Hilltown Families 
Suggested Events for September 8th – 14th, 2018
To find out about more event, be sure to visit our Suggest an Event Bulletin Board to see what our readers have recently shared! Have an event to share? Feel encouraged to self-post community events here at any time!
If you have a community event, educational program, or service-learning opportunity happening in Western Massachusetts that you’d like to let us know about, self-post your event at any time on our Suggest An Event bulletin board. 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.
Serving Western Massachusetts since 2005, Hilltown Families supports development and enhancement of our local economy and community. Local businesses, individuals, schools, and non-profits are encouraged to partner with Hilltown Families through sponsorship and advertising. Let us help get the word out about your after school/homeschool class, event, camp, workshop, fundraiser, business/school, service, open house, volunteer opportunity or general announcement. Deliver your message to thousands of families living throughout the four counties of Western MA while supporting the community development work of Hilltown Families! Click HERE to find out more.
After-School Classes & Enrichment Programs
Reach thousands of families in the region with our 2018-2019 directory! Reserve your space.
Our community is rich in learning opportunities to supplement the interests of children, teens, and life-long learners. We have put together a directory of after-school & weekend classes and enrichment programs happening across Western Massachusetts throughout the school year. Many of these programs aren’t just for kids, so to all the adults out there – feel encouraged to pursue your interests and honor your callings through these enrichment classes, too!
If you have a class or program you would like to have included in our directory, contact us at sales@hilltownfamilies.org to learn about our advertising options and sponsorship packages.
Bulletin Board
Enroll Now!
Join Pioneer Valley Ballet for its Fall Session, September 10-December 1. PVB offers an 11-week ballet training program for ages 4+. A Beginner Modern class for ages 9-15 will also be offered, and Adult Ballet is held Sunday evenings. Visit www.pioneervalleyballet.org to register. Join PVB for its 40th anniversary of The Nutcracker from December 7-9. Community auditions will be held September 15 for ages 5-10. No dance experience necessary. Pioneer Valley Ballet is located in the Eastworks Building at 116 Pleasant Street in Easthampton, MA. 413-527-6363.
The Movement Observation in Children and Adolescents (MOCA) study is a research study to improve how we measure physical activity using wearable sensors. Participation is Easy! All you have to do is live your normal life while you wear two small activity trackers and we record you using a video camera. Our research staff will come to you and work around your schedule. Anyone from 1.5-17 years old can participate. All you have to do is complete four 1-hour sessions. Receive a $20 Target Gift Card for participating. Have a parent or guardian contact Brett Gramann on how to get involved. Email: bgramann@umass.edu, call: 413-545-1583, visit: www.umass.edu.
Enroll Now!
Intergenerational Music and Dance is a group that celebrates the joy of music and dance for all generations. Participants will engage in choral singing, folk dancing, singing games, music literacy activities, and plenty of laughter and joy. Choral literature will be selected from a variety of genres and cultures. We will learn folk dances and play singing games to foster community and engage in musical play. No prior music experience is necessary. For children (ages 6+) with a participating adult or adults alone. Mondays 6:00 – 7:00 at the Unitarian Universalist Church in Amherst. To register for the Fall semester, contact the director: Rachel Gibson rgibson@westfield.ma.edu https://rachelgibson299.wixsite.com/mysite
Add your class
Reach thousands of families in the region with our 2018-2019 directory! Reserve your space. Our community is rich in after-school learning opportunities to supplement the interests of our children, teens, and life-long learners. We are putting together a directory of after-school & weekend classes and enrichment programs happening across Western Massachusetts to be published on our web site later this month and featured throughout the school year. If you have a class or program you would like to have included in our directory, contact us at sales@hilltownfamilies.org to learn about our advertising options and sponsorship packages.
Add your school
Hilltown Families Preschool Directory: Are you looking for a preschool that fits your child’s personality and reflects your family’s values? Check out our growing Preschool Directory, covering all four counties in Western Massachusetts, and find the perfect place for your young one! — Have a school you’d like to include in this list? Click here to find out how to have it added.
ADVERTISE HERE: Reach thousands of families in Western MA while supporting the community development work of Hilltown Families! See your summer camp, class, community event, school, open house, audition, homeschool program, workshop, volunteer opportunity, wellness program, local business, after-school class, or non-profit featured here in the Bulletin Board section of our list of Weekly Suggested Events and in our weekly eNewsletter, reaching thousands of families living throughout the four counties of Western MA while supporting the community development work of Hilltown Families! Find out more about our advertising options and how you can partner with Hilltown Families in your online marketing by emailing us at at sales@hilltownfamilies.org.
JOIN OUR TEAM OF CONTRIBUTING WRITERS: Interested in becoming a Contributing or Guest Writer for Hilltown Families? We welcome writings that reflect the community-building and educational efforts parents, teens, teachers, artists, activists and community leaders work towards and accomplish, and how that affects, supports and empowers our families. All writing styles welcomed, including local reviews, DIY posts, seasonal cooking/local food, and community-based educational & community service learning opportunities/resources. Send your query to info@hilltownfamilies.org.
LIST OF WEEKLY SUGGESTED EVENTS
September 8th – 14th, 2018
Saturday • Sunday
Monday • Tuesday • Wednesday • Thursday • Friday
Suggest an Event | Cultural Itineraries | Forecast | Museum Passes | Weekly eNewsletter | Farmers’ Markets | Storyhour & Playgroups| Berkshire Family Fun | Advertise/Sponsorship | en Español
Events Happening in the Hilltowns
Saturday, September 8th, 2018
Click HERE to discover classes. Click HERE to find out about other community events. Click HERE to leave a comment about upcoming events.
9-10am – HILLTOWN FAMILY VARIETY SHOW: Tune in on your FM dial, or listen live via streaming audio at www.valleyfreeradio.org. Danny Weinkauf guest DJs our science and education episode, demonstrating though song examples and commentary his love of both, and how it has influenced his favorite songs and personal writing style. Encore of Saturday’s broadcast airs Sunday morning from 7-8am and podcast is posted here on Hilltown Families immediately following Sunday’s broadcast. Listen to the Hilltown Family Variety Show podcasts anytime. Click here select from over 10 years of archived shows!
Saturday, September 8, 9-11am
NATURE STUDIES/MYCOLOGY
Mushroom are truly magical organisms. The fleshy, spore covered protuberance that we see growing above the ground is only a portion of the whole organism. One particularly old and massive fungal organism can be found in the Malheur National Forest in Oregon, which is more than 2,400 years old and extends over 2,200 acres! The largest above ground mushroom, or “fruiting body,” was recently discovered in China. This mammoth mushroom was thirty six feet tall and weighed more than a thousand pounds. Because the vast majority of its body is underground, mushrooms can often appear and disappear rapidly, with some species that literally appear overnight and then retract by the afternoon of the next day. Mushrooms are mysterious but we know that they play a key role in forest ecosystems. On this walk, Pat McDonagh will discuss how mushrooms interact with other species of plants and animals around them. Fitzgerald Lake Conservation Area. North Farms Road, Florence, MA (FREE)Saturday, September 8, 9am-12pm
BOTANY/NATURE STUDIES
Ralph Waldo Emerson once wrote: “the earth laughs in flower.” Indeed, coming upon a patch of wildflowers in the meadows or forests is like nothing so much as witnessing a spontaneous expression of joy from the earth itself. Summer wildflowers include some of the most vibrant and stimulating species, such as goldenrods, asters, and lobelias. In these waning days of summer, enjoy a stirring morning walk in search of wildflowers at Graves Farm. Graves Farm Wildlife Sanctuary. Adams Road, Haydenville, MA ($)Saturday, September 8, 10am-5pm
ARTS AND CRAFTS/PLACEMAKING
It’s time again for the Craft Fair on the Main Green! Come check out a wide range of local, handmade crafts, including clothes, jewelry, art, and other unique items. This is a great opportunity to support local crafters and artisans and pick out a truly special gift for someone that you care about. Crafters put so much of themselves into their work and are so excited to share their passion with others, let’s support them! Enjoy the beautiful weather and get to know some of the talented folks that make up our special community. Hadley, MA (FREE)Saturday, September 8, 10:30am-6pm
FASHION/MUSIC
Do you think vinyl is groovy? Looking for a new turtleneck so you can swing with the hep cats? Come on down to the Retrofaire Open-Air Market this saturday and browse through an extensive collection of vintage clothing and vinyl records, while DJs spin live music. Proceeds go to benefit organizations supporting local artists. Between Thorne’s Market and the Parking Garage. Northampton, MA (FREE)Saturday, September 8, 11am-6pm
RELIGIOUS STUDIES/PLACEMAKING
Calling Wiccans, Asatru, druids, witches, Rodnovers, Romuva, Goddess worshippers, and all other pagans! The word “pagan” is derived from the Latin word “paganus,” meaning “rustic” or “pertaining to the countryside.” During the days of early Christianity, within the Roman Empire, the term came to be used as a derogatory, pejorative term for non-Christians. Beginning in the nineteenth century, however, the term began to be used in a new context, by scholars, individuals, and communities who were inspired by the pre-Christian traditions of Europe, North Africa, and the Near East. This movement was influenced by the work of folklorists such as the brothers Grimm, who revived traditional stories, and the rediscovery of Old Gaelic and Old Norse literature. Modern paganism became even more established during the second half of the twentieth century, when counter cultural movements like feminism became integrated with pagan beliefs. The seminal American author Starhawk, for instance, was a key figure in developing an explicitly feminist spirituality, in the form of the Goddess movement. While Paganism has no single set of beliefs, texts, or structures, there are some commonalities. Typically, Paganism refers to the traditional spiritual systems and beliefs of pre-Christian Europe and surrounding areas. Paganism, almost without exception, can be characterized as earth-based spirituality and can even be seen as an outgrowth or parallel development to the environmental movement. There is also considerable differences between pagan communities that draw inspiration from past traditions to create an explicitly ‘modern’ spirituality and those that seek to actually recreate or revive indigenous religions, based on existing texts and customs. Come meet fellow pagans or just come to learn more about this wonderful community, at the Western Massachusetts Pagan Pride Day! Florence Civic Center. 90 Park Street, Florence, MA (FREE)Saturday, September 8, 7-8:45pm
COMEDY/IMPROV
Everybody loves to laugh but did you also know that laughing is good for you, too? Yes, it’s true: laughter may be the best medicine after all. A good laugh can relax your muscles for forty five minutes, release endorphins, lower blood pressure, and reduce stress. If you find yourself in need of a laugh, you are in luck. Local comedy group The Ha-Ha’s are coming to the Happier Valley Comedy show. Enjoy an evening of improv with these comedy veterans! Happier Valley Comedy. 1 Mill Valley Road, Hadley, MA ($)
Sunday, September 9th, 2018
Click HERE to discover classes. Click HERE to find out about other community events. Click HERE to leave a comment about upcoming events.
Sunday, September 9, 12-3pm
AGRICULTURE/FESTIVAL
The word “harvest” is originally derived from the Old English “haerfest,” meaning “autumn.” In ancient Britain and other European communities, this holiday marked the reaping and gathering of wheat. Victorian folklorist James George Frazer recounts a number of northern European ‘corn dolly’ customs, corn being an ancient term for any kind of grain: “In the neighbourhood of Danzig the person who cuts the last ears of corn makes them into a doll, which is called the Corn-mother or the Old Woman and is brought home on the last waggon. In some parts of Holstein the last sheaf is dressed in women’s clothes and called the Corn-mother. It is carried home on the last waggon, and then thoroughly drenched with water. The drenching with water is doubtless a rain-charm.” Typically these, dolls, made at the harvest time would be kept throughout the winter and then plowed into the furrows in the following spring. All over the world, harvest time is an occasion to thank the earth for providing us with food. Come celebrate the harvest, this sunday, at the Maple Ridge Church and Community Center. 659 Amherst Road, Sunderland, MA (FREE)Sunday, September 9, 5:30-7:30pm
COMMUNITY MEAL/VEGANISM
Veganism, a diet or lifestyle that does not use any animal byproducts, is growing in popularity. When the term ‘veganism’ was coined by English animal rights advocate Donald Watson in 1944, it was motivated by the principle that “man should live without exploiting animals.” The concept of abstaining from all animal products, however, goes back thousands of years. The ancient Greek philosopher Pythagoras, for instance, even went so far as to avoid wool. Veganism is also an important part of our local history! The Fruitlands commune in Harvard, Massachusetts, founded by the father of Louisa May Alcott, was partly inspired by a commitment to veganism. If you enjoy delicious vegan food, and want to get to know other like minded people in the area, come check out the Valley Vegan Society September Potluck! Cafe Evolution. 22 Chestnut Street, Florence, MA (SUGGESTED DONATION)
Monday, September 10th, 2018
Click HERE to discover classes. Click HERE to find out about other community events. Click HERE to leave a comment about upcoming events.
Storyhour & Playgroups: East Longmeadow, Pelham & Whately
Monday, September 10, 6-8pm
SOCIAL ISSUES/IMMIGRATION
Ever since the Abolitionists in the 19th century, social justice has always been an important part of our regional culture. The Pioneer Valley tends to draw people who are passionately committed to the values of equality, diversity, and justice, and local churches have played a major role in bringing the community together around these values. Sanctuary in the Streets, a rapid response network of more than 2,000 people and 40 congregations, has been formed to support our immigrant communities against unlawful detention, harassment, and hate crimes. Once a month, Sanctuary in the Streets holds their general assembly, an opportunity to learn about the group, discuss logistics and events, and plan for fundraising. There are plenty of ways to get involved. If you would like to learn more about supporting immigrants rights in our area, come check out the Sanctuary in the Streets general assembly! The Parlor Room. 32 Masonic Street, Northampton, MA (FREE)
Tuesday, September 11th, 2018
Click HERE to discover classes. Click HERE to find out about other community events. Click HERE to leave a comment about upcoming events.
Tuesday, September 11, 5:30-6:30pm
ARCHITECTURE/HISTORY
Structuralist philosopher Roland Barthes once wrote: “Eiffel saw his Tower in the form of a serious object, rational, useful; men return it to him in the form of a great baroque dream which quite naturally touches on the borders of the irrational … architecture is always dream and function, expression of a utopia and instrument of a convenience.” Occupying this liminal space, between wakefulness and slumber, architecture has historically been guarded by the initiate, like a hermetic secret. It is well known that things kept in the dark long to be discovered. A skeleton in the closet is a surefire recipe for a haunting. As Holly Fellow Beatriz Colomina will discuss in this free lecture, women are the ghosts of architecture, a prickling sensation on the back of the neck, felt but not seen or acknowledged. It is not merely a matter of recognizing the role of women in the history of architecture, however, but a tectonic shift in the conception of architecture itself. The Clark Art Institute. 225 South Street, Williamstown, MA (FREE)
Wednesday, September 12th, 2018
Click HERE to discover classes. Click HERE to find out about other community events. Click HERE to leave a comment about upcoming events.
Wednesday, September 12, 6:30-8pm
HEALTH AND WELLNESS/OPEN HOUSE
Intuitive Spirit Healing Arts and Modig Internal Disciplines are teaming up for a special open house, this wednesday! This event will give you the opportunity to learn about new healing and wellness modalities, including massage, acupressure, reiki, qigong, and yoga. If you’ve always been curious about some of these techniques, you can ask talk to the therapists, ask questions, or even attend a demonstration. These time honored healing traditions are perfect for dealing with chronic pain, anxiety, and a host of other ailments. 42 Summer Street, Pittsfield, MA (FREE)
Thursday, September 13th, 2018
Click HERE to discover classes. Click HERE to find out about other community events. Click HERE to leave a comment about upcoming events.
Thursday, September 13, 10:30-11:30am
STORYTELLING/HISTORY
Thirty thousand years ago, during the Aurignacian period, early modern human beings in Europe experienced a period of rapid cultural growth. The earliest known examples of cave art were created around this time, as well as the oldest discovered musical instrument. Moreover, some of the examples of cave art suggest the first evidence of religion. There is no finer site for Aurignacian art and culture than the Chauvet cave in southern France. The walls of this ancient cave are covered with detailed drawings of horses, mammoths, lions, bears, and hyenas, made in black and red ochre. Most intriguing by far is the strange and mysterious image of a woman with the head of a buffalo. Surrounded by peculiar markings and unidentified bird-like creatures, this haunting image has led archeologists to speculate that this was an important ritual site. This thursday, storyteller Jay Goldspinner will be showing slides from the Chauvet cave and leading a journey through time to seek to establish a connection with the people of this sacred place. Greenfield Public Library. 402 Main Street, Greenfield, MA (FREE)Thursday, September 13, 5:30pm
PUPPETRY/THEATER
Puppetry has a longstanding relationship with radical politics, and there are few puppetistas more well known than the folks at Bread and Puppet. Since the Vietnam War, Bread and Puppet has been performing incredible shows, featuring enormous puppets and thought provoking stories that challenge us to question the way we see the world. Come experience Bread and Puppets signature blend of puppetry and theater, at “The Grasshopper Rebellion Circus,” a show that redefines the idea of human nature. Daniel Arts Center. 84 Alford Road, Great Barrington, MA (FREE)Thursday, September 13, 7-9:30pm
MUSIC STUDIES
Arlo Guthrie’s song “Massachusetts” was chosen as the official song of the state but his classic “Alice’s Restaurant” would have also been a perfect choice. This eighteen minute masterpiece recounts the epic sage of Guthrie’s arrest in Stockbridge after being caught dumping “half a ton of garbage” on private property. The garbage in question had originated from the home of Guthrie’s friends Ray and Alice Brock. The latter owned a restaurant, which eventually closed, but as the song says, Alice lived in an old church building nextdoor. The church, originally built in 1829, is now the home of the Guthrie Center and Guthrie Foundation. Every thursday, the Guthrie Center hosts a Weekly Hootenanny, where everyone is welcome to come play music or just listen along! The Guthrie Center. 2 Van Deusenville Road, Great Barrington, MA (FREE)
Friday, September 14th, 2018
Click HERE to discover classes. Click HERE to find out about other community events. Click HERE to leave a comment about upcoming events.
Friday, September 14, 6:30-8pm
ASTRONOMY/STEM
Astronomers and physicists work with some of the most intriguing ideas in the universe, literally! One of the most intriguing concepts in theoretical physics is the idea of a clock that could keep time even after the universe has ceased to exist. Yes, you read that correctly. A team of researchers at California’s Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory have begun work constructing an eternal clock, based off a model proposed by physicists at MIT. This clock, made from a crystal existing in four dimensions, which is to say time and space, would be composed of charged atoms. The repulsive force between like-charged particles could, theoretically, be calculated at a low enough quantum energy state that its momentum would never become subject to the laws of entropy, the force that gradually erodes all energy in the universe. Thus, a clock constructed from these particles would be able to record time forever. What would it even look like to record time forever? By definition “forever” never ends. The idea of a clock that literally never stops is frankly enough to make ones head explode. Well if you’re excited about astronomy but are looking for something a little less mind-bending, come check out this Family Astronomy event with Rick Costello. Mason Library Children’s Room. 231 Main Street, Great Barrington, MA (FREE)Friday, September 14, 7-9pm
PHILOSOPHY/FILM SCREENING
Carl Jung was one of the greatest thinkers of the modern era. His insight into the nature of the human psyche is perhaps unsurpassed and it is no surprise that Freud chose Jung to be his protege and heir in guiding the future of what he saw as the “new science” of psychoanalysis. Freud would go on to call Jung his “adopted eldest son, his crown prince and successor.” In 1910, Freud’s endorsement led Jung to be named as the Chairman for Life of the International Psychoanalytical Association. Tragically, however, Freud and Jung would ultimately diverge in their thinking, leading to a complete break between them. When Jung published Psychology of the Unconscious in 1912, Freud utterly rejected the book, dismissing Jung’s theories and causing him to be shunned by his colleagues. They would never reconcile. Ultimately, the source of the tension between the two friends stemmed from Jung’s focus on the unconscious, the idea for which he would become best known. While Freud insisted that the core of human personality and psychology was fundamentally shaped by the expression and repression of the libido, Jung saw the unconscious as the driving factor in psychology. One can easily see how this distinction might cause a rift between the two. For Freud, the unconscious was more like a rubbish heap, a place where desires, thoughts, and emotions were left to rot. Unable to be understood or accepted by the conscious ego, all unwanted or threatening content is jettisoned, banished to the vast sea of the unconscious. As such, the unconscious, in Freud’s schema, is inert and can only impact the individual in negative ways. But if the Freud’s unconscious is a dark, foreboding sea, Jung’s is a vast, unexplored continent, alive with our own history, waiting to be discovered. Like most important ideas, what Jung called “the collective unconscious” is largely misunderstood. The concept does not merely suggest that contemporary individual psychology shares the same psychic structures, or archetypes, as earlier generations of the species, but in fact, that our minds bear the remnants of the structures of mind of all life on earth. This is to say that, just as no matter is ever created or destroyed, but only recycled continuously, human beings still function psychologically as early humans and even non-human animals. While the ancient world gave us a context for understanding this, in the form of polytheism, shapeshifting, demonic possession, and nature worship, modern society denies the presence of these earlier structures in the human psyche. We are told, in other words, that we are not what we know ourselves to be. Thus, for Jung, the task of psychology and human development was to integrate both the conscious and unconscious, to realize that we are infinitely more than we perceive ourselves to be. If you would like to learn more about the life and thought of this titanic figure in modern thought, don’t miss the screening of the film Matter of Heart: The Extraordinary Journey of C.G. Jung Into the Soul of Man. This film features plenty of interviews with Jung and even some home movies. Don’t miss it! Seelye Hall. Smith College. Northampton, MA (FREE)
Hilltown Families’ list of Suggested Events is supported in part by a grant from the Belchertown, Buckland, Chicopee, Plainfield, Shelburne, Westhampton, and Worthington Cultural Councils, local agencies which are supported by the Massachusetts Cultural Council, a state agency.
