Hilltown Families 
4th of July Fireworks & Parade Schedule 2009
Click HERE for the 2010 4th of July Schedule
2009 Fireworks & More in Western Massachusetts
Chesterfield 4th of July Parade Schedule. Click on flyer to see larger image.
Here is a schedule of firework displays and parades happening in Western Massachusetts. Click on the listing to find out more information. The events below are “suggested.” Please take the time to confirm that these events are happening.
Looking for family events during the day on the 4th of July?
- Check the comment box below for 4th of July events.
- And be sure to click on the links below. Many of the firework displays are part of an all-day community celebration.
- If you know of a 4th of July event, please post it below.
4TH OF JULY PARADES
Right here in the hilltowns will be a great old fashion parade that the whole family can participate in beginning at 10:30am at the CHESTERFIELD 4TH OF JULY PARADE. Click HERE to read our post, Hilltown Families’ Kids Invited to March in Chesterfield’s 4th of July Parade.
Other parades happening in Western Massachusetts on the 4th of July include the towns of
- Buckland (11:20am)
- Conway (10am)
- East Longmeadow (10am)
- Pittsfield (10am)
- Shelburne (TBA)
- Westfield (morning & afternoon)
- Williamstown (11am)
FIREWORK SCHEDULE FOR INDEPENDENCE DAY 2009
July 3rd, 2009
- East Longmeadow, MA (Rain date: TBA) – Vetran’s Field (Center of Town) @ 10pm
- Holyoke, MA (Rain date: July 5th) – Holyoke Community College @ 9:00pm
- South Hadley, MA (Rain date: July 5th) – Michael E. Smith Middle School @ 9:15pm
- Westfield, MA (Rain date: TBA) – Stanley Park @ 9:15pm
July 4th, 2009
- Amherst, MA (Rain date: TBA) – University of Massachusetts @ 9:30pm
- Chicopee, MA (Rain date: July 5th) – Szot Park @ 9:30pm
- Easthampton, MA (Rain date: June 28th) – Galbraith and Daley Fields @ 9:30pm
- Lenox, MA (Rain date: July 28th) – Tanglewood @ 9:00pm (double check this)
- North Adams, MA (Rain date: July 5th) – Joe Wolfe Field @ 9:30pm
- Sturbridge, MA (Rain date: July 5th) – Field at Old Sturbridge Village @ 9:00pm
- Springfield, MA (Rain date: TBA) – Springfield Technical Community College @ 9:00pm
- Springfield, MA (Rain date: TBA) – Memorial Bridge @ 9:30pm
- West Springfield, MA (Rain date: TBA) – Town Common @ 9:15pm
July 5th, 2009
July 11th, 2009
OTHER LINKS
- EOPSS PSA: Be Smart Leave Fireworks to The Professionals
- For a town by town list of firework displays and parades happening throughout Massachusetts, click HERE.
I wanted to add a note to the suggestion about the 4 on the 4th Roadrace event in Northampton at 8:30 Saturday morning; I am a teacher at the Center for New Americans, so I highly encourage folks to participate in this worthy effort to support the education of our immigrant neighbors. One additional note that was not mentioned in the previous listing is that CNA has organized a citizenship swearing-in ceremony to happen on the steps of the old courthouse directly following the roadrace, in which nearly a dozen immigrants will become U.S. citizens, and Evelyn Harris of Sweet Honey in the Rock will be singing the National Anthem. Please come celebrate with us!
FOUR ON THE 4TH
River Valley Market in Northampton, MA is a proud sponsor of 4 on the Fourth, a 4-mile BLUE SNEAKERrun and 2-mile walk this 4th of July to raise funds for the Center for New Americans. Help us help our neighbors adjusting to life in this new land! Register now for the run through http://www.runreg.com or stop by the Customer Service Desk to pick up a registration form. You can also stop by Northampton Running Company, at 60 King Street. Registration is $15 now, $20 on race day.
The Center for New Americans is a non-profit community-based organization designed to provide educational and support services to immigrants, refugees, and other limited English speakers in Massachusetts’ Pioneer Valley. The Center for New Americans operates community learning centers in Northampton, Amherst, and Greenfield and offers classes through local employers.
A beloved community tradition continues this year, with a special twist. Shakespeare & Company’s free, 8th annual reading of the Declaration of Independence commences on the afternoon of July 4 at 3pm. The next day, a group of Company artists debuts Revolutionary Moments, a collection of vignettes illustrating the influence of William Shakespeare on events at crucial points throughout American and world history. Revolutionary Moments was prepared and will be performed under the leadership of Founding Artistic Director Tina Packer on July 5 at 11:00am, at Studio 3 in S&Co.’s Production and Performing Arts Center. Tickets for Revolutionary Moments are $20, or $10 for patrons aged 25 and under. Seating is limited.
The Declaration of Independence will be held on the Company’s spacious meadow, rain or shine, so attendees should be sure to bring a blanket, lawn chairs, and/or any other outdoor equipment they desire for comfort. This event has grown every year, from its inauguration on the Banksyde Terrace outside Founders’ Theatre in 2001. Last year it drew an estimated 1,000 people. The event was recently featured in an Associated Press story about readings of the Declaration of Independence around the country.
The one-hour Declaration of Independence program incorporates live, acoustic music under the direction of Resident Music Director Bill Barclay, including a festive sing-along led by a group of Company musicians. A traditional July 4th BBQ will be available for a modest fee from 1:30pm to 5:30pm. Guests are encouraged to spend the afternoon on the grounds, taking advantage of Shakespeare & Company’s spacious lawns for recreation and play.
Part performance, part narration, part discussion, Revolutionary Moments sprang from the theme of the Shakespeare Theatre Association of America’s annual conference, which S&Co. hosted in January. It features an ensemble of Company actors, portraying historical figures such as Thomas Jefferson, John and Abigail Adams, and John Wilkes Booth. Packer composed vignettes illustrating the influence of Shakespeare on the Booth family, Frantz Fanon, and African leaders Nelson Mandela and Julius Nyerere. Company Founder and Director of Training Dennis Krausnick composed a piece on Fanny Kemble, the actress for whom the street in Lenox (where S&Co. is located) is named. The presentation also incorporates material written by Ralph Cohen of the American Shakespeare Center, and Terry Burgler of the Ohio Shakespeare Festival.
“I think it’s really important that Americans know how much Shakespeare affected the history of the country, and continued to affect not only America’s leaders but history-making people around the world,” Packer says. “Shakespeare was a revolutionary as an artist, so its no surprise that his work has popped up at key times of upheaval and change—from John Wilkes Booth, who saw himself as a modern-day Brutus from Julius Caesar, to the theatre companies behind the Iron Curtain during the Cold War who emphasized the coup d’etat and political revolution that frames the action in Hamlet.”
The reading of the Declaration of Independence is part of the FREE outdoor Bankside Festival, which offers family-oriented performances, programming, and humanities lectures through August 29. Free performances of A. A. Milne’s Toad of Toad Hall bookend the reading, with Part A performing at the Rose Footprint Theatre at 12:30pm and Part B performing at 5:30p.m. Tickets are free but should be acquired from the Box Office in advance to guarantee available seating. A free, fifteen-minute Prelude commences on the Banksyde Terrace outside Founders’ Theatre at 6:45pm, followed by opening night of the highly anticipated remount of Othello, directed by Company Founder and new Artistic Director Tony Simotes. Tickets for Othello and Pinter’s Mirror, which at the Elayne P. Bernstein Theatre at 8:30 pm that night, may be purchased at the Box Office.
For a complete schedule of all Bankside Festival events running in repertory, and information on Shakespeare & Company’s 2009—2010 season, please call the Box Office at 413-637-3353 or visit the S&Co. website at http://www.shakespeare.org. Be sure to ask for details about the many discount opportunities available, including the 40% Berkshire Resident Discount.
Northfield Mountain
http://www.firstlightpower.com/northfield/publicprograms.asp
Programs for ages 8/10/12 & older
Independence Evening Paddle
Fri., July 3; 6:30 p.m. – 9 p.m.
For ages 12 and older
Fee: Free with own boat, $25 with boat rental
Pre-register by calling 800-859-2960
Evening is a lovely time for a paddle.
Kick-off Independence Day weekend with an evening paddle exploring Barton Cove. We’ll enjoy the sights and sounds of a summer evening – insect hatches, warbling bird songs and the changing light as day fades into night. Barton Cove is rich with special places and stories including ancient waterfalls, historic log drives and dinosaur footprints from thousands of years ago. Perhaps a fledgling bald eagle will be ready for independence as this is often the timing of their first flight. Bald Eagles first built a nest on Barton Cove Island in 1989 and have nested on the island continuously since then. This program is appropriate for both beginning and experienced paddlers.
========
July 3rd-5th – Berkshire Summer Arts Festival
More than 200 artists and artisans working in all mediums. Classical, Dixieland Jazz and folk music, live demonstrations, and fireworks at Ski Butternut in Great Barrington, MA. http:// http://www.americancraftmarketing.com 413-528-2000
=======
July 4th – August 16th – Historic Deerfield (www.historic-deerfield.org)
Materials Make It! Fibers, Clay and Wood
9:30 a.m.-4:30 p.m. daily, drop in anytime
Visitors will see, handle, and work with the natural materials that were used to make the buildings and objects that New Englanders lived with every day. Explore fibers that were made into textiles: flax, wool, and silk. Learn about different kinds of clay used around the world to make the dishes that New Englanders bought and used for eating and drinking. Discover the unique properties of varieties of wood, and how they were chosen for different woodworking projects. Use natural materials to make a special project you can take home. Included with general admission.
There will be two fireworks displays in Springfield, MA this year; one on the Memorial Bridge and the other – a musical one, on the beautiful campus of Springfield Technical Community College. On July Saturday 4th & Sunday 5th the 3rd Annual Hoop City Jazz & Art Festival will feature two days of live jazz performances by some of the best national, regional and local jazz bands “you may never have heard of”.
Saturday’s lineup will feature Smooth/Contemporary jazz performances by four very accomplished, high-energy performers that are sure to be “crowd-pleasers”. Sunday will feature more traditional offerings, for those that like their jazz “a little cooler”. In addition to the national acts, some hot local bands will be showcased as well.
This year the gates will open at 11:30am and the music will start at 1:30pm both days, ending at 8pm. There’s plenty of free, convenient parking and assistance for elderly and the physically challenged. The festival will feature a variety of food vendors (if you prefer not to bring your own picnic), an artists and crafters bazaar and vendors offering unique merchandise you definitely won’t find in the malls. On July 4th there will be free food and activities for children under 12, lots of give-aways, a raffle for a 47” flat screen TV and a few other surprises. In other words, all of the amenities you would expect at a “world-class” jazz festival and the ingredients for a great time. And best of all, it’s at a “recession-proof” price: FREE!
As we like to say:“Come Early, Stay Late & Leave Exhausted”!
For more information our website at http://www.hoopcityjazz.org.
UMass in Amherst — Amherst
July 4th
UMass Amherst annual Independence Day celebration.
Fireworks, music, children’s carnvial, hot air balloon rides & more.
======
4th of July Parade — Pittsfield
July 4, 2009 @ 10am
Parade, music, floats & more. Info here: http://www.pittsfieldparade.com
=======
4th of July Celebration — Westfield
July 3, 2009
Music, picnicking, costumes, fun for children & Fireworks! At Stanley Park.
413-572-2900
=======
Independence Day Celebration — Sturbridge
July 4, 2009
An 1830s Independence Day Celebration at Old Sturbridge Village. This Fourth of July, step back to a time when America was new, and veterans of the fight for freedom still lived. Cap off a 19th-century celebration of the holiday with a breathtaking 21st-century display of fireworks at dusk (separate admission). Information: 800-733-1830 or visit http://www.osv.org
========
Independence Day Festival — Stockbridge
July 4, 2009
Kick off your 4th of July celebrations with us! Enjoy a game of catch with the Pittsfield Defenders and Troy, N.Y.-based ValleyCats. Play fun, back-to-basics games with Jeanne Bassis. Listen to the sweet sounds of the Berkshire Hillsmen. Savor a classic Independence Day BBQ prepared by the Red Lion Inn. Make your own red, white, and blue Rockwell-inspired art projects. And be sure to check out the all-American classic cars courtesy of the Piston Poppers. Youth 18 and under are free. Adults free with Museum admission.Information: 413-298-4100 or visit http://www.nrm.org
========
Star Spangled Springfield — Springfield
July 4, 2009
Music, food, and fireworks on the Connecticut River. Location: Court Square. Time: 7 p.m. Information: 413-733-3800 or visit http://www.spiritofspringfield.org