What’s Happening In Amherst?
Photo: istock
by Art and Maura Keene
There is a lot happening around town. You can help us make our events calendar more comprehensive by sending us your listings and including contact information and/or a link for more information. Send events listings to amherstindy@gmail.com.
SINGLE DAY EVENTS
FRIDAY OCTOBER 27: QUARTERLY ART OPENING AT THE MILL DISTRICT. 5 to 7 p.m. Mill District General Store and Local Art Gallery, 91 Cowls Rd. Please join us in celebrating the current collection of art on exhibit and available for purchase by over 30 local artists! Don’t miss this wonderful evening of conversation, art, and complementary light refreshments from Provisions. Artists joining the Local Art Gallery for the first time: Heather Geoffrey from Springfield, Stefania Amore from Springfield, Ravneet Marwaha from Amherst, Rachel Bellenoit from South Hadley, Eric Talbot from Easthampton, Jesse Morgan from Northfield, Eliza LaCroix Newland from Hatfield. Former Gallery Artists returning for the Fall Quarter: Kathleen Anderson from Amherst, Suzanne DiSessa from Westfield. The Mill District Local Art Gallery is thrilled to host the Amherst Plein Air Society in the Front Window Gallery. 15% of exhibit sales are donated to Kestrel Land Trust. Exhibit runs through Sunday, November 12.
SATURDAY OCTOBER 28: DRUG TAKE BACK DAY. 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Wildwood School, 71 Strong Street. Medicines can remain in original containers with labels. NO liquids, syringes, IV equipment or chemotherapy drugs. Prescription and nonprescription drugs, vitamins and veterinary meds are accepted. You can also bring medications to the permanent drop box at the Amherst Police Station.
SATURDAY OCTOBER 28: FALL HARVEST HEALTH FAIR ON THE TOWN COMMON.12 to 3 p.m., Town Common across from the Inn at Boltwood. Free vaccinations on the site for all Indigenous People, fall activities, fall foods, and more! Plus – a free sweatshirt with your vaccine! The Mass General Brigham Mobile Van will also provide blood pressure and diabetic screenings. Sponsored by Ohketeau and Mass General Brigham. Need a ride? Call 857-273-2068 ext. 203. No one will be turned away.
SATURDAY OCTOBER 28: JEWISH COMMUNITY OF AMHERST POETRY READING. 7 p.m. 742 Main Street. An Evening of Poetry with JCA Rabbi Benjamin Weiner, JCA Poet-in-Residence Jena Schwartz, and JCA congregant/National Jewish Book Award Winner Richard Michelson. Join us for a short Havdalah Service, followed by poetry, schmoozing and refreshments. Fully accessible, free, everyone is welcome! Zoom access available: https://form.jotform.com/223206560189152
SATURDAY OCTOBER 28: AN INTIMATE EVENING WITH TWO SINGER SONG WRITERS. 7 p.m. Untarian Universalist Society of Amherst. 121 N. Pleasant St. Join us at the UU Society of Amherst for a concert of original music provided by artists, Dave Dersham and Jason Threlfall. Dave Dersham’s lyrics are fiercely honest, wonderfully articulate and paint a unique image of Americana, with well-crafted songs of hope and challenge. Singer/songwriter Jason Threlfall delivers a warm and inviting look at the everyday things that matter to us all.Light snacks and drinks will be offered starting at 7 PM with proceeds to benefit UUSA. Concert begins at 7:30. Tix: $20 adv. $25 at the door. Purchase tickets online here: https://uusa.breezechms.com/give/online
SATURDAY OCTOBER 28: UMASS SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA. 7:30 p.m. Tillis Hall, UMass Fine Arts Center. Gonzalo Hidalgo, conductor. Elizabeth Chang, violin soloist. Featuring music by Dvorak, Mendelssohn, and Paul Dukas. $15/$5 students. Tickets at https://fac.umass.edu/Online/default.asp?BOparam::WScontent::loadArticle::permalink=musicanddancedepartment&BOparam::WScontent::loadArticle::context_id=
SUNDAY OCTOBER 29: MARTIN MASS, BACH SINGET DEM HERRN, AND WORKS BY ALICE PARKER. 4 to 5 p.m. Grace Episcopal Church, 14 Boltwood Avenue. Join Illuminati Vocal Arts Ensemble, E. Wayne Abercrombie, guest conductor, for a performance of Frank Martin’s Mass, J.S. Bach’s ‘Singet dem Herrn,’ BWV 225, and works by Alice Parker. Arianne Abela is on maternity leave, and will rejoin us in the new year. In the meantime, we are honored to be conducted by E. Wayne Abercrombie, Professor of Music Emeritus and former Director of Choral Activities at the University of Massachusetts Amherst. Sliding scale admission.
SUNDAY OCTOBER 29: HALLOWEEN SPOOKTACULAR. Amherst Recreation, in collaboration with The Jones Library, bring you all this year’s HALLOWEEN SPOOKTACULAR on Sunday, October 29th.
Trick or Treating Downtown in collaboration with the BID and Amherst Area Chamber of Commerce- 12:00 pm – 1:00 pmfollowed by 1:00-3:30 PM – Halloween Spooktacular at the Bangs Center sponsored by the Recreation Committee and featuring TREATS, CRAFTS, HAUNTED HOUSE, CARNIVAL ACTIVITIES AND MORE! Free.
Trick or Treat Bags with participating trick or treat locations can be picked up at the BID/Amherst Area Chamber of Commerce Office or the Bangs Community Center (70 Boltwood Walk, Amherst, MA 01002).
WEDNESDAY NOVEMBER 1: UMASS HEALTH POLICY FORUM AND YOUTH MENTAL HEALTH CRISIS IN WESTERN MASSACHUSETTS. UMass will sponsor a health policy forum on the ongoing youth mental health crisis in Western Massachusetts on Wednesday, November 1, from 8:30- 11:45 a.m. The forum, entitled “A Roadmap for Youth Behavioral Health in Western Massachusetts” will be held in the Umass Campus Center Auditorium. A detailed agenda is available here; register here for the free forum, which includes a continental breakfast between 8:30-9 a.m. Media are welcome. Parking is available in the campus center garage.
WEDNESDAY NOVEMBER 1: LECTURE – “AN ISRAELI PERSPECTIVE ON THE ISRAEL-GAZA CONFLICT: A CONVERSATION WITH DR. JESSE FERRIS. 4-5:30 p.m., Herter 227 HALL, UMass. Jesse Ferris is Vice President of Strategy at the Israel Democracy Institute, where he oversees strategic planning, organizational development, and international programs. His research interests include diplomatic and military history, Middle Eastern politics, nuclear strategy and Israeli national security. Jesse grew up in the Upper Galilee and holds a BA with distinction in History from Yale University and a Ph.D. in Near Eastern Studies from Princeton University. Jesse’s first book, Nasser’s Gamble: How Intervention in Yemen Caused the Six Day War and the Decline of Egyptian Power, was published in 2012 by Princeton University Press. It won the 2013 Chaikin Prize, awarded annually to an Israeli author for the best book on a geostrategic topic pertaining to Israel or the Middle East. Jesse’s second book (in Hebrew), How Israel Can Survive in a Nuclear Middle East, was published in September 2022 by Kinneret Zmora Dvir. It presents ten lessons from 75 years of human history with the bomb for Israeli decision makers faced with a nuclearizing Middle East. Dr. Ferris lives in Amherst.
FRIDAY NOVEMBER 3: JASON MONTGOMERY AND MIGUEL BACHO POETRY READING. 7 p.m. Amherst Books, 8 Main Street. Jason Montgomery & Miguel Bacho will read from their new volumes of poetry. Montgomery, who is a playwright, poet, & visual artist, is co-founder of Attack Bear Press in Easthampton. His new volume of poetry, These Latest Apocalypses, looks at endings: “particularly for those of us with indigenous heritage—the world has ended many, many times over. From there I started to think about endings, sometimes good, sometimes bad, but always from a place of after.” Bacho is a Chilean poet. His bi-lingual Continental Breakfast details his migration to the U.S. & is published by Attack Bear Press. Also celebrate Nat Herold’s 70th birthday, 4-6 p.m. Come for the cake and stay for the poetry.
FRIDAY NOVEMBER 3: 49TH ANNUAL MULTIBAND POPS. 7:30 p.m. Frederick Tillis Hall, Bromery Center for the Arts, UMass. Our fast-paced showcase of wind, brass, jazz, vocal, orchestral & percussion ensembles, plus the Minuteman Marching Band for the entire second half. Featuring Wind Ensemble, Symphony Band, Jazz Ensemble, Chapel Jazz, Vocal Jazz, UMass Symphony Orchestra, Chamber Choir with Chorale, Percussion Ensemble, Trombone Choir & more. Tickets at https://www.umass.edu/music/event/49th-annual-multiband-pops-concert $25/18 students.
SATURDAY NOVEMBER 4: 6 K ROAD RACE, ENGINEERS WITHOUT BORDERS. 9 a.m. 144 Hicks Way, UMass. Annual Engineers Without Borders Sweat for Clean Water 6K. All proceeds will go into projects that help support the communities we work with in Kenya, Ghana, and locally. The course is a 6 kilometer loop around the UMass Amherst campus that starts and ends at the old chapel. The event is on November 4th at 9 am. Sign up at: https://runsignup.com/Race/MA/Amherst/EngineersWithoutBorders6k
SUNDAY NOVEMBER 5: UMASS CHAMBER CHOIR: “COMING HOME”. 7 p.m. Old Chapel, UMass. The Chamber Choir explores “home” through varied lenses: a world premiere by Hannah Gruendemann, commissioned by the Chamber Choir, and works by Stephen Leek, Saunder Choi, Reena Esmail, Shawn Kirchner, and Sydney Guillaume, as well as South African and German part song.
SUNDAY NOVEMBER 5: WESTERN MASS 10-MILER ROAD RACE. 8:30 a.m. Haigis Mall at UMass Amherst. Run ends in Northampton with a post-race party at the Deck Bar in Union Station, Northampton. Information and registration at https://www.hartfordmarathon.com/western-mass-10/
TUESDAY NOVEMBER 7: AMHERST SENIOR CENTER COVID-19 AND FLU VACCINE CLINIC. 9 a.m.-12:30 p.m. Bangs Center, 70 Botwood Walk. Open to the public. Register either online through this link: https://home.color.com/vaccine/register/northampton or over the phone by calling this number: 413-587-1314.
WEDNESDAY NOVEMBER 8: OPUS ONE CHAMBER ORCHESTRA. 7:30 p.m. Bezanson Hall, UMass. This advanced conductor-less orchestra performs classic and contemporary works from the string orchestra repertoire. Featuring Bartok’s Divertimento, plus chamber music by Boccherini, Mendelssohn and Mozart. Free.
THURSDAY NOVEMBER 9: SEYCHELLE DUNN-CORBIN, BARITONE SAXOPHONE. GUEST ARTIST CONCERT. 7:30 p.m. Bezanson Hall, UMass. With Adam Merrill, piano. Seychelle Dunn-Corbin is a Boston-based saxophonist known for her inclusion, dedication and advocacy of African American artistry in performance and education. Free.
SATURDAY NOVEMBER 11: ANNUAL VETERANS’ DAY BREAKFAST. 9 a.m. Bangs Community Center, Large Activity Room. Everyone is welcome to join in this delicious breakfast that honors ALL VETERANS. All Veterans are FREE, $10/ticket for all accompanying guests. Advance tickets only – No tickets will be sold at the door. Veterans and their guests can obtain tickets at the following locations: Amherst Senior Center, Veteran Services in the Bangs Community Center, and the Central Services Counter on the First Floor of Town Hall (4 Boltwood Avenue, Amherst, MA 01002). Ticket sales END on November 8th. If you have questions, please call Central Hampshire Veterans’ Services 413-587-1299. The Flag Ceremony will take place at the Amherst Central Fire Station (68 North Pleasant Street, Amherst, MA 01002) at 11:00 AM on Saturday, November 11th.
SATURDAY NOVEMBER 18: AMHERST MEDIA GALA AND ANNUAL MEMBERSHIP MEETING. 7 p.m. Marriott Center, 11th floor of the Campus Center, UMass. The 48th annual Amherst Media gathering will be on Saturday, November 18. This year, we will celebrate with dinner and dancing as we announce plans to build the new Dr. Demetria Shabazz Center for Media Arts. It will be a night to build unity in Amherst and celebrate the future of our town. Renowned poet Martin Espada will share an original poem with us, and we will present our annual Jean Haggerty Award to Vladimir Morales (posthumous) and Victoria Silva, long-time leaders in Amherst. Tickets and sponsorship information is here!
THURSDAY DECEMBER 14: SIP AND SHOP. 5 to 9 p.m. 45 South Pleasant Street (previous site of A.J. Hastings). Maker’s market now has an all-alcohol license. Also, horse drawn carriage rides. Sponsored by the Amherst Business Improvement District.
ONGOING AND MULTI-DAY EVENTS
FIRST TUESDAY OF EVERY MONTH. RAINBOW COFFEE HOUR. 10-11 a.m. Amherst Senior Center, Bangs Center, 70 Boltwood Walk. The Rainbow Coffee Hour is a new LGBTIA+ social coffee group for ages 50 and above. Join us for this welcoming space to socialize. No format, no agenda, just community. The July coffee hour will be held on July 11, due to July 4 being the first Tuesday of the month.
FIRST AND THIRD TUESDAY OF EVERY MONTH (EXCLUDING JULY): NORTHAMPTON JAZZ WORKSHOP. The Drake. 44 North Pleasant Street. 7:30 p.m. Free (donations accepted). Featuring the Green Street trio with a special guest. Featured set at 7:30 followed by an open jam session. Bring your axe. Full calendar of events here.
SECOND TUESDAY OF EVERY MONTH (EXCLUDING JULY): 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.
FIRST WEDNESDAY OF EVERY MONTH: MOBILE FOOD PROGRAM. 1-2 p.m. The Boulders, 156 Brittany Manor Drive. Free produce. No registration necessary. Open to everyone. Brought by the Food Bank of Western Massachusetts and the Amherst Survival Center. The Food Bank truck will be in the parking lot near apartments 115-125.
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+.
EVERY WEDNESDAY : 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: STITCH CIRCLE. 4 to 6 p.m. Mill District Local Art Gallery and General Store, 91 Cowls Road. Grab your needles, venture to the General Store, and join us for our first Stitch Circle. Knitters, quilters, embroidery artists, and crocheters are all invited. Free.
FRIDAYS SEPTEMBER 29 THROUGH NOVEMBER 10: FIVE COLLEGE LEARNING IN RETIREMENT ENCORE PRESENTATIONS AND LECTURES. 10 a.m. to 12 p.m. on Zoom. Encore is a re-presentation of the best presentations from the previous semester. Nominations are made to moderators from each class, or directly to the Encore team. Presenters who are nominated have the option of presenting, and of updating their presentation with additional material before giving it during an Encore session. For a list of topics and to register, contact Kristin Langevin at fclic@fivecolleges.edu.
EVERY SATURDAY THROUGH NOVEMBER 18: AMERST FARMERS” MARKET. Amherst Town Common. 7:30 a.m. – 3 p.m. This year’s market will features 45 vendors (so far) and has room to sign up a few more. More information
SECOND SATURDAY OF THE MONTH (JUNE THROUGH OCTOBER): ART ON THE LAWN. 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. Amherst History Museum 67 Amity Street. Art on the Lawn at the Amherst History Museum takes place on the second Saturday of June, July, September and October; June 10, July 8, September 9 and October 14. Artists and crafters will be set up on the lawn of the museum from 11:00am to 3:00pm when the museum is open for visitors. Stop by to visit and chat with the artists. Come into the museum to see our newest exhibit, The Magnificent Life & Art of Mabel Loomis Todd, take a tour of the newly reinstalled rooms in the house, peruse books in the reading room, and view our extensive clothing textile collection. Entry to the museum is free, but a $5 donation is suggested.
NOW through FRIDAY OCTOBER 13: SEER: THE ART OF SARAH BELCHETZ-SWENSON.
Amherst College, Fayerweather Hall, Eli Marsh Gallery,17 Fayerweather Drive. 10 a.m.- 4 p.m. This exhibition explores the evolution of Sarah Belchetz-Swenson’s art throughout her long career. Belchetz-Swenson’s distinct and complex style combines a fluent use of traditional techniques with a modernist and feminist sensibility. There is always a tension between her precisely drawn subjects and the challenging, complex, emotion-infused worlds they inhabit.
NOW through SUNDAY OCTOBER 28: CAPTURED MOMENTS, ACRYLIC AND PASTEL PAINTINGS BY KIMBERLY A. BEAUREGARD. Burnett Gallery, Jones Library, 43 Amity Street. 9 a.m – 5:15 p.m except Sundays (1 p.m. – 5:15. p.m.) Free and open to the public. Artist Kimberly A. Beauregard’s acrylic and pastel paintings will be on display for the month of October. Explore her crisp contemporary landscapes that seek to “Capture Moments” of what is beautiful right in front of us but often missed as we go on with our busy lives. The Artist reception will be on October 5th from 5:30 – 7:30 pm, with complimentary refreshments, and includes artwork by Robert Markey who shares exhibit space for duration of event.
NOW through THE END OF OCTOBER: ANNUAL AMHERST SURVIVAL CENTER HIKE FOR HUNGER. You can register as an individual or as part of a team and set your personal hiking goal. Once you register, you’ll be able to customize your own PledgeReg fundraising page to start collecting donations from family and friends.Come October, head out on the trails wherever and whenever you’d like – with your family, your friends, or your furry friends – and share your adventures. You can also join one of our group hikes! Hike for Hunger runs from Oct 1 – 31. You have four weeks to reach your fundraising goal! Proceeds from Hike for Hunger go directly to our food and nutrition programs, which last year provided 1.3 million meals (prepared and groceries) to nearly 8,600 neighbors. Register at https://amherstsurvival.org/donate/special-events/hikeforhunger/ $25
NOW THROUGH FRIDAY JANUARY 5: UMASS SCIENCE AND ENGINEERING LIBRARY GLOBAL HEALTH EXHIBIT. 9 a.m – 5 p.m. Sunday thorugh Friday. 740 N. Pleasant St. Around the world, communities, in collaboration with scientists, activists, governments, and international organizations, are taking up the challenge to prevent disease and improve quality of life. Making a World of Difference: Stories about Global Health examines stories of the people who are working on a wide range of issues—from community health to conflict, disease to discrimination—to improve health in their areas and beyond. Free.
NOW UNTIL JANUARY 7, 2024: BOUNDLESS, WORKS BY NATIVE AMERICAN ARTISTS AND WRITERS. Mead Art Museum, Amherst College, 41 Quadrangle Drive. Boundless is a nearly museum-wide exhibition that features work by Native American writers and artists, grounded in but not contained to the Northeast. Boundless takes shape like water, moving across generations and geographies, and expanding conversations about kinship, presence, resistance, and history through its flow. The exhibition never chooses one path, but moves in multiple directions and broadens as it goes. A wide range of materials from Amherst College’s Collection of Native American Literature and the Mead form the core of the exhibition, and are joined by key works on loan from artists and other institutional and private collections. Curated by Heid Erdrich, a member of the Ojibwe people of Minnesota. Hours 9 to 5 Tuesday through Sunday, Open until 10 p.m. on Thursdays during the semester.
NOW UNTIL JANUARY: WINTER COAT DRIVE. Amherst Survival Center, 138 Sunderland Road, is accepting new and gently used winter coats for a pop-up event in January. Donations may be dropped off at the center from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. weekdays (closed on Wednesdays).