Hilltown Families 
Weekly Suggested Events for Nov 28 – Dec 4, 2020
Home < Weekly Suggested Events
LEARNING RESOURCES
NATURE-BASED/HIKING. Trails at Mass Audubon
NATURE-BASED LEARNING/SHORELINE. Virtual Coastal Learning Opportunities with The Trustees.
NATURE-BASED LEARNING/HUMANITIES. Resources for Educators and Homeschooling Parents with The Trustees
ART STUDIES/RESOURCE. Norman Rockwell Museum Curriculum Lab
MUSIC STUDIES/JAZZ. Jazz Library at the Jones Library
FAMILY MUSIC. Children’s Music Network Livestream Calendar
INDIGENOUS AMERICAN. Teaching Native American Histories
INDIGENOUS AMERICAN. Resources for Native American Heritage Month
INDIGENOUS AMERICAN. Listening to Wampanoag Voices: Beyond 1620
AFRICAN AMERICAN. National Museum of African American History & Culture Resources & Learning Activities
Featured Events, Resources, & Opportunities
Stuck inside? Learn something new with Oak Meadow’s Thanksgiving craft sale! From November 27-31, save 20% on craft items, craft kits, gifts, games, and resources in their online bookstore. A trusted homeschooling option since 1975, Oak Meadow offers hands-on, Waldorf-inspired crafts items that are great for children and parents alike. Mix up your learning from home routine with new craft activities, or create some kid-made gifts for the holiday season! Shop the weekend after Thanksgiving at oakmeadowbookstore.com.
The New England Air Museum (NEAM) will host a Toys for Tots Toy Drive on Friday, November 27, 10:30am-2:30pm. Bring a new unwrapped toy for a youth in need, and receive free admission to the NEAM for children up to age 14. The museum will be collecting toys from Nov 27-Dec 12 to bring holiday cheer to those less fortunate by way of a new toy. NEAM is open daily from 10am-3pm & is the largest aviation museum in New England. It comprises three large public hangars, outdoor exhibits, and more than 100 aircraft ranging from early airships & flying machines to supersonic jets & helicopters. For more info & directions, visit www.neam.org or call 860-623-3305. NEAM is located within Windsor Locks, CT, adjacent to Bradley International Airport.
Join the Pioneer Valley Symphony on Saturday, December 12 at 7pm for its 2020 Virtual Holiday Concert on Zoom. During this festive and family-friendly annual tradition, participants will sing and play along to holiday classics, hear fond memories from PVS ensemble members, and enjoy beloved Christmas and Hanukkah music together. The interactive program will feature compilations from the PVS Orchestra and Youth Orchestra and the world premiere of the ‘Winter Wonderland’ Virtual Choir Project. Tickets are $15 and available on the PVS website. Free passes to all PVS programs are available through a partnership with over 25 local libraries. Contact your local library for details. For more information email admin@pvso.org.
FEATURED HOLIDAY EVENT
A2Z Science & Learning Toy Store has unique gifts for everyone on your holiday shopping list! Find fun jigsaw puzzles for adults, science kits for kids, games for the whole family, baby & toddler toys, and just fun & cool stuff you won’t find anywhere else! Shop in-store or online with their full inventory range. (Over 8,000 products!) They offer curbside pickup, local delivery, and shipping anywhere in the USA! Find them at 57 King Street in Northampton, MA, or online at A2ZScience.com!
FEATURED LOCAL TOY STORE
This holiday season, surprise the music lover on your list with virtual music lessons. For a limited time, Community Music School of Springfield gift packages feature buy-4-lessons get-1-free pricing! Choose a Trial Lesson Package for someone who wants to get a feel for high-quality music lessons using CMSS’s state-of-the-art virtual platform. Or new this year, if your loved one is ready to commit to ongoing lessons, you can LOCK IN discounted pricing for the rest of the school year (this translates to 4 free lessons, and payment plans are available). Perhaps you have a little one at home this year – Enroll in any Prelude Preschool of the Arts remote programming in Nov or Dec and get a host of add-ons for free! Visit CMSS online to learn more.
FEATURED VIRTUAL MUSIC LESSONS
Giving Tree School. Gill, MA. Celebrate the whole child! The Giving Tree preschool program is thoughtfully designed to support young children’s social-emotional growth, problem-solving, and conflict resolution skills. Students enjoy ample outdoor exploration and playtime each day in our rambling and rugged Outdoor Classroom. Only 15 minutes from downtown Greenfield, set among the woods and pastures of Gill. Giving Tree is committed to fostering active, hands-on early learning experiences that are playful and purposeful, laying the foundation for a lifelong love of learning. Licensed by EEC and accredited by NAEYC & HighScope. Sliding scale tuition, accepting children ages 2.9-5. For more information: givingtreeschool.org, admin@givingtreeschool.org, or call 413-863-9218.
FEATURED PRESCHOOL
Partner with Hilltown Families in your online advertising! Delivering your message each week to over 25,000 subscribers, web visitors, and social media followers, Hilltown Families can bring your message to thousands of readers in Western MA who are committed to their community and willing to support one another in times of need. In-person and virtual event organizers, local and online businesses, virtual and local service providers, non-profit organizations, and individuals are encouraged to reach out to find out about our affordable advertising options and marketing packages. To find out how we can partner together in your online marketing and outreach, contact Sienna at swildfield@hilltownfamilies.org.
SEE YOUR AD HERE
Class Directory
Discover virtual & adapted programming in our 2020/2021 Class Directory for Western MA.
Preschool Directory
Find what you’re looking for in our 2020/2021 Preschool & Daycare Directory for Western MA
List of Weekly Suggested Events
EVENTS FOR SATURDAY, NOVEMBER 28, 2020
STORYWALK. Dusk-Dawn. “A Hat for Minerva Louise” @ Forbes Library
STORYWALK. dawn to dusk. Family Self-Guided Story Walk
HIKING. Mass Audubon Hike-a-thon
HOLIDAYS. Festival of Trees: Legends of the Berkshires
CHRISTMAS/SANTA. Christmas Tree Trolley with Santa
FILM STUDIES. 2020 NY Cat Film Festival
ART STUDIES. 9am. HENRI MATISSE ONLINE: Painting with Scissors
HISTORY/NEW ENGLAND. 10am. 17th-Century Life w/Historic Deerfield
HOLIDAY LIGHTS. 4-9pm. Holiday Light Display at Look Park
HOLIDAY LIGHTS. 4:30-8:30pm. Winterlights at Naumkeag
HOLIDAY LIGHTS. 4:45-8:45pm. Bright Nights at Forest Park
PLACEMAKING/HOLIDAYS. 5pm. NightWood, A Sound & Light Experience at The Mount
HOLIDAY LIGHTS. 5-9pm. Winterfest & the Tunnel of Lights
HOLIDAY LIGHTS. 5-9pm. Light Up the Franklin Cty Fairgrounds
EVENTS FOR SUNDAY, NOVEMBER 29, 2020
STORYWALK. Dusk-Dawn. “A Hat for Minerva Louise”
STORYWALK. dawn to dusk. Family Self-Guided Story Walk
HIKING. Mass Audubon Hike-a-thon
FILM STUDIES. 2020 NY Cat Film Festival
GEOLOGY. 9am. Geology of the Pioneer Valley
GUIDED WALK. 11am. Guided walk through the Mittineague Park Interpretive Trail. Email the names of participants: parkandrec@tows.org.
FLORAL DESIGN/WREATHS. 2pm. Online Wreath Classes Via Zoom
HOLIDAY LIGHTS. 4-9pm. Holiday Light Display at Look Park
HOLIDAY LIGHTS. 4:30-8:30pm. Winterlights at Naumkeag
HOLIDAY LIGHTS. 4:45-8:45pm. Bright Nights at Forest Park
PLACEMAKING/HOLIDAYS. 5pm. NightWood, A Sound & Light Experience at The Mount
HOLIDAY LIGHTS. 5-9pm. Winterfest & the Tunnel of Lights
HOLIDAY LIGHTS. 5-9pm. Light Up the Franklin Cty Fairgrounds
SENSE OF PLACE. 7pm. Virtual Campfire Gathering
EVENTS FOR MONDAY, NOVEMBER 30, 2020
FILM STUDIES. 2020 NY Cat Film Festival
CREATIVE FREE-PLAY. 9am. Virtual Stuffed Animal Sleepover
MUSIC & MOVEMENT. 10:30am. Sing With Your Little Ones with Wendy & Anna Plummer
NUTRITION/COOKING. 12:30pm. Learn to Cook Virtually Alongside a Dietitian
NATURE-BASED LEARNING. 3:30-5pm. Afterschool Outside: Grades 3-5
HOLIDAY LIGHTS. 4-9pm. Holiday Light Display at Look Park
HOLIDAY LIGHTS. 4:45-8:45pm. Bright Nights at Forest Park
STEM/CODING. 5:30pm. Learn to Code on Scratch
OUTDOOR ADVENTURES. 6pm. Full Moon Meander
PARENTING TRAINING/ANXIETY. 6pm. How to help kids with anxiety.
LAND MANAGEMENT. 6:30pm. Managing Forestland: From Acorns to Ancients
BOOK DISCUSSION. 7-8:30pm. “The Hate U Give” with the New Salem Public Library
FILM STUDIES. 8pm. Far Out Film Discussion – Virtual: A Zed & Two Noughts
EVENTS FOR TUESDAY, DECEMBER 1, 2020
STORYWALK. Dusk-Dawn. “A Hat for Minerva Louise” @ Forbes Library
FILM STUDIES. 2020 NY Cat Film Festival
ORNITHOLOGY. 9am. Neotropic Birding Adventures: Colombia
PARENTING. 9-10:30pm. Parenting for Beginners
FIBER ART/KNITTING. 12:30pm. Knitting with Northampton Wools
BILINGUAL/CONCERT. 2pm. 123 Andrés LIVE Bilingual Concert for Families
STEM. 3:30pm. STEAM Grow N Glow Terrarium (K-Gr 2)
STORYTIME. 4-4:30pm. Storytime: “Whose Shoes?”
HOLIDAY LIGHTS. 4-9pm. Holiday Light Display at Look Park
HOLIDAY LIGHTS. 4:30-8:30pm. Winterlights at Naumkeag
HOLIDAY LIGHTS. 4:45-8:45pm. Bright Nights at Forest Park
CULINARY ARTS. 5pm. Cooking Class: Learn to Make Gnocchi!
MUSIC STUDIES/DRUMMING. 5:30pm. West African & Caribbean Drum and Song Class
ART STUDIES/PASTELS. 6pm. Pastel Painting Workshop with Gregory Maichack
DIVERSITY/RACIAL JUSTICE. 6:30pm. Using Culturally Responsive Practices to Address Implicit Bias
LOCAL HISTORY. 6:30pm. Quabbin Reservoir
STEM/CODING. 6:30pm. Learn to Code
MARINE BIOLOGY. 6:30pm. Virtual: Kenya: Humpbacks not Lions (grades 6-Adult)
ART STUDIES. 7pm. Museum Of Bad Art: Tough Times – A Bad Day to Dystopian Apocalypse
EVENTS FOR WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 2, 2020
STORYWALK. Dusk-Dawn. “A Hat for Minerva Louise” @ Forbes Library
FILM STUDIES. 2020 NY Cat Film Festival
ART STUDIES/STUDIO TOUR. 10am. Virtual Studio Tour
NATURE-BASED LEARNING. 10am-12pm. Junior Discovery Days
STORYTIME. 10am. Storytime with the Naturalist
LITERACY/STORYTIME. 10-10:30am. Story Time Online with Meghan
FIBER ARTS/KNITTING. 12-1pm. Knot Just Knitters
INDIGENOUS AMERICAN. 2pm. Indigenous Bear Teachings Webinar
LABOR STUDIES/WOMEN’S HISTORY. 2pm. Anna Sullivan: Labor’s First Lady in Western MA
WORLD STUDIES. 3-4pm. VIRTUAL: World Traveler’s Club
LITERACY/STORYTIME 4pm. J is for JAM & JELLY Story Hour
HOLIDAY LIGHTS. 4-9pm. Holiday Light Display at Look Park
LITERACY/STORYTIME. 4-4:45pm. Cushman Library Story Hour
HOLIDAY LIGHTS. 4:30-8:30pm. Winterlights at Naumkeag
HOLIDAY LIGHTS. 4:45-8:45pm. Bright Nights at Forest Park
PEDAGOGY. 5pm. Education Now
ART STUDIES/BLM. 5:30pm. Curriculum Takeover for Black Lives Matter
MUSIC STUDIES/CLASSICAL. 7pm. Hidden Figures: Classical
YOGA/TEENS. 7-8:15pm. Yoga for Teens Series (ONLINE)
FILM STUDIES/ANIMATION. 7pm. Pixar Animation Artist
MUSIC STUDIES/UKULELE. 7pm. The Ukulele Scramble
MUSIC STUDIES/BACH. 7:30pm. Entering Bach’s World
ART STUDIES/STUDIO TOUR. 7:30pm. Virtual Studio Tour
AFRICAN-AMERICAN LITERATURE. 7:30pm. Book Group: “The Souls of Black Folk”
CHANUKAH/CULINARY ARTS. 8pm. Virtual Chanukah Cooking Class
CULINARY ARTS. 9:30pm. Learn the Art of Sauce Making
EVENTS FOR THURSDAY, DECEMBER 3, 2020
STORYWALK. Dusk-Dawn. “A Hat for Minerva Louise” @ Forbes Library
FILM STUDIES. 2020 NY Cat Film Festival
NATURAL HISTORY/TRACKING. 9:30am. Eco-Quest Discovery
CREATIVE FREE-PLAY. 10am-12pm. Junior Nature Play
NUTRITION/CULINARY ARTS. 12pm. Healthy Cooking Demos
U.S. HISTORY. 12:15pm. Museum a la Carte Zoom
MUSIC STUDIES/OPERA. 4pm. Exploring Opera: Jewish Treasures
HOLIDAY LIGHTS. 4-9pm. Holiday Light Display at Look Park
HOLIDAY LIGHTS. 4:30-8:30pm. Winterlights at Naumkeag
HOLIDAY LIGHTS. 4:45-8:45pm. Bright Nights at Forest Park
HOLIDAY LIGHTS. 5pm. NightWood, A Sound & Light Experience at The Mount
GARDENING. 6:30-7:30pm. Ecological Gardening
ORNITHOLOGY. 7pm. Crows, Ravens, & Winter Roosts
THEATER STUDIES. 7:30-8:30pm. The Amplifier: Immersive Digital Theatre Project Launch
NUTRITIONAL ANTHROPOLOGY. 8pm. Around the World Cooking Class
CULINARY ARTS. 9:30pm. Learn How to Cook – French Bistro
Self-Directed Learning:
FOOD STUDIES
NUTRITIONAL ANTHROPOLOGY
8pm. Around the World Virtual Cooking Class
EVENTS FOR FRIDAY, DECEMBER 4, 2020
STORYWALK. Dusk-Dawn. “A Hat for Minerva Louise” @ Forbes Library
HISTORIC TRADES. 9:30am-4:30pm. Branches of Woodworking: Labor, Learning & Livelihood, 1760-1860
NATURE-BASED LEARNING. 10am. Learning with Nature
HISTORIC TRADES. 10am-4pm. Interpreted Broom Making
SINGING/INTERGENERATIONAL. 10:30-11:30am. Friday Family Sing
PLANT BIOLOGY. 11am. Broadleaf Evergreens
CULINARY ARTS. 12pm. Pepin Lecture: Cook, Taste, Learn
MUSIC STUDIES/HIP HOP. 12-1pm. How Hip Hop Became Hit Pop
HEALTH & WELLNESS/CHILDHOOD ANXIETY. 1pm. Helping Children
LIVING HISTORY. 3-8pm. Christmas by Candlelight at Old Sturbridge Village
PARENTING WORKSHOP. 4pm. Handling Anxiety in the COVID-19 Era
HOLIDAY LIGHTS. 4-9pm. Holiday Light Display at Look Park
HOLIDAY LIGHTS. 4:30-8:30pm. Winterlights at Naumkeag
TREE LIGHTING. 4:30pm. Virtual Lighting of the Merry Maple
HOLIDAY LIGHTS. 4:45-8:45pm. Bright Nights at Forest Park
HOLIDAY LIGHTS. 5pm. NightWood, A Sound & Light Experience at The Mount
HOLIDAY LIGHTS. 5-9pm. Winterfest & the Tunnel of Lights
HOLIDAY LIGHTS. 5-9pm. Light Up the Franklin Cty Fairgrounds
THEATER STUDIES. 7pm. Facing the Future: Climate Change Theater
PHYSICAL EDUCATION. 7-8:30pm. Ninja Night at Roots Gymnastics
MUSIC STUDIES. 7pm. Scott Sanchez, Classical Guitarist
Online and in-person events and resources shared above are done so as a courtesy and not as an endorsement. While we do our best to share accurate and up-to-date information, please take the time to confirm information, age appropriateness, registration requirements, safety protocols, and associated costs.
Subscribe ♦ Advertising & Partnership Opportunities ♦ Learning Opportunities ♦ en Español
Hilltown Families’ list of Suggested Events is supported in part by grants from the Amherst, Bernardston, Buckland, Chester, Gill, Goshen, Hadley, Heath, Hinsdale-Peru, Holyoke, Montgomery, Mt. Washington, New Salem, Northern Berkshire, Pelham, Plainfield, Rowe, Shelburne, Shutesbury, South Hadley, Springfield, Washington, Westhampton, and Windsor Cultural Councils, local agencies which are supported by the Massachusetts Cultural Council, a state agency.
