May 23, 2013 at 6:00 am (Suggested Events)
Tags: Berkshires, Family, Family Activities, Family Events, Hilltowns, Massachusetts, Memorial Day Weekend, New England, outdoors, Pioneer Valley, Things to do, Things to do in Western Massachusetts, Tourism, Travel, vacation, Western MA, western massachusetts
Discover fun and educational events happening this week in Western Mass, along with announcements, upcoming events, links, resources and the HFVS podcast.
SUGGEST AN EVENT
If you have a community event, educational program or service opportunity for youth/families happening in Western Massachusetts that you’d like to let us know about, post your event on our “Suggest An Event” page. 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.
BEST BETS: May 25th & 26th
Saturday & Sunday, May 25th & 26th from 9am-4pm – FIBER/FESTIVAL: The 39th Annual Massachusetts Sheep & Woolcraft Fair happens at the Cummington Fairgrounds. Loads of learning opportunities for the kids. Fiber and woolcraft vendors, sheep shearing demonstrations, sheep dog trials, fiber and woolcraft workshops for adults and children, sheep shows, fleece show and sale, fleece to shawl competition, and food booths. 413-238-5902. Fairgrounds Road. Cummington, MA (>$)
Saturday, May 25th at 11am and 1pm – KIDS’ CONCERT: Mister G rocks the Eric Carle Museum today! The acclaimed children’s musician presents Bailamos!, a bilingual dance party featuring songs from his incredibly popular albums Chocolala and Bugs. 413-658-1126. 125 West Bay Road. Amherst, MA. ($)
Sunday, May 26th from 10am-4pm – TRANSPORTATION/HISTORY: Chesterwood, a National Trust Historic Site, host their Vintage Motorcar Festival. Families can get a glimpse into history by viewing vintage vehicles on display. Kids can join in a car scavenger hunt and put their STEM skills to practice in LEGO car racing. Youth ages 15yo+ can also participate as judges of displayed vehicles. There will be live music, local foods and a nice afternoon at this national treasure! 413-298-3579. 4 Williamsville Road. Stockbridge, MA ($)
BULLETIN BOARD
May 31 – Jun 2
FREE Event: Experience the World of Art, Music, and Culture on the Amherst Common, May 31st (12-6), June 1st and 2nd (10-6) at the Cultural Survival Bazaar. A FREE Festival of Native Arts & Cultures from around the world. Shop handmade, fairly traded art, jewelry, clothing, crafts, decor, tribal rugs & more. Featuring guest artisans from Africa, Asia, and the Americas, music of Ecuador and Mali. Enjoy FREE music performances, craft-making demos and Tibetan cuisine. Proceeds support Native artisans, fair trade & Cultural Survival’s nonprofit work worldwide. For special features, artisan profiles, performance schedule, and other dates & locations visit their website at http://www.bazaar.cs.org Amherst Common on Boltwood Ave. Click Here for Preview
Jun 8 & Jun 15
Coming soon: Hilltown Idols! An adult & child karaoke competition/fundraiser for the Williamsburg Elementary School. Auditions are Sat., 6/8, with the Final Performance on Sat., 6/15 at 7pm at the Williamsburg Grange in Williamsburg. The competition is open to children & adults from near and far! There are four competition groups: Grades 3-5, 6-8, 9-12, & Adults. Prizes will be awarded to winners. Entry fee for contestants in Grades 3-12 is $5.00 & $25.00 for adults. Register by 6/1! Tickets for audience members on 6/8 are $2/individual or $5/family for the day. Tickets for the Final Performance on 6/15 are $5(Ages 3-18), $10(Adults), or $20 per family. See https://sites.google.com/site/hilltownidols for details.
Jun 24 – Aug 16
The Bement School offers a wide variety of summer programs for students from 15 months to 15 years. Located on a beautiful campus in historic Deerfield, Bement’s programs combine the summer fun of a traditional day camp with field trips and enrichment programs. The Preschool Program provides a safe, nurturing camp experience for the youngest campers. Adventures in Chinese is a full-day Chinese language and culture program. The Adventure Camp offers games, crafts, swimming, and field trips. The Junior Counselor Program gives teens experience working with children, developing valuable job skills, and enjoying summer fun. Summer programs run from June 24 to August 16. Call 413-774-7061 or visit bement.org/summer for more information.
Cooley Dickinson Childbirth Center: Voted “Best” Again in the Valley Advocate’s Readers Poll. For Granby residents Alyssa and Philip LaFlamme, Cooley Dickinson’s Childbirth Center was the comfortable choice. “From the moment I called to say I was on my way, I felt reassured and well taken care of,” said Alyssa, who praises labor and delivery nurse Terri Jay who “helped keep me calm when I had a few moments of panic.” Alyssa consistently received personalized care. “My friends have gone other places and they say they feel like a number at other hospitals.” The LaFlammes are not alone in their choice. For the third consecutive year, families have voted the Childbirth Center the Best Birthing Center in the Valley Advocate’s Readers’ Poll.
ADVERTISE HERE: Reach thousands of families in Western MA while supporting the community development work of Hilltown Families! See your April vacation event, open house, auditions, afterschool class, homeschool program, community event, workshop, school, wellness program or business featured here in the bulletin board section of our list of Weekly Suggested Events and eNewsletter, reaching thousands of families living throughout the four counties of Western MA! Find out more about our enhanced publicity packages and options and how we can help with your online marketing by emailing us at hilltownfamilies@gmail.com.
Looking for a summer camp or program in Western MA? Check out our featured post, 2013 Summer Camps and Programs in Western MA for a list that will wow and dazzle you! Summer opportunities featured range from music, art, farming, theater, dance, science, nature, sports, speaking, yoga, rock ‘n roll… to traditional summer day or overnight camps/programs! There’s something for all ages, toddlers to teens! Check it out and start making your summer plans!
Host Families Needed for Spanish Teens. Expand your family’s horizons this summer by welcoming a student from Spain into your home through the STEP-to-U.S.A. program. These boys and girls, who range in age from 14 to 17, arrive Wednesday, June 26, for a 3 ½ week home stay. They are eager to be part of your family and to practice their English. You and your children can also practice your Spanish and make a lifelong friend from another country. Host siblings are welcome to join the students in a variety of weekly activities, including day trips to Boston and Six Flags. Apply early to select just the right student for your family. To learn more, contact Ann Newsmith at 802-257-4710, exchangevt@gmail.com and visit www.step-to-usa.com.
MARK YOUR CALENDARS: June 1st & 2nd
Saturday, June 1st – Hilltown Spring Festival: The Hilltown CDC’s Hilltown Spring Festival on June 1st at the Cummington Fairgrounds will be a combined music festival, food festival, children’s festival, craft festival, and alternative energy exposition! Music for children of all ages will be performed by Mister G, David Grover and Terry A La Berry. Other musical performers include percussionist Tony Vacca, acoustic string band Appalachian Still, singer-songwriter Heather Maloney, the Lonesome Brothers, Hot Day at the Zoo, the Walkin’ Blues Band, & Dan Hales and the Frost Heaves. There will be children’s activities all day long, music workshops for families, dancing around the Maypole, children selling hand-made crafts at the Kids-Made Crafts Bazaar, 8 foot tall puppets, Morris dancers, & much more. Cummington Fairgrounds. Cummington, MA (>$)
Sunday, June 2nd – WGBY Asparagus Festival: WGBY celebrates all All Things Local at Seven Sisters Market Bistro and Long Hollow Bison Farm at their Asparagus Festival. The kids can meet baby bison, enjoy asparagus-themed activities, and entertainment from Paintbox Theater. There will be live music and an old fashioned outdoor luncheon too. Local brews for the adults in the late afternoon. Route 9. Hadley, MA (FREE)
LIST OF WEEKLY SUGGESTED EVENTS
May 25th-31st, 2013
Suggest an Event | Forecast | Museum Passes | Weekly eNewsletter | Farmers’ Markets
Read the rest of this entry »
Like this:
Like Loading...
Leave a Comment
May 16, 2013 at 6:00 am (Suggested Events)
Tags: Berkshires, Family, Family Activities, Family Events, Hilltowns, Massachusetts, New England, outdoors, Pioneer Valley, Things to do, Things to do in Western Massachusetts, Tourism, Travel, vacation, Western MA, western massachusetts
Discover fun and educational events happening this week in Western Mass, along with announcements, upcoming events, links, resources and the HFVS podcast.
SUGGEST AN EVENT
Mark your calendars! The Hilltown CDC’s Hilltown Spring Festival is just two weeks away on Saturday, June 1st at the Cummington Fairgrounds! (Photo credit: Sienna Wildfield)
If you have a community event, educational program or service opportunity for youth/families happening in Western Massachusetts that you’d like to let us know about, post your event on our “Suggest An Event” page. 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.
MARK YOUR CALENDARS:
Hilltown Spring Festival: The Hilltown CDC’s Hilltown Spring Festival on June 1st at the Cummington Fairgrounds will be a combined music festival, food festival, children’s festival, craft festival, and alternative energy exposition! Music for children of all ages will be performed by Mister G, David Grover and Terry A La Berry. Other musical performers include percussionist Tony Vacca, acoustic string band Appalachian Still, singer-songwriter Heather Maloney, the Lonesome Brothers, Hot Day at the Zoo, the Walkin’ Blues Band, & Dan Hales and the Frost Heaves. There will be children’s activities all day long, music workshops for families, dancing around the Maypole, children selling hand-made crafts at the Kids-Made Crafts Bazaar, 8 foot tall puppets, Morris dancers, & much more.
Talking to Your Kids About Sex Series Hilltown Families and Cup and Top Café are presenting a series of free talks for parents with Brooke Norton, Certified Sex Educator. Continuing with this series, the third talk, “Puberty for Parents,” will focus on the physical changes, social impacts and emotional aspects of puberty. Brooke will also touch upon sexual orientation and coming out, and what parents can teach their kids about consent. “Puberty for Parents” will take place on Tuesday, May 21st after hours at Cup and Top Café from 6:30pm-8:30pm (1 North Main Street) in Florence, MA. For more information, please contact Brooke Norton at 413-684-8697 or email brookenorton712@gmail.com.
SUMMER CAMP
Looking for a summer camp or program in Western MA? Check out our featured post, 2013 Summer Camps and Programs in Western MA for a list that will wow and dazzle you! Summer opportunities featured range from music, art, farming, theater, dance, science, nature, sports, speaking, yoga, rock ‘n roll… to traditional summer day or overnight camps/programs! There’s something for all ages, toddlers to teens! Check it out and start making your summer plans!
BULLETIN BOARD
May 17
ServiceNet and Prospect Meadow Farm invite the local community to a free family friendly community day and open house on the farm located at 103a Prospect St. in Hatfield, MA. The activities will take place on Friday, May 17 from 3:30pm-6:00pm. This event will feature guided farm tours, animal demonstrations, lawn games, 2 professional magic shows at 4pm and 5:30pm, live music, a free dessert bar, and food available from the local food truck the Bistro Bus. Prospect Meadow Farm is a nonprofit social enterprise that empowers disabled individuals to find meaningful activity through work in agriculture related fields. For more information visit www.facebook.com/prospectmeadowfarm or call Shawn Robinson at 413-887-9441.
May 17-19
Starlight’s Youth Theatre proudly presents Disney’s The Little Mermaid, Jr., the musical, May 17th at 7:00 pm, May 18th at 2:00 & 7:00 pm, May 19th at 2:00 pm at the Academy of Music, Northampton. Tickets are $12 students/seniors and $16 adults and may be purchased from the Academy of Music box office: in person, or by phone at 413-584-9032, extension 105, or online: www.academyofmusictheatre.tix.com. This year’s production will feature a double cast of over 100 children representing 30+ communities throughout the Pioneer Valley. There’s something for everyone in this Disney favorite: Princess Ariel and Prince Eric, the adorable Flounder, the comical duo of Sebastian the crab and Scuttle the sea gull, and other colorful sea creatures.
June 26
Host Families Needed for Spanish Teens. Expand your family’s horizons this summer by welcoming a student from Spain into your home through the STEP-to-U.S.A. program. These boys and girls, who range in age from 14 to 17, arrive Wednesday, June 26, for a 3 ½ week home stay. They are eager to be part of your family and to practice their English. You and your children can also practice your Spanish and make a lifelong friend from another country. Host siblings are welcome to join the students in a variety of weekly activities, including day trips to Boston and Six Flags. Apply early to select just the right student for your family. To learn more, contact Ann Newsmith at 802-257-4710, exchangevt@gmail.com and visit www.step-to-usa.com.
ADVERTISE HERE: Reach thousands of families in Western MA while supporting the community development work of Hilltown Families! See your April vacation event, open house, auditions, afterschool class, homeschool program, community event, workshop, school, wellness program or business featured here in the bulletin board section of our list of Weekly Suggested Events and eNewsletter, reaching thousands of families living throughout the four counties of Western MA! Find out more about our enhanced publicity packages and options and how we can help with your online marketing by emailing us at hilltownfamilies@gmail.com.
Call for Kid Crafters for the Hilltown Spring Festival Kids-Made Craft Bazaar! The Hilltown CDC’s 7th Annual Hilltown Spring Festival is on Saturday, June 1st at the Cummington Fairgrounds. This will be the 4th year the Kids-Made Craft Bazaar happens at the festival. Children up to the age of 12 are invited to sell and barter their hand-made crafts and arts… and each year it’s a huge success! More information and application form here.
LIST OF WEEKLY SUGGESTED EVENTS
May 18th-24th, 2013
Suggest an Event | Forecast | Museum Passes | Weekly eNewsletter | Farmers’ Markets
Read the rest of this entry »
Like this:
Like Loading...
Leave a Comment
May 9, 2013 at 6:00 am (Suggested Events)
Tags: Berkshires, Event Listings, Family, Family Activities, Family Events, Hilltowns, Massachusetts, Mohawk Trail, New England, outdoors, Pioneer Valley, Spring Events, Things to do, Things to do in Western Massachusetts, Tourism, Travel, vacation, Volunteer Activities, Western MA, western massachusetts
Discover fun and educational events happening this week in Western Mass, along with announcements, upcoming events, links, resources and the HFVS podcast.
SUGGEST AN EVENT
Thank you to all of our volunteers, facilitators & sponsors for making last Saturday’s Family Community Service Event a great success! At this one of a kind event, families came together to volunteer at seven different stations in a single morning, generating 450 hours of community service. Throughout the morning folks participated in hands-on projects for different non-profit and community organizations in our region that work on behalf of animal welfare, conservation and food security… including the building of nearly 50 bluebird houses we donated to the Franklin Land Trust! Read more about the event here and how you can get involved in the next one: Hilltown Families’ Family Community Service Event
If you have a community event, educational program or service opportunity for youth/families happening in Western Massachusetts that you’d like to let us know about, post your event on our “Suggest An Event” page. 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.
MARK YOUR CALENDARS:
Hilltown Spring Festival: The Hilltown CDC’s Hilltown Spring Festival on June 1st at the Cummington Fairgrounds will be a combined music festival, food festival, children’s festival, craft festival, and alternative energy exposition! Music for children of all ages will be performed by Mister G, David Grover and Terry A La Berry. Other musical performers include percussionist Tony Vacca, acoustic string band Appalachian Still, singer-songwriter Heather Maloney, the Lonesome Brothers, Hot Day at the Zoo, the Walkin’ Blues Band, & Dan Hales and the Frost Heaves. There will be children’s activities all day long, music workshops for families, dancing around the Maypole, children selling hand-made crafts at the Kids-Made Crafts Bazaar, 8 foot tall puppets, Morris dancers, & much more.
Talking to Your Kids About Sex Series Hilltown Families and Cup and Top Café are presenting a series of free talks for parents with Brooke Norton, Certified Sex Educator. Continuing with this series, the third talk, “Puberty for Parents,” will focus on the physical changes, social impacts and emotional aspects of puberty. Brooke will also touch upon sexual orientation and coming out, and what parents can teach their kids about consent. “Puberty for Parents” will take place on Tuesday, May 21st after hours at Cup and Top Café from 6:30pm-8:30pm (1 North Main Street) in Florence, MA. For more information, please contact Brooke Norton at 413-684-8697 or email brookenorton712@gmail.com.
SUMMER CAMP
Looking for a summer camp or program in Western MA? Check out our featured post, 2013 Summer Camps and Programs in Western MA for a list that will wow and dazzle you! Summer opportunities featured range from music, art, farming, theater, dance, science, nature, sports, speaking, yoga, rock ‘n roll… to traditional summer day or overnight camps/programs! There’s something for all ages, toddlers to teens! Check it out and start making your summer plans!
BULLETIN BOARD
May 10
Just in time for Mother’s Day, Hilltown Families presents a free family Friday night event, Mother’s Day Mementos, at The Art Garden in Shelburne Falls on Friday, May 10th from 4-7pm. Come make handmade cards and gifts to give to the mothers in your life. Let them know they are appreciated while getting creative with your family! All materials included and everyone is invited to join in this community building event that honors the mother in your life. The Art Garden is located at 14 Depot Street, Suite 2 in Shelburne Falls, MA (in the same building as the Shelburne Falls Trolley Museum.).
May 17-19
Starlight’s Youth Theatre proudly presents Disney’s The Little Mermaid, Jr., the musical, May 17th at 7:00 pm, May 18th at 2:00 & 7:00 pm, May 19th at 2:00 pm at the Academy of Music, Northampton. Tickets are $12 students/seniors and $16 adults and may be purchased from the Academy of Music box office: in person, or by phone at 413-584-9032, extension 105, or online: www.academyofmusictheatre.tix.com. This year’s production will feature a double cast of over 100 children representing 30+ communities throughout the Pioneer Valley. There’s something for everyone in this Disney favorite: Princess Ariel and Prince Eric, the adorable Flounder, the comical duo of Sebastian the crab and Scuttle the sea gull, and other colorful sea creatures.
June 26
Host Families Needed for Spanish Teens. Expand your family’s horizons this summer by welcoming a student from Spain into your home through the STEP-to-U.S.A. program. These boys and girls, who range in age from 14 to 17, arrive Wednesday, June 26, for a 3 ½ week home stay. They are eager to be part of your family and to practice their English. You and your children can also practice your Spanish and make a lifelong friend from another country. Host siblings are welcome to join the students in a variety of weekly activities, including day trips to Boston and Six Flags. Apply early to select just the right student for your family. To learn more, contact Ann Newsmith at 802-257-4710, exchangevt@gmail.com and visit www.step-to-usa.com.
ADVERTISE HERE: Reach thousands of families in Western MA while supporting the community development work of Hilltown Families! See your April vacation event, open house, auditions, afterschool class, homeschool program, community event, workshop, school, wellness program or business featured here in the bulletin board section of our list of Weekly Suggested Events and eNewsletter, reaching thousands of families living throughout the four counties of Western MA! Find out more about our enhanced publicity packages and options and how we can help with your online marketing by emailing us at hilltownfamilies@gmail.com.
Please help the Southern Hilltown Domestic Violence Task Force by taking a five to ten minute survey on-line at @ www.surveymonkey.com/s/hilltowndvsurvey, and by sending this link to others in the Hilltowns. Survey respondents may be eligible to enter a raffle for $200 cash. The Task Force designed the survey to get a better understanding of how Hilltown residents view and respond to domestic abuse, and to find out if community members know where to get help. The Task Force will use survey results as the foundation for a community education and outreach campaign later this year. For more information about the survey or the Task Force, email southernhillsdvtaskforce@gmail.com.
LIST OF WEEKLY SUGGESTED EVENTS
May 11th-17th, 2013
Suggest an Event | Forecast | Museum Passes | Weekly eNewsletter | Farmers’ Markets
Read the rest of this entry »
Like this:
Like Loading...
Leave a Comment
May 2, 2013 at 6:01 am (Suggested Events)
Tags: Berkshires, Event Listings, Family, Family Activities, Family Events, Hilltowns, Massachusetts, May Day, Mohawk Trail, New England, outdoors, Pioneer Valley, Spring Events, Things to do, Things to do in Western Massachusetts, Tourism, Travel, vacation, Volunteer Activities, Western MA, western massachusetts
Discover fun and educational events happening this week in Western Mass, along with announcements, upcoming events, links, resources and the HFVS podcast.
SUGGEST AN EVENT
Join us this Saturday, May 4th at the Hilltown Families’ Family Community Service Event! Our goal is to contribute up to 600 hours of volunteer service in a single event! We’ll be making bird houses for the Franklin Land Trust, cat toys for the Dakin Humane Society, fleece chews for Kane’s Krusade, making seed bombs with Help Yourself, planting seedlings with Grow Food Northampton, making Giving Bags with Knack, writing letters with the Key Club, collection donations of cat/dog food & blankets for wildlife rehabilitation… It’s gonna awesome! Happens both indoors and outdoors from 10am-1pm at Leeds Elementary School in Northampton where you’ll find something for ALL AGES. Find out more about this free event here and sign up to join us: Hilltown Families’ Family Community Service Event: May 4th!
If you have a community event, educational program or service opportunity for youth/families happening in Western Massachusetts that you’d like to let us know about, post your event on our “Suggest An Event” page. 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.
WEEKEND BEST BET:
Hilltown Families’ Family Community Service Event
Volunteer with your family to help local non-profits at seven different hands-on volunteer stations— a one of a kind event for families to volunteer together while educating children about animal welfare, conservation efforts and the value of community service.
On Saturday, May 4th from 10am-1pm: FAMILY COMMUNITY SERVICE EVENT: Join Hilltown Families for a Saturday morning of volunteering together with your family during our spring Family Community Service Event to be held at Leeds Elementary School. We will be offering seven volunteer stations for families to participate in hands-on service projects for ALL AGES that support animal welfare organizations, conservation efforts and food security. Come any time after 10am, get your Passport, and travel about to one or all stations! Find out more and preregister here: Hilltown Families’ Family Community Service Event: May 4th! Northampton, MA (FREE)
SUMMER CAMP
Looking for a summer camp or program in Western MA? Check out our featured post, 2013 Summer Camps and Programs in Western MA for a list that will wow and dazzle you! Summer opportunities featured range from music, art, farming, theater, dance, science, nature, sports, speaking, yoga, rock ‘n roll… to traditional summer day or overnight camps/programs! There’s something for all ages, toddlers to teens! Check it out and start making your summer plans!
BULLETIN BOARD
May 4
Yes Computers is co-sponsoring their 2nd annual Free Electronic Waste Recycling Event on Saturday, May 4th, 9am-12noon, adjacent to Yes Computers in the Public Parking Lot in Northampton. In partnership with River Radio, Alternative Waste Recycling & Gold Circuit E-cycling, they will take for FREE, Computers, Monitors (CRT’s), all small electronics & electrical appliances even old TV’s (limit one). Bring old cell phones to donate to Safe Passage & working old iPods to donate to Music & Alzheimer’s Project (sponsored by the Northampton Community Music Center). Please limit largest recyclables to 3 items, smaller stuff no limit; Household items only. Participants get a free Yes Computers $10 gift voucher good on anything in the store for participating.
May 5
Bread Euphoria is having a birthday & the community is invited to celebrate 15 years of baked goodness at Wheatstock II, featuring live music & delicious food. The party takes place on Sunday, May 5th from 12noon-6pm at the Williamsburg Grange, on Route 9. Tickets are $10 for adults, $5 for kids 5-12yo (under 5yo are free), & includes an impressive entertainment lineup of local favorites the Sweetback Sisters, Primate Fiasco and Swing Caravan — & birthday cake (including vegan & gluten-free choices). Meat & vegetarian shish kabobs, salads, sides & beverages will be available for purchase, as well. Come for the food and stay for the fun-or come for the fun & stay for the food-either way, come! For more info call Bread Euphoria: 413-268-7757
May 11
Mother’s Day Giveaway! Enter to win more than $700 worth of wellness services for new and expecting mothers in Western MA. This collaboration of five local (women-owned) businesses will grant one lucky mother with gift certificates for a month of free diaper service, 2 appointments for prenatal or postnatal massage, 2 acupuncture treatments, $150 savings on birth doula service & $150 savings on birth photography. Participating business include Simple Diaper & Linen, Window of Heaven Acupuncture & Yoga, Jo Bunny Massage and Yoga, Bellyfull Birth, and Nature & Nurture Photography and Doula Services. Deadline to enter is May 11, 2013. Drawing will take place on Mother’s Day. Check out www.facebook.com/MothersDayGiveaway to enter & for details.
ADVERTISE HERE: Reach thousands of families in Western MA while supporting the community development work of Hilltown Families! See your April vacation event, open house, auditions, afterschool class, homeschool program, community event, workshop, school, wellness program or business featured here in the bulletin board section of our list of Weekly Suggested Events and eNewsletter, reaching thousands of families living throughout the four counties of Western MA! Find out more about our enhanced publicity packages and options and how we can help with your online marketing by emailing us at hilltownfamilies@gmail.com.
Enter for a chance to win tickets for a Parents’ Night Out!
The Amherst Survival Center has volunteer opportunities for teens ages 15yo+ on weekdays (not Wed). Shifts are typically 2 hours/week between 9am-3pm. They are looking for a two hour/week commitment for a minimum of 8 weeks with organizing and sorting through fresh bread & produce, helping in their Free Store, serving lunch and doing dishes. Their Emergency Food Pantry often needs help too with keeping the shelves stocked and helping folks fill their carts with their monthly food “box.” Strong folks can help pick up furniture from around town in the mornings. And people who like to clean can help clean the place after 2:30pm. Lots and lots of options for summer volunteering. For more info visit www.amherstsurvival.org or email tracey@amherstsurvival.org
LIST OF WEEKLY SUGGESTED EVENTS
May 4th-10th, 2013
Suggest an Event | Forecast | Museum Passes | Weekly eNewsletter
Read the rest of this entry »
Like this:
Like Loading...
Leave a Comment
April 25, 2013 at 6:00 am (Suggested Events)
Tags: Berkshires, Event Listings, Family, Family Activities, Family Events, Farmers' Market, Hilltowns, Massachusetts, May Day, Mohawk Trail, New England, outdoors, Pioneer Valley, School Vacation, Spring Events, Things to do, Things to do in Western Massachusetts, Tourism, Travel, vacation, Western MA, western massachusetts
Discover fun and educational events happening this week in Western Mass, along with announcements, upcoming events, links, resources and the HFVS podcast.
SUGGEST AN EVENT
Outdoor Farmers’ Markets are slowly starting back up! The opening of Tuesday Market in Northampton happens this coming Tuesday, April 30th where you can pick up the ingredients you need to make a dish to bring to the Burgy Farmers’ Market Pot-Luck Dinner Benefit at the Williamsburg Grange two days later on Thursday, May 2nd! How convenient is that?!
If you have a community event, educational program or service opportunity for youth/families happening in Western Massachusetts that you’d like to let us know about, post your event on our “Suggest An Event” page. 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.
MARK YOUR CALENDARS:
Hilltown Families’ Family Community Service Event
Volunteer with your family to help local non-profits — a one of a kind event for families to volunteer together while educating children about animal welfare, conservation efforts and the value of community service.
On Saturday, May 4th from 10am-1pm: FAMILY COMMUNITY SERVICE EVENT: Join Hilltown Families for a Saturday morning of volunteering together with your family during our spring Family Community Service Event to be held at Leeds Elementary School. We will be offering seven volunteer stations for families to participate in hands-on service projects for ALL AGES that support animal welfare organizations, conservation efforts and food security. Find out more and preregister here: Hilltown Families’ Family Community Service Event: May 4th! Northampton, MA (FREE)
SUMMER CAMP
Looking for a summer camp or program in Western MA? Check out our featured post, 2013 Summer Camps and Programs in Western MA for a list that will wow and dazzle you! Summer opportunities featured range from music, art, farming, theater, dance, science, nature, sports, speaking, yoga, rock ‘n roll… to traditional summer day or overnight camps/programs! There’s something for all ages, toddlers to teens! Check it out and start making your summer plans!
BULLETIN BOARD
Apr 27
The Ashfield Community Preschool invites you to join them for their annual open house on Saturday, April 27th 10am-Noon. This event is for families with young children age 2.9 – 5yo who are looking for quality care and small class sizes in the rural Hilltown of Ashfield, MA. Children who attend the preschool participate in a hands-on gardening program, growing sunflowers, pumpkins and blueberries. The preschool grazes the neighbors’ sheep and llamas in their pastoral setting and offers a six week summer program with walking trips to visit local Ashfield artists. Join their staff on April 27th and tour their facility and grounds. 103 Baptist Corner Road. Ashfield, MA. Call for more information 413-628-3248.
Apr 27
On Saturday, April 27, 2013 from 10:30 AM to 12:00 noon, the Montessori School of Northampton (MSN) at 51 Bates Street, Northampton, will hold a family open house. All parents of toddler, preschool and elementary students interested in September 2013 admission are encouraged to attend. The school currently has full- and part-time openings available for fall 2013, including a new full day 3-day/week program for toddlers and a new half-day Children’s House (preschool) classroom. MSN enrolls students from ages 2 through 12 and is currently in its 36th year of fostering independent learners in a welcoming community. For information, please call (413) 586-4538 or visit www.northamptonmontessori.org.
Apr 28
Holy Bonfire! Community Lag B’Omer Festival happening Sunday, April 28th from 11am-1pm- rain or shine! Beit Ahavah & Congregation B’nai Israel Community Schools present: Bonfire, live music by Yiddishkeit Klezmir, musical storytelling by Anna Sobel & Aharaon Skogland, recycled art crafts, archery, games, haircutting booth, chickens, facepainting, “love-shack booth” & more! Kosher, pastured beef hot-dogs & veggie dogs. $5 suggested donation. All ages welcome! Held at Cong. B’nai Israel, 253 Prospect St, Northampton. Lag B’Omer is the joyous holiday held on the 33rd day of the counting of the Omer between Passover & Shavuot. For more info & RSVP: 413-584-3593, rabbijacob@cbinorthampton.org. “Join” us on Facebook & invite your friends!
May 5
Looking for an excuse to wear your superhero cape in public all while supporting students in our community with Intellectual and Development Disabilities (We don’t believe that you ever need an excuse to do this!)? Come on out to the Best Buddies Superhero Friendship Walk on Sunday morning , May 5th, 2013 in the beautiful setting of Look Park in Florence, MA. Best Buddies is an amazing organization that promotes inclusion and friendships between students with and without Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities. The event will feature musical performances by the students of Berkshire Hills Music Academy, Circus performances by students of Show Circus and so much more! Sign up at www.bestbudiesma.org/walk.
May 5
Bread Euphoria is having a birthday & the community is invited to celebrate 15 years of baked goodness at Wheatstock II, featuring live music & delicious food. The party takes place on Sunday, May 5th from 12noon-6pm at the Williamsburg Grange, on Route 9. Tickets are $10 for adults, $5 for kids 5-12yo (under 5yo are free), & includes an impressive entertainment lineup of local favorites the Sweetback Sisters, Primate Fiasco and Swing Caravan — & birthday cake (including vegan & gluten-free choices). Meat & vegetarian shish kabobs, salads, sides & beverages will be available for purchase, as well. Come for the food and stay for the fun-or come for the fun & stay for the food-either way, come! For more info call Bread Euphoria: 413-268-7757
May 11
Mother’s Day Giveaway! Enter to win more than $700 worth of wellness services for new and expecting mothers in Western MA. This collaboration of five local (women-owned) businesses will grant one lucky mother with gift certificates for a month of free diaper service, 2 appointments for prenatal or postnatal massage, 2 acupuncture treatments, $150 savings on birth doula service & $150 savings on birth photography. Participating business include Simple Diaper & Linen, Window of Heaven Acupuncture & Yoga, Jo Bunny Massage and Yoga, Bellyfull Birth, and Nature & Nurture Photography and Doula Services. Deadline to enter is May 11, 2013. Drawing will take place on Mother’s Day. Check out www.facebook.com/MothersDayGiveaway to enter & for details.
Spring
Join Crimson & Clover Farm in celebrating the spring! The Farm Education Collaborative will be leading a wide array of farm-based education programs this growing season at Crimson & Clover Farm in Florence, MA. Whether you’re a parent wanting to share a morning with your young child on the farm or an aspiring farmer looking to work in the fields, there’s something for you at Crimson & Clover Farm this spring. Plant, harvest, tend to the animals, cook farm-fresh produce, explore and work together, and so much more! Financial aid is available to low-income families through Grow Food Northampton. For complete details and registration please visit their website – www.thefarmeducationcollaborative.org.
ADVERTISE HERE: Reach thousands of families in Western MA while supporting the community development work of Hilltown Families! See your April vacation event, open house, auditions, afterschool class, homeschool program, community event, workshop, school, wellness program or business featured here in the bulletin board section of our list of Weekly Suggested Events and eNewsletter, reaching thousands of families living throughout the four counties of Western MA! Find out more about our enhanced publicity packages and options and how we can help with your online marketing by emailing us at hilltownfamilies@gmail.com.
LIST OF WEEKLY SUGGESTED EVENTS
April 27th-May 3rd, 2013
Suggest an Event | Forecast | Museum Passes | Weekly eNewsletter
Read the rest of this entry »
Like this:
Like Loading...
Leave a Comment
April 22, 2013 at 12:30 pm (Citizen Scientist, Contributing Writer, Ecology, Kurt Heidinger)
Tags: Citizen Scientists, climate, Ecology, Hilltowns, Massachusetts, Nature, outdoors, Pioneer Valley, Rivers, rivers and streams, Spring Equinox, Spring Peepers, Vernal Pools, western massachusetts
How do spring peepers know when to start singing?
Vernal pools contain creatures (amphibians and bugs) that can only breed where there are no hungry fish. Citizen scientists are needed to find and report vernal pools in the Hilltowns. (Photo credit: Sienna Wildfield)
How do spring peepers know when to start singing?
They don’t have weather reports, or the ability to see the buds forming on trees, the snow melting, or teens walking around in shorts and T’s when it’s 40 degrees and climbing.
Certainly, there are scientific reasons that explain how peepers know when to announce the return of the sun and the warmth; but there’s a simpler reason that is worth considering and appreciating. The peepers feel the right moment to sing.
Peepers are a special family of frogs, and frogs have a unique physiology—a evapotranspirative skin that makes them especially sensitive to the slightest changes in temperature, humidity, chemistry and other things we don’t have words for including that feeling that we also get when spring arrives. There is, for example, a new kind of sunlight that appears out of the grey, slush and slog of the late winter months that Emily Dickinson noticed, and maybe you and the peepers notice too.
Science might tell us the story of how the nervous systems of the peepers intuit and react to the thermonuclear/electromagnetic surge that accompanies our spring equinox, the day the sun’s rays hit the equator straight on. But can science explain why, in coincidence with the celestial flicking on of the peeper song -switch, major religions have their own switches flicked on—in the form of Passover, Easter & Holi?
Of all the neighbors we have, the peepers are the loudest and most boisterous announcers of spring; and have you noticed that, though they are so loud, their sound is not noisy? Somewhere deep inside us, their petite buglings find sympathy: and, here, “sympathy” means “the correlation existing between bodies capable of communicating their vibrational energy to one another through some medium.”
Perhaps you have been so drawn to the song of the peepers that you have tried to track them down. And what did you find when you tried that? Something very magical, and also perplexing—silence.
How do they know you are near? Vibrational energy: your footsteps quaking the earth, sending the same kind signal you see when you throw a rock into still water.
Like all frogs, peepers are living dinosaurs who, despite their lack of armor, claws and sharp teeth, have survived for plus or minus 300 million years. Their evolutionary success is due to their extreme sensitivities, not their ruthless might. For us, who have a history that begins about 5,000 years ago (and a prehistory that begins about 65 million years ago), this ought to be a lesson.
At the very least, this lesson includes the fact that we miss—through ignore-ance, distraction and abstraction—so much that is actual. As actual as the different sunlights of each season, and the sympathy religious holidays have with the song of the peepers. And the feeling we have that somehow, the peepers sing our song, too.
Since you can’t get close to peepers, and I want you to get as close to Spring as possible, here’s an actuality you must not miss this year—the vivification of vernal pools. These pools contain creatures (amphibians and bugs) that can only breed where there are no hungry fish; tiny clams and shrimps also live in them, that got marooned when the tectonic plates shifted and lifted their habitats high and dry into what is now the Hilltowns. Like the peepers, they are teachers whose lessons we have much to learn from.
Instead of describing what these are, I’ll send you to these links so you can investigate them yourselves. Here’s the basic Mass DEP page. You’ll notice on this page that the DEP needs citizen scientists to find vernal pools, so that these rare habitats and creatures can be preserved.
If you look at the DEP map and select in “available data layers” the folder “Natural Heritage Data” and, in that folder, “NHESP Certified Vernal Pools,” you’ll see all the vernal pools that have been listed for protection by the DEP.
Zoom in on your town, and you might find some near you—if so, please put on your walking shoes and go find one of them. You might not find any listed where you live; that doesn’t mean they aren’t actually there; it just means that nobody has tried to find and list them yet. Most of the Hilltowns have few or no listings—which means that citizen scientists have a lot of good work to do.
You’ll find plenty of info through these links to help you track down one of these precious abodes of ancient, yet contemporary, life. But the easiest way of all is to listen to the peepers; more than 1/2 the time, they’ll lead you to the clams and shrimp who live far from the ocean from whence they first came, ensconcsed in our hills.
The song of the peepers announces Spring, and sounds an invitation to discover the soft, awesome, perennial powers of biotic integrity and resilience.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Kurt Heidinger, Ph.D. is the Executive Director of Biocitizen, non-profit school of field environmental philosophy, based in the Western MA Hilltown of Westhampton, MA where he lives with his family. Biocitizen gives participants an opportunity to “think outside” and cultivate a joyous and empowering biocultural awareness of where we live and who we are. Check out Kurt’s monthly column, The Ripple, here on Hilltown Families on the 4th Monday of every month to hear his stories about rivers in our region. Make the world of rivers bigger than the world of pavement inside of you!
Like this:
Like Loading...
Leave a Comment
April 18, 2013 at 6:01 am (Suggested Events)
Tags: April Vacation Week, Berkshires, Event Listings, Family, Family Activities, Family Events, Hilltowns, Massachusetts, Mohawk Trail, New England, outdoors, Pioneer Valley, School Vacation, Spring Events, Things to do, Things to do in Western Massachusetts, Tourism, Travel, vacation, Western MA, western massachusetts
Discover fun and educational events happening this week in Western Mass, along with announcements, upcoming events, links, resources and the HFVS podcast.
SUGGEST AN EVENT
Woodland wildflowers are starting to emerge! Can you find Bishop’s Cap, Nodding Trillium, Bloodroot or Dutchmen’s Breeches in your local woods? Look for guided walks your family can join in this spring, or check out a wildflower field guide from your local library and go on a wildflower hunt! (Photo credit: Sienna Wildfield)
If you have a community event, educational program or service opportunity for youth/families happening in Western Massachusetts that you’d like to let us know about, post your event on our “Suggest An Event” page. 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.
MARK YOUR CALENDARS:
Hilltown Families’ Family Community Service Event
Volunteer with your family to help local non-profits — a one of a kind event for families to volunteer together while educating children about animal welfare, conservation efforts and the value of community service.
On Saturday, May 4th from 10am-1pm: FAMILY COMMUNITY SERVICE EVENT: Join Hilltown Families for a Saturday morning of volunteering together with your family during our spring Family Community Service Event to be held at Leeds Elementary School. We will be offering seven volunteer stations for families to participate in hands-on service projects for ALL AGES that support animal welfare organizations, conservation efforts and food security. Find out more and preregister here: Hilltown Families’ Family Community Service Event: May 4th! Northampton, MA (FREE)
SUMMER CAMP
Looking for a summer camp or program in Western MA? Check out our featured post, 2013 Summer Camps and Programs in Western MA for a list that will wow and dazzle you! Summer opportunities featured range from music, art, farming, theater, dance, science, nature, sports, speaking, yoga, rock ‘n roll… to traditional summer day or overnight camps/programs! There’s something for all ages, toddlers to teens! Check it out and start making your summer plans!
BULLETIN BOARD
Apr 20
For Earth Day, just change the diaper you use. Thousands of cloth diapers will be changed around the globe to build awareness of the cloth diaper movement! Help create a new Guiness World Record for the most cloth diapers changed at one time! Sat April 20th. Doors open at 10am, change happens promptly at 11am. Everyone’s welcome! It’s FREE to attend. Door prizes, raffles, info tables, snacks, and plenty of cloth diapering tips, tools, and treasures to be had! Learn how-to cloth diaper if you are curious at heart! This is event is hosted by Simple Diaper & Linen at 418 Dwight St. in Holyoke (right across the canal from the Holyoke Children’s Museum). Please contact info@simple.coop with any questions, & visit the Facebook event page to register.
Apr 27
The Ashfield Community Preschool invites you to join them for their annual open house on Saturday, April 27th 10am-Noon. This event is for families with young children age 2.9 – 5yo who are looking for quality care and small class sizes in the rural Hilltown of Ashfield, MA. Children who attend the preschool participate in a hands-on gardening program, growing sunflowers, pumpkins and blueberries. The preschool grazes the neighbors’ sheep and llamas in their pastoral setting and offers a six week summer program with walking trips to visit local Ashfield artists. Join their staff on April 27th and tour their facility and grounds. 103 Baptist Corner Road. Ashfield, MA. Call for more information 413-628-3248.
Apr 27
On Saturday, April 27, 2013 from 10:30 AM to 12:00 noon, the Montessori School of Northampton (MSN) at 51 Bates Street, Northampton, will hold a family open house. All parents of toddler, preschool and elementary students interested in September 2013 admission are encouraged to attend. The school currently has full- and part-time openings available for fall 2013, including a new full day 3-day/week program for toddlers and a new half-day Children’s House (preschool) classroom. MSN enrolls students from ages 2 through 12 and is currently in its 36th year of fostering independent learners in a welcoming community. For information, please call (413) 586-4538 or visit www.northamptonmontessori.org.
May 5
Looking for an excuse to wear your superhero cape in public all while supporting students in our community with Intellectual and Development Disabilities (We don’t believe that you ever need an excuse to do this!)? Come on out to the Best Buddies Superhero Friendship Walk on Sunday morning , May 5th, 2013 in the beautiful setting of Look Park in Florence, MA. Best Buddies is an amazing organization that promotes inclusion and friendships between students with and without Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities. The event will feature musical performances by the students of Berkshire Hills Music Academy, Circus performances by students of Show Circus and so much more! Sign up at www.bestbudiesma.org/walk.
Spring
Join Crimson & Clover Farm in celebrating the spring! The Farm Education Collaborative will be leading a wide array of farm-based education programs this growing season at Crimson & Clover Farm in Florence, MA. Whether you’re a parent wanting to share a morning with your young child on the farm or an aspiring farmer looking to work in the fields, there’s something for you at Crimson & Clover Farm this spring. Plant, harvest, tend to the animals, cook farm-fresh produce, explore and work together, and so much more! Financial aid is available to low-income families through Grow Food Northampton. For complete details and registration please visit their website – www.thefarmeducationcollaborative.org.
Having a Baby? Our Experts Help You Understand Your Options The staff at Cooley Dickinson’s Childbirth Center know parents lead busy lives. That’s why organizers offer a childbirth education series held weekday evenings and weekends. Each series provide answers to questions about labor, birth, newborn care, breastfeeding, and more. Download the Having a Baby flyer or register at www.cooley-dickinson.org/events Baby is here. Now what? Once baby is born, parents don’t know what to expect. Join Beyond Birth, a group of new parents and babies up to four months old, at Cooley Dickinson Hospital Thursdays from 1–3 pm. A parent education specialist guides the group and answers questions. All are welcome no matter where you gave birth.
ADVERTISE HERE: Reach thousands of families in Western MA while supporting the community development work of Hilltown Families! See your April vacation event, open house, auditions, afterschool class, homeschool program, community event, workshop, school, wellness program or business featured here in the bulletin board section of our list of Weekly Suggested Events and eNewsletter, reaching thousands of families living throughout the four counties of Western MA! Find out more about our enhanced publicity packages and options and how we can help with your online marketing by emailing us at hilltownfamilies@gmail.com.
Hilltown Families is accepting applications for our Fellowship Program. The Fellowship will afford the opportunity to identify the place-based educational value of local events and the importance of community engagement while gaining a better understanding of how community based resources and local organizations can work together to create a network that promotes learning and sustainability of local resources. The program is a two year position open to students or graduates living in Western Massachusetts with an ability to attend weekly meetings in Northampton, MA. Hours per week 10-15. Stipend/Wage: $100/week.
LIST OF WEEKLY SUGGESTED EVENTS
April 20th-26th, 2013
Suggest an Event | Forecast | Museum Passes | Weekly eNewsletter
Read the rest of this entry »
Like this:
Like Loading...
Leave a Comment
April 17, 2013 at 6:00 am (Carrie St. John, Contributing Writer)
Tags: Art, Creative Free Play, garden based learning, mud pies, Nature, Nature Based Learning, outdoors, Sunflower House
Families in the Dirt
This summer we are taking a break from the usual planting and growing of beans, pumpkins, squash and salad greens. This year we’re making plans to grow a Popcorn House! (Photo credit: Carrie St. John)
Snow pants, boots and mittens be gone! It’s time for sunny afternoons and mud pies after a spring rain. Outdoor clean up. Digging. Rakes. Water. Hoses. Sticks. Rocks. Shovels. Mud. Now that the younger ones are completely engrossed in dirt play, encourage the older kids to put down their devices and join you for fresh air and sunshine. Their play job this month is to help you design and plant a sunflower house.
The Story of the Sunflower House
Wondering what a sunflower house is? Here is an excerpt from Inspiration from the Garden: Sunflower Houses, a Book for Children and Their Grown-ups by Sharon Lovejoy that shares the story:
In early summer, my mother would wake us up with ‘Get up you sleepyheads, today’s the day!’ and we would get out of bed and pull on our clothes. We didn’t even want to eat breakfast, but she would make us sit down and take our time. It all served to heighten the excitement. We couldn’t wait to get outside. Chores done, watering can and stick in tow, we would head outside and take time choosing the best, flattest, sunniest spot in our garden. Then the work would begin. Mother would use the stick to trace out a large rectangle, usually about 6 by 9 feet, leaving a small opening for a doorway. She would drag the stick along the ground and gouge out a trench a couple of inches deep. My little sister and brother would trail behind and drop in seeds. John would drop in a big, fat sunflower seed; daintily, my sister would tuck in a ‘Heavenly Blue’ morning glory seed. I would trudge along behind them lugging the huge tin watering can. I’d use my foot to knock the earth back over the seeds and then I’d give them a small drink of water. Every day one of us would have the chore of walking that rectangle of land and giving a drink of water to the sleeping seeds. We all hoped to be the one to discover the first awakening green heads that poked through the soil. Once the green of the sunflowers peeked through the earth, we became even more interested in our growing playhouse. Usually, we would each water the plot once a day. Soon flowers were climbing skyward and the ‘Heavenly Blue’ morning glories were wrapping their tendrils around the stalk and heading upward too. I’ll tell you there was nothing like crawling through the door of that playhouse and lying on the ground looking up through the incredible lacework of vines and flowers. I guess you could say I spent the best days of my childhood playing, dreaming and sleeping in that little shelter.
The Story of the Popcorn House
My daughter and I planned a slightly different version for our garden—a Popcorn House. Japanese Hulless Popcorn. This year we are taking a break from the usual beans, pie pumpkins, summer squash and salad greens. We have loofah seedlings, hibiscus tea sprouts, wine cap mushroom spawn in our fridge and various flower seeds waiting for warmer days. So why not plant our own popcorn? We saved a space 10 by 20 feet for the Popcorn House.
The entrance will be slightly hidden by a verbena and sunflower border. Verbena has gorgeous, delicate purple flowers with brilliant, green stems and attracts many varieties of butterflies. A mix of ornamental sunflowers (sun samba), giant sunflowers (sunzilla) and a summer mix of bright yellow, red and orange sunflowers will help create the outer wall with the rows of popcorn.
My daughter requested a secret space in the center where she can dig, collect outdoor things and have tree stump seats. Her inner space will also have a carpet of fresh straw to keep the weeds down. The process involves a lot of patience waiting for everything to grow. Hopefully the excitement of warmer weather, planting and planning will help with the waiting for warm summer days playing in the popcorn house while mom weeds and waters the veggies.
April Collections
- Seeds of choice
- Outdoor buckets
- Shovels
- Water & Dirt
April Book Resources
April Web Resources
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Carrie St. John
Carrie was born, raised and attended university in Michigan. As a child she rode bikes and explored her rural neighborhood freely with siblings and neighbor kids. Mom and Dad never worried. The kids always made it home after hours wading in the creek and climbing trees in the woods. After college she moved to Kyoto, Japan to study traditional Japanese woodblock printing. In 1995, she began a career at a small Chicago firm designing maps and information graphics. Life brought a move to Northampton in 2001. Carrie completed her MFA at UMass in 2004. Her little love, Sophia, was born in 2005. The two live in downtown Northampton where they constantly make things, look forward to morning walks to school and plan each spring for additions to their plot at the community garden. Carrie continues to do freelance work for clients here and in Chicago.
Like this:
Like Loading...
Leave a Comment
April 11, 2013 at 6:00 am (Suggested Events)
Tags: April Vacation Week, Berkshires, Event Listings, Family, Family Activities, Family Events, Hilltowns, Massachusetts, Mohawk Trail, New England, outdoors, Pioneer Valley, School Vacation, Spring Events, Things to do, Things to do in Western Massachusetts, Tourism, Travel, vacation, Western MA, western massachusetts
Discover fun and educational events happening this week in Western Mass, along with announcements, upcoming events, links, resources and the HFVS podcast.
SUGGEST AN EVENT
Thank you to everyone who joined Hilltown Families at the Art Garden in Shelbune Fall last Friday night for Flowers for Friends. Families had a lovely time painting pots & planting them with spring blossoms to pass along to others… spreading kindness one blossom at a time! (Photo credit: Sienna Wildfield)
If you have a community event, educational program or service opportunity for youth/families happening in Western Massachusetts that you’d like to let us know about, post your event on our “Suggest An Event” page. 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.
MARK YOUR CALENDARS: HILLTOWN FAMILIES EVENT
Volunteer with your family to help local non-profits — a one of a kind event for families to volunteer together while educating children about animal welfare, conservation efforts and the value of community service.
On Saturday, May 4th from 10am-1pm: FAMILY COMMUNITY SERVICE EVENT: Join Hilltown Families for a Saturday morning of volunteering together with your family during our spring Family Community Service Event to be held at Leeds Elementary School. We will be offering seven volunteer stations for families to participate in hands-on service projects for ALL AGES that support animal welfare organizations, conservation efforts and food security. Find out more and preregister here: Hilltown Families’ Family Community Service Event: May 4th! Northampton, MA (FREE)
BULLETIN BOARD
Apr 14 & 15
The Academy of Music Theatre will present their fifth annual Puppet Festival, April 14th and 15th. There will be two performances to delight young children and their families. Tanglewood Marionettes will stage the first show, The Dragon King, on April 14th at 2 p.m. The acclaimed, award-winning National Marionette Theatre will perform their production of Pinocchio, on April 15th at 10 a.m. All shows are approximately fifty minutes and puppeteers will answer questions from the audience following the performance. All tickets are $5 (box office fees apply) – Academy Box Office,Tuesday-Friday from 3pm-6pm or by phoning 413-584-9032 x105 or online at www.academyofmusictheatre.com. For ages 4 and up.
Apr 15 & 18
Celebrate spring in the garden over school vacation! Plan Your Family’s Garden Workshop, Monday April 15 10am-12pm & Thursday April 18 10am-12pm with Sweet Roots Gardens in South Deerfield, MA. Learn to grow a garden with your child over spring vacation! This 2- part workshop will help you plan, design and leave with the tools to begin digging up your home garden. Learn to build a raised bed garden, techniques for planting seeds with little ones and how to make theme gardens. Hands on garden and craft activities for kids. You will leave with a plan for your garden that includes a colorful set of cards and map to play with at home. For more info or to register, go to www.sweetrootsgardens.com or email saracoblyn@gmail.com.
Apr 16
On Tuesday April 16, CityStage in downtown Springfield, Massachusetts will turn into a live petting zoo like no other with Erth’s Dinosaur Petting Zoo! With the Springfield Museums onsite with an interactive Dinosaur exhibit between the 10am and 2pm performances, and near-by restaurants, it’s the perfect Spring Break Day Trip for Hilltown Families! Erth’s awesome prehistoric creatures, from cute baby dinos to teeth-gnashing giants, will take to the stage for three performances only at 10am, 2pm and 6pm! Dinosaur Petting Zoo allows heaps of interaction for kids and adults while they travel with Erth’s multi-faceted performers on a journey through prehistoric ages. Tickets are $20 and are available by phone at (413) 788-7033 or online HERE.
Apr 20
For Earth Day, just change the diaper you use. Thousands of cloth diapers will be changed around the globe to build awareness of the cloth diaper movement! Help create a new Guiness World Record for the most cloth diapers changed at one time! Sat April 20th. Doors open at 10am, change happens promptly at 11am. Everyone’s welcome! It’s FREE to attend. Door prizes, raffles, info tables, snacks, and plenty of cloth diapering tips, tools, and treasures to be had! Learn how-to cloth diaper if you are curious at heart! This is event is hosted by Simple Diaper & Linen at 418 Dwight St. in Holyoke (right across the canal from the Holyoke Children’s Museum). Please contact info@simple.coop with any questions, & visit the Facebook event page to register.
Having a Baby? Our Experts Help You Understand Your Options The staff at Cooley Dickinson’s Childbirth Center know parents lead busy lives. That’s why organizers offer a childbirth education series held weekday evenings and weekends. Each series provide answers to questions about labor, birth, newborn care, breastfeeding, and more. Download the Having a Baby flyer or register at www.cooley-dickinson.org/events Baby is here. Now what? Once baby is born, parents don’t know what to expect. Join Beyond Birth, a group of new parents and babies up to four months old, at Cooley Dickinson Hospital Thursdays from 1–3 pm. A parent education specialist guides the group and answers questions. All are welcome no matter where you gave birth.
SUMMER CAMP: Looking for a summer camp or program in Western MA? Check out our featured post, 2013 Summer Camps and Programs in Western MA for a list that will wow and dazzle you! Summer opportunities range from music, art, farming, theater, dance, science, nature, sports, speaking, yoga, rock ‘n roll… to traditional summer day or overnight camps/programs are featured! There’s something for all ages, toddlers to teens! Check it out and start making your summer plans!
ADVERTISE HERE: Reach thousands of families in Western MA while supporting the community development work of Hilltown Families! See your April vacation event, open house, auditions, afterschool class, homeschool program, community event, workshop, school, wellness program or business featured here in the bulletin board section of our list of Weekly Suggested Events and eNewsletter, reaching thousands of families living throughout the four counties of Western MA! Find out more about our enhanced publicity packages and options and how we can help with your online marketing by emailing us at hilltownfamilies@gmail.com.
Hilltown Families is accepting applications for our Fellowship Program. The Fellowship will afford the opportunity to identify the place-based educational value of local events and the importance of community engagement while gaining a better understanding of how community based resources and local organizations can work together to create a network that promotes learning and sustainability of local resources. The program is a two year position open to students or graduates living in Western Massachusetts with an ability to attend weekly meetings in Northampton, MA. Hours per week 10-15. Stipend/Wage: $100/week.
LIST OF WEEKLY SUGGESTED EVENTS
April 13th-19th, 2013
Suggest an Event | Forecast | Museum Passes | Weekly eNewsletter
Read the rest of this entry »
Like this:
Like Loading...
Leave a Comment
April 4, 2013 at 6:01 am (Suggested Events)
Tags: Berkshires, Event Listings, Family, Family Activities, Family Events, Hilltowns, Massachusetts, Mohawk Trail, New England, outdoors, Pioneer Valley, Spring Events, Things to do, Things to do in Western Massachusetts, Tourism, Travel, vacation, Western MA, western massachusetts
Discover fun and educational events happening this week in Western Mass, along with announcements, upcoming events, links, resources and the HFVS podcast.
SUGGEST AN EVENT
If you have a community event, educational program or service opportunity for youth/families happening in Western Massachusetts that you’d like to let us know about, post your event on our “Suggest An Event” page. 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.
MARK YOUR CALENDARS: HILLTOWN FAMILIES EVENT
Space is limited and we’re filling up fast! All participants must pre-register for this free event. Don’t miss your chance!
On Saturday, May 4th from 10am-1pm: FAMILY COMMUNITY SERVICE EVENT: Join Hilltown Families for a Saturday morning of volunteering together with your family during our spring Family Community Service Event to be held at Leeds Elementary School. We will be offering seven volunteer stations for families to participate in hands-on service projects for ALL AGES that support animal welfare organizations, conservation efforts and food security. Find out more and preregister here: Hilltown Families’ Family Community Service Event: May 4th! Northampton, MA (FREE)
BULLETIN BOARD
Apr 4-18
Pioneer Valley Jewish Film Festival returns April 4-18 to Lander Grinspoon Academy in Northampton, MA. 20 Films / 8 Towns: International films that entertain, educate & inspire. Especially for families is last year’s favorite, DAVID on April 7. In this film a lonely Brooklyn Muslim boy pretends to be Jewish with his new found friends in this tender drama that bridges culture & religion. Ages 8+ (Families with younger sibs welcome to school library & playground). Buy a bag lunch/film ticket combo at www.pvjff.org. Film-only tickets at the door. Lunch at 12noon; film at 1pm. Kidcentered discussion & activities. Visit web site for all films: coming-of-age, romantic comedy, ‘60s cult classic, documentaries of masters of the graphic novel.
Apr 6 & 7
Quilt Show for the Family -Introduce your family and children to the exciting art and craft of quilting at the Hands All Around Biennial Quilt Show, April 6 and 7, at the UMass Amherst Campus Center. In recent years, many artists have expanded the rich American tradition of quilting to create exquisite works of arts. This show, featuring 300+ quilts, showcases the best contemporary quilting has to offer – traditional blocks and patterns next to pictorial and abstract quilts. Demos, kids activities, a special World War II quilt exhibit, fabric vendors, a mini-quilt exhibit and much more. $8 for adults, kids 5 and under for FREE, kids ages 6-12 – $2, students and military or veterans $4. 10am-4pm both days. handsacrossthevalley.org/quilt-show
Apr 6 & 7
Pioneer Valley Ballet presents an original ballet, The Little Mermaid. April 6 & 7 at The Academy of Music in Northampton. Set to Camille Saint Saens’ musical score and based on the fairy tale by the Danish author Hans Christian Andersen about a young mermaid willing to give up her life in the sea for a human soul and the love of a human prince. An opulent production with all-new choreography: flirty Nereids delicately kicking their way through the crashing Waves, tiny swimming Sea Turtles, a towering Sea Witch accompanied by Sea Monsters and menacing Angler Fish, and, of course, The Little Mermaid, played by returning dancer Meghan Mangsen. Tickets available online or in person. More information at www.pioneervalleyballet.org.
Apr 9
Open House: The Deerfield Academy Children’s School is hosting an Open House on Tuesday, April 9th from 5:45-7pm. Come see the school, meet the teachers and learn about The Children’s School nurturing philosophy. Fall slots available for toddlers and preschoolers. Call Elizabeth Bertini-Franseen at 413-774-6626 for more information. 488 Greenfield Rd., Deerfield, MA (RT 5&10 across from Williams Sugar House).
Apr 10
Cultivating Compassion–A Powerful Agent of Change. Got conflict in your life? Whether it’s tension with co-workers, your children, your spouse or anyone who touches your life, cultivating compassion eases the suffering. Attend this FREE workshop to find out how! In this interactive program, various research, exercises and discussion topics will be presented to highlight how compassion transforms relationships and reduces conflict. All are welcome to attend on April 10th, 2013 from 6-8pm at Forbes Library in Northampton, MA. Please register to reserve a seat @ Coaching-with-Compassion.com. This event is created and facilitated by Shana Hiranandani, M.A., BCC Board Certified Life and Career Transition Coach
Apr 14 & 15
The Academy of Music Theatre will present their fifth annual Puppet Festival, April 14th and 15th. There will be two performances to delight young children and their families. Tanglewood Marionettes will stage the first show, The Dragon King, on April 14th at 2 p.m. The acclaimed, award-winning National Marionette Theatre will perform their production of Pinocchio, on April 15th at 10 a.m. All shows are approximately fifty minutes and puppeteers will answer questions from the audience following the performance. All tickets are $5 (box office fees apply) – Academy Box Office,Tuesday-Friday from 3pm-6pm or by phoning 413-584-9032 x105 or online at www.academyofmusictheatre.com. For ages 4 and up.
Apr 16
On Tuesday April 16, CityStage in downtown Springfield, Massachusetts will turn into a live petting zoo like no other with Erth’s Dinosaur Petting Zoo! With the Springfield Museums onsite with an interactive Dinosaur exhibit between the 10am and 2pm performances, and near-by restaurants, it’s the perfect Spring Break Day Trip for Hilltown Families! Erth’s awesome prehistoric creatures, from cute baby dinos to teeth-gnashing giants, will take to the stage for three performances only at 10am, 2pm and 6pm! Dinosaur Petting Zoo allows heaps of interaction for kids and adults while they travel with Erth’s multi-faceted performers on a journey through prehistoric ages. Tickets are $20 and are available by phone at (413) 788-7033 or online HERE.
SUMMER CAMP: Looking for a summer camp or program in Western MA? Check out our featured post, 2013 Summer Camps and Programs in Western MA for a list that will wow and dazzle you! Summer opportunities range from music, art, farming, theater, dance, science, nature, sports, speaking, yoga, rock ‘n roll… to traditional summer day or overnight camps/programs are featured! There’s something for all ages, toddlers to teens! Check it out and start making your summer plans!
ADVERTISE HERE: Reach thousands of families in Western MA while supporting the community development work of Hilltown Families! See your April vacation event, open house, auditions, afterschool class, homeschool program, community event, workshop, school, wellness program or business featured here in the bulletin board section of our list of Weekly Suggested Events and eNewsletter, reaching thousands of families living throughout the four counties of Western MA! Find out more about our enhanced publicity packages and options and how we can help with your online marketing by emailing us at hilltownfamilies@gmail.com.
Hilltown Families is accepting applications for our Fellowship Program. The Fellowship will afford the opportunity to identify the place-based educational value of local events and the importance of community engagement while gaining a better understanding of how community based resources and local organizations can work together to create a network that promotes learning and sustainability of local resources. The program is a two year position open to students or graduates living in Western Massachusetts with an ability to attend weekly meetings in Northampton, MA. Hours per week 10-15. Stipend/Wage: $100/week.
LIST OF WEEKLY SUGGESTED EVENTS
April 6th-12th, 2013
Suggest an Event | Forecast | Museum Passes | Weekly eNewsletter
Read the rest of this entry »
Like this:
Like Loading...
Leave a Comment
March 28, 2013 at 6:00 am (Suggested Events)
Tags: Berkshires, Easter Events, Event Listings, Family, Family Activities, Family Events, Hilltowns, Massachusetts, Mohawk Trail, New England, outdoors, Pioneer Valley, Things to do, Things to do in Western Massachusetts, Tourism, Travel, vacation, Western MA, western massachusetts, winter
Discover fun and educational events happening this week in Western Mass, along with announcements, upcoming events, links, resources and the HFVS podcast.
SUGGEST AN EVENT
Happy Spring! Happy Passover! Happy Easter! — Happy, Happy, Joy, Joy! La la la…
If you have a community event, educational program or service opportunity for youth/families happening in Western Massachusetts that you’d like to let us know about, post your event on our “Suggest An Event” page. 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.
BEST BETS
Saturday, March 30th from 10am-4pm – FAMILY MUSIC/BOOK FESTIVAL: It’s that time of year again! The River (WRSI 93.9 FM) hosts the annual Family Music Meltdown and Book Bash today at their new location Smith Vocational High School! The event is a celebration of kid-friendly music and great children’s literature, and is filled with fun things to do, see, and learn. Live performances will include The Nields, Mister G, The Deedle Deedle Dees, and Hey Dango; popular authors like Jarrett Krosoczka (Lunch Lady), Judith Schachner (Skippyjon Jones), and Tony Diterlizzi (the WondLa series) will read from their favorite books; and families can try out circus arts, crafts, meet farm animals, and visit local vendors. Local businesses will provide food in the food court, so be sure to bring an appetite! Locust Street. Northampton, MA. (FREE)
BULLETIN BOARD
Apr 4-18
Pioneer Valley Jewish Film Festival returns April 4-18 to Lander Grinspoon Academy in Northampton, MA. 20 Films / 8 Towns: International films that entertain, educate & inspire. Especially for families is last year’s favorite, DAVID on April 7. In this film a lonely Brooklyn Muslim boy pretends to be Jewish with his new found friends in this tender drama that bridges culture & religion. Ages 8+ (Families with younger sibs welcome to school library & playground). Buy a bag lunch/film ticket combo at www.pvjff.org. Film-only tickets at the door. Lunch at 12noon; film at 1pm. Kidcentered discussion & activities. Visit web site for all films: coming-of-age, romantic comedy, ‘60s cult classic, documentaries of masters of the graphic novel.
Apr 4 & 6
Parent Workshops with Aletha Solter, Ph.D. (Aware Parenting, author of 5 books) Cradle, Northampton. Why Babies Cry: Some Unrecognized Reasons Thurs Apr 4, 6-8pm, $35. Did you know that babies cry not just for immediate needs, but to release and heal stress? Recognize sources of stress, improve sleep, and help your baby release tension through therapeutic holding/listening. Discipline Without Punishments and Rewards Sat Apr 6, 9-1, $70 Raise cooperative, responsible, self-disciplined children. Pitfalls of punishments and rewards, basic techniques of democratic discipline, reasons for inappropriate behavior, how children’s behavior changes when their needs are met. Eliza 720-252-9982 Contact@InspiritAlive.com Register at cradlefamily.com
Apr 6 & 7
Quilt Show for the Family -Introduce your family and children to the exciting art and craft of quilting at the Hands All Around Biennial Quilt Show, April 6 and 7, at the UMass Amherst Campus Center. In recent years, many artists have expanded the rich American tradition of quilting to create exquisite works of arts. This show, featuring 300+ quilts, showcases the best contemporary quilting has to offer – traditional blocks and patterns next to pictorial and abstract quilts. Demos, kids activities, a special World War II quilt exhibit, fabric vendors, a mini-quilt exhibit and much more. $8 for adults, kids 5 and under for FREE, kids ages 6-12 – $2, students and military or veterans $4. 10am-4pm both days. handsacrossthevalley.org/quilt-show
Apr 7
Come Meet Eden Village Camp’s Founding Director, Yoni Stadlin, at Congregation B’nai Israel (253 Prospect St, Northampton, MA) on April 7th at 11:30am. Snacks provided! Eden Village Camp is the innovative Jewish organic farm camp, focusing on food, wilderness connection & creative arts! The 3rd-11th grade campers and apprentices develop leadership, community-living & outdoor skills, explore a vibrant food culture, and awaken their sense of purpose, joy, & positive Jewish identity. Campers enjoy ethically-sourced (and Kosher) food; care for animals, experience cooking, herbalism, natural science, joyful Shabbat celebration & Jewish practice, swimming & more! Scholarships are available. Contact welcome@edenvillagecamp.org to learn more!
Apr 10
Cultivating Compassion–A Powerful Agent of Change. Got conflict in your life? Whether it’s tension with co-workers, your children, your spouse or anyone who touches your life, cultivating compassion eases the suffering. Attend this FREE workshop to find out how! In this interactive program, various research, exercises and discussion topics will be presented to highlight how compassion transforms relationships and reduces conflict. All are welcome to attend on April 10th, 2013 from 6-8pm at Forbes Library in Northampton, MA. Please register to reserve a seat @ Coaching-with-Compassion.com/events. This event is created and facilitated by Shana Hiranandani, M.A., BCC Board Certified Life and Career Transition Coach.
Jul & Aug
Journey Camp is a nurturing program where children can be themselves and make new friends. Each day offers creative play, walks in the woods and choices of workshops in art, music and drama. Hilltown session for boys and girls, ages 7-13, July 15-19, Taproot Commons Farm, Cummington. Session One for boys and girls, 7-12, July 1-5, at Woolman Hill, Deerfield, Girls Weeks, 7-12, Aug. 5-9 and Aug. 12-16, Woolman Hill, and Moonseed Teen Leadership for Girls, 11-18, July 29- August 1, Woolman Hill. Contact: Marsha Lieberman, 413-588-6399, marsha.journey@gmail.com; www.sarahpirtle.com
Accepting applications for fall 2013. The Bement School founded in 1925 and located in Deerfield is a co-educational junior boarding and day school serving 220 students in kindergarten through grade 9. Bement’s rich, traditional curriculum motivates and challenges students with strong academics, a renowned fine arts program, and a diverse athletic program. Students participate in athletics and fine arts every day. The pervasive atmosphere at Bement is that of a family, learning and living together. Bement actively seeks an academically diverse, international, and multi-cultural student body. For information on how to apply, financial aid, or to arrange a visit to campus, call 413-774-7061 www.bement.org.
SUMMER CAMP: Looking for a summer camp or program in Western MA? Check out our featured post, 2013 Summer Camps and Programs in Western MA for a list that will wow and dazzle you! Summer opportunities range from music, art, farming, theater, dance, science, nature, sports, speaking, yoga, rock ‘n roll… to traditional summer day or overnight camps/programs are featured! There’s something for all ages, toddlers to teens! Check it out and start making your summer plans!
ADVERTISE HERE: Reach thousands of families in Western MA while supporting the community development work of Hilltown Families! See your April Vacacation event, open house, auditions, afterschool class, homeschool program, community event, workshop, school, wellness program or business featured here in the bulletin board section of our list of Weekly Suggested Events and eNewsletter, reaching thousands of families living throughout the four counties of Western MA! Find out more about our enhanced publicity packages and options and how we can help with your online marketing by emailing us at hilltownfamilies@gmail.com.
MARK YOUR CALENDARS: HILLTOWN FAMILIES EVENTS
Thank you to everyone who pre-registered for this free event. We are now full and registration is closed. If you’d like to be added to our cancellation list, visit the page and submit your contact info.
On Friday, April 5th from 4-7pm: ACT OF KINDNESS: Flowers for Friends: A Free Family Friday Night Event at The Art Garden with Hilltown Families. Sign up to bring your kids and come join your neighbors in a free community art event, painting terracotta flower pots to plant with pansies and then pass along to those in your community. With the idea of spreading kindness and beauty, families are encouraged to pass their posies along to an elder in their neighborhood, or their librarian, classroom teacher, receptionist at the hospital or animal shelter, or other community space of their choice. Space is limited. Must pre-register. Shelburne Falls, MA (FREE)
Space is limited and we’re filling up fast! All participants must pre-register for this free event. Don’t miss your chance!
On Saturday, May 4th from 10am-1pm: FAMILY COMMUNITY SERVICE EVENT: Join Hilltown Families for a Saturday morning of volunteering together with your family during our spring Family Community Service Event to be held at Leeds Elementary School. We will be offering seven volunteer stations for families to participate in hands-on service projects for ALL AGES that support animal welfare organizations, conservation efforts and food security. Find out more and preregister here: Hilltown Families’ Family Community Service Event: May 4th! Northampton, MA (FREE)
LIST OF WEEKLY SUGGESTED EVENTS
March 30th – April 5th, 2013
Suggest an Event | Forecast | Museum Passes | Weekly eNewsletter
Read the rest of this entry »
Like this:
Like Loading...
Leave a Comment
March 25, 2013 at 12:00 pm (Contributing Writer, Ecology, Kurt Heidinger)
Tags: Ecology, Hilltowns, Massachusetts, Nature, outdoors, Pioneer Valley, Rivers, rivers and streams, springs, western massachusetts
Spring Hunting
Spring has a leap of the leprechaun in it; who can deny that?—but spring’s called spring not because of its leapiness. Spring’s called spring because of the upwelling waters that appear as the frozen earth thaws.
Right now is the best time to hunt for springs. We had a great ice winter, a record snow and some flood-causing rains, so the conditions are approaching perfect for finding the little springs that make Spring spring.
Why would parent and child hunt springs? Well—we’re pasty from sitting indoors for five months and, no matter the age, cobwebbed and crotchety. A good hard bushwack, a mucky hill scramble is therapeutic. When the sun pours through the grey tree limbs, you can almost feel them swell like you swell, soaking the glow, craning for warmth, more heat, more nourishing radiation.
The trick to hunting springs is: you can only hunt springs that you don’t yet know about. If you know about them, it not possible to hunt them.
So, you have to enter a place, a terrain, a topography that is a mystery, and that draws you to it. It can be your backyard, or a town park, or wherever there isn’t too much pavement to occlude the upwelling waters. The best places are the ones where few things have been constructed—the deep woods, the sides of mountains, the banks of rivers. I suggest, though, that you start by trying to find a spring w/in a five or ten walk from your front door. Read the rest of this entry »
Like this:
Like Loading...
Leave a Comment
March 21, 2013 at 6:01 am (Suggested Events)
Tags: Berkshires, Easter Events, Event Listings, Family, Family Activities, Family Events, Hilltowns, Massachusetts, Mohawk Trail, New England, outdoors, Pioneer Valley, Things to do, Things to do in Western Massachusetts, Tourism, Travel, vacation, Western MA, western massachusetts, winter
Discover fun and educational events happening this week in Western Mass, along with announcements, upcoming events, links, resources and the HFVS podcast.
SUGGEST AN EVENT
It’s officially spring, but the snow continues to linger… The good news is that while kids might not be able to ride their trikes in the snow, the sledding hills are still a ton of fun!
If you have a community event, educational program or service opportunity for youth/families happening in Western Massachusetts that you’d like to let us know about, post your event on our “Suggest An Event” page. 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.
BEST BETS
This weekend, Saturday & Sunday, March 23rd & 24th from 9:30am-5pm – GEOLOGY: The Western Mass Mineral, Jewelry, and Fossil Show takes place this weekend at the Clarion Hotel and Conference Center! The show features the collections of numerous geologists, collectors, and dealers, and offers families an opportunity to get an up-close-and-personal look at gemstones, fossils, petrified wood, crystals, mineral specimens, and more. There will be demonstrations throughout the day, as well as opportunities to see and learn about equipment used to cut and polish stones. Budding geologists will be in heaven while surrounded by the museum-quality displays and the vast wealth of knowledge held by presenters. 1 Atwood Drive. Northampton, MA. (<$)
Saturday, March 23rd from 10am-2pm – SUSTAINABILITY: A Community Resiliency Summit at the Cummington Community House. This is a wonderful opportunity for families to network and find opportunities to get engaged in the community. Open to all, regardless of geography. Panels are planned on the topics “Food, Farm & Local Economy” and “Strengthening Local Institutions & Planning for Emergencies.” Lunch will be provided by the Village Church, followed by networking and discussions about steps we can take as a community to strengthen resiliency. Child-care will be provided. Pre-register if possible. 413-634-5005. 33 Main Street. Cummington, MA (FREE)
Saturday, March 23rd from 1:30-3pm – COMMUNITY SERVICE: Build a home for cave-nesting birds at Pleasant Valley Wildlife Sanctuary! Bluebirds in particular will love nesting in these wooden nest boxes, made using white pine. Other species of birds to particularly enjoy nest boxes include tree swallows, tufted titmice, and white-breasted nuthatches. Families will also learn about good places to mount their boxes – if you have a good place within viewing distance of your home, use it as a way to learn about the habits of whichever bird species moves in! Registration required. 413-637-0320. 472 West Mountain Road. Lenox, MA. ($)
BULLETIN BOARD
March 22
ArtSpark, dance party and auction to benefit the Hilltown Cooperative Charter Public School, Friday March 22nd, 7 to 11 p.m. at Look Park’s Garden House in Florence, MA. Music by the O-Tones, food, cash bar, silent and live auction with eclectic mix of handcrafted furniture, art, local business gift certificates, travel, and one-of-a-kind events up for bid. Tickets $20, available at Cooper’s Corner, State Street Fruit Store, the Creamery and at the door. For more information, 413-268-3421.
Apr 4 & 6
Parent Workshops with Aletha Solter, Ph.D. (Aware Parenting, author of 5 books) Cradle, Northampton. Why Babies Cry: Some Unrecognized Reasons Thurs Apr 4, 6-8pm, $35. Did you know that babies cry not just for immediate needs, but to release and heal stress? Recognize sources of stress, improve sleep, and help your baby release tension through therapeutic holding/listening. Discipline Without Punishments and Rewards Sat Apr 6, 9-1, $70 Raise cooperative, responsible, self-disciplined children. Pitfalls of punishments and rewards, basic techniques of democratic discipline, reasons for inappropriate behavior, how children’s behavior changes when their needs are met. Eliza 720-252-9982 Contact@InspiritAlive.com Register at cradlefamily.com
Jul & Aug
Journey Camp is a nurturing program where children can be themselves and make new friends. Each day offers creative play, walks in the woods and choices of workshops in art, music and drama. Hilltown session for boys and girls, ages 7-13, July 15-19, Taproot Commons Farm, Cummington. Session One for boys and girls, 7-12, July 1-5, at Woolman Hill, Deerfield, Girls Weeks, 7-12, Aug. 5-9 and Aug. 12-16, Woolman Hill, and Moonseed Teen Leadership for Girls, 11-18, July 29- August 1, Woolman Hill. Contact: Marsha Lieberman, 413-588-6399, marsha.journey@gmail.com; www.sarahpirtle.com
Accepting applications for fall 2013. The Bement School founded in 1925 and located in Deerfield is a co-educational junior boarding and day school serving 220 students in kindergarten through grade 9. Bement’s rich, traditional curriculum motivates and challenges students with strong academics, a renowned fine arts program, and a diverse athletic program. Students participate in athletics and fine arts every day. The pervasive atmosphere at Bement is that of a family, learning and living together. Bement actively seeks an academically diverse, international, and multi-cultural student body. For information on how to apply, financial aid, or to arrange a visit to campus, call 413-774-7061 www.bement.org.
MARKET YOUR SUMMER CAMP: In an effort to connect families with summer camps & programs in the region, Hilltown Families is offering camps and programs a chance to partner with us in their online marketing with a special enhanced publicity offer. On Sunday, March 24th, Hilltown Families will be featuring camps in the region on Hilltown Families with a special post titled: 2013 Summer Camps and Programs in Western MA. Find out more about our marketing package HERE.
ADVERTISE HERE: Reach thousands of families in Western MA while supporting the community development work of Hilltown Families! See your community event, open house, auditions, afterschool class, homeschool program, workshop, school, wellness program or business featured here in the bulletin board section of our list of Weekly Suggested Events and eNewsletter, reaching thousands of families living throughout the four counties of Western MA! Find out more about our enhanced publicity packages and options and how we can help with your online marketing by emailing us at hilltownfamilies@gmail.com.
Maria Curtin-McKenna is a Smith College Social Work student looking for mothers who have an ADD or ADHD diagnosis to join her research study about challenges, coping strategies and support experienced during the first year after the baby’s birth. The interview is audio-taped and confidential. It lasts about 1 hour and is held at a time and place convenient to the mom. A $15 thank you gift card to Target is provided. To participate, the mother must be 18 years or older, have and ADD or ADHD diagnosis, and have given birth to a child who is age 2-60 months. Contact Maria at 413-362-4053 or mcurtinm@smith.edu
MARK YOUR CALENDARS: HILLTOWN FAMILIES EVENTS
On Friday, April 5th from 4-7pm: ACT OF KINDNESS: Flowers for Friends: A Free Family Friday Night Event at The Art Garden with Hilltown Families. Sign up to bring your kids and come join your neighbors in a free community art event, painting terracotta flower pots to plant with pansies and then pass along to those in your community. With the idea of spreading kindness and beauty, families are encouraged to pass their posies along to an elder in their neighborhood, or their librarian, classroom teacher, receptionist at the hospital or animal shelter, or other community space of their choice. Space is limited. Must pre-register. Shelburne Falls, MA (FREE)
On Saturday, May 4th from 10am-1pm: FAMILY COMMUNITY SERVICE EVENT: Join Hilltown Families for a Saturday morning of volunteering together with your family during our spring Family Community Service Event to be held at Leeds Elementary School. We will be offering seven volunteer stations for families to participate in hands-on service projects for ALL AGES that support animal welfare organizations, conservation efforts and food security. Find out more and preregister here: Hilltown Families’ Family Community Service Event: May 4th! Northampton, MA (FREE)
LIST OF WEEKLY SUGGESTED EVENTS
March 23rd-29th, 2013
Suggest an Event | Forecast | Museum Passes | Weekly eNewsletter
Read the rest of this entry »
Like this:
Like Loading...
1 Comment
March 14, 2013 at 6:00 am (Suggested Events)
Tags: Berkshires, Easter Events, Event Listings, Family, Family Activities, Family Events, Hilltowns, Maple Season, Massachusetts, Mohawk Trail, New England, outdoors, Pioneer Valley, St. Patrick's Day, Things to do, Things to do in Western Massachusetts, Tourism, Travel, vacation, Vacation Week, Western MA, western massachusetts, winter
Discover fun and educational events happening this week in Western Mass, along with announcements, upcoming events, links, resources and the HFVS podcast.
SUGGEST AN EVENT
If you have a community event, educational program or service opportunity for youth/families happening in Western Massachusetts that you’d like to let us know about, post your event on our “Suggest An Event” page. 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.
BEST BETS
Saturday Morning Music Party: March 16th Hilltown Families & Flywheel present another Saturday Morning Music Party in Easthampton!
Saturday, March 16th from 10am-12noon - MUSIC PARTY: Hilltown Families and Flywheel Presents a Saturday Morning Music Party with special guest, Shiprock & Anchordog. Bring the family for another family friendly morning of live music & free pancakes! Local group, Shiprock & Anchordog will bring us a mixed media performance of theater and video set to music in the Americana vein about the story of two dog heroes and their adventures through forests, oceans and dreamscapes. Free pancakes will be flipped onto your plates beginning at 10am. Kids of all ages welcome! Happens at Flywheel. 43 Main Street (Old Town Hall). Easthampton, MA (>$)
Saturday, March 16th from 9am-3pm – MAPLE SUGARING: Celebrate a delicious New England tradition at the town of Chester’s 28th annual Maple Fest! Start the day with a pancake breakfast at the First Congregational Church. Then, spend the rest of the day learning all about maple sugaring (you can even take a wagon ride to the High Meadows Sugarhouse), visiting with farm animals, listening to live music from the Pioneer Valley Fiddlers, and more. There will be food available all day long, just in case you miss the pancakes! Skyline Trail. Chester, MA. ($)
Sunday, March 17th at 11:30am – ST. PATRICK’S DAY PARADE: Celebrate St. Patrick’s Day in Western MA’s most Irish city! The Holyoke St. Patrick’s Day Parade includes floats, dancers, and other performers from local groups and marches all over the city! Holyoke, MA. (FREE)
BULLETIN BOARD
March 17
Are you hungry for something to do this Sunday? Head to The Eric Carle Museum to celebrate The Very Hungry Caterpillar Day on March 17th from 12noon-5pm. Make your own caterpillars from found objects in the Art Studio. Join special story times. Meet the Very Hungry Caterpillar in costume and get a caterpillar tattoo. There will be caterpillar cookies, giveaways & a sale in The Carle Bookshop. Translated in over 50 languages, and celebrated a world over, The Very Hungry Caterpillar is universally known as one of the greatest childhood classics of all time. Bring a picnic lunch & spend the day! For more info visit www.carlemuseum.org or call 413-658-1100. 125 West Bay Road. Amherst, MA (FREE with Museum Admission)
March 22
ArtSpark, dance party and auction to benefit the Hilltown Cooperative Charter Public School, Friday March 22nd, 7 to 11 p.m. at Look Park’s Garden House in Florence, MA. Music by the O-Tones, food, cash bar, silent and live auction with eclectic mix of handcrafted furniture, art, local business gift certificates, travel, and one-of-a-kind events up for bid. Tickets $20, available at Cooper’s Corner, State Street Fruit Store, the Creamery and at the door. For more information, 413-268-3421.
RH Conwell Community School of Worthington, MA is accepting applications for the 2013-2014 school year with openings in all classes from Pre-K through 6th grade. Located in the heart of the Hilltowns of Western MA, Conwell is an affordable private school with a supportive environment, offering a rigorous, encouraging, and developmentally appropriate program to all students. Children are taught to think creatively, read critically, and reason logically. Conwell has a high level of parent and community involvement in both classroom and after school activities. Students are valued as individuals and learning plans are tailored to meet their needs and learning styles. For more information visit online at www.conwellcec.org or call 413-238-5856.
MARKET YOUR SUMMER CAMP: In an effort to connect families with summer camps & programs in the region, Hilltown Families is offering camps and programs a chance to partner with us in their online marketing with a special enhanced publicity offer. On Sunday, March 24th, Hilltown Families will be featuring camps in the region on Hilltown Families with a special post titled: 2013 Summer Camps and Programs in Western MA. Find out more about our marketing package and early bird discounts HERE.
ADVERTISE HERE: Reach thousands of families in Western MA while supporting the community development work of Hilltown Families! See your community event, open house, auditions, afterschool class, homeschool program, workshop, school, wellness program or business featured here in the bulletin board section of our list of Weekly Suggested Events and eNewsletter, reaching thousands of families living throughout the four counties of Western MA! Find out more about our enhanced publicity packages and options and how we can help with your online marketing by emailing us at hilltownfamilies@gmail.com.
Habitat for Humanity is beginning some new local projects – and the organization is searching for families to become new homeowners! There will be projects taking place in Northampton, Easthampton, and Turners Falls, and families who are able to make small mortgage payments and participate in the home’s construction are encouraged to apply. Learn more about the opportunities available and how to be successful in the application project on Saturday. March 16th from 10am-12noon at Greenfield Savings Bank (282 Avenue A.) in Turners Falls, MA. (FREE)
MARK YOUR CALENDARS
Enter for a chance to win tickets!
Next Saturday, March 23rd from 10am-2pm – SUSTAINABILITY: A Community Resiliency Summit at the Cummington Community House. This is a wonderful opportunity for families to network and find opportunities to get engaged in the community. Open to all, regardless of geography. Panels are planned on the topics “Food, Farm & Local Economy” and “Strengthening Local Institutions & Planning for Emergencies.” Lunch will be provided by the Village Church, followed by networking and discussions about steps we can take as a community to strengthen resiliency. Child-care will be provided. Pre-register if possible. 413-634-5005. 33 Main Street. Cummington, MA (FREE)
Next Sunday, March 24th from 12noon-4pm: MUSEUM ADVENTURES: There’s more to the Sterling and Francine Clark Art Institute than its magnificent paintings. Celebrate the remarkable diversity and beauty of decorative arts in the collection—from elaborate works of silver and elegant furniture to charming teacups and colorful glass objects—at a free Decorative Arts Family Day. The day’s program offers plenty of fun for parents and children alike. Music, demonstrations, and art projects are just some of the activities that will highlight the decorative arts in the Clark’s collection. 413-458-2303. 225 South Street. Willamstown, MA (FREE)
On Friday, April 5th from 4-7pm: ACT OF KINDNESS: Flowers for Friends: A Free Family Friday Night Event at The Art Garden with Hilltown Families. Sign up to bring your kids and come join your neighbors in a free community art event, painting terracotta flower pots to plant with pansies and then pass along to those in your community. With the idea of spreading kindness and beauty, families are encouraged to pass their posies along to an elder in their neighborhood, or their librarian, classroom teacher, receptionist at the hospital or animal shelter, or other community space of their choice. Space is limited. Must pre-register. Shelburne Falls, MA (FREE)
LIST OF WEEKLY SUGGESTED EVENTS
March 16th-22nd, 2013
Suggest an Event | Forecast | Museum Passes | Weekly eNewsletter
Read the rest of this entry »
Like this:
Like Loading...
Leave a Comment
March 7, 2013 at 6:01 am (Suggested Events)
Tags: Berkshires, Event Listings, Family, Family Activities, Family Events, Hilltowns, Maple Season, Massachusetts, Mohawk Trail, New England, outdoors, Pioneer Valley, Things to do, Things to do in Western Massachusetts, Tourism, Travel, vacation, Vacation Week, Western MA, western massachusetts, winter
Discover fun and educational events happening this week in Western Mass, along with announcements, upcoming events, links, resources and the HFVS podcast.
SUGGEST AN EVENT
At the beginning of Maple Sugar Season last year we invited our readers to share with us how Maple Sugar Season gets their family outdoors and participating in the harvest with their community. We also invited them to share their favorite recipe that they like to make for/with their family breakfast/brunch hour. Check out what they had to share in our post, Seasons at Our Table: Maple Sugar.
If you have a community event, educational program or service opportunity for youth/families happening in Western Massachusetts that you’d like to let us know about, post your event on our “Suggest An Event” page. 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.
BEST BETS
Saturday, March 9th from 9am-12pm in Hampshire County – KIDS’ STUFF SWAP: Northampton Dept. of Public Works is holding a Kids’ Stuff Swap and Art Workshops, PopUp Artists’ Shop and Environmental Info table at Smith Vocational School. Pre-registration. 80 Locust St. Northampton, MA (FREE)
Saturday, March 9th from 10am-4:30pm in Franklin County – HISTORY: Children in early New England had to work often to help their families survive – somehow, though, they still had time to play! Visit Historic Deerfield today to learn about and try out many Colonial-era toys often enjoyed by children in early Deerfield. Visitors can make their own toys to take home, and can even try on 18th-century clothing to see what they might have looked like as a child long ago. 413-775-7170. 84B Old Main Street. Deerfield, MA. (FREE with museum admission)
Sunday, March 10th from 11am-3pm in Hampden County – MAPLE HARVEST DAY: Storrowton Village Museum’s 8th annual Maple Harvest Day will showcase the history and lore of maple sugaring in the Gilbert Farmstead’s front yard with Sugar Maple tree tapping, sumac spile making and sap boiling over an open fire, to educate the public about the origin and legend of the tradition. Inside the historic home, docents will demonstrate 19th century open hearth cooking at the cozy kitchen fireplace as well as quilting and spinning wool. 413-205-5051. Eastern States Expo. West Springfield, MA (FREE)
Sunday, March 10th at 1pm in Berkshire County – ANIMAL STUDIES: Meet some real-life bats today at the Berkshire Museum! The museum is currently hosting an exhibit all about bats, which features specimens of actual bats, but no live bats. However, today some fruit bats, a big brown bat, and a Malayan flying fox will all pay a visit to the museum! Families can learn all about what bats eat, where they live, and the fragility of their populations before meeting the live bats. Not to be missed – this is a once in a lifetime opportunity! 413-443-7171. 39 South Street. Pittsfield, MA. (FREE with museum admission)
BULLETIN BOARD
March 9
Piti Theatre presents 4th Annual SYRUP: One Sweet Performing Arts Festival on Sat., March 9 at Memorial Hall in Shelburne Falls. Family show at 2pm with Piti’s “To Bee or Not to Bee,” leading U.S. mask artist Larry Hunt of Masque Theater, children’s mask parade, syrup tasting, free Real Pickles and more! Evening show at 7pm for ages 8+ with Masque Theater’s 20 mask variety show, juggling/comedy with national touring actor Jack Golden, brother-sister duo June and the Bee. Family show $5, Evening $12/$8 under 16. Fri., 3/8: paper pattern mask making workshop for grades K – 5, 4:30 – 5:30 pm at Mem. Hall. Children can be in next day’s mask parade. Sun. 3/9: Mask Movement for ages 15+ at Hart Yoga, 1-4pm. info@ptco.org, www.ptco.org/shows/syrup
RH Conwell Community School of Worthington, MA is accepting applications for the 2013-2014 school year with openings in all classes from Pre-K through 6th grade. Located in the heart of the Hilltowns of Western MA, Conwell is an affordable private school with a supportive environment, offering a rigorous, encouraging, and developmentally appropriate program to all students. Children are taught to think creatively, read critically, and reason logically. Conwell has a high level of parent and community involvement in both classroom and after school activities. Students are valued as individuals and learning plans are tailored to meet their needs and learning styles. For more information visit online at www.conwellcec.org or call 413-238-5856.
MARKET YOUR SUMMER CAMP: In an effort to connect families with summer camps & programs in the region, Hilltown Families is offering camps and programs a chance to partner with us in their online marketing with a special enhanced publicity offer. On Sunday, March 24th, Hilltown Families will be featuring camps in the region on Hilltown Families with a special post titled: 2013 Summer Camps and Programs in Western MA. Find out more about our marketing package and early bird discounts HERE.
ADVERTISE HERE: Reach thousands of families in Western MA while supporting the community development work of Hilltown Families! See your community event, open house, auditions, afterschool class, homeschool program, workshop, school, wellness program or business featured here in the bulletin board section of our list of Weekly Suggested Events and eNewsletter, reaching thousands of families living throughout the four counties of Western MA! Find out more about our enhanced publicity packages and options and how we can help with your online marketing by emailing us at hilltownfamilies@gmail.com.
SUGAR SHACKS: Sugar shacks all over Western MA are open, boiling down sap, flipping jacks, and serving both up fresh out of the kitchen. Find a recommended Sugar Shack here: Where’s Your Favorite Sugar Shack in Western MA?.
MotherWoman is coming to the Hilltowns, offering two support groups to Hilltown mothers. The first group meets on Mondays in Ashfield at St. John’s Corner House from 11am-12:30pm. Expectant mothers welcome. Free childcare is available for children up to age four. Contact Anna Westley for more info at 413-625-6948. A second group will be hosted by the Cummington Family Center at the Cummington Community House on the 2nd Thursday each month from 10-11:30am. Contact Stacey Mackowiak for more info at 413-634-8853. More info on both at www.itavillage.com.
Enter to win a pair of tickets for a Parents’ Night Out!
Volunteers wanted for Salamander Tunnel Maintenance Day in Amherst on Saturday, March 9th from 1-3pm. The Hitchcock Center for the Environment will be cleaning Salamander tunnels and drift fences on Henry Street. Volunteers will be raking leaves, shoveling sand and debris, clipping brush, repairing plastic mesh fences, pounding in wooden stakes, and picking up litter and will have some tools and gloves available for families to help out (but please bring your own if you have them.). All ages are welcome! Henry Street. Amherst, MA (FREE)
MARK YOUR CALENDARS
Mark Your Calendars: March 16th Hilltown Families & Flywheel present another Saturday Morning Music Party in Easthampton!
Next Saturday, March 16th from 10am-12noon - MUSIC PARTY: Hilltown Families and Flywheel Presents a Saturday Morning Music Party with special guest, Shiprock & Anchordog. Bring the family for another family friendly morning of live music & free pancakes! Local group, Shiprock & Anchordog will bring us a mixed media performance of theater and video set to music in the Americana vein about the story of two dog heroes and their adventures through forests, oceans and dreamscapes. Free pancakes will be flipped onto your plates beginning at 10am. Kids of all ages welcome! Happens at Flywheel. 43 Main Street (Old Town Hall). Easthampton, MA (>$)
We have 3 family 4-pack of tickets we’re giving away to see the musical Annie in Northampton, March 14-16!
Next Saturday, March 16th at 2pm - FILM/LITERATURE: Mahaiwe Performing Arts Center hosts author Brian Selznick for a screening of the movie adaptation of his book, Hugo. The film (meant for families!) features Oscar-winner Martin Scorsese. Following the screening, Selznick discuss the process of transforming the book into film, and will answer audience questions. 413-528-0100. 14 Castle Street. Great Barrington, MA. ($)
Next Sunday, March 17th at 11:30am – ST. PATRICK’S DAY PARADE: Celebrate St. Patrick’s Day in Western MA’s most Irish city! The Holyoke St. Patrick’s Day Parade includes floats, dancers, and other performers from local groups and marches all over the city! Holyoke, MA. (FREE)
LIST OF WEEKLY SUGGESTED EVENTS
March 9th-15th, 2013
Suggest an Event | Forecast | Museum Passes | Weekly eNewsletter
Read the rest of this entry »
Like this:
Like Loading...
Leave a Comment
February 28, 2013 at 6:00 am (Suggested Events)
Tags: Berkshires, Event Listings, Family, Family Activities, Family Events, February Vacation Week, Hilltowns, Massachusetts, Mohawk Trail, New England, outdoors, Pioneer Valley, School Vacation Activities, School Vacation Week, Things to do, Things to do in Western Massachusetts, Tourism, Travel, vacation, Vacation Week, Western MA, western massachusetts, winter, Winter in New England
Discover fun and educational events happening this week in Western Mass, along with announcements, upcoming events, links, resources and the HFVS podcast.
SUGGEST AN EVENT
Looking for a whiff of spring? Starting this Saturday, March 2nd, both Smith College Botanic Garden and Mount Holyoke College’s Botanic Garden spring flower shows open featuring hundreds of spring-blossoming bulbs! (Photo credit: Sienna Wildfield)
If you have a community event, educational program or service opportunity for youth/families happening in Western Massachusetts that you’d like to let us know about, post your event on our “Suggest An Event” page. 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.
BEST BETS
Saturday, March 2nd from 10am-4pm in Hampden County – MUSEUM ADVENTURE: Happy 109th birthday, Dr. Seuss! Celebrate today with the Springfield Museums, home of the Dr. Seuss sculpture garden. Celebrations will take place all day long, including MYO Cat in the Hat bowties and birthday cards for Dr. Seuss, a chance to meet the Cat in the Hat himself, family science adventures, planetarium shows (additional charge), and a Dr. Seuss cake contest where visitors can vote for their favorite, most Seuss-est cake! 413-263-6800. 21 Edwards Street. Springfield, MA. ($)
Saturday, March 2nd at 10:30am in Hampshire County – FAMILY PERFORMANCE: Grammy-nominated folk musician David Grover performs this morning at the Jones Library! His beautiful music is unique amongst folk-style family music in that it speaks to people of all ages, and not just children. 413-259-3090. 43 Amity Street. Amherst, MA. (FREE)
Saturday, March 2nd at 1pm in Berkshire County – MUSEUM ADVENTURE: It’s Family Curiosity Day at the Williams College Museum of Art! Visit the museum to learn all about art – there will be gallery activities, artistic experiments, and lots of art projects! 413-597-3131. 15 Lawrence Hall Drive. Williamstown, MA.
Saturday, March 2nd from 11am-12:30pm in Franklin County – LITERACY: Families with kids ages 6+ are invited to take part in a 6-week workshop series with professional storyteller John Porcino at the Dickinson Library! Porcino will share beautiful children’s books with families, and the events are a celebration of stories – each week will focus on a new theme. Registration required. 413-498-2455. Main Street. Northfield, MA. (FREE)
MARK YOUR CALENDARS
Mark Your Calendars: March 16th Hilltown Families & Flywheel present another Saturday Morning Music Party in Easthampton!
Next Saturday, March 9th from 9am-12pm in Hampshire County – KIDS’ STUFF SWAP: Northampton Dept. of Public Works is holding a Kids’ Stuff Swap and Art Workshops, PopUp Artists’ Shop and Environmental Info table at Smith Vocational School. Pre-registration. 80 Locust St. Northampton, MA (FREE)
Next Saturday, March 9th from 11am-2pm Berkshire County – MAPLEFEST: Maple sugaring season has arrived once again, and Hopkins Memorial Forest host its annual celebration to usher in the new season. The celebration will allow people to both observe and take part in the maple syrup production process, from tapping a tree to checking out the finishing and bottling of the final product. Participants will also be able to visit a working sugar house, assist with sap gathering, and taste the homemade syrup on pancakes and “sugar on snow.” In addition, there will be demonstrations of old-time evaporating methods, dating back to the pre-colonial era, as well as maple sugaring exhibits, videos, and more. Intersection of Bulkley Street & Northwest Hill Road. 413-597-4277. Williamstown, MA (FREE)
Next Sunday, March 10th from 11am-3pm in Hampden County – MAPLE HARVEST DAY: Storrowton Village Museum’s 8th annual Maple Harvest Day will showcase the history and lore of maple sugaring in the Gilbert Farmstead’s front yard with Sugar Maple tree tapping, sumac spile making and sap boiling over an open fire, to educate the public about the origin and legend of the tradition. Inside the historic home, docents will demonstrate 19th century open hearth cooking at the cozy kitchen fireplace as well as quilting and spinning wool. 413-205-5051. Eastern States Expo. West Springfield, MA (FREE)
BULLETIN BOARD
March 3
Teen Social Justice Workshop: How Did Young People Lead the Drive for Workers’ Rights? Join Temple Israel (27 Pierce St.) in Greenfield on Sunday, March 3 from 12:30-2:30pm for the next in their series of teen social justice workshops exploring Jewish history and ethics. This week they will be learning about the essential role young people played in organizing the garment workers’ strikes in New York City. There will be history, study of Jewish ethical identity as expressed across the spectrum of religious observance, critical thinking activities and a special segment on learning Yiddish workers’ songs. Free and open to everyone. Refreshments will be provided. For more info contact Samantha Wood: cornerrobot@gmail.com. 413-522-3832
March 3
Come celebrate St. Patrick’s Day with the Celtic Heels Irish Dance Company at the Academy of Music Theatre, this Sunday, March 3rd, at 2pm. This vibrant performance will feature over 70 dancers of all ages as well as guest musicians Emerald Rae (a National Scottish Fiddle Champion) and Liz Simmons (a Honey Voiced Singer). Tickets are $12/adults, $10/seniors, $10/children and are available through the Academy of Music Theatre at www.academyofmusictheatre.com or by phone at 413-584-9032 ext. 105 (box office fees may apply). Join in the fun of the jigs and reels with your children at this toe tapping hand clapping afternoon of family fun!
March 9
Piti Theatre presents 4th Annual SYRUP: One Sweet Performing Arts Festival on Sat., March 9 at Memorial Hall in Shelburne Falls. Family show at 2pm with Piti’s “To Bee or Not to Bee,” leading U.S. mask artist Larry Hunt of Masque Theater, children’s mask parade, syrup tasting, free Real Pickles and more! Evening show at 7pm for ages 8+ with Masque Theater’s 20 mask variety show, juggling/comedy with national touring actor Jack Golden, brother-sister duo June and the Bee. Family show $5, Evening $12/$8 under 16. Fri., 3/8: paper pattern mask making workshop for grades K – 5, 4:30 – 5:30 pm at Mem. Hall. Children can be in next day’s mask parade. Sun. 3/9: Mask Movement for ages 15+ at Hart Yoga, 1-4pm. info@ptco.org, www.ptco.org/shows/syrup
Beginning Feb 25
FMC Ice Sports offers a fun and unique learning environment for all ages. Participants in our Step 1 Learn to Skate programs are taught the basics of ice skating without relying on skating aids. This method of teaching increases a skater’s independence on the ice and encourages their learning of balance and maneuverability. Students eventually graduate to our Step 2 and Step 3 programs that focus on the more sport specific skills required in hockey and figure skating. FMC Ice Sports programs can be found at the Smead Arena in Springfield and the Collins Moylan Arena in Greenfield. Class information and registration are available online at www.fmcicesports.com or by calling 1-888-74-SKATE.
MARKET YOUR SUMMER CAMP: In an effort to connect families with summer camps & programs in the region, Hilltown Families is offering camps and programs a chance to partner with us in their online marketing with a special enhanced publicity offer. On Sunday, March 24th, Hilltown Families will be featuring camps in the region on Hilltown Families with a special post titled: 2013 Summer Camps and Programs in Western MA. Find out more about our marketing package and early bird discounts HERE.
ADVERTISE HERE: Reach thousands of families in Western MA while supporting the community development work of Hilltown Families! See your community event, open house, auditions, afterschool class, homeschool program, workshop, school, wellness program or business featured here in the bulletin board section of our list of Weekly Suggested Events and eNewsletter, reaching thousands of families living throughout the four counties of Western MA! Find out more about our enhanced publicity packages and options and how we can help with your online marketing by emailing us at hilltownfamilies@gmail.com.
MotherWoman is coming to the Hilltowns, offering two support groups to Hilltown mothers. The first group meets on Mondays in Ashfield at St. John’s Corner House from 11am-12:30pm, offering a free, safe, confidential drop-in group for mothers of infants & young children a place to feel heard, valued, understood, nurtured and energized. Expectant mothers welcome. Free childcare is available for children up to age four. Contact Anna Westley for more info at 413-625-6948. A second group will be hosted by the Cummington Family Center at the Cummington Community House on the 2nd Thursday each month from 10-11:30am. Contact Stacey Mackowiak for more info at 413-634-8853. More info on both at www.itavillage.com.
Volunteers wanted for Salamander Tunnel Maintenance Day in Amherst on a Saturday in March (determined by the weather). One of Amherst’s many claims to fame are the Henry St. amphibian tunnels, North America’s first, designed to direct spotted salamanders under the road, thus avoiding the tires of passing autos. All are invited to ready the tunnels for the annual spring migration. The Hitchcock Center for the Environment will be raking leaves, shoveling sand and debris, clipping brush, repairing plastic mesh fences, pounding in wooden stakes, and picking up litter and will have some tools and gloves available for families to help out (but please bring your own if you have them.). All ages are welcome! FREE • Please call 413-256-6006 to be added to the call/email list to volunteer.
LIST OF WEEKLY SUGGESTED EVENTS
March 2nd-8th, 2013
Suggest an Event | Forecast | Museum Passes | Weekly eNewsletter
Read the rest of this entry »
Like this:
Like Loading...
Leave a Comment
February 25, 2013 at 10:00 am (Contributing Writer, Ecology, Kurt Heidinger)
Tags: Berkshires, climate, Ecology, Hilltowns, Massachusetts, Nature, otters, outdoors, Pioneer Valley, Rivers, rivers and streams, western massachusetts, winter, winter wetlands
Winter Otters
When winter is most wintery, the otter is most active. It is hungry, of course, and it is also very smart. The ice that forms in and above the streams shrinks the size of the stream, making it harder for fish and crayfish to hide. Not only that, the otter—of the weasel family (i.e., a mountain lion crossed with a squirrel)—is in summer a nocturnal feeder, but changes that habit in the winter, and feeds during the day. In the harshest and barrenest of late winter, the otter finds a feast. (Photo credit: Kurt Heidinger)
It’s the end of winter (almost), when months of frigid winds have whipped the bare hills and leafless trees into a freeze-dried state. The best loggers cut trees for firewood now, just before the March thaws, because the ground is frozen and the green wood is at its driest, all the sap stored underground (Think maple syrup!). How wonderful and wise and tough are the trees, an example for us all of character and of presence (A friend of mine, a Chilean ethnobotanist, once said, “Always live in the trees. Humans go crazy without them.” I still wonder if she’s correct—and I tend to agree.).
The creatures who live in our forests are likewise in their stiffest winter state, hungry and cold, their food supply growing ever more meager. The deep hard snow will soon be gone, but while it lasts, life gets dearer for all us living beings. Dessicated, shrunken, and gnarled, the bios—the shared life expressed by biodiversity —is ready to spring.
Before it does, get out of the house! As harsh as late winter is, it is an ephemeral world of austere beauty. Everybody wants summer right now, all my friends off last week in Florida, posting Facebook photos and saying nananabooboo—but what is summer anyway, if it is not earned by gritting through the iciest and bluest and shiveriest months of cold? Living four seasons deeply is what chisels the Yankee character. For each season, we have a way of living and that—our environmentally-determined multifaceted character—makes us culturally unique and vibrant. Spring is not so incredible and sweet and exuberant unless it follows the kind of winter we’re having, and that makes the winter we’re having a perfect one.
SO: Grab some snowshoes and ski poles and take risk (I guess I should place a disclaimer here: what I will now suggest is somewhat dangerous, so be very careful and don’t over do it.)… put on those snowshoes and, preferably with a friend or two also on snowshoes, walk a stream bed…while you still can! Read the rest of this entry »
Like this:
Like Loading...
Leave a Comment
February 21, 2013 at 6:01 am (Suggested Events)
Tags: Berkshires, Event Listings, Family, Family Activities, Family Events, February Vacation Week, Hilltowns, Massachusetts, Mohawk Trail, New England, outdoors, Pioneer Valley, School Vacation Activities, School Vacation Week, Things to do, Things to do in Western Massachusetts, Tourism, Travel, vacation, Vacation Week, Western MA, western massachusetts, winter, Winter in New England
Discover fun and educational events happening this week in Western Mass, along with announcements, upcoming events, links, resources and the HFVS podcast.
SUGGEST AN EVENT
If you have a community event, educational program or service opportunity for youth/families happening in Western Massachusetts that you’d like to let us know about, post your event on our “Suggest An Event” page. 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.
BEST BETS
Saturday, February 23rd at 11am & 1pm in Hampden County – FAMILY CONCERT: SteveSongs is coming to the Springfield Museum for a family concert sure to get the kids dancing way! A “meet and greet” will follow each concert. Check out these videos to get ready for next weekend. Springfield, MA ($)
Saturday, February 23rd from 10am-4pm in Berkshire County – WINTERFEST: City of North Adams’ 16th Annual WinterFest will have your family shaking of cabin fever! All of downtown will turn into a winter fun-land with activities happening all day, including horse-drawn wagon rides, ice sculptures, culinary delights, ice skating and many performances. 413-664-6180. Downtown. North Adams, MA (FREE)
Saturday, February 23rd at 11am in Hampshire County – FAMILY CONCERT: The Northampton Community Music Center presents the Deedle Deedle Dees in concert at the Eric Carle Museum! An educational rock band, the Deedle Deedle Dees sing about science, history, and everything in between, making their fun, catchy songs educational as well as entertaining. 413-658-1100. 125 West Bay Road. Amherst, MA. ($)
Saturday, February 23rd at 11am in Franklin County – LUAU: Kids got cabin fever? Pretend it’s summer for just a day – Chandler’s Restaurant is hosting a luau for kids! Families can order lunch and enjoy special Hawaiian-themed food and drinks, as well as crafts, games, and Hawaiian music! Reservations suggested. 413-665-1277. 25 Greenfield Road. Deerfield, MA. ($)
MARK YOUR CALENDARS
Friday-Sunday, March 1st-3rd: WINTER CARNIVAL: The Holyoke Winter Carnival spans three days! There will be a free luminaria event, ice skating, dog show, domino tournament, firemen’s hockey benefit, family movie night, chili cook-off, pancake breakfast, cake decorating contest, and spaghetti dinner featuring Zydeco Connection. 413-244-6766. Holyoke, MA
Saturday, March 2nd from 10am-3pm – MUSEUM ADVENTURES: Family Day at the Smith College Museum of Art. Try your hand at several art projects inspired by fisherman, fireworks, flowers, and more on view in the Collecting Art of Asia exhibition. Smith students will lead families with kids ages 4yo+ in projects, have snacks available and be on hand to assist. Elm Street At Bedford Terrace. Smith College Museum of Art. Northampton, MA (FREE)
BULLETIN BOARD
Feb 24
Purim Justice Fair, co-sponsored by Congregation Bnai Israel and Beit Ahavah, will be held Sunday, February 24, from 3:30-5:30pm at Beit Ahavah, 130 Pine St, Florence. This family-oriented Purim Festival is for all ages. Festivities will include spirited singing, interactive games and booths including face-painting, bingo, palm reading, blackjack, bowling and ring-toss. All proceeds (suggested donations $3-$5) from the event will go to support local and international social justice and environmental causes. Please bring canned food for a sculpture activity to donated to Northampton Survival Center. Bring homemade humantaschen to share to take part in our humantaschen bake-off contest. Come in costume! Contact: rabbijacob@cbinorthampton.org
Beginning Feb 25
FMC Ice Sports offers a fun and unique learning environment for all ages. Participants in our Step 1 Learn to Skate programs are taught the basics of ice skating without relying on skating aids. This method of teaching increases a skater’s independence on the ice and encourages their learning of balance and maneuverability. Students eventually graduate to our Step 2 and Step 3 programs that focus on the more sport specific skills required in hockey and figure skating. FMC Ice Sports programs can be found at the Smead Arena in Springfield and the Collins Moylan Arena in Greenfield. Class information and registration are available online at www.fmcicesports.com or by calling 1-888-74-SKATE.
March
Snow Farm: The New England Craft Program in Williamsburg, MA is offering half-day Saturday workshops in March for students ages 13+. Try flameworking (glass beads and small sculpture), ceramics, digital printing on alternative surfaces, or stained glass with upcycled materials. A great parent/teen opportunity – or some creative alone time for mom or dad. Our instructors are fun, encouraging, and wildly talented. Our studios in a historic New England farm setting are comfortable and professionally equipped. Treat yourself! www.snowfarm.org/intergenerational-workshops.html. 413-268-3101. info@snowfarm-art.org.
Guess what’s growing in Pelham? A Preschool! One of the Valley’s pre-eminent elementary schools is growing to include a preschool in the fall of 2013! Pelham Elementary is renowned for its MCAS scores, respected for its staff, and revered for its reputation of being a caring, nurturing place for our youth. Open to residents of all towns, with a number of slots reserved for Pelham residents. Full day program, hours and prices competitive. Options for before and after school care. Make your child’s first experience in the world of education one to grow on. For details call 413-362-1101 or email Principal Lisa Desjarlais at desjarlaisl@arps.org.
ADVERTISE YOUR EVENT OR OPEN HOUSE: Reach thousands of families in Western MA while supporting the community development work of Hilltown Families! See your community event, open house, auditions, afterschool class, homeschool program, workshop, school, wellness program or business featured here in the bulletin board section of our list of Weekly Suggested Events and eNewsletter, reaching thousands of families living throughout the four counties of Western MA! Find out more about our enhanced publicity packages and options and how we can help with your online marketing by emailing us at hilltownfamilies@gmail.com.
MARKET YOUR SUMMER CAMP: In an effort to connect families with summer camps & programs in the region, Hilltown Families is offering camps and programs a chance to partner with us in their online marketing with a special enhanced publicity offer. On Sunday, March 24th, Hilltown Families will be featuring camps in the region on Hilltown Families with a special post titled: 2013 Summer Camps and Programs in Western MA. Find out more about our marketing package and early bird discounts HERE.
The Amherst Toy Library is now opening! Offering free toy rentals for children up to 8 years old! Located on the 2nd floor of the Bangs Community Center in downtown Amherst, the Toy Library is open Wed & Thurs from 11am-1pm and Fridays from 9am-12noon. Donation of new or gently used toys (puzzles, games, block, etc) are needed, but not stuffed animals or cloth toys. If you’d like to donate or volunteer, contact Randa or Shangzhu at amhersttoylibrary@gmail.com
Allison Scott, Youth Action Coalition Programs Liaison writes: “GirlsEyeView (GEV) offers a supportive and creative space for young women to express themselves through photography & creative writing, free of charge. We write stories & poems, share our ideas about important issues, & laugh! GEV exhibits work several times a year in our schools & in community spaces. In Ware, we create color and b&w photos using digital cameras & Photoshop. Our program is open to girls in middle & high school as well as those who are not in school. We meet Mon & Wed from 2:30-5pm at Ware Jr/Sr High School. In Amherst, we shoot with black & white film & manual cameras, & develop our prints in the darkroom. We’re open to 7th-9th grade girls & we meet Tues & Thurs from 2:30-5pm at Amherst Regional High School.” www.youthactioncoalition.org
LIST OF WEEKLY SUGGESTED EVENTS
February 23rd-March 1st, 2013
Suggest an Event | Forecast | Museum Passes | Weekly eNewsletter
Read the rest of this entry »
Like this:
Like Loading...
Leave a Comment
February 14, 2013 at 6:00 am (Suggested Events)
Tags: Berkshires, Event Listings, Family, Family Activities, Family Events, February Vacation Week, Hilltowns, Massachusetts, Mohawk Trail, New England, outdoors, Pioneer Valley, School Vacation Activities, School Vacation Week, Things to do, Things to do in Western Massachusetts, Tourism, Travel, vacation, Vacation Week, Western MA, western massachusetts, winter, Winter in New England
Discover fun and educational events happening this week in Western Mass, along with announcements, upcoming events, links, resources and the HFVS podcast.
SUGGEST AN EVENT
School playgrounds might be quiet next week, but there’s still a whole lotta fun going on during school Winter Vacation Week! (Photo credit: Sienna Wildfield)
If you have a community event, educational program or service opportunity for youth/families happening in Western Massachusetts that you’d like to let us know about, post your event on our “Suggest An Event” page. 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.
BEST BETS
Children’s Theater at Williston Northampton performs “Wondrous Tales of Old Japan,” and Hilltown Families has a family 4-pack of tickets to giveaway for the opening day!
Saturday, February 16th from 9am-1pm in Hampden County – SPORTS: Celebrate National Girls and Women in Sports Day at Springfield College! Girls will be able to try out and learn about new sports, and will learn about playing higher level sports from some dedicated female college athletes. After the event, participants can cheer on the Springfield College women’s basketball team as they take on MIT. Registration required. Open to girls in grades K-6. 413-748-3000. Alden Street. Springfield, MA. (FREE)
Saturday, February 16th at 12noon in Berkshire County – OUTDOOR ADVENTURE: Show off your snow-building talents at the Lee Cabin Fever Festival’s Children’s Snow Sculpting Competition! Build, stack, and scrape away until you’ve created a beautiful, icy masterpiece. Takes place on the Town Green at 1:30pm, participate in (or watch!) the annual Strut Your Stuff Stroll down Main Street, where participants bare their skin in the cold – the event features swimsuit-clad walkers and runners! Main Street. Lee, MA (FREE)
Saturday, February 16th at 2-3:30pm in Franklin County – MARDI GRAS: Celebrate Mardi Gras as a family at the Winklepicker Ball! The family-friendly event will feature live music from the Primate Fiasco, the valley’s own New Orleans-style street band. Takes place upstairs at Ashfield Town Hall. 413-628-4003. 412 Main Street. Ashfield, MA. ($)
Saturday, February 16th at 2pm in Hampshire County – THEATER: Piti Theater Company – just back from a tour in Switzerland – brings their popular show To Bee or Not to Bee to the Northampton Center for the Arts! Their original show teachers audiences about the important role that bees play in the production of food. Beekeepers worldwide have been experiencing trouble maintaining bee populations in recent years – the show’s topic is timely and important. Kids will learn positive ways to support bees while enjoying the show! 413-625-6569. South Street. Northampton, MA. ($)
MARK YOUR CALENDARS
Saturday, February 23rd at 11am & 1pm in Hampden County – FAMILY CONCERT: SteveSongs is coming to the Springfield Museum for a family concert sure to get the kids dancing way! A “meet and greet” will follow each concert. Check out these videos to get ready for next weekend. Springfield, MA ($)
Saturday, February 23rd from 10am-4pm in Berkshire County – WINTERFEST: City of North Adams’ 16th Annual WinterFest will have your family shaking of cabin fever! All of downtown will turn into a winter fun-land with activities happening all day, including horse-drawn wagon rides, ice sculptures, culinary delights, ice skating and many performances. 413-664-6180. Downtown. North Adams, MA (FREE)
Sunday, February 24th at 2pm in Hampshire County – VARIETY SHOW: The Really Big Show, the Pioneer Valley’s very own Ed Sullivan show, takes place at the Academy of Music Theatre. Monte from The River will MC and the show will include a variety of talent, including s contortionists, poets, jugglers, opera stars, comedians, child prodigies, animal acts and many other forms of entertainment. 1-800-838-3006. 274 Main Street. Northampton, MA ($)
BULLETIN BOARD
Feb 16
Sunnyside Child Care Presents: “Hot Choco LA LA LA.” Spend the morning singing and dancing with the Valley’s own Mister G! “Kid-friendly, bilingual rockstar…Mister G and his guitar will surely make you feel like bailando!” – The Washington Post. “Mister G is the musical equivalent of a tasty chocolate bar infused with a spicy chili kick!” -Scholastic Family and Children. Warm up with yummy hot chocolate, coffee, and pizza. Chill out by doing art with your friends. Join Sunnyside on Saturday February 16th from 10:30 am to 12:00 pm at the Florence Community Center (140 Pine St. Florence MA). Tickets just $5 per person ($20 maximum per family). All proceeds fund the Sunnyside Scholarship Fund. www.sunnysidekids.org
Feb 18-22
February vacation at The Eric Carle Museum of Picture Book Art! Open Monday, Feb 18! Join the museum for storytimes, art making, scavenger hunts & live performances! See your friends, The Very Hungry Caterpillar, Madeline, Babar, Shrek, and many others in their galleries. Plus, The Pioneer Valley Performing Arts Charter School presents, Goldilocks & the Three Bears: An Epic, Feb 19-22 at 11am, 1pm & 3pm [$6 (Members $5). Museum admission extra.]. So you think you know this tale? Think again! In this epic adaptation, there’s a lot more in store for Goldy than three bears, some chairs, and bowls of breakfast food. Fun for the whole family! Tickets may be purchased in advance at the Museum Admissions Desk. 413-658-1126. www.carlemuseum.org
Feb 23 & 24
Beginning beekeepers will learn everything they need to know to keep bees in natural top bar hives when they attend a Gold Star Honeybees Weekend Intensive. The class is two full days, and packed with information! The class covers hive inspections, bee biology, wax and honey harvesting, problems like CCD, and why bees matter so much! Give your honey the sweet gift of beekeeping for Valentine’s Day! Location: Berkshire Community College, 1350 West Street, Pittsfield, MA in the Cafe. Dates: Feb 23 & 24. Times: 8:30am – 4:00pm. Local/organic meals are included. Register online at www.goldstarhoneybees.com or call 207-449-1121. Instructor: Christy Hemenway, author of “The Thinking Beekeeper.” For more info: classes@goldstarhoneybees.com
March
Snow Farm: The New England Craft Program in Williamsburg, MA is offering half-day Saturday workshops in March for students ages 13+. Try flameworking (glass beads and small sculpture), ceramics, digital printing on alternative surfaces, or stained glass with upcycled materials. A great parent/teen opportunity – or some creative alone time for mom or dad. Our instructors are fun, encouraging, and wildly talented. Our studios in a historic New England farm setting are comfortable and professionally equipped. Treat yourself! www.snowfarm.org/intergenerational-workshops.html. 413-268-3101. info@snowfarm-art.org.
Guess what’s growing in Pelham? A Preschool! One of the Valley’s pre-eminent elementary schools is growing to include a preschool in the fall of 2013! Pelham Elementary is renowned for its MCAS scores, respected for its staff, and revered for its reputation of being a caring, nurturing place for our youth. Open to residents of all towns, with a number of slots reserved for Pelham residents. Full day program, hours and prices competitive. Options for before and after school care. Make your child’s first experience in the world of education one to grow on. For details call 413-362-1101 or email Principal Lisa Desjarlais at desjarlaisl@arps.org.
ADVERTISE YOUR EVENT OR OPEN HOUSE: Reach thousands of families in Western MA while supporting the community development work of Hilltown Families! See your community event, open house, auditions, afterschool class, homeschool program, workshop, school, wellness program or business featured here in the bulletin board section of our list of Weekly Suggested Events and eNewsletter, reaching thousands of families living throughout the four counties of Western MA! Find out more about our enhanced publicity packages and options and how we can help with your online marketing by emailing us at hilltownfamilies@gmail.com.
MARKET YOUR SUMMER CAMP: In an effort to connect families with summer camps & programs in the region, Hilltown Families is offering camps and programs a chance to partner with us in their online marketing with a special enhanced publicity offer. On Sunday, March 24th, Hilltown Families will be featuring camps in the region on Hilltown Families with a special post titled: 2013 Summer Camps and Programs in Western MA. Find out more about our marketing package and early bird discounts HERE.
LIST OF WEEKLY SUGGESTED EVENTS
February 16th-22nd, 2013
Suggest an Event | Forecast | Museum Passes | Weekly eNewsletter
Read the rest of this entry »
Like this:
Like Loading...
Leave a Comment
February 9, 2013 at 4:30 pm (Berkshire County, Suggested Activity)
Tags: Berkshires, downhill skiing, jiminy peak mountain resort, outdoors, Skiing, Western MA
MA Office of Travel & Tourism Gives a Round-up of Skiing in Western MA Post Nemo!
Jiminy Peak Mountain Resort in Hancock, MA.
For those of you with cabin fever, Western MA ski areas have good news! They have fresh snow, and lots of it. With most mountains reporting at least a foot of fresh powder, there’s still time to get a few runs in this weekend. Below is a round up of conditions. For up-to-date information visit the Massachusetts Office of Travel and Tourism’s massvacation.com/skilocal.
- Ski Butternut in Great Barrington – Ski Butternut saw more than one-foot of fresh snow during the past 24 hours. The ski area has 22 open trails, two terrain parks, and eleven lifts. skibutternut.com
- Jiminy Peak in Hancock – With 42 trails and nine lifts open today, visitors to Jiminy Peak will enjoy a foot of fresh powder. If you can’t make it this weekend – check out their great lodging deals available during the President’s Week holiday. jiminypeak.com
- Berkshire East in Charlemont – Berkshire East has nothing but fresh powder, and 18-inches of it! The mountain has 45 trails, 3 lifts, and plenty of skiing until 10 p.m. tonight. berkshireeast.com
- Blandford Ski Area in Blandford – With plenty of fresh snow, Blandford is open for business today and will open at 8:30 a.m. on Sunday morning. skiblandford.org
- Bousquet in Pittsfield – Bousquet’s groomers have been busy nurturing the nearly one-foot of fresh powder dropped by the storm. Ski and ride tomorrow for $25, with the mountain’s Sunday Saver special. bousquets.com
- Catamount Ski Area in South Egremont – Catamount saw 15-inches of fresh snow on its 29 trails, and offers great ski and stay packages with mid-week specials starting at $45/day. catamountski.com
- Otis Ridge in Otis – With ten trails and nearly two-feet of fresh powder, Otis Ridge is ready to welcome visitors with great lessons and rental packages. otisridge.com
- Submitted by Meghan Malloy. Photo credit: MOTT.
Like this:
Like Loading...
Leave a Comment
February 7, 2013 at 6:01 am (Suggested Events)
Tags: Berkshires, Event Listings, Family, Family Activities, Family Events, Hilltowns, Massachusetts, Mohawk Trail, New England, outdoors, Pioneer Valley, Things to do, Things to do in Western Massachusetts, Tourism, Travel, vacation, Western MA, western massachusetts, winter, Winter in New England
Discover fun and educational events happening this week in Western Mass, along with announcements, upcoming events, links, resources and the HFVS podcast.
SUGGEST AN EVENT
This weekend, 1,410 handmade tokens of community & friendship will be circulating through the USPS to be distributed throughout the four corners of Western MA as part of the 5th annual Handmade Valentine Swap! Thank you to all of the families who joined us this year! It was another great swap!
If you have a community event, educational program or service opportunity for youth/families happening in Western Massachusetts that you’d like to let us know about, post your event on our “Suggest An Event” page. 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.
BEST BETS
[RESCHEDULED FOR SUNDAY, FEBRUARY 10th] Hilltown Families & Flywheel Arts Collective present a Saturday Morning Music Party, a breakfast bash featuring dancing, performances and diversions for kids! Flywheel kicks off the first of two installments of the Saturday Morning Music Party at 10am on February 9th, 2013 at their headquarters in the town hall building at 43 Main Street in Easthampton, MA. This event is free and open to families and kids of all ages. Following breakfast, there will be a screening of a classic episode of Pee Wee’s Playhouse, an 80s-era, cult-classic kids’ television show. After the show, kids join DJ Youthelectronix for the best ever dance party before noon. Snow date: Sunday, February 10th at 10am.
VOTE FOR HILLTOWN FAMILIES! As Hilltown Families enters its eighth year, celebrate the past seven with us by voting for Hilltown Families as Best Blog in the Valley Advocate’s Best of the Valley Readers’ Poll for 2013! Best Blog is listed under the “Information Age” category Deadline to cast your votes is Noon, Feb 13th. Participants must vote for a total of 10 local favorites… how about some of our sponsors (listed in the left-hand column)? Spread the word & share the ❤ love! Click here to cast your votes: www.valleyadvocate.com/ballot
By special arrangement with Hilltown Families, Shakespeare & Company in Lenox is pleased to offer our readers a rare opportunity to take in a classic Shakespearean performance paired with a guided tour backstage. On Friday, Feb. 15th at 10am, schools and homeschooling families are invited to a performance of A Midsummer Night’s Dream at the Tina Packer Playhouse, followed by a backstage guided tour where participants can learn how the process of theatre is crafted in the costume shop, prop studio, and production workshop. Tickets for this package are only $8/person and a Study Guide for educators is available to download before attending. To reserve discounted tickets, contact Alexandra Lincoln, and let her know you are a Hilltown Families reader: 413-637-1199 x131. Shakespeare & Company is located at 70 Kemble Street in Lenox. www.Shakespeare.org.
MARK YOUR CALENDARS
Hilltown Families and the Berkshire Theatre Group have partnered up to offer a free family 4-pack of tickets to one lucky family to The Popovich Comedy Pet Theater on Tuesday, February 19th at 2pm, at The Colonial Theatre in Pittsfield, MA!
ART RECEPTION: Hilltown Families: A Traveling Photography Exhibit of Life and Landscape in Western MA is currently being shown at the Forbes Library’s Hosmer Gallery! There will be an artist reception on Wednesday, February 13th from 6-8pm, a chance to view the images featured here on Hilltown Families over the years, meet the artist, and reflect on what it means to live, work, and play here in Western MA. The show’s vibrant images showcase some of the best – and most beautiful – parts of life unique to our area, and celebrate local culture and values. 413-587-1013. 20 West Street. Northampton, MA. (FREE)
Children’s Theater at Williston Northampton performs “Wondrous Tales of Old Japan,” and Hilltown Families has a family 4-pack of tickets to giveaway for the opening day!
KIDS ICE FISHING DERBY IN THE HILLTOWNS: Ashfield Rod & Gun Club’s annual children’s ice fishing derby. This year’s annual children’s ice fishing derby will be held on Saturday, February 16th on Ashfield Lake, from 8am to 12Noon. All school age children are invited to attend and take part in this fun event. Prizes will be awarded. After the fishing derby there will be a spaghetti lunch held at Sanderson Academy ($5 for adults). Following the lunch a presentation will be given by Tom Ricardi on birds of prey. For more info call Joe Miraglia 413-628-4400, or Ken Magdycz 413-634-5585. Ashfield, MA (FREE)CHILDREN’S CONCERT: Johnny Appleseed, The Legend and Truth, will be performed, among other works, by Jane Yolen, accompanied by musicians at the Smith College Sweeney Concert Hall, Sage Hall on Saturday, February 16th. Northampton, MA (FREE)
BULLETIN BOARD
Feb 9, 16, & 23
Come to Chandler’s Restaurant in South Deerfield for a Fancy Nancy luncheon on Feb. 2nd and 16th at 11am. Dress fancy for the luncheon while a special guest reads Fancy Nancy by Jane O’Connor. Full kids menu will be available with cupcakes for dessert! Make your reservations soon for Kid’s Cooking Class on Sat., Feb. 9th at 10:30am. $25/child includes lunch, instruction & lunch for one accompanying adult. Space is limited. Turn February vacation into a tropical vacation at our Winter Luau for the kids on Sat., Feb. 23rd at 11am. Full kids menu will be available along with some great specials and summery drinks! Crafts, games & Hawaiian music are on the agenda. Come dressed in your tropical finest! Reservations are requested: 413-665-1277.
Feb 15-17
Celebrate the amazing food, festive music & vibrant culture of New Orleans at the 2nd Annual WinklePicker Festival, Feb. 15-17 in Ashfield! It’s a weekend-long Mardi Gras party – costumes, dancing, gumbo and all! This year they’re throwing not one but TWO Mardi Gras Balls. Saturday afternoon it’s a Family Ball with The Primate Fiasco, and that night, a Grown-Ups Ball with Steve Riley & the Mamou Playboys. Sunday lineup: afternoon conversation/performance by Charles Neville & an evening concert with Eilen Jewell. Take a “Cooking New Orleans” class with Chef Carlos Neville, and enjoy authentic New Orleans dinners at Elmer’s, and a Sunday Gospel Brunch too. Advance tickets and more information at WinklePickerFest.com or call 413-638-4003.
Feb 16
WinklePicker Festival “Cooking New Orleans” Class: Learn to cook authentic New Orleans cuisine with Chef Carlos Neville, of Susan Spicer’s top New Orleans restaurant, Bayona! Chef Carlos, son of Neville Brother Charles Neville, and a longtime culinary school pastry and baking tutor, will teach you to cook like the biggest chefs do – sublimely. His food is absolutely the best New Orleans food outside that city. The class will be held Saturday, February 16th from 10am – 12:30pm, upstairs at Elmer’s Store, 396 Main St, Ashfield. Just come as you are, all materials needed are included. Capacity is limited; advance registration is strongly recommended. $65/class. Tickets are at Elmer’s Store and www.WinklePickerFest.com, or call 413-628-4003.
Feb 16
Sunnyside Child Care Presents: “Hot Choco LA LA LA.” Spend the morning singing and dancing with the Valley’s own Mister G! “Kid-friendly, bilingual rockstar…Mister G and his guitar will surely make you feel like bailando!” – The Washington Post. “Mister G is the musical equivalent of a tasty chocolate bar infused with a spicy chili kick!” -Scholastic Family and Children. Warm up with yummy hot chocolate, coffee, and pizza. Chill out by doing art with your friends. Join Sunnyside on Saturday February 16th from 10:30 am to 12:00 pm at the Florence Community Center (140 Pine St. Florence MA). Tickets just $5 per person ($20 maximum per family). All proceeds fund the Sunnyside Scholarship Fund. www.sunnysidekids.org
Thursdays
Having a Baby? Our Experts Help You Understand Your Options. The staff at Cooley Dickinson’s Childbirth Center know parents lead busy lives. That’s why organizers offer a childbirth education series held weekday evenings and weekends. Each series provide answers to questions about labor, birth, newborn care, breastfeeding, and more. Download the Having a Baby flyer here or register at www.cooley-dickinson.org/events. Baby is here. Now what? Once baby is born, parents don’t know what to expect. Join Beyond Birth, a group of new parents and babies up to four months old, at Cooley Dickinson Hospital Thursdays from 1–3 pm. A parent education specialist guides the group and answers questions. All are welcome no matter where you gave birth.
February
February is Cup and Top Cafe’s birthday month and it’s turning 7! To celebrate, every day in February, the cafe’s 77th customer will receive a $7 coupon to Cup and Top Cafe. It’s Cup and Top’s way of saying thank you for supporting a family friendly cafe where parents can meet to enjoy fair trade, organic coffee, and delicious food sourced from local farms, while their children enjoy themselves in the creative play space. So stop by Cup and Top Cafe in February, enjoy a treat, browse the walls and shelves adorned by local artists, and give yourself a chance to win! Cup and Top Cafe is located at 1 N. Main Street in Florence. See more at www.cupandtop.com.
ADVERTISE YOUR EVENT OR OPEN HOUSE: Reach thousands of families in Western MA while supporting the community development work of Hilltown Families! See your community event, open house, auditions, afterschool class, homeschool program, workshop, school, wellness program or business featured here in the bulletin board section of our list of Weekly Suggested Events and eNewsletter, reaching thousands of families living throughout the four counties of Western MA! Find out more about our enhanced publicity packages and options and how we can help with your online marketing by emailing us at hilltownfamilies@gmail.com.
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 hilltownfamilies@gmail.com
LIST OF WEEKLY SUGGESTED EVENTS
February 9th-15th, 2013
Suggest an Event | Forecast | Museum Passes | Weekly eNewsletter
Read the rest of this entry »
Like this:
Like Loading...
Leave a Comment
January 31, 2013 at 6:00 am (Suggested Events)
Tags: Berkshires, Event Listings, Family, Family Activities, Family Events, Hilltowns, Massachusetts, Mohawk Trail, New England, outdoors, Pioneer Valley, Things to do, Things to do in Western Massachusetts, Tourism, Travel, vacation, Western MA, western massachusetts, winter, Winter in New England
Discover fun and educational events happening this week in Western Mass, along with announcements, upcoming events, links, resources and the HFVS podcast.
SUGGEST AN EVENT
Northampton Center for the Arts writes: “Art celebrates ice one more time, as the third annual Northampton Ice Art Festival gets underway on Friday, February 8, 2013. The public is invited to witness the creation of fabulous ice sculptures that will grace a dozen downtown locations. Work starts at 10 am on the day of the event, and completed pieces will highlight Northampton’s “Arts Night Out,” 5pm-8pm. The icy masterpieces remain on display throughout the weekend—longer, if the weather cooperates.” 10 artists will carve 12 ice sculptures along the streets during Arts Night Out. Download a map here, (Photo credit: Sienna Wildfield)
If you have a community event, educational program or service opportunity for youth/families happening in Western Massachusetts that you’d like to let us know about, post your event on our “Suggest An Event” page. 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.
BEST BETS
Friday-Sunday, February 1st-3rd – WINTER FESTIVAL: The city of Greenfield’s annual Winter Carnival takes place all weekend, featuring an incredibly wide variety of wintry family-friendly events, both inside and out! Highlights include the annual Sleigh Bell Run, a snowshoe trek, public skating, women’s hockey game. Saturday is Family Fun Day, meaning that there will be lots of exciting indoor events at the Greenfield Youth Center all day long! There will be a special performance featuring Jack Golden at 10am, a LEGO competition, face painting, crafts, games, and more. Greenfield, MA. (FREE, $)
MARK YOUR CALENDARS
Hilltown Families & Flywheel Arts Collective present a Saturday Morning Music Party, a breakfast bash featuring dancing, performances and diversions for kids! Flywheel kicks off the first of two installments of the Saturday Morning Music Party at 10am on February 9th, 2013 at their headquarters in the town hall building at 43 Main Street in Easthampton, MA. This event is free and open to families and kids of all ages. Following breakfast, there will be a screening of a classic episode of Pee Wee’s Playhouse, an 80s-era, cult-classic kids’ television show. After the show, kids join DJ Youthelectronix for the best ever dance party before noon.
By special arrangement with Hilltown Families, Shakespeare & Company in Lenox is pleased to offer our readers a rare opportunity to take in a classic Shakespearean performance paired with a guided tour backstage. On Friday, Feb. 15th at 10am, schools and homeschooling families are invited to a performance of A Midsummer Night’s Dream at the Tina Packer Playhouse, followed by a backstage guided tour where participants can learn how the process of theatre is crafted in the costume shop, prop studio, and production workshop. Tickets for this package are only $8/person and a Study Guide for educators is available to download before attending. To reserve discounted tickets, contact Alexandra Lincoln, and let her know you are a Hilltown Families reader: 413-637-1199 x131. Shakespeare & Company is located at 70 Kemble Street in Lenox. www.Shakespeare.org.
VOTE FOR HILLTOWN FAMILIES! As Hilltown Families enters its eighth year, celebrate the past seven with us by voting for Hilltown Families as Best Blog in the Valley Advocate’s Best of the Valley Readers’ Poll for 2013! Best Blog is listed under the “Information Age” category Deadline to cast your votes is Noon, Feb 13th. Participants must vote for a total of 10 local favorites… how about some of our sponsors (listed in the left-hand column)? Spread the word & share the ❤ love! Click here to cast your votes: www.valleyadvocate.com/ballot
BULLETIN BOARD
Jan 26
On Sunday, Feb 3rd Greenfield Center School will host a Birds of Prey Open House from 1-4pm. Come from 1-2 to hear Tom Ricardi, Raptor Rehabilitator, talk about his work. See several majestic live birds of prey. From 2-4 enjoy light snacks and bird-related activities and projects lead by Center School teachers. Dissect an owl pellet, make masks and more. Kindergarten through 5th grade classes will be open for touring. Admissions information available. All activities are free. www.centerschool.net Birds of Prey Open House, K-5th, Sun. Feb. 3, 1-4pm. Greenfield Center School is now accepting applications for fall 2013.
Feb 2, 9, 16, & 23
Come to Chandler’s Restaurant in South Deerfield for a Fancy Nancy luncheon on Feb. 2nd and 16th at 11am. Dress fancy for the luncheon while a special guest reads Fancy Nancy by Jane O’Connor. Full kids menu will be available with cupcakes for dessert! Make your reservations soon for Kid’s Cooking Class on Sat., Feb. 9th at 10:30am. $25/child includes lunch, instruction & lunch for one accompanying adult. Space is limited. Turn February vacation into a tropical vacation at our Winter Luau for the kids on Sat., Feb. 23rd at 11am. Full kids menu will be available along with some great specials and summery drinks! Crafts, games & Hawaiian music are on the agenda. Come dressed in your tropical finest! Reservations are requested: 413-665-1277.
Feb 15-17
Celebrate the amazing food, festive music & vibrant culture of New Orleans at the 2nd Annual WinklePicker Festival, Feb. 15-17 in Ashfield! It’s a weekend-long Mardi Gras party – costumes, dancing, gumbo and all! This year they’re throwing not one but TWO Mardi Gras Balls. Saturday afternoon it’s a Family Ball with The Primate Fiasco, and that night, a Grown-Ups Ball with Steve Riley & the Mamou Playboys. Sunday lineup: afternoon conversation/performance by Charles Neville & an evening concert with Eilen Jewell. Take a “Cooking New Orleans” class with Chef Carlos Neville, and enjoy authentic New Orleans dinners at Elmer’s, and a Sunday Gospel Brunch too. Advance tickets and more information at WinklePickerFest.com or call 413-638-4003.
Feb 16
WinklePicker Festival “Cooking New Orleans” Class: Learn to cook authentic New Orleans cuisine with Chef Carlos Neville, of Susan Spicer’s top New Orleans restaurant, Bayona! Chef Carlos, son of Neville Brother Charles Neville, and a longtime culinary school pastry and baking tutor, will teach you to cook like the biggest chefs do – sublimely. His food is absolutely the best New Orleans food outside that city. The class will be held Saturday, February 16th from 10am – 12:30pm, upstairs at Elmer’s Store, 396 Main St, Ashfield. Just come as you are, all materials needed are included. Capacity is limited; advance registration is strongly recommended. $65/class. Tickets are at Elmer’s Store and www.WinklePickerFest.com, or call 413-628-4003.
Join Sheep Shares Yarn & Fiber CSA and be a part of a local fiber farm. Yarn and/or fiber shares are shipped in spring and fall. Springdelle Farm is a 220 acre sheep farm located in Shelburne’s bucolic Patten District. The farm hosts special events for CSA members: Shearing Day Celebration (April); Strolling of the Sheep (June); Fiber Foliage & Friends (October). CSA has been featured in the Valley Advocate and Massachusetts Preview Magazine. For details visit www.foxfirefiber.com or email: barb@foxfirefiber.com.
Thursdays
Having a Baby? Our Experts Help You Understand Your Options. The staff at Cooley Dickinson’s Childbirth Center know parents lead busy lives. That’s why organizers offer a childbirth education series held weekday evenings and weekends. Each series provide answers to questions about labor, birth, newborn care, breastfeeding, and more. Download the Having a Baby flyer here or register at www.cooley-dickinson.org/events. Baby is here. Now what? Once baby is born, parents don’t know what to expect. Join Beyond Birth, a group of new parents and babies up to four months old, at Cooley Dickinson Hospital Thursdays from 1–3 pm. A parent education specialist guides the group and answers questions. All are welcome no matter where you gave birth.
February
February is Cup and Top Cafe’s birthday month and it’s turning 7! To celebrate, every day in February, the cafe’s 77th customer will receive a $7 coupon to Cup and Top Cafe. It’s Cup and Top’s way of saying thank you for supporting a family friendly cafe where parents can meet to enjoy fair trade, organic coffee, and delicious food sourced from local farms, while their children enjoy themselves in the creative play space. So stop by Cup and Top Cafe in February, enjoy a treat, browse the walls and shelves adorned by local artists, and give yourself a chance to win! Cup and Top Cafe is located at 1 N. Main Street in Florence. See more at www.cupandtop.com.
ADVERTISE YOUR EVENT OR OPEN HOUSE: Reach thousands of families in Western MA while supporting the community development work of Hilltown Families! See your community event, open house, auditions, afterschool class, homeschool program, workshop, school, wellness program or business featured here in the bulletin board section of our list of Weekly Suggested Events and eNewsletter, reaching thousands of families living throughout the four counties of Western MA! Find out more about our enhanced publicity packages and options and how we can help with your online marketing by emailing us at hilltownfamilies@gmail.com.
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 hilltownfamilies@gmail.com
LIST OF WEEKLY SUGGESTED EVENTS
February 2nd – 8th, 2013
Suggest an Event | Forecast | Museum Passes | Weekly eNewsletter
Read the rest of this entry »
Like this:
Like Loading...
Leave a Comment
January 28, 2013 at 11:00 am (Contributing Writer, Ecology, Kurt Heidinger)
Tags: Berkshires, climate, Ecology, fog, Hilltowns, Massachusetts, Nature, outdoors, Pioneer Valley, Rivers, rivers and streams, western massachusetts, winter wetlands
Clouds are Rivers
The next time the western wind blows strongly, hurtling great grey masses of clouds over our towns—long cirrus strips with ribbons of blue between them—imagine you are a fish looking up at the river’s surface. Because, in the wider scheme, you are!
Rains become rivers, so—if we think of the whole instead of the parts—clouds are rivers.
How very unscientific is such a thought! If everybody thought clouds are rivers, how would we distinguish between them? Wouldn’t reality become an un-focus-able blur?
Maybe! That could be a very healthy development, if it allowed us to reboot our way of categorizing, and comprehending, the parts that make up the whole of our biosphere.
All too often we are forced by training and circumstances to have a tunnel-vision view of things; we are so driven to achieve personal goals, for example, that we block out anything that is beside-the-point. All we see or care about is that carrot dangling in front of us, and so we lose the wider perspective, which (also) provides the place for our performance, the stage where we display our role not as a soliloquy-er, but as a high-kicking member of a chorus line. Even when we have the spotlight upon us, we perform in a wider scheme. I have nothing against achieving personal goals or ignoring extraneous information, as long as I have, from time to time, the space—a wider scheme—within which to place my activities.
We live and act not as isolated island universes, but in a biotic mandala (that is itself part of other mandalas), and to the extent that we join things together and perceive reality holistically, the more we assume in thought and deed the design of our mandala: and there is soft power and beauty aplenty in such magnification.
So, clouds are rivers.
You saw it a few weeks ago when dense fog exhaled out of the snow and blanketed both our white hills and heavy dark waters. Science explains that, because the air was listless and warmer than the frozen ground, water molecules condensed (like tears on the side of an ice-water glass) in the atmosphere—giving us fog: an un-focus-able blur. Science explains, too, that the water molecules are essentially the same, whether they float in the sky or flow over the earth. What science doesn’t explain is how fog feels.
We feel fog. It’s clammy on our skin. It occludes our vision, and because sight is our primary sense, it frustrates us. Drivers—and downhill skiers—don’t like fog, and people walking on the side of the road worry more when they walk in it. It makes us turn our lights on in the middle of the day. In some psychosomatic way, the day never begins when it starts in the fog, and—yawn some more coffee please—the night never ends. When you walk in the woods in a dense fog, a subtle rain falls—each crooked finger of branch-tip collecting H2O atoms until the drip is formed and drops on your head. If you aren’t prepared, and walk long enough, you get soaked.
When the sun breaks through again, blue and gold and making us squint, we feel relief, as if a burden and gloom has lifted off our thoughts and shoulders. Our eyes resume command over things, feeding our brains the information of parts, distinguishing between this and that, and giving us the power and freedom to choose what we will focus on. We like that; it is the realm we have been trained to operate in, where everything has its place and is in position where it is supposed to be. Read the rest of this entry »
Like this:
Like Loading...
Leave a Comment
January 24, 2013 at 6:01 am (Suggested Events)
Tags: Berkshires, Event Listings, Family Events, Hilltowns, Massachusetts, New England, outdoors, Pioneer Valley, Things to do, western massachusetts
Discover fun and educational events happening this week in Western Mass, along with announcements, upcoming events, links, resources and the HFVS podcast.
SUGGEST AN EVENT
If you have a community event, educational program or service opportunity for youth/families happening in Western Massachusetts that you’d like to let us know about, post your event on our “Suggest An Event” page. 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.
BEST BETS
Handmade Community Valentine Swap: It’s that time of the year again for Hilltown Families 5th Annual Community Handmade Valentine Swap! For the past several years Hilltown Families has coordinated a community Handmade Valentine Swap — and we’re doing it again! Push back against the commercialization of Valentine’s Day while getting creative with your kids and connecting with your community… sign up to participate! Swapping happens through the mail with 10 other families! It’s free to sign up and open to all in Western MA. Deadline to sign up: Jan. 31, 2013. Western MA (FREE)
Parent Workshop on Tuesday, Jan 29 from 6:30-8:30pm: Talking to Your Kids About Sex. Having trouble finding a comfortable, productive way to talk to your kids about sex? Hilltown Families is presenting another workshop for parents on approaching the subject with their children. The event takes place after hours at Cup and Top Cafe, and will be facilitated by Brooke Norton, a certified sex educator. The talk will begin with talking with youngest kids, and progress through teens. Sexuality, puberty, body image, and sexual identity will also be discussed. 413-585-0445. 1 North Main Street, Suite 2. Florence, MA. (FREE)
MARK YOUR CALENDARS
By special arrangement with Hilltown Families, Shakespeare & Company in Lenox is pleased to offer our readers a rare opportunity to take in a classic Shakespearean performance paired with a guided tour backstage. On Friday, Feb. 15th at 10am, schools and homeschooling families are invited to a performance of A Midsummer Night’s Dream at the Tina Packer Playhouse, followed by a backstage guided tour where participants can learn how the process of theatre is crafted in the costume shop, prop studio, and production workshop. Tickets for this package are only $8/person and a Study Guide for educators is available to download before attending. To reserve discounted tickets, contact Alexandra Lincoln, and let her know you are a Hilltown Families reader: 413-637-1199 x131. Shakespeare & Company is located at 70 Kemble Street in Lenox. www.Shakespeare.org.
BULLETIN BOARD
Jan 26
The Common School in Amherst will host an Open House on Saturday, January 26th from 10am-12noon. Offering independent, progressive education for children age 3-12 in the Pioneer Valley, The Common School’s mission is to develop strong academic and social skills while nurturing each child’s love of learning, respect and compassion for others, and commitment to the environment. Parents and children are welcome to come to the Open House. Come meet the faculty, play in classrooms, and explore the beautiful campus. Accepting applications now for fall 2013. To schedule a visit call 413-256-8989. Find out more at www.commonschool.org.
Jan 27
Jewish Earth Day!: A Family Tu B’Shvat Celebration. Sunday, January 27th from 10:30am-12noon. The mid-winter Jewish Festival of Tu B’Shvat marks the birthday of the trees and is celebrated as Jewish Earth Day. Tu B’Shvat is an invitation to reflect on and celebrate humanity’s relationship with trees and the entirety of the natural world. Join Congregation Bnai Israel for a lively family program designed for children (ages 5-12), to include music, a puppet show, lots of delicious fruit and environmentally themed games. Everyone is very welcomed! Congregation Bnai Israel is located at 253 Prospect Street in Northampton MA. For more information contact rabbijacob@cbinorthampton.org (FREE)
Jan 27
Open House at Cloverdale Cooperative Preschool – Sunday, January 27, from 2-3:30pm in back of the Florence Congregational Church at 130 Pine St. Visit the classroom and meet the teachers – Meet the teachers and parents who can answer all your preschool questions. Cloverdale, a half-day parent cooperative preschool, with an option for extended days, has been in existence since 1954. Its philosophy has remained unchanged throughout the years. In the true sense of the word, cooperative teachers & parents work closely together to provide children a meaningful blend of experiences to peak their innate curiosity, therefore imparting a lifetime love of learning. For more info visit www.cloverdalepreschool.com or call 413-586-1106 after 12:30pm.
Feb 3
On Sunday, Feb 3rd Greenfield Center School will host a Birds of Prey Open House from 1-4pm. Come from 1-2 to hear Tom Ricardi, Raptor Rehabilitator, talk about his work. See several majestic live birds of prey. From 2-4 enjoy light snacks and bird-related activities and projects lead by Center School teachers. Dissect an owl pellet, make masks and more. Kindergarten through 5th grade classes will be open for touring. Admissions information available. All activities are free. www.centerschool.net Birds of Prey Open House, K-5th, Sun. Feb. 3, 1-4pm. Greenfield Center School is now accepting applications for fall 2013.
Join Sheep Shares Yarn & Fiber CSA and be a part of a local fiber farm. Yarn and/or fiber shares are shipped in spring and fall. Springdelle Farm is a 220 acre sheep farm located in Shelburne’s bucolic Patten District. The farm hosts special events for CSA members: Shearing Day Celebration (April); Strolling of the Sheep (June); Fiber Foliage & Friends (October). CSA has been featured in the Valley Advocate and Massachusetts Preview Magazine. For details visit www.foxfirefiber.com or email: barb@foxfirefiber.com.
ADVERTISE YOUR EVENT OR OPEN HOUSE: Reach thousands of families in Western MA while supporting the community development work of Hilltown Families! See your community event, open house, auditions, afterschool class, homeschool program, workshop, school, wellness program or business featured here in the bulletin board section of our list of Weekly Suggested Events and eNewsletter, reaching thousands of families living throughout the four counties of Western MA! Find out more about our enhanced publicity packages and options and how we can help with your online marketing by emailing us at hilltownfamilies@gmail.com.
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 hilltownfamilies@gmail.com
As Hilltown Families enters its eighth year, celebrate the past seven with us by voting for Hilltown Families as Best Blog in the Valley Advocate’s Best of the Valley Readers’ Poll for 2013! Best Blog is listed under the “Information Age” category Deadline to cast your votes is Noon, Feb 13th. Participants must vote for a total of 10 local favorites… how about some of our sponsors (listed in the left-hand column)? Spread the word & share the ❤ love! Click here to cast your votes: www.valleyadvocate.com/ballot
John Sarrouf, Director of The Family Dinner Project writes: “Finding time for quality family dinners can be a challenge. The Family Dinner Project has designed a four-week program to help families have better, more frequent meals together—and we want to hear what you think of it! We’re looking for families to test out Food, Fun, and Conversation: 4 Weeks to a Better Family Dinner – a month-long program to help you reinvent your family dinners. Through emails and online resources, you’ll receive tips for cooking, playing and having more meaningful discussions. You’ll be entered to win two $100 gift certificates and everybody gets a copy of Fifty Thrifty Meals by Ramona Hamblin! To sign-up, please email grace@thefamilydinnerproject.org , and we’ll send you the program link and answer questions.”
The Garden: A Center for Grieving Children and Teens opens its spring session on Feb. 3rd. Families with young children who have experienced the death of a close family member are invited to attend a bi-weekly groups. A participant recently reported, “The Garden is a group of compassionate and caring people who have helped me see that I am not alone in the fight of dealing with loss. Their humor is uplifting and helps me see hope for the days to come.” Participants ages 5-12 meet in small groups where they do activities, projects and games that support their grieving process while adult caregivers meet in a support group. Groups are held at the Hampshire Regional YMCA in Northampton every other Sunday afternoon and are FREE of charge. RSVP required, call today to register. Shelly Bathe Lenn at 413-5847086 x124. Or email for more information shelly.thegarden@gmail.com
LIST OF WEEKLY SUGGESTED EVENTS
January 26th – February 1st, 2013
Suggest an Event | Forecast | Museum Passes | Weekly eNewsletter
Read the rest of this entry »
Like this:
Like Loading...
Leave a Comment
January 17, 2013 at 6:00 am (Suggested Events)
Tags: Berkshires, Event Listings, Family Events, Hilltowns, Martin Luther King Jr. Day, Massachusetts, New England, outdoors, Pioneer Valley, Things to do, western massachusetts, winter trail days
Discover fun and educational events happening this week in Western Mass, along with announcements, upcoming events, links, resources and the HFVS podcast.
SUGGEST AN EVENT
It’s a great day to get out into the snow! Just add kids and go! This month in “What to Play? Play Ideas for Family & Community,” Hilltown Families Contributing Writer, Carrie St. John, shares creative activites to do in addition to traditional snowy day activities. (Photo credit: Sienna Wildfield)
If you have a community event, educational program or service opportunity for youth/families happening in Western Massachusetts that you’d like to let us know about, post your event on our “Suggest An Event” page. 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 work of Hilltown Families. Click HERE to find out more.
BEST BETS
Saturday, January 19th in Hampden County from 10am-5pm – MUSEUM ADVENTURE: The Springfield Museums are opening a new exhibit! GUITAR: The Instrument That Rocked the World shares the history and science behind the iconic musical instrument. Visitors can also learn about over 60 rare, unique, and antique instruments, learn about playing music through hands-on interactive exhibits, and more! The opening celebration will feature a performance by Mister G, a local (but internationally known!) kids musician whose songs (often bilingual!) feature silly, sing-along style lyrics that kids love. 800-625-7738. 21 Edwards Street. Springfield, MA. (<$)
Saturday, January 19th in Berkshire County from 1-7pm – MUSEUM/ANIMAL ADVENTURE: The Berkshire Museum is coming alive with creatures of the night – the museum’s newest exhibit is all about bats, Bats: Creatures of the Night, and it opens today! There will be fun family activities from 1-3pm, including a scavenger hunt, echolocation experiments, and wing-making. At 4pm, the museum is offering a lecture on bats – great for older students with audience skills. Finally, from 5-7pm, families can enjoy bat-themed treats and take tours of the new exhibit (plus, admission is free after 5pm)! 413-443-7171. 39 South Street. Pittsfield, MA. (FREE with museum admission)
MARK YOUR CALENDARS
The Franklin Land Trust is teaming up with Hawley’s Stump Sprouts Cross Country Ski Center on an outdoor adventure for all ages! The adventure is a Full Moon Getaway to be held Jan 27-28, and Hilltown Families has a family 4-pack of passes to giveaway! The Full Moon Getaway begins at 1pm, with cross-country skiing, snowshoeing or hiking, depending on snow conditions. Drop-in ski instruction, lessons, rentals, hot mulled cider, snacks, lunch and dinner will be available, as well as music and a special Moonlight Frolic. Participants can choose to stay for the afternoon, into the evening or overnight. A family 4-pack of passes is good for day/evening or both, good for Sunday or Monday, January 27 or 28 (Value $36-$48). Passes do not include lunch/dinner nor overnight stay. To enter for a chance to win, email hilltownfamilies@gmail.com with “Franklin Land Trust” in the subject line and your full name and town in the body of the email. Deadline to enter for a chance to win: Jan 24th by 11:59PM (EST).
Make Your Own Handmade Valentines with Hilltown Families at The Art Garden in Shelburne Falls during a free family workshop on Friday, January 25th, from 4-7pm. Families can create their own unique valentines using simple book-making techniques or countless other ideas with materials provided by The Art Garden in Shelburne Falls. Drop in anytime. Pre-registration required. Sign up here. 14 Depot Street. 413-625-2782. Shelburne Falls, MA (FREE)
Handmade Community Valentine Swap: It’s that time of the year again for the 5th Annual Hilltown Families Handmade Community Valentine Swap! For the past several years Hilltown Families has coordinated a community Handmade Valentine Swap — and we’re doing it again! Push back against the commercialization of Valentine’s Day while getting creative with your kids and connecting with your community… sign up to participate! Swapping happens through the mail with 10 other families! It’s free to sign up and open to all families in Western MA. Deadline to sign up: Jan. 31. Western MA (FREE)
Parent Workshop on Tuesday, Jan 29 from 6:30-8:30pm: Talking to Your Kids About Sex. Having trouble finding a comfortable, productive way to talk to your kids about sex? Hilltown Families is sponsoring another workshop for parents on approaching the subject with their children. The event takes place after hours at Cup and Top Cafe, and will be facilitated by Brooke Norton, a certified sex educator. The talk will begin with talking with youngest kids, and progress through teens. Sexuality, puberty, body image, and sexual identity will also be discussed. 413-585-0445. 1 North Main Street, Suite 2. Florence, MA. (FREE)
BULLETIN BOARD
Jan 19
Chris Smither is performing in Ashfield on Saturday, January 19th and Hilltown Families has two pairs of tickets to giveaway for a PARENTS’ NIGHT OUT! Deadline: Jan 17th by 11:59pm (EST).
Chris Smither will be in concert at Ashfield Town Hall on Saturday, January 19 at 8pm. A profound songwriter, Chris continues to draw deeply from the blues, American folk music, modern poets and philosophers and will perform songs from his newest album, Hundred Dollar Valentine. “Smither’s momentum as a rockin’-thumbed guitar picker with an insistent and fully-integrated tapping foot has all the hallmarks of a truly formidable one-man band,” hailed The Glasgow Herald. A perfect night out for fans of acoustic roots, Americana, and blues music. General seating tickets are $20adv/$25dos, and are now on sale at MightyAlbert.com and in-person at Elmer’s Store in Ashfield. For more info call 413-628-4003.
Jan 20 – Mar 19
Are you looking for an affordable way to get your family into art? Art Party Studio in Easthampton, MA, is now offering art classes for kids, teens, and adults. Registration for their winter session is now open and features classes for youth including: a child/parent art class (ages 2 to 5), Fiber Arts (ages 6 to 9), Youth Fine Art (ages 10 to 14), and Comics for Teens (ages 12 to 16). Classes for adults are open to ages 17 and up unless otherwise stated and include: Oil Painting, Comics and Visual Storytelling, Crochet, Figure Drawing, and more! Classes run for 8 weeks, from January 20th to March 19th. To register, visit online at www.joinartparty.com or send an email to artpartystudio@gmail.com if you’re looking for a payment plan.
Jan 24
Free introductory sign language class for parents and children 0-3 yrs on Thursday, Jan 24th at 11am at Cradle in downtown Northampton. An 8-week class to follow on Thursdays at 11am, running Jan 31-Mar 21, also at Cradle. Cost: $100. Drop-ins: $15/class. Instructor: Kathryn Petruccelli. Classes follow the Baby Signing Time series with additional activities, songs and stories. Teaches real American Sign Language. A space to play and learn around this amazing communicative tool and watch our children speak to us with their hands – sometimes even before we get to hear their voices! Expectant parents welcome. Register for the series by Jan 24 and be entered to win one of two Signing Time gifts. More info: www.startwithsign.com.
Jan 26
The Common School in Amherst will host an Open House on Saturday, January 26th from 10am-12noon. Offering independent, progressive education for children age 3-12 in the Pioneer Valley, The Common School’s mission is to develop strong academic and social skills while nurturing each child’s love of learning, respect and compassion for others, and commitment to the environment. Parents and children are welcome to come to the Open House. Come meet the faculty, play in classrooms, and explore the beautiful campus. Accepting applications now for fall 2013. To schedule a visit call 413-256-8989. Find out more at www.commonschool.org.
Jan 27
Open House at Cloverdale Cooperative Preschool – Sunday, January 27, from 2-3:30pm in back of the Florence Congregational Church at 130 Pine St. Visit the classroom and meet the teachers – Meet the teachers and parents who can answer all your preschool questions. Cloverdale, a half-day parent cooperative preschool, with an option for extended days, has been in existence since 1954. Its philosophy has remained unchanged throughout the years. In the true sense of the word, cooperative teachers & parents work closely together to provide children a meaningful blend of experiences to peak their innate curiosity, therefore imparting a lifetime love of learning. For more info visit www.cloverdalepreschool.com or call 413-586-1106 after 12:30pm.
ADVERTISE YOUR EVENT OR OPEN HOUSE: Reach thousands of families in Western MA while supporting the community development work of Hilltown Families! See your community event, open house, auditions, afterschool class, homeschool program, workshop, school, wellness program or business featured here in the bulletin board section of our list of Weekly Suggested Events and eNewsletter, reaching thousands of families living throughout the four counties of Western MA! Find out more about our enhanced publicity packages and options and how we can help with your online marketing by emailing us at hilltownfamilies@gmail.com.
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 hilltownfamilies@gmail.com
LIST OF WEEKLY SUGGESTED EVENTS
January 19th-25th 2013
Suggest an Event | Forecast | Museum Passes | Weekly eNewsletter
Read the rest of this entry »
Like this:
Like Loading...
Leave a Comment
January 10, 2013 at 6:01 am (Suggested Events)
Tags: Berkshires, Event Listings, Family Events, Hilltowns, Massachusetts, New England, outdoors, Pioneer Valley, Things to do, western massachusetts, winter trail days
Discover fun and educational events happening this week in Western Mass, along with announcements, upcoming events, links, resources and the HFVS podcast.
SUGGEST AN EVENT
On Saturday afternoon, Jan. 12th, participate in a snowshoe ramble, tracking porcupines and exploring stone quarries at Northfield Mountain. Join Naturalist Kim Noyes for a winter tromp exploring animal tracks, porcupine signs, and an abandoned 19th century stone quarry. A cup of hot cocoa around a campfire will round out the afternoon. Best for ages 10yo+.
If you have a community event, educational program or service opportunity for youth/families happening in Western Massachusetts that you’d like to let us know about, post your event on our “Suggest An Event” page. 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 work of Hilltown Families. Click HERE to find out more.
BEST BETS
Saturday, January 12th from 10am-3pm – WINTER TRAIL DAYS: Try out winter sports at Notchview’s Winter Trails Day! Families can try out cross country skiing and snow shoeing, and can explore the many trails of Notchview. There will be cross country skiing lessons at 10:30am and 1:30pm, as well as a ski waxing workshop (covering both wax and no-wax skis) at 11am. Experienced snowshoers can go on a 1.5-mile snowshoe hike at 11:30am. Showshoes will be available or rental. outdoors and enjoy the fresh snow! 413-684-0148. Route 9. Windsor, MA. ($)
Saturday, January 12th from 10am-3pm – WINTER TRAIL DAYS: Celebrate Winter Trails Day at Hilltop Orchards! The trails are open for the season, and there will be 30-minute workshops on cross-country skiing and snowshoeing throughout the day (skiing at 11am and 2pm, snowshoeing at 10am, 1pm, and 3pm). Learn a new activity that will help your family spend more time outside this winter! Registration required. 413-281-2028. 508 Canaan Road. Richmond, MA. (FREE)
MARK YOUR CALENDARS
We’re giving away an amazing CD collection of our top 11 family albums released this past year. Deadline to enter is: Jan 19, 2013 by 11:59pm (EST).
American History: Families can learn all about the life of John F. Kennedy at the Springfield Museums’ newest exhibit! “The John F. Kennedy Experience,” shown at the Wood History Museum, is filled with information and artifacts that tell the story of JFK’s life, from childhood to assassination. There are many exciting artifacts on display, including an actual PT boat motor, collectibles from his political campaigns, and rare photos of Kennedy with his wife, Jackie. A visit to the exhibit is a great way for families to learn more about Kennedy’s role in American history, and students can also learn about what it’s like to campaign and live life as a public figure. The exhibit is open through April 28th, 2013. 413-263-6800. 21 Edwards Street. Springfield, MA. ($)
Make Your Own Handmade Valentines with Hilltown Families at The Art Garden in Shelburne Falls during a free family workshop on Friday, January 25th, from 4-7pm. Families can create their own unique valentines using simple book-making techniques or countless other ideas with materials provided by The Art Garden in Shelburne Falls. Drop in anytime. Pre-registration required. Sign up here. 14 Depot Street. 413-625-2782. Shelburne Falls, MA (FREE)
Handmade Community Valentine Swap: It’s that time of the year again for the 5th Annual Hilltown Families Handmade Community Valentine Swap! For the past several years Hilltown Families has coordinated a community Handmade Valentine Swap — and we’re doing it again! Push back against the commercialization of Valentine’s Day while getting creative with your kids and connecting with your community… sign up to participate! Swapping happens through the mail with 10 other families! It’s free to sign up and open to all families in Western MA. Deadline to sign up: Jan. 31. Western MA (FREE)
Parent Workshop on Tuesday, Jan 29 from 6:30-8:30pm: Talking to Your Kids About Sex. Having trouble finding a comfortable, productive way to talk to your kids about sex? Hilltown Families is sponsoring another workshop for parents on approaching the subject with their children. The event takes place after hours at Cup and Top Cafe, and will be facilitated by Brooke Norton, a certified sex educator. The talk will begin with talking with youngest kids, and progress through teens. Sexuality, puberty, body image, and sexual identity will also be discussed. 413-585-0445. 1 North Main Street, Suite 2. Florence, MA. (FREE)
BULLETIN BOARD
Jan 16
On Wednesday, Jan. 16 from 6-7:30pm, the Montessori School of Northampton (51 Bates St.) will hold an open house for parents of preschool and elementary students who are interested in applying for admission for next fall. Participants will have an opportunity to visit the school’s Children’s House (preK-K), Lower Elementary (grades 1-3), & Upper Elementary (grades 4-6) classrooms, & meet staff. Demos of materials. Refreshments served. The school will be expanding its offerings next fall, expanding its 3 day-per-week program for 2-year-olds to full-time, & adding a new Children’s House classroom with more half-time openings for children ages 3-4 & a second Lower Elementary classroom for children ages 6-9. For more info call 413-586-4538.
Jan 19
Chris Smither is performing in Ashfield on Saturday, January 19th and Hilltown Families has two pairs of tickets to giveaway for a PARENTS’ NIGHT OUT! Deadline: Jan 17th by 11:59pm (EST).
Chris Smither will be in concert at Ashfield Town Hall on Saturday, January 19 at 8pm. A profound songwriter, Chris continues to draw deeply from the blues, American folk music, modern poets and philosophers and will perform songs from his newest album, Hundred Dollar Valentine. “Smither’s momentum as a rockin’-thumbed guitar picker with an insistent and fully-integrated tapping foot has all the hallmarks of a truly formidable one-man band,” hailed The Glasgow Herald. A perfect night out for fans of acoustic roots, Americana, and blues music. General seating tickets are $20adv/$25dos, and are now on sale at MightyAlbert.com and in-person at Elmer’s Store in Ashfield. For more info call 413-628-4003.
Jan 20 – Mar 19
Are you looking for an affordable way to get your family into art? Art Party Studio in Easthampton, MA, is now offering art classes for kids, teens, and adults. Registration for their winter session is now open and features classes for youth including: a child/parent art class (ages 2 to 5), Fiber Arts (ages 6 to 9), Youth Fine Art (ages 10 to 14), and Comics for Teens (ages 12 to 16). Classes for adults are open to ages 17 and up unless otherwise stated and include: Oil Painting, Comics and Visual Storytelling, Crochet, Figure Drawing, and more! Classes run for 8 weeks, from January 20th to March 19th. To register, visit online at www.joinartparty.com or send an email to artpartystudio@gmail.com if you’re looking for a payment plan.
Accepting applications for fall 2013. The Bement School founded in 1925 and located in Deerfield is a co-educational junior boarding and day school serving 220 students in kindergarten through grade 9. Bement’s rich, traditional curriculum motivates and challenges students with strong academics, a renowned fine arts program, and a diverse athletic program. Students participate in athletics and fine arts every day. The pervasive atmosphere at Bement is that of a family, learning & living together. Bement actively seeks an academically diverse, international, and multi-cultural student body. For information on how to apply, financial aid, upcoming Kindergarten Open Houses, or to arrange a visit to campus, call 413-774-7061 www.bement.org.
ADVERTISE YOUR EVENT OR OPEN HOUSE: Reach thousands of families in Western MA while supporting the community development work of Hilltown Families! See your community event, open house, auditions, afterschool class, homeschool program, workshop, school, wellness program or business featured here in the bulletin board section of our list of Weekly Suggested Events and eNewsletter, reaching thousands of families living throughout the four counties of Western MA! Find out more about our enhanced publicity packages and options and how we can help with your online marketing by emailing us at hilltownfamilies@gmail.com.
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 hilltownfamilies@gmail.com
The Trustees of Reservations Seeks Proposals for Farmland: The Trustees, a statewide non-profit land trust, is seeking farmer proposals for up to 8 acres of land in Ashfield, MA. The land is non-contiguous, a mix of rolling and flat, accessible by public roads, probably most suitable for animals. There is a large barn available for storage, washing station, CSA pickup, etc. and there is irrigation available. There is no on-site farmer housing. The Trustees are seeking a farmer with a business plan who wants to run their own operation in partnership with The Trustees. There is no fee for the land. Send proposals or questions to Ellie at elobovits@ttor.org For more information about the Trustees go to www.thetrustees.org.
Organic Gardening Listserv: Dreaming of your garden? Starting to leaf through those spring seed catalogs yet? Do you have questions about organic gardening? Share your questions and your knowledge with other organic gardeners across the state by signing up for the NOFA Organic Gardening Listserv. It’s free! Email nofa-mass-subscribe@lists.riseup.net to join.
LIST OF WEEKLY SUGGESTED EVENTS
January 12th-19th 2013
Suggest an Event | Forecast | Museum Passes | Weekly eNewsletter
Read the rest of this entry »
Like this:
Like Loading...
2 Comments
January 3, 2013 at 6:00 am (Suggested Events)
Tags: Berkshires, Event Listings, Family Events, Hilltowns, Massachusetts, New England, outdoors, Pioneer Valley, Things to do, western massachusetts
Discover fun and educational events happening this week in Western Mass, along with announcements, upcoming events, links, resources and the HFVS podcast.
SUGGEST AN EVENT
Northfield Mountain host Winter Trails Day this weekend. Winter Trails Day involves almost 100 resorts and Nordic Centers nationwide, and gets thousands of families out on the snow each year! (Photo credit: Sienna Wildfield)
If you have a community event, educational program or service opportunity for youth/families happening in Western Massachusetts that you’d like to let us know about, post your event on our “Suggest An Event” page. 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 work of Hilltown Families. Click HERE to find out more.
BEST BETS
Saturday, January 5th from 1-4pm – OUTDOOR ADVENTURE: Celebrate Winter Trails Day at Northfield Mountain! Families (with older children) can learn to snowshoe and/or cross country ski, and will get to explore the location’s beautiful trails! Skiing workshops will begin at 1, 2, and 3pm, and snowshoeing workshops will begin at 1:30, 2:30, and 3:30pm. Please arrive 30 minutes before your workshop’s start time in order to get fitted for gear. Pre-registration required. 800-859-2960. Millers Falls Road. Northfield, MA. (FREE)
Sunday, January 6th at 3pm – MARIONETTES: The Cummington Family Center hosts the Tanglewood Marionettes production of, “Hansel and Gretel!” The classic tale of children lost in the woods will be portrayed using beautiful marionette puppets and intricate backdrops. The show will take place at Berkshire Trail Elementary School. Main Street. Cummington, MA. (DONATION)
MARK YOUR CALENDARS
Chris Smither is performing in Ashfield on Saturday, January 19th and Hilltown Families has two pairs of tickets to giveaway for a PARENTS’ NIGHT OUT! Deadline: Jan 17th by 11:59pm (EST).
Saturday, January 12th from 1-4:30pm – OUTDOOR ADVENTURE: Snowshoe the trails at Northfield Mountain with naturalist Kim Noyes! Families can romp through the woods and learn about ways to find animal tracks (particularly porcupines) and look for clues to the area’s past land use. Kim will share with families information about using animals signs to identify wildlife, and there will be cocoa around a campfire once the hike is done! Call to register. 800-859-2960. Millers Falls Road. Northfield, MA. (FREE, snowshoe rentals extra)
We’re giving away an amazing CD collection of our top 11 family albums released this past year. Deadline to enter is: Jan 19, 2013 by 11:59pm (EST).
Sunday, January 13th at 1pm – CRAFTING MATERIALS SWAP: Ashfield Needles and Threads is hosting a crafting materials swap at the Ashfield Congregational Church. Bring fabrics, yarn, needles, pattern… plus ideas and encouragement! Clear out some of your clutter while enabling another’s creative genius. Leave with ingredients & ideas for some terrific new projects for the New Year. Enjoy connecting with folks who share your interest as well as with folks who can help you learn a new craft. Bring the kids! All are welcome to come pick out materials whether they have some to donate or not. Main Street. Ashfield, MA (FREE)
Handmade Community Valentine Swap: It’s that time of the year again for the 5th Annual Hilltown Families Handmade Community Valentine Swap! For the past several years Hilltown Families has coordinated a community Handmade Valentine Swap — and we’re doing it again! Push back against the commercialization of Valentine’s Day while getting creative with your kids and connecting with your community… sign up to participate! Swapping happens through the mail with 10 other families! It’s free to sign up and open to all families in Western MA.
BULLETIN BOARD
Jan 5
Pioneer Valley Ballet will present its spring production of The Little Mermaid on April 6th and 7th at Northampton’s historic Academy of Music Theatre in Northampton, MA. Auditions will be held at the PVB studio at the Eastworks Building (116 Pleasant St.) in Easthampton on Saturday, January 5th for boys and girls ages 5-12yrs. Roles include pearls, crabs, sea horses, starfish and water sprites No dance experience necessary. Please visit www.pioneervalleyballet.org for registration information and audition times, or call the studio at 413-527-6363. Dancers with pointe experience, please contact the studio for additional audition schedules.
Jan 9
Interested in Jewish education? Looking for a progressive school with stellar teachers, vibrant community, and a values-based curriculum? Come to LGA Schechter’s Community Tour for Prospective Parents on Wednesday, January 9th, 9-10:30am. Visit classrooms. Speak with current parents, students, teachers and administrators. Learn what an LGA education is all about! Contact Principal Marcia Holden at mholden@lgaschechter.org or call 413-584-6622 to RSVP — or set up an individual tour on another day. Lander Grinspoon Academy is a Jewish day school located at 257 Prospect St. in Northampton, MA. For more info visit www.lgaschechter.org.
Jan 16
On Wednesday, Jan. 16 from 6-7:30pm, the Montessori School of Northampton (51 Bates St.) will hold an open house for parents of preschool and elementary students who are interested in applying for admission for next fall. Participants will have an opportunity to visit the school’s Children’s House (preK-K), Lower Elementary (grades 1-3), & Upper Elementary (grades 4-6) classrooms, & meet staff. Demos of materials. Refreshments served. The school will be expanding its offerings next fall, expanding its 3 day-per-week program for 2-year-olds to full-time, & adding a new Children’s House classroom with more half-time openings for children ages 3-4 & a second Lower Elementary classroom for children ages 6-9. For more info call 413-586-4538.
Accepting applications for fall 2013. The Bement School founded in 1925 and located in Deerfield is a co-educational junior boarding and day school serving 220 students in kindergarten through grade 9. Bement’s rich, traditional curriculum motivates and challenges students with strong academics, a renowned fine arts program, and a diverse athletic program. Students participate in athletics and fine arts every day. The pervasive atmosphere at Bement is that of a family, learning & living together. Bement actively seeks an academically diverse, international, and multi-cultural student body. For information on how to apply, financial aid, upcoming Kindergarten Open Houses, or to arrange a visit to campus, call 413-774-7061 www.bement.org.
ADVERTISE YOUR EVENT OR OPEN HOUSE: Reach thousands of families in Western MA while supporting the community development work of Hilltown Families! See your community event, open house, auditions, afterschool class, homeschool program, workshop, school, wellness program or business featured here in the bulletin board section of our list of Weekly Suggested Events and eNewsletter, reaching thousands of families living throughout the four counties of Western MA! Find out more about our enhanced publicity packages and options and how we can help with your online marketing by emailing us at hilltownfamilies@gmail.com.
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 hilltownfamilies@gmail.com
LIST OF WEEKLY SUGGESTED EVENTS
January 5th, – 11th 2013
Suggest an Event | Forecast | Museum Passes | Weekly eNewsletter
Read the rest of this entry »
Like this:
Like Loading...
Leave a Comment
December 30, 2012 at 10:00 am (Suggested Activity)
Tags: Berkshires, Family, Family Activities, Hilltowns, Massachusetts, Mohawk Trail, New England, outdoors, Pioneer Valley, Things to do in Western Massachusetts, Tourism, Travel, vacation, Western MA, western massachusetts, winter, Winter in New England
Winter Bucket List
Reader Recommendations for Western MA
Elise Gibson of Williamsburg writes, “Pack up your cross-country skis AND your ice skates and head to the DAR State Forest in Goshen. Once you’re there you can judge the conditions and see which activity suits the day. Sometimes we do both! Plus, no fee in the wintertime!” (Photo Credit: Sienna Wildfield)
Western Massachusetts is rich in opportunities to get out and about with the family… any time of the year! Winter offers outdoor activities like snowshoeing, sledding, skiing and ice skating. And local businesses and attractions welcome you indoors to warm up with comforts, culture and entertainment. Whether you’re visiting the area, or are fortunate enough to live here year round, winter in Western MA is a joyous time of year!
We asked our readers to recommend their favorite attractions, must see or must do family activities during the winter, and we received fifty great tips. While not an exhaustive list (nor in any order) of the fun adventures families can have in Western MA, it’s a great place to start. If you have a recommendation to add to this list, please do! Post your suggestion below.
- “We’re looking forward to renting a cabin at Mohawk Trail State Forest (Charlemont, MA).” – Amy Meltzer (Northampton, MA)
- “The things I most enjoy… going ice skating on Ashfield Lake and DAR State Forest; going sledding on the Ashfield Golf Course.” – Laura Arruda (Ashfield, MA)
- “Ice skating at UMass Mullins Center, snow shoeing to the Northfield Mountain Chocolate Pot, and pond hockey and sledding wherever we can!” – Rebecca Chambers (Amherst, MA)
- “Fill up a thermos with hot soup and go cross country skiing at Notchview (Windsor, MA) with the family.” – Heather (Northampton, MA)
- “My 3 and 5 yr old daughters and I LOVE to warm up inside the Smith College greenhouses! The bulb show in March is refreshing and vibrant. It’s fun to be in the humid greenhouses while its a winter wonderland outside.” – Heather Johnson
- “Holyoke has done a great job making over Community Field. They’re supposed to have ice skating and hot chocolate in the winter.” – Christa Figueroa (Holyoke, MA)
- “If you aren’t a member of one of the best spots in the Berkshires- you are missing out! We join the Berkshire Museum as a family and Grandma and Grandpa can bring our grandchildren there all year for free. We have 6 grandchildren and they love the aquarium, the digging for bones, natural history, Native American dress-up, vacation plays or feeding times for fish, discounts on all things charged and the gift shop. As another benefit you will be given a list of hundreds of museums across the country to enter free with this membership- such as NY museums, the Boston science center and SO many other great things. Join- support the area and take advantage of SO much.” – Bernice Hagan
- “Catching a Springfield Falcons ice hockey game or a Springfield Armor basketball game at the Mass Mutual Center (Springfield, MA) is always a fun family outing.” – Christine Curtis (South Hadley, MA)
- “Always a perfect spot to go sledding behind C.T. Plunkett Elementary School in Adams… hike and explore Greylock Glen while there.” – Kim Robert
- “The Springfield Museums always have a family friendly exhibit!” – Ellen Rustico (Goshen, MA)
- “Monson Library has some great events: a science club on Thursday afternoon once a month; Lego club; book club; and many more.” – Jo Sauriol
- “Cross country ski at Stump Sprouts (Hawley, MA). Hot chocolate at Mocha Maya’s (Shelburne Falls, MA). Ice skate or broom hockey! Bake a batch of cowboy cookies and cozy down for an indoor snow day with a good book or a movie. Invite friends for pancakes on Sunday. Snowshoe the neighborhood on a snow day. All fun things we do in winter!” –Dory Pelletier (Belchertown, MA)
- “The banks of the Westfield River when the ice begins to break up. It’s so awesome to see the different kinds of ice layered in massive chunks stranded on the banks.” Deanna Scarfe (West Chesterfield, MA)
- “The Cyr Skating Arena (Springfield, MA) is one of my families favorite places to go in the winter. They have ice skating sessions open to the public and very affordable. And you can bring your own skates or rent some there. It is located in Forest Park in Springfield, the same place as Bright Nights.” – Heather Houghton-Smith (East Longmeadow, MA)
- “Love to snowshoe at Northfield Mountain.” – Bonnie beth Pierce (Greenfield, MA)
- “Visit the Windsor Library – there are always new books. I can’t keep up with the Librarian’s wonderful choices!” – Valerie Kohn (Windsor, MA)
- “There are so many great winter activities in Western MA to choose from! Here a few of my favorites: Indoor: escaping to Magic Wings Butterfly Conservatory (South Deerfield, MA) and sampling first run of the year maple syrup at a sugar shack. Outdoor: hiking at Mount Tom State Reservation (Holyoke, MA) or cross-country skiing a trail in the woods.” – Susan VanPelt (Holyoke, MA)
- “I love to visit the Great Falls Discovery Center in Turners Falls. Here you can learn about the Connecticut River Watershed’s rich natural, cultural and industrial history.” – Sylvia Snape (Plainfield, MA)
- “Find any snowmobile trail and follow it (Regardless of whether or not you have a snowmobile)!” – Miranda Edison (Worthington, MA)
- “Go see a frozen waterfall. Check out your favorite summer spot and see all the cool ice formations.” – Maxine Oland (Belchertown, MA)
- “Walking from our house (downtown Northampton) to the Smith College greenhouses and then going to share a pot of tea at a coffee shop.” – Lisa Andrews (Northampton, MA)
- “A trip to Yankee Candle (South Deerfield, MA) never gets old, especially for young kids. We go about once a month in the winter. We walk around the whole place (great for tiring out toddlers), smell candles, and visit Santa’s workshop. In Santa’s workshop they have a train table for kids to play at and it’s always a big hit with our two little ones.” – Kristen Estelle (Goshen, MA)
- “Come shopping in Shelburne Falls. Holiday lights strung across Bridge street. Galleries with local crafts. Walk along the Bridge of Flowers. Have lunch or dinner in one of the fine restaurants.” – Karen Powers
- “Sledding at the Worthington Golf Club hill — and after that if you’re still ready for more winter fun — across the street is ice skating on the pond – maybe a pick up ice hockey game for little ones … Being a thermos of hot cocoa to keep toasty!” – Amy Kane Coyne (Hinsdale MA) Read the rest of this entry »
Like this:
Like Loading...
1 Comment
December 26, 2012 at 10:00 am (Suggested Activity)
Tags: american goldfinch, Baltimore Oriole, chipping sparrow, gray squirrels, Mass Audubon, Nature, Ornithology, Outdoor Adventures, outdoors, tracking, Wildlife, winter activities
Stalking Winter Nests & Wildlife Tracks
Family Outdoor Adventures
“Because robin nests are fairly large, and so well built, they are one of the easiest to spot after the nesting season. Look for them in shrubs and on horizontal branches in the lower halves of trees.”
During the cold months of winter, many of the creatures often seen during the rest of the year have migrated south, are tucked away in burrows for most of the winter, or have become even better at hiding so as not to be easily spotted against the snow. But their signs are still there and a lot of fun searching for! Looking for signs like tracks, scat, dens, and nests is a fun and educational way to learn about the habits of wildlife living near you.
To inspire families into winter tracking expeditions, Mass Audubon offers an online list of the Top 5 Nests to Spot in Winter! The list includes information on the American Goldfinch, American Robin, Baltimore Oriole, and Chipping Sparrow, as well as Eastern Gray Squirrels, who builds nests high up in trees as well. The nest list not only shares information on spotting and identifying five different nests, it also includes facts about the nest’s structure, specific reasons for why each nest is created the way that it is, and interesting facts.
Identifying nests together with your family can teach them a lot about the habits of each bird species, and can help them develop a greater awareness of the many animal signs present around them. Mass Audubon also has Winter Walk Bingo Cards families can download and print that would make for fun this winter while searching for nests and other signs of wildlife.
Maybe even take Kurt’s advise and after a week of constant ten degree weather, head to the wetlands and explore an area otherwise not easily accessible outside of winter. Read more in his post, “The Ripple: Winter Wetlands.”
Looking for organized activities to do together while looking for nests and other animal tracks, here are some upcoming events in January worth checking out:
[Photo credit: (ccl) carfull...Wyoming]
Like this:
Like Loading...
Leave a Comment
December 24, 2012 at 12:00 pm (Contributing Writer, Ecology, Kurt Heidinger)
Tags: Berkshires, climate, Ecology, Hilltowns, Massachusetts, Nature, outdoors, Pioneer Valley, Rivers, rivers and streams, swamps biome, western massachusetts, wetlands, winter wetlands
When Our Wetlands Become Icelands
“Hope and the future for me are not in lawns and cultivated fields, not in towns and cities, but in the impervious and quaking swamps.” – Thoreau
Perhaps you love to walk in the woods in winter because, when the leaves are down, the shape (or “geomorphic character”) of our biome is exposed. I do, too!
Winter is possibly the most perfect time to get to know where you are. When you look up at the hills from down in the valley, or from hills to other hills, there is more to see of the “body” of the “superorganism” we are, like lichen, affixed to and dependent on. What appear in summer to be solid monolithic mountains are seen, in winter, to be made of monticellos, stacked in front of each other, leapfrogging up to the highest point.
Summer leaves keep sunlight from touching the forest floors, and cover the giant wrinkles—the cracks, rifts and ravines—that separate the monticellos. In those wrinkles are cascading streams that, when it gets really cold, freeze and form ice-falls. Icefalls are always magical places, and by that I mean they are places that “recreate” you: make you feel different, by awakening your imagination and sense-of-beauty, by catalyzing surges of joy and delight. May an icefall appear before you this holiday season (If you can’t find one nearby, try Chapel Falls in Ashfield.)!
And, may we get some seriously cold weather between now and March to wipe out the ticks in the fields and the adelgids in the hemlocks—and so we can roam one particular kind of micro-biome that is off-limits when it is warm. I speak here of the murky soggy mucky source of rivers and streams: wetlands!
Wetlands have been considered the “worse” kind of real estate because you can’t build foundations or septic systems in them, and were typically used in the past as garbage cans. From a biotic perspective, however, wetlands are extremely vital (i.e., a lot of creatures live there) and from a public health perspective, they store lots water and prevent floods. Thoreau’s description of the existential value of wetlands always makes me smile: “Hope and the future for me are not in lawns and cultivated fields, not in towns and cities, but in the impervious and quaking swamps.”
Of all the microbiomes we neighbor, wetlands are the most mysterious. It is hard to know what they are because they are so difficult to access. Thoreau liked to sink to his waist in swampmud, or at least he wrote he did; but in real life, for most folks, swampmud is not enjoyable. Often it reeks with the bubbling bodies of things once green, and unlike other muds it is capable of staining clothes. Add to this the unpleasant feeling of stepping into tannin-dark gruel populated by exuberant worms and bugs and snakes and leeches—that feels like it has no bottom, yet is too shallow to swim in. Like me, you might wait until those waters freeze, and skate atop them.
Winter is the best time to explore these upland sources of all streams & rivers, these mysterious wetlands. What a joy it is to skirt the prickers and brambles and ivies that grow rife in the summer, and to avoid the spiderwebs, mosquitoes and deerfly, and also the creepy decaying Edgar Allen Poe vibe even the sprightliest wetlands exude. Read the rest of this entry »
Like this:
Like Loading...
Leave a Comment
« Older entries
by Sharon Lovejoy
by Staci Tornio
