What’s Happening In Amherst?

You can help us make our events calendar more useful by sending us your listings and including contact information and/or a link for more information. Send events listings to amherstindy@gmail.com.

IN PERSON ONGOING/MULTI-DAY EVENTS

EVERY SATURDAY THROUGH NOVEMBER 19. AMHERST FARMERS’ MARKET. Town Common 7:30 a.m – 1:30 p.m. Farm to table produce from local growers and producers. Food, music and events. More information including a list of vendors.

EVERY SATURDAY THROUGH NOVEMBER 5: SPECIAL EXHIBIT – BLACK AND AFRO-INDIGENOUS FAMILIES IN AMHERST. Amherst History Museum, 67 Amity Street. 11 a.m.- 3 p.m. Historic images of Amherst’s Black and indigenous families plus artifacts dating back to the pre-Emancipation era. More information

EVERY THURSDAY AND FRIDAY: FREE COVID VACCINE CLINICS. The Health Department has resumed its vaccine clinics at the Bangs Community Center, 70 Boltwood Walk from 12-2 p.m. on Thursdays. All residents, ages 12 and up who have not had a vaccine or booster in the past two months are eligible for and urged to get the new bivalent vaccines, which offer protection against the omicron variant of Covid-19. Registration for appointments is at https://www.amherstcovid19.org/vaccine . Walk-ins are also welcome.

UMass is offering bivalent Covid vaccines for ages 12 and older in Room 101 at the Campus Center on Thursdays from 12-4 p.m. and Fridays from 10 a.m.-2 p.m. and for those 12 and younger on Thursdays from 4-5:30 p.m. Appointments https://umass.my.site.com/covidtesting/s/vaccination  are recommended but not essential. To find other sites offering the bivalent vaccine, go to https://vaxfinder.mass.gov/ .

LAST FRIDAY OF EVERY MONTH : LAST FRIDAYS AT THE DRAKE POETRY SERIES HOSTED BY LYRICAL FAITH. 44 North Pleasant Street. Join us every last Friday of the month* for Last Fridays at The Drake hosted by Lyrical Faith for an unforgettable open mic and poetry night experience featuring award-winning spoken word artists from across the country. Come through for music, drinks, and artistic expression where poets take center stage to share new work, old work, or any work that helps them get free. Doors and bar open at 5PM. Early arrival is encouraged to get a slot on the sign-up sheet. The cover charge is $5 with a college ID or $10 general admission. More Information. Full Events Calendar at the Drake.

MONDAY SEPTEMBER 19- WEDNESDAY APRIL 3: FEINBERG LECTURE SERIES ON US IMPERIALISM – CONFRONTING EMPIRE. Events are online or hybrid. This free public lecture series brings together scholars, journalists, educators, writers, community organizers, and survivors of state violence to examine global histories of U.S. imperialism and anti-imperialist resistance.The series traces the history of U.S. imperialism from the conquest of North America to the creation of an overseas empire in the late 19th century and to the present day. It also offers a critical historical analysis of the various traditions and movements that have opposed U.S. empire, including Black radicalism, Marxism, revolutionary feminism, armed struggle, international solidarity, pacifism, and liberal, electoral, and diplomatic activism.  The series kicks off Monday, September 19 for the Keynote Address, US Policy In the Global South by Nobel Peace Laureate Dr. Rigoberta Menchú Tum, joined by journalists Vincent Bevins anAmy Goodman. 7 p.m. on Zoom.
Register here.
Full listing of series events and more information

FRIDAY SEPTEMBER 30 -SUNDAY MAY 14: 60 YEARS OF COLLECTING -AN ANNIVERSARY EXHIBITION CELEBRATING THE UNIVERSITY MUSEUM OF CONTEMPORARY ART PERMANENT COLLECTION. Bottom Floor of the UMass Fine Arts Center. Look here for gallery hours and additional information. Free. The exhibit can be viewed on line here.

SATURDAY OCTOBER 1 – MONDAY OCTOBER 31: AMHERST SURVIVAL CENTER HIKE FOR HUNGER
What: Sign up as an individual or team. Registration is $25 and includes a 2022 Hike for Hunger t-shirt. Once you register, you’ll be prompted to set up your personal fundraising page. All the details are ready for you, but you are welcome to personalize your page. You can share your page with family and friends via email and Facebook. There is no fundraising minimum, but you will earn rewards for your fundraising efforts. You could win a Downtown Amherst Night Out gift basket, a private wine and cheese tasting hosted by Provisions, tickets to a UMass Hockey game, and more

Where: Anywhere, anytime. Set your own path, whether it’s hiking local peaks, walking your dog on a nearby trail, or even fishing for hunger! You can also join us on a group hike. Check out the hikes we have planned and reserve your spot today. 
More information.

FRIDAY OCTOBER 7 THROUGH SATURDAY OCTOBER 29. EXHIBIT – ACCORDION BOOKS BY LAURA HOLLAND AT GALLERY A3 In Deciphered Objects, Laura Holland explores the actual or imagined stories that animate seemingly ordinary objects like empty paper bags, an antique pickle fork, a colorful raincoat, and an old ceramic platter in a series of handmade accordion books. The exhibit opens at Gallery A3 28 Amity Street 1D on Friday, October 7 and runs through Saturday, October 29. There will be an opening reception on Thursday, October 6 from 5-7:00 p.m. and a free, online art forum on Thursday, October 20, at 7:30 p.m. More information and register for online art forum here.

SUNDAY OCTOBER 30 – FRIDAY NOVEMBER 4: In PERSON EARLY VOTING FOR STATEWIDE ELECTION. Town Hall, 4 Boltwood Avenue. 8 a.m.- 4:30 p.m. More Information

IN PERSON SINGLE DAY EVENTS

SATURDAY OCTOBER 29: RALLY ON THE COMMON IN SOLIDARITY WITH THE AMHERST 9. Noon, Amherst Town Common. The rally will inform residents about the July incident involving the police and a group of BIPOC youth and provide concrete steps to take to advocate for police accountability, to demand an apology to the impacted youth, and to demand creation of a victim’s compensation fund to provide reparative compensation for victims of police misconduct. The rally will raise awareness of the joint Town Council and Community Safety and Social Justice Committee-CSSJC meeting, scheduled for Tuesday November 1. The rally will conclude at 3 p.m.

SATURDAY OCTOBER 29: SKI AND WINTER GEAR SALE TO BENEFIT THE AMHERST HISTORY MUSEUM. One Day Only. 9 A.M. – 2 P.M. 67 Amity Street. Top quality winter gear for adults and children.
More info.

SATURDAY OCTOBER 29: FORT RIVER COMMUNITY GARDEN HARVEST FESTIVAL. Gardeners and interested community members are invited to join the Fort River Garden Circle to celebrate the harvest of the inaugural year of the Fort River Community Gardens in a fall festival from 1 p.m. to 3 p.m. Gardeners and non-gardeners are welcome. The schedule includes garden tours, food prepared by gardeners using harvested vegetables, pumpkin painting, culinary and medicinal dried herbs, a story circle, and visions for next year’s gardens. For those thinking of signing up for a plot for the coming season, this is an opportunity to meet members of the garden circle and to view the site. The Fort River gardens can be reached via the driveway at 44-48 Belchertown Road (Gil’s Auto and across from Cumberland Farms) and continuing beyond the fence to the Fort River Conservation Area. There is a designated parking area adjacent to the gardens. More information

SATURDAY OCTOBER 29: FREE PERSCIPTION DRUG TAKE BACK. Wildwood School, 71 Strong Street.
10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Residents are invited to bring their unwanted medicine for free and safe disposal to a variety of drop off sites throughout Hampshire County. the Amherst drop off location is Wildwood School.  Other locations in Hampshire and Franklin Counties are listed in More Information. Medicines can remain in original containers with labels. Liquids, syringes, IV equipment, or chemotherapy drugs are not allowed. Prescription and non-prescription drugs, vitamins, and veterinary meds will be accepted.

THURSDAY NOVEMBER 3 – SATURDAY NOVEMBER 5: UMASS DANCE PRESENTS TOM VANCANTI’S REINTERPRETATION OF SCHEHERAZADE. 7:30 p.m. in the Totman Performance Lab, 30 Eastman Lane. Inspired by the original ballet by Mikhail Fokine and the lush score by Rimsky-Korsakov, Vacanti sought to recapture the grand spectacle of the original production through sets, costumes, video projections, and a cast of 27 dancers. However, Vacanti has based his adaptation on a different story from One Thousand and One Arabian Nights than the one used in the 1910 Ballet Russes production.The November ballet performances are based instead on Scheherazade’s story about King Yunan and Sage Duban, which includes similar elements of intrigue, deception, revenge and murder as the original tale.

Ticket prices are $25 for the general public, $15 for seniors, $5 for students, and free for UMass students. Tickets may be purchased at the Fine Arts Center Box Office, by phone at 413-545-2511, or online at www.fineartscenter.com/musicanddance. Free and secure parking in nearby lot 43 after 5 p.m.

TUESDAY NOVEMBER 8: STATEWIDE ELECTION. 7 a.m. – 8:00 p.m. Look here to find your voting location. More information.

THURSDAY NOVEMBER 29: TENOR SAXOPHONIST HOUSTON PERSON. 7 p.m.at the Drake, 44 North Pleasant Street. Tix $10. Students $5. A special presentation of the Northampton Jazz Workshop featuring two sets of Person with the Green Street Trio. With his robust sound and swinging style, tenor saxophonist Houston Person has kept the hard bop and organ-soaked soul-jazz traditions alive. Emerging from organist Johnny “Hammond” Smith‘s group, Person established his reputation as one of the Big Boss tenors in the Gene Ammons style with albums like 1968’s Blue Odyssey, 1969’s Goodness!, and 1970’s Person to Person! More Information and the full November calendar at the Drake.

ONLINE EVENTS – ONGOING/MULTI-DAY

MONDAY SEPTEMBER 19- WEDNESDAY APRIL 3: Feinberg Lecture Series On US Imperialism: Confronting Empire Events are online or hybrid. This free public lecture series brings together scholars, journalists, educators, writers, community organizers, and survivors of state violence to examine global histories of U.S. imperialism and anti-imperialist resistance.The series traces the history of U.S. imperialism from the conquest of North America to the creation of an overseas empire in the late 19th century and to the present day. It also offers a critical historical analysis of the various traditions and movements that have opposed U.S. empire, including Black radicalism, Marxism, revolutionary feminism, armed struggle, international solidarity, pacifism, and liberal, electoral, and diplomatic activism.  The series kicks off Monday, September 19 for the Keynote Address, US Policy In the Global South by Nobel Peace Laureate Dr. Rigoberta Menchú Tum, joined by journalists Vincent Bevins and Amy Goodman. 7 p.m. on Zoom.
Register here.
Full listing of series events and more information

FRIDAY SEPTEMBER 30 -SUNDAY MAY 14. 60 YEARS OF COLLECTING -AN ANNIVERSARY EXHIBITION CELEBRATING THE UNIVERSITY MUSEUM OF CONTEMPORARY ART PERMANENT COLLECTION. Bottom Floor of the UMass Fine Arts Center. Look here for gallery hours and additional information. Free. The exhibit can be viewed on line here.

ONLINE SINGLE DAY EVENTS

TUESDAY NOVEMBER 1: FEINBERG LECTURE SERIES: US EMPIRE IN ASIA AND THE PACIFIC – REPRESSION AND RESiSTANCE. 7 p.m. on Zoom.The UMass History Department’s Feinberg Series continues with “U.S. Empire in Asia and the Pacific: Repression and Resistance. The event will take place over Zoom, and contains presentations by Moon-Ho Jung of the University of Washington, Nerissa S. Balce of SUNY Stony Brook, and Brian Hioe, founding editor of New Bloom. The program will be moderated by Sigrid Schmalzer, Professor of History at UMass Amherst. Information and registration are available here.  

SUNDAY NOVEMBER 6: CAN YOU IMAGINE AMHERST WITHOUT COPS. 2-4 p.m. on Zoom. You’ve probably heard talk around Amherst about defunding the police… and maybe you’ve thought it could be a good idea! But you’re wondering: Why can’t we just reform the police?  Who will handle violence? Can there be a viable alternative to cops? Our virtual information session will be the perfect place to talk through concerns like these. We hope you’ll leave feeling confident enough to speak up at the Amherst public budget forum the next day! But if just making it to the event is where you’re at, that’s okay—we’re grateful you’ve taken time to think more deeply about a topic that is so important to our community. Register for Zoom link here.