Hilltown Families 
Archives
HFVS Transportation Episode with Guest DJ, Camille Harris.
Musician and comedian, Camille Harris, explores the word “transportation” and the various ways in which we move around the world each day. Songs and stories about cars, buses, trains, trolleys, planes, rockets, and subways are all featured in this fun educational episode.
The Surprising Social Impact of Bicycles and Local Learning Opportunities Did you know that before inventing the world’s first successful airplane, Orville and Wilbur Wright owned a bicycle shop? They repaired and rented out bicycles and eventually went on to build their own bicycles and invent small improvements to the machines. In addition to gaining practice in engineering skills, this business funded their aviation experiments. Simpler and less expensive than cars, bicycles… Read More
Discover the complex story of Greenfield, a city stamped with impressive architecture, art history, diverse restaurants, community gardens, and an innovative eye to the future, during a day long tour, “Spring into Greenfield: A Trolley Ride Through our Town’s History and Architecture.” This enriching trip weaves together the many aspects of community crucial to the workings of a vibrant and progressive city, and will provide a unique lens into learning about a diverse, yet connect, series of interests!
Now that spring has arrived, it’s time to pull out those bikes, oil the chain and pump up the tires! This month in “Parenting Green,” Angie reviews how biking with your kids is a healthy option (both for you and the planet), how to bike safely, and pointers on how to make bike riding a wholesome family adventure.
Coming down the tracks and headed straight into the hands of young enthusiasts, are three new picture books about trains. If you have little engineers in your life, the ones who sleep with trains under their pillows, who hear the whistle from miles away, who build tracks from one end of the house to the other, then check out these exciting books…
Planes, Trains, and Automobiles History of Transportation in the Pioneer Valley One of the best ways to learn about the changes that historical events and innovative inventions create is by studying local history. By learning about broad concepts and eras within history, we can gain an understanding of how things changed on a large scale. However, to really understand how these changes were played out on a smaller scale, we must examine… Read More
Tales from the Trail: Four Centuries of Travels Along the Mohawk Trail By Gabriel Abbott Memorial School Students (Florida, MA) The Mohawk Trail has been an important transportation route to communities across the northwestern part of Massachusetts for hundreds of years. Though the types of vehicles used for transportation and the purpose of transportation have changed, the Mohawk Trail remains an important route through the Western Massachusetts. Students from Gabriel Abbott Memorial… Read More
Families Can Volunteer at the Shelburne Falls Trolley Museum Help to preserve local history and an important part of the evolution of transportation by volunteering at the Shelburne Falls Trolley Museum! The museum is home to trolleys, a pump car, and information and memorabilia related to local history and the history of train and trolley transportation. Volunteers at the museum can help with many different tasks, depending on skills, interest, and age…. Read More
23rd Annual Chester on Track Festival Saturday, May 19th, 2012 Chester, MA All aboard for Chester On Track, the 23rd annual railroad-themed family festival in downtown Chester, MA on Saturday, May 19 from 9am-4pm, rain or shine. This FREE event gathers some of the very best early industrial, railroad, military and artisan talent from around the region and is a fun way for families to discover the history of local transportation and… Read More
QUESTION AND ANSWERS Earth Day is being celebrated today and Summer time is on it’s way! So let’s talk BIKES… where’s a good place to get a new or used bike for the family in Western MA? Amanda Saklad suggests, “Craigslist is good and good for the earth – REDUCE, REUSE, RECYCLE!!” Kara Kitchen suggests, “FJ Rogers in Florence.” Susan Rees suggests, “Full Circle in Florence. Great tune-ups too.” Abbe Laine Schiowitz… Read More
Cultural Itineraries
- Season: January & February
- Season: March & April
- Season: May & June
- Season: July & August
- Season: September & October
- Season: November & December
