Featured Events, Resources, & Opportunities

The Amherst Business Improvement District is proud to present the first annual Downtown Sip ‘n Shop Stroll on Thursday, December 15 from 5-9pm, sponsored by People Bank! Head downtown to enjoy! Fabulous downtown retail with little “sips” along the way. Five amazing dinner options for a full 3-course meal for $35 with incredible options for smaller bites at our many global dining options throughout our downtown. FREE carriage rides will be happening through town to bring visitors to shops, restaurants, and bars, courtesy of Muddy Brook Farm. A beautifully curated Maker’s market will be happening, too, featuring artisans, crafters, and makers with bar service in the Drake: Live Performance and Music Venue, and more! 

The Eric Carle Museum in Amherst has something for everyone this December! Join author Tiffany Jewell on Saturday, December 17 at 1pm for The Antiracist Kid: A Book Talk. Kids ages 8 to 12 are invited to join a group conversation about racism and injustice and what to do when they encounter it at home, at school, or in the media. Also, on December 17 at 3pm, join the Happier Family Comedy Show in a performance full of high energy and family-friendly funnies. For more information, www.carlemuseum.org.

Registration is open for spring semester classes at Holyoke Community College. More than 80 degree and certificate options are available. There is extensive academic and student support, flexible on-campus and online schedules, laptops for loan and WiFi hotspots to borrow, a student food pantry, a student emergency fund, and a drop-in child watch. Adult-focused programs include Pathways, New Directions for Adult Learners, Veterans Services, and college credit for work/life experience. Classes begin January 17. Flexible. Affordable. Holyoke Community College. Email admissions@hcc.edu today.

The Connecticut Trolley Museum’s Annual Winterfest & the Tunnel of Lights begins Nov 25 and will be held from 5-9pm on Fri-Sun nights through Dec 23. Additionally, the Museum will be open from Dec 26-30. Halls are decked both inside & outside. Trolley cars transport guests down a tunnel of lights as they sing traditional Christmas Carols with their trolley car operators. For an open-air view of the “Tunnel of Lights,” enjoy a sleigh car lit up with holiday lights. The Visitor Center is decorated as a Winter Wonderland with model train layouts & lights galore. Admission: $15-$20. Ticket sales must be made in advance: www.ct-trolley.org. Other events include Picture with Santa on 11/25 & Storytime Trolley with Santa & his Elf on 12/3 & 12/10.

List of Weekly Suggested Events

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Self-Directed Learning: Winter Farmers’ Markets

Winter farmers’ markets provide a fresh and colorful oasis during the winter months, reminding us that farm-fresh foods of all kinds are still available despite the blustery, snow-drift-covered fields that surround us. Connecting to the local food chain year-round is healthy for your body, your family, and your community, and it can be educational as well! Exposing children to the vast array of foods available from winter farmers’ markets can help them recognize that there are many different methods for growing and producing food while connecting them to where their food comes from.

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Self-Directed Learning: Citrus Season

Supermarkets and food co-ops are living laboratories for learning! These community-based educational resources are accessible to everyone and have something new to discover every week as we move through harvest seasons and holidays rich in food traditions. Citrus is abundant in the winter, and a delicious opportunity to learn about the many citrus varieties. Pick up a variety of oranges, grapefruits, lemons, and limes at your local market this winter, and get curious! Culinary arts, literature, agriculture, nutrition, arts & crafts, and even STEM are interests citrus can support.

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Self-Directed Learning: Christmas Icons

Many contemporary Christmas icons have commercial roots. From Coca-Cola’s Santa Claus to Aebersold & Bell’s Elf on a Shelf. This holiday season, examine the history behind the commercialization of Christmas and then compare and contrast with icons and traditions based on different cultures and values. Begin with Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer, first appearing in a booklet published by the department store chain Montgomery Ward, compared with reindeer’s traditional heritage.

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Self-Directed Learning: Botany/Mistletoe

Mistletoe, often associated with Christmas and holiday traditions, can be a lens for learning mythology, history, botany, and ecology. Get curious about this parasitic plant and discover its origins in magic, fertility, and love.

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Self-Directed Learning: Winter Solstice

The winter solstice is a celebration for many because it marks the turning point towards longer days. Like the new calendar year, this astrological event can also be a time of reflecting on the past and thinking about the future. Observances, celebrations, and rituals surrounding the winter solstice differ in many cultures and can be an excellent lens for learning about food traditions, cultural heritage, and seasonal changes in habitats. The winter solstice can also be a reflective time for reconnecting with nature and the community. As we begin to stay indoors more and spend time with families and friends, the winter season is an opportunity to disconnect from technology and reconnect through storytelling with neighbors and family.

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Self-Directed Learning: Geography/Polar Regions

If the North Pole is an ocean (Arctic Ocean) surrounded by land and the South Pole is a continent (Antarctica) surrounded by ocean, how could Santa call the North Pole home? Who else calls the North Pole home? Polar bears or penguins? With nearly 100% of Antarctica covered by ice a mile thick, why is it considered a desert? Is it colder at the North Pole or the South Pole? Why? ‘Tis the season we celebrate the folklore of the most famous resident of the North Pole, Santa Claus. Christmas is an excellent opportunity to get curious about the North and South Poles. Learn about geography, geology, meteorology, climate change, zoology, and much more through the lens of Earth’s polar regions.

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Self-Directed Learning: Dance Studies/Ballet

How did the tradition of annual performances of The Nutcracker come to be? Learn about its rich history, supporting an interest in dance, classical music, and holiday traditions! Then take a behind-the-scenes look with a contemporary ballerina, New York City Ballet principal dancer Maria Kowroski, as she prepares for the leading role in The Nutcracker.

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Weekly eNewsletter

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.

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Hilltown Families’ list of Suggested Events is supported in part by grants from the Agawam, Amherst, Becket, Bernardston, Buckland, Chester, Chicopee, Colrain, Cummington, Easthampton, Goshen, Granby, Greenfield, Hadley, Hatfield, Heath, Hinsdale/Peru, Huntington, Leyden, Montgomery, Mount Washington, Northern Berkshire, Orange, Otis, Palmer, Pelham, Rowe, Shelburne, Shutesbury, South Hadley, Tolland, Tyringham, Westhampton, Windsor, and Worthington Cultural Councils, local agencies which are supported by the Massachusetts Cultural Council, a state agency.