thursday, September 23rd at 6:30 pm. The 5th-6th grade group will meet on Wednesday, September 29th at 6:30 p.m. Dessert will be provided. Registration is required. Register at the library or call 637-0197 ext. 105. The first book for discussion will be The Secret of Zoom by Lynne Jonell; copies are available at the youth desk.

Blazing Star Herbal School is located in Ashfield, MA

HERB CLASS FOR KIDS: Hilltown Families sponsor, Blazing Star Herbal School, and local herbalists present Dandelion Wishes: Herbal Magic for Kids (7-13yo) on Sunday, September 19th, from 10am-3pm in Ashfield, MA. Through craft and working with different flowers and plants, kids can have fun exploring the magic of dreaming, connect with the green world, share stories and make potions for their heart’s desire. Participants will make herbal dream pillows, an herbal bath blend, a magic potion, and weave a Weeping Willow wreath. Teachers include Tony(a) Lemos, Brittany Wood Nickerson, Venus Zephyr, Angie Gregory, and Dori Midnight. Class fee is $40. To register, call Blazing Star Herbal School 625-2030 or email blazingstarclinic@gmail.com.

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. (>$)

FIRST-TIME HOMEBUYERS: First-Time Homebuyer Workshop at the Meekins Library in Williamsburg. Offering three times: Sept 18, 25, and Oct 2. 9 – 12:30pm. Buying a home is like putting together the pieces of a puzzle. The first step of the process is to look at the picture as a whole, then work with the individual puzzle pieces. If you want to buy your first home, but are a bit leery of the process, and are afraid of taking on the financial responsibility of owning a home, then educating yourself is the thing to do! The more knowledge you have, the better prepared you will be and the more successful you will be in your homeownership. Registration required. Contact Bea at Hilltown CDC. 296-4536, ext 115 or beavh@hilltowncdc.org

JOB ANNOUNCEMENT: Mark Wamsley, Program & Outreach Coordinator of the Highland Communities Initiative (HCI) writes: HCI is proud to be partnering with the Americorps program, Massachusetts Land Initiative for Tomorrow (MassLIFT). Together, we are searching for a new Service Learning Coordinator to help us foster an ethic of community service and civic engagement among young people, and to increase the connections that children and young adults feel to the land. The position will start out at HCI’s office in Haydenville and move to our beautiful new location in Ashfield sometime this fall. Applications are being accepted on a rolling basis through September 17, 2010. See our website www.highlandcommunities.org for more details.

Deadline to enter to win: September 22nd.

CONSERVATION SEMINAR: What do you do when “Land For Sale” signs start appearing near your favorite view or hike? Who do you call when a friend asks for advice about saving their family’s farmland for the next generation? If you care about the future of your town’s rural, undeveloped lands, the Trustees of Reservation’s free Kick Starting Conservation seminar will give you the information that you need to help at 6pm on Tuesday, September 14th at the Worthington Historical Society. You’ll know who to call and what to do after learning basic land conservation techniques and meeting the staff of local conservation organizations. Light dinner served. Please call 413.268.8219 to register and get information. Worthington, MA (FREE)

AUDITIONS: On Sunday, September 12th, the Northampton Community Music Center will be holding auditions for its Children’s Choir. The choir is led by choir director Joan Cornaccio, and has performed at many events, including the opening of the Eric Carle Museum of Picture Book Art and the Commonwealth Opera’s productions of La Boheme and Brundibar. Auditions will be held from 2 – 4pm, during NCMC’s Annual Open House. The choir is open to children in grades 3 to 9 with unchanged voices, and performs a wide variety of vocal literature while developing critical sightsinging and vocal skills. For more information please call our office at 585-0001. http://www.ncmc.net ($$$)

HILLTOWN FAMILY VARIETY SHOW

Tune in every Saturday from 9-10am. Encore episodes are aired every Sunday from 7-8am.

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 – 9/11

6-10am – FAMILY RADIO:  Valley Free Radio (WXOJ-LP 103.3FM Northampton, MA) offers 4-hours of commercial-free family programing every Saturday, including 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.

♦ 8:30am-12:30pm – FARMERS’ MARKET:  On the town green. Ashfield, MA (MARKET)

All Day – AGRICULTURAL FAIR: 162nd Franklin County Fair (89 Wisdom Way). 774-4282 www.fcas.com Greenfield, MA ($)

All Day – ANTIQUE SHOW: The Brimfield Outdoor Antiques Show is an excellent place to take the kids and explore treasures from our past. A fun history lesson for the whole family, and many treasures to be found. www.brimfieldshow.com Brimfield, MA (FREE, Sale)

All Day – BALLOON FESTIVAL: Look Park Balloon Festival. Balloon launch at 7am and again at 5pm. Walking Dreams Puppet group performs during the day. Jamie Kent performs on the field. Tether rides and play. www.lookpark.org 584.5457 Florence, MA (>$)

9am-12Noon – NATURE STUDIES: Hawk Watch at Mount Sugarloaf State Reservation. On a good day hawk migration can be one of the greatest shows of the fall season . This is the time of year when many species of hawks migrate over mountain ranges toward their southern wintering grounds . If weather conditions are right, participants should see sharp-shinned hawks, red-shouldered hawks, and American kestrels, as well as nonraptorial species such as shrikes, ravens, and vultures. 584-3009 Sunderland, MA ($)

9am-3pm – RESKILLING: Food Preservation Workshop presented by NOFA/Mass. Shelburne, MA ($$)

9am-3pm – RESKILLING: Food Preservation Workshop presented by NOFA/Mass. Great Barrington, MA ($$)

9am-3pm – RESKILLING: Food Preservation Workshop presented by NOFA/Mass at St. John’s Episcopal Church (48 Elm St.). Northampton, MA ($$)

9:30am-5pm – HISTORIC ADVENTURES: Drummers’ Call: Fife & Drum Day at the Old Sturbridge Village. 800-733-1830 www.osv.org Sturbridge, MA ($)

10am-12Noon – NATURE STUDIES: Monarch Butterflies at Arcadia Wildlife Sanctuary. September is the month to watch for migrating monarch butterflies. While they’re more commonly seen during the summer, the last batch to hatch in the fall will begin a flight to southern California or Mexico. Come to Arcadia to learn about the life cycle of the monarchs. Observe both caterpillar and butterfly in the field. This family program is suitable for children ages 4-12. 584-3009 Easthampton, MA (>$)

10am-4pm – HONEY FESTIVAL: Celebrate the Honeybee with Warm Coors Apiary. Honey, beeswax candles, mead sampling, honey ice cream, more. 665-4513 www.warmcolorsapiary.com South Deerfield, MA

10am-5pm – ARTS FESTIVAL: Mattoon Street Arts Festival. Take the family to the longest running arts and crafts fair in Western Massachusetts, and one of the best in New England. www.mattoonfestival.org Springfield, MA

10am-5pm – CRAFT SHOW: The Artisans of Western Mass are thrilled to be sponsoring their first ever art & craft show, Local ARTery: Bringing Handmade to the Heart of Our Community. This event will feature 20 artisans who all live and work in western Massachusetts. 835-5163 localartery.artisansofwmass.com Northampton, MA (SALE)

11am-7pm – COMMUNITY FAIR: Williamsburg Grange Community Fair. Williamsburg, MA

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 (>$)

♦ 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)

12Noon-4:30pm – FOOD HISTORY: Honey Harvest at Historic Deerfield. Honey was an important ingredient used to sweeten foods and beverages in colonial America, and to brew a traditional drink called mead. Join museum educators in this fun family program to learn about bees and honey. Taste different kinds of honey, and make a beeswax candle to take home. 775-7127 www.historic-deerfield.org Deerfield, MA (FREE W/admission)

♦ 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 – ANIMAL ADVENTURES: Baby Bunnies and Pet Rabbits at the Whately Public Library (202 Chestnut Plain Rd.).  Destiny McDonough raises rabbits and shows them at American Rabbit Breeders Association shows.  Come see her rabbits!  She will share with us how to care for pet rabbits, raise baby bunnies, and children will have a chance to hold the babies too!  665-2170 Whately, MA (FREE)

♦ 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 (>$)

♦ 2-4pm – CHESS: At the Forbes Library.  Casual meets every Saturday the library is open. All competition levels are welcome. Drop in for part or all of the session. Bring your own set if you have one or use one of the library’s.  587-1011 www.forbeslibrary.org Northampton, MA (FREE)

2:30pm – DAIRY FARM TOUR: As part of the Massachusetts Raw Milk Dairy Days, Sidehill Farm (137 Beldingville Rd) will be giving a guided tour of their pastures, the town’s oldest milking parlor, and their unusual facilities – a milk room built into a step van and a yogurt plant in a semi trailer. Stay after the tour for samples of raw milk and yogurt. Nine other farms in Western MA will be giving tours and demos too. Click here for a full list. For more info on the tour at Sidehill Farm, call 625-0011 www.sidehillfarm.net Ashfield, MA (FREE)

♦ 3pm – ASTRONOMY: Observe the sun with Northampton Solar at A2Z Science and Learning Center. See Sunspots, Prominences, Limb Darkening and more. Northampton, MA (FREE)

4pm – BENEFIT CONCERT: Appalachian Still will perform a benefit concert for the Food Bank of Western MA. (411 Russell Road). 586-5000 www.stridespw.com Sunderland, MA (FUNDRAISER)

4:30-8pm – FARM DINNER: Friends of Red Gate Farm Dinner. Wine & Cheese Reception (4:30pm – 5:30pm) enjoy refreshments on the lawn including many local cheeses. Visit with farm Board members and staff and walk through their many gardens. Evening in the Big Barn (5:30pm – 8pm) fill up on wholesome grilled fare, vegetarian dishes, and delightful desserts. Finish the night with coffee and tea and a short film highlighting the past year and our Youth Corps. 625-9503 www.redgatefarm.org Buckland, MA (FUNDRAISER, ADULTS)

5-8pm – ART WALK: Art Walk Easthampton is held the “Second Saturday” of the month. Locations across the city showcase visual, music and performance art in an energetic sampling of local, regional and national talent. All events are free. Parking is free. Art Walk Easthampton is made possible, in part, by a grant from the Easthampton Cultural Council and the support of Mantis Graphics which makes our large, yellow banners. Easthampton, MA (FREE)

ASTRONOMY: Public Observing at Notchview of the night sky with the Arunah Hill Natural Science Center. 569.6336 http://www.arunah.org Windsor, MA (FREE)

♦ 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 – 9/12

7-8am – FAMILY RADIO: Valley Free Radio (WXOJ-LP 103.3FM Northampton, MA) airs encores the Hilltown Family Variety Show every Sunday morning. Tune in on your FM dial, or listen live via streaming audio at www.valleyfreeradio.org.

♦ 8am – WOMEN’S TRAIL RUN: Women of all levels are welcomed to a casual weekly trail run at the Chesterfield Gorge.   All distances/All levels welcome. Organized by Leslie Charles and Tanya Rapinchuk.  There is a late-risers run/walk at 9am too.  West Chesterfield, MA

All Day – AGRICULTURAL FAIR: 162nd Franklin County Fair (89 Wisdom Way). 774-4282 www.fcas.com Greenfield, MA ($)

Times Vary – FAMILY DANCE: Dance Discovery Day at the Blue Guitar Studio (186 C Northampton St.) with a day of community recreational dance for all ages and abilities.  Easthampton, MA ($)

10am-3pm – AUDITIONS: Pioneer Valley Ballet presents The Nutcracker on 12/10-12 in Northampton. Auditions for girls and boys ages 5 & up at PVB in the Eastworks Building (116 Pleasant St., Suite 155). No dance experience necessary. 527-6363 www.pioneervalleyballet.org Easthampton, MA ($)

10am-5pm – ARTS FESTIVAL: Mattoon Street Arts Festival. Take the family to the longest running arts and crafts fair in Western Massachusetts, and one of the best in New England. www.mattoonfestival.org Springfield, MA

12Noon-4:30pm – FOOD HISTORY: Honey Harvest at Historic Deerfield. Honey was an important ingredient used to sweeten foods and beverages in colonial America, and to brew a traditional drink called mead. Join museum educators in this fun family program to learn about bees and honey. Taste different kinds of honey, and make a beeswax candle to take home. 775-7127 www.historic-deerfield.org Deerfield, MA (FREE W/admission)

12Noon-7pm – 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 (>$)

12:30-5:30pm – CULTURAL FESTIVAL: Festival of Sharing Roots will be held at St. Joseph Church (414 North St.) highlighting many different cultures, including American, Brazilian, French, Irish, Italian, Latino, Lebanese, Polish, and Vietnamese. Kids activities, music, dancing, tag sale, craft area … bring lawnchair. www.stjoemotherchurch.org Pittsfield, MA (FREE)

♦ 1-4pm – HISTORIC ADVENTURES: Hadley Farm Museum (Route 9) is open.  Take the kids for a historic exploration of farming through equipment and tool displays. 533-2412 Hadley, 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 (>$)

2-4pm – OPEN HOUSE: Northampton Community Music Center open house. There will be free demonstration classes of MUSIC TOGETHER (for children up to 5 years old) and FUTURE MAESTROS (for ages 4-7), auditions for our CHILDREN’S CHORUS (for ages 8-15), and a MUSICAL INSTRUMENT “PETTING ZOO,” where students of all ages can meet our teachers and try out different instruments. 585-0001 www.ncmc.net Northampton, MA (FREE)

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 (>$)

3-5:30pm – MUSIC FESTIVAL: Florence Community Band at the Look Park Pines Theater. Musicians from over 10 area concert bands come together to present a free concert to the community. Vehicle entry fee to the park is required. Northampton, MA (FREE)

♦ 4-6pm – OUTDOOR GAME: Pick-up Ultimate Frisbee at the Ashfield Ballfield. Ages 10 & older. More info call William at 628-3336. Ashfield, MA

7-9:30pm – NATIVE STUDIES: Walk the Universe: Sky Myths and Legends of the Navajo Indians at Arcadia Wildlife Sanctuary. The Navajo have an amazing view of the universe and a breathtaking interpretation of the stars and constellations . Join Chris Lyons for a fascinating look at how the Navajo see the stars, constellations, sun, moon, and planets, along with their associated myths and legends . Please dress to be outdoors for part of this program. Bring binoculars if you have them. 584-3009 Easthampton, MA (>$)