Weekday community-based educational opportunities can be found throughout the four counties of Western MA all week long!

This week we are 12 featuring community-based educational opportunities that can be selected to support the interests and education of self-directed teens, homeschoolers and life-long learners:

• Berkshire County
• Franklin County
• Hampshire County
• Hampden County

Check our list of Weekly Suggested Events for our comprehensive list, including ongoing learning and play opportunities for younger children and intergenerational community events.

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Berkshire County

ELDER CARE/ART
Monday, October 26, 2pm-4pm
People with dementia or Alzheimer’s and their caregivers are welcome to attend a special gallery talk at the Clark Art Museum. “Meet Me at the Clark” takes place when the museum is closed to the public in order to create a private, calm atmosphere, and consists of a viewing and discussion about the art. This gallery talk is great for both the person with dementia and the caregiver – both can enjoy seeing and experiencing art and spending time together in a meaningful way. Call to register in pairs. 413-458-0410. 225 South Street. Williamstown, MA. (FREE)

FULL MOON HIKE/OUTDOOR ADVENTURES
Tuesday, October 27, 7:30pm-9:30pm
Join the Berkshire Natural Resources Council for a full moon hike at Threemile Hill. Hikers ages 8 and up are welcome to attend this fun and exciting hike and will love seeing the forest lit up by the moon! Meet at Berkshire South Regional Community Center. Please pre-register. 413-528-2810 x10. 15 Crissey Road. Great Barrington, MA. (FREE)

GUIDED CEMETERY TOUR/LOCAL HISTORY
Thursday, October 29. 5-6pm
Luminaries: Exploring Stockbridge Cemetery. Join Norman Rockwell Museum Curator of Education, Tom Daly for a walking history tour of Stockbridge Cemetery, which boasts the burial sites of such luminaries as Norman Rockwell and Elizabeth Freeman. A cider and donut reception will precede the tour on the lawn adjacent to the bell tower parking area at the Old Town Hall. 413-931-2221. 9 Route 183. Stockbridge, MA (>$)

Franklin County

COLONIAL HISTORY/CULINARY ARTS
Friday, October 30, 10am-4pm
Experience life in an early New England kitchen at Historic Deerfield‘s Open Hearth Cooking demonstrations! Learn about traditional fall harvest foods like pumpkins, apples, and corn. These cooking demonstrations allow visitors of all ages to see what life was like in the past and the types of chores and activities they would do had they lived several hundred years ago! Free with admission. 413-774-5581. 84B Old Main Street. Deerfield, MA. ($)

PARENTS’ NIGHT OUT/HALLOWEEN PARTY
Friday, October 30, 8pm-12midnight
Attend a super fun Halloween Ball at the Cowell Gymnasium and spend time with community members getting excited for the holiday. There will be dancing, beer, wine, a costume contest, and more. Proceeds benefit the Art Garden and the Cowell Gym. 413-625-2782. 51 Maple Street. Shelburne Falls, MA. ($)

Hampshire County

ANTHROPOLOGY/POP CULTURE
Monday, October 26, 4:30pm
Calling all fans of anime, manga, sushi, and cosplay! Roland Kelts, bestselling author of Japanamerica, will give a public lecture on Japanese popular culture and its reception in the U.S., sponsored by the Smith College Program in East Asian Studies. 413-584-2700. Neilson Browsing Room, Smith College, Northampton, MA. (FREE)

SCIENCE CAFE/ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE
Monday, October 26, 6pm
Come to The High Horse for this month’s Sci.Tech.Café! The topic this month is “How to Navigate Environments with Toxins.” Sasha Suvorov, Professor of Environmental Health Sciences at UMass Amherst, will talk about chemicals, toxins, how to know what is safe, the impacts of flame-retardant chemicals, and more. Those interested in health and environmental science will enjoy this talk, which is designed for community members without science backgrounds. 24 North Pleasant Street. Amherst, MA.

MUSEUM ADVENTURES/LOCAL HISTORY
Wednesday, October 28, 6:30pm & 8pm
Thursday, October 29, 6:30pm & 8pm
Friday, October 30, 6:30pm & 8pm
The Emily Dickinson Museum and the TheatreTruck have come together to present The Aspect of the Place: A Halloween Happening at the Evergreens this Halloween weekend. Tour The Evergreens, the home of Emily’s brother Austin, which acts as a time capsule of 19th-century life and contains the Dickinson family’s furniture. While walking through the house, you can hear Victorian ghost stories and learn about the history of the home. Older students interested in storytelling and local history would enjoy this exciting and unique Halloween event. Tickets available in advance. 413-542-8161. 280 Main Street. Amherst, MA. ($$)

CULINARY ARTS/SEAWEED
Thursday, October 29, 6:30pm-8pm
Join River Valley Market and Leslie Cerier of The Organic Gourmet for a free workshop entitled, “Creative Cooking with Land and Sea Vegetables,” on October 29th. Older teens and lifelong learners with an interest in cooking can discover the many uses of sea vegetables like nori, arame, dulse, and kelp. Learn through demonstrations and enjoy tasty samples. Pre-registration is required. 413-584-2665. 330 North King Street. Northampton, MA. (FREE)

ORCHESTRA
Friday, October 30, 4pm
The Smith College Orchestra is performing a special Halloween Family Concert on October 30th at Sweeney Concert Hall. Come in costume and enjoy a performance of Camille Saint-Saëns’ “Carnival of the Animals” by the orchestra and faculty pianists, with guest narrator John Nowacki of New England Public Radio. This lively Halloween-themed concert is a great opportunity to introduce kids to orchestra music. Green Street. Northampton, MA. (FREE)

Hampden County

 PARANORMAL
Tuesday, October 27, 6:30pm
Learn the basics of paranormal investigations and ghost hunting at the Storrs Library on October 27th. “Ghostology 101” will teach you about ghosts and how ghost hunting works. Please register in advance. 413-565-4181. 693 Longmeadow Street. Longmeadow, MA. (FREE)

THEATER PERFORMANCE
Thursday, October 29. 7:30pm
Friday, October 30. 7:30pm
The Grand Parade will be performed at CityStage by Double Edge Theatre. The Grand Parade depicts major events of the 20th century in a theatrical style inspired by Marc Chagall’s kaleidoscopic vision of humanity at play, at war, and at rest. Trapeze, circus, dance, projections, and popular culture fill the height and breadth of the stage. CityStage. 413-788-7033. 150 Bridge Street. Springfield, MA ($$)