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 SINGLE DAY EVENTS

FRIDAY JANUARY 6 AND SATURDAY JANUARY 7: AMHERST REGIONAL HIGH SCHOOL CABARET. The Drake, 44 North Pleasant Street. 7:30 p.m. (Doors open at 6:30 p.m). Join us for an entertaining evening of skits and small group musical performances, featuring students from Amherst Regional High School! We are so excited for this long-running annual tradition to take place at The Drake this year. A pair of MCs will weave together musical acts from a variety of genres, showcasing the many talents of the students in town. $10 cover. $5 students. Full calendar of January events at the Drake.

THURSDAY JANUARY 19: VALLEY VOICES STORY SLAM. The Drake, 44 North Pleasant Street. 7:30 p.m.(Doors open at 6:30 p.m.). Valley Voices Story Slam reimagines one of the oldest forms of entertainment for today by adding a bit of competition to the mix and inviting everyone — from experienced storytellers to complete newbies — to share their true stories in front of a live audience. The theme for this show is “Sorry, Not Sorry” so come for all the fauxpology drama. Come out and hear some outrageous, funny and heartwarming true stories told in five minutes by your friends and neighbors from around the valley. The audience picks the winner, and a storytelling star is born! Grab a beer and get ready for a night of great entertainment. The winners of each slam will go on to compete in our “Best of Valley Voices” event! Tix: $17. More information. Full calendar of January events at the Drake.

FRIDAY, JANUARY 27: QUARTERLY ART GALLERY OPENING. General Store and Local Art Gallery in the Mill District, 91 Cowls Road,  5-7 p.m. All artists, art lovers, and community members are invited to the Mill District Local Art Gallery for this Quarterly Artist Reception. Please join us in welcoming the most recent artists to join the Local Art Gallery community.

ONLINE SINGLE DAY EVENTS

WEDNESDAY JANUARY 11: COMMUNITY LISTENING SESSION ON REPARATIONS WITH SPECIAL GUEST REPRESENTATIVE JIM MCGOVERN. Zoom. 6:30-8:30 p.m. Meeting link and more information. Sponsored by the African Heritage Reparations Assembly

WEDNESDAY JANUARY 18: OUR FRAGILE DEMOCRACY AND THE ROLE OF ENGAGED CITIZENRY.
7-8:15 p.m. on Zoom. This event is part of the of the Racial Justice Committee’s monthly Judy Brooks Conversation Series sponsored by the League of Women Voters. The speaker is Dean Sudha Setty of the City University of NY School of Law. She will offer some ideas for how an engaged citizenry can play a meaningful and significant role in protecting democracy and its institutions. This is a community event and all are welcome. Register here.

THURSDAY JANUARY 19:ART FORUM ONLINE. KEITH HOLLINGWORTH’S BIRDS AT GALLERY A3 7:30 pm.  Hollingworth will discuss his work, currently on exhibit at Gallery A3, and answer questions.  See the gallery website www.gallerya3.com to register for this online event, which is free and open to the public.

IN PERSON ONGOING OR MULTI-DAY EVENTS

SECOND TUESDAY OF EVERY MONTH: OPEN MIC NIGHT AT THE DRAKE. 44 North Pleasant Street. Free event. Performers arrive by 5:30 p.m. Stage time: 6 p.m – 10 p.m. All ages. Younger performers will be slotted earler. All performers and styles of performances welcome, including but not limited to: music (of all kinds) – acoustic, folk, rock, hip hop, jazz, classical, etc…comedy, spoken word / readings, poetry,
dance, performance art. House rules and more information.

LAST WEDNESDAY OF EVERY MONTH: CRAFT AND CONVERSE. Mill District General Store and Local Art Gallery, 91 Cowls Road. 6:30 p.m.-8 p.m. Are you tired of creating in solitude? Looking to connect with other artistic individuals? Grab your sketchbook, knitting bag, or water color gear and join our monthly coworking group! Craft and converse, hosted by Easthampton artist Kaia Zimmerman, is held the last Wednesday of every month from 6:30 to 8:00 p.m. This welcoming, intentional space is designed for community members to come together for a casual, social evening while pursuing their own creative projects. Drop-ins welcome, but registration encouraged for any weather-related changes in schedule. Bring your own arts or crafts project (BYOA) to work on. Ages 16+. (Next event is December 28)

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.

EVERY WEDNESDAY BEGINNING NOVEMBER 30: CAN’T REMEMBER CAFE. Bangs Community Center, 70 Boltwood Walk. 10 a.m. – 12 p.m. Are you or a loved one experiencing memory loss? At the Amherst Senior Center, we understand memory changes and have developed a new program based on the popular Memory Café format. The Can’t Remember (CR) Café offers fun, relaxation, and of course, snacks. This program is perfect for caregivers, people with mild memory loss, or anyone in the community who enjoys good conversation and strong coffee. Each Can’t Remember Café opens with a coffee and conversation hour, followed by a group activity. Join us on Wednesday, November 30th for a performance by our special musical guests, “Healing Hearts with Harmony” at 11:00am. Come for the coffee, stay for the connections! Email seniorcenter@amherstma.gov or call 413-259-3060 with questions. 

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/ .

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. 
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.

JANUARY 19-22 AND 26-29: AMHERST COMMUNITY THEATER PRESENTS DISNEY’S THE LITTLE MERMAID. Bowker Auditorium, UMass. This timeless fable will delight and dazzle audience members of all ages with its irresistible songs, stunning sets and costumes, and full live orchestra! Nine performances: for tickets, click here or visit amherstacts.org and go to “Audience Information.” Questions? Email producer@amherstacts.org.

JANUARY 30 TO MAY 12: PORTRAITS IN RED: MISSING & MURDERED INDIGENOUS WOMEN & GIRLS. Paintings by Nayana LaFond. Augusta Savage Gallery, New Africa House, UMass, 180 Infirmary Way. Portraits in Red: Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and Girls began on May 5, 2020 with one painting, “Lauraina in RED,” created for the National Day of Awareness for Missing and Murdered Native Women and Girls. Nayana LaFond put out an open call, saying she would paint a couple more portraits if people sent information on subjects. She received more than 25 the first day with stories and photos, and decided to dedicate herself to painting all she receives. Each portrait is of someone who is missing, was murdered, survived, their family member or friend, or an activist/hero fighting for the cause. Through her work LaFond hopes to make sure the missing and dead are never forgotten, to raise awareness about this serious issue, and to provide help with healing to the families she works with. LaFond continues to receive new images and stories and has an ongoing queue of 20-30. Opening Reception: Monday, January 30, 5-7 p.m. Artists talk: Tuesday, February 8, 6 p.m.

ONLINE ONGOING OR MULTI-DAY EVENTS

MONDAY SEPTEMBER 19- WEDNESDAY APRIL 3: FEINBERG LECtURE SERIES ON US IMPERLIALSM 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.