What’s Happening in Amherst?
Photo: istock
by Art and Maura Keene
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
SATURDAY JANUARY 6: OPENING RECEPTION FOR AMY A. CRAWLEY’S EXHIBIT, PORTALS AND PASSAGEWAYS. Jones Library Burnett Gallery, 2-4 p.m. Free and open to the public. In this exhibit, Crawley explores her ongoing journey with portals. With a focus on the movement of spirals and circles, she draws the viewer’s eye toward the center of a space and take the viewer on a visual meditation that transports them from one place to another. More information here and here.
SATURDAY JANUARY 6: ARHS CABARET. 7:30 p.m. The Drake, 44 North Pleasant Street. 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, $5 students.
RESCHEDULED due to weather. New date – SAT JAN 13. SATURDAY JANUARY 6: ANNIE PATTERSON AT SONG AND STORY SWAP. 7 to 9 p.m. First Church, 165 Main Street. Singer and folksong ambassador Annie Patterson will be the featured performer at the January 6 Song & Story Swap. Annie Patterson is one of America’s premiere song leaders. She has been leading singing around the globe for over 30 years and is well known for her work as co-creator/editor of the songbooks Rise Up Singing and Rise Again. Sponsored by the Pioneer Valley Folklore Society. Free, Donations accepted ($5 to $10 suggested). Free parking in the lot behind the Church. For information contact Paul Kaplan, (413)-687-5002 or visit https://pvfs.us.
WEDNESDAY JANUARY 10: FORUM ON RACIAL EQUITY AND PUBLIC SAFETY. 6-8 p.m. at Town Hall and on Zoom. The Town of Amherst seeks input on peoples’ experiences with the Amherst police. Tell us about your experiences with the Amherst Police and learn about the Resident Oversight Board. Share your views on how to best assure public safety and accountability. Moderated by Rabbi Debra Kolodny. Spanish and Chinese translation available. Childcare provided. Other forums will be held on Thursday, January 18, 6-8 p.m., and Sunday January 21, 1-3 p.m.
WEDNESDAY JANUARY 10: HITCHCOCK CENTER’S COMMUNITY OPEN HOUSE AND LISTENING SESSION (RESCHEDULED). On zoom. Come see the Hitchcock Center’s Living Building, hear some about how we teach climate action and creative hopeful problem solving to kids. And then we want to hear from you. What are your regional climate concerns? What resources, information or support do you need? What gets in the way of action, how do we come together well and intentionally to address climate concerns locally. Register for event link here.
WEDNESDAY JANUARY 10: ANNUAL FRANCOPHONE NIGHT. 6-8 p.m. Amherst Regional High School cafeteria. The French Club at Amherst Regional High School is hosting its annual Francophone Night at the high school cafeteria Jan. 10 from 6 to 8 p.m. The menu will include a Francophone student-led potluck and a Moroccan meal catered by Amanouz Café. The cultural show will include research presentations, poetry, live music, singing, dancing and trivia. Tickets are $10 for students, $15 for adults and free for children under 5.
THURSDAY JANUARY 11 THROUGH SUNDAY JANUARY 21: AMHERST COMMUNITY THEATER PRESENTS “SEUSSICAL.” Bowker Auditorium UMass. Nine shows beginning January 11-14 and January 18-21. According to Wikipedia, Seussical is a musical comedy by Lynn Ahrens and Stephen Flaherty, based on the many children’s stories of Dr. Seuss, with most of its plot being based on Horton Hears a Who!, Gertrude McFuzz, and Horton Hatches the Egg while incorporating many other stories. The musical’s name is a portmanteau of “Seuss” and the word “musical”. Tickets at www.amherstacts.org.
FRIDAY, JANUARY 12: BECAUSE I COULD NOT STOP, AN ENCOUNTER WITH EMILY DICKINSON. It’s not happening in Amherst but it’s about Amherst so we thought it proper to include it here. MIFA Victory Theater, 1 Court Plaza, Holyoke. 7 p.m. “Because I Could Not Stop: An Encounter with Emily Dickinson” takes audiences on a journey through Dickinson’s elusive artistic world pairing the chamber music of renowned 19th-century composer Amy Beach with Dickinson’s words, images, emotions, and imagination. Join us and be the studio audience during a live recording session of the play! Tix: $24.
More information. Purchase Tix.
MONDAY JANUARY 15: CELEBRATING THE LIFE OF REV. DR. MARTIN LUTHER KING JR. 1 p.m. Bangs Center, 70 Boltwood Walk. This event is sponsored by the Human Rights Commission and the Office of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion. “All that I have said boils down to the point of affirming that mankind’s survival is dependent upon man’s ability to solve the problem of racial injustice, poverty, and war; the solution of these is in turn dependent upon man squaring his moral progress with his scientific progress and learning the practical art of living.” Registration not required, but is appreciated. Register here. .
TUESDAY JANUARY 16: NATiONAL DAY OF RACIAL HEALING. Crocker Farm Elementary School, 280 West Street, 6-8 p.m. Join the Conversation. Free and open to the public. Register here. Sponsored by the Amherst Officce of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion.
“We can’t heal or create greater racial equity if we don’t know each other. Racial healing involves building trusting relationships that help us work together to address the impact and damage caused by racism. Changing the systems that separate us starts with challenging our individual impulses to separate. On this National Day of Racial Healing – and year round – find a way to connect across racial and ethnic differences with people who we share our community with.” We can start by joining the conversation.
THURSDAY JANUARY 18: VALLEY VOICES STORY SLAM: MISSED CONNECTIONS. 7:30 p.m. The Drake, 44 North Pleasant Street. The NEPM January Story Slam is about “missed connections.” $17.
FRIDAY JANUARY 19: MUSWELL HILBILLIES: THE MUSIC OF TOM PETTY. 8 p.m. The Drake, 44 North Pleasant Street. Returning to The Drake stage, the Valley’s Muswell Hillbillies offer a career retrospective on the works of Tom Petty, covering the guitarist’s formative in Gainesville and subsequent five decades of success with longtime backing band, The Heartbreakers. $15 in advance, $18 at the door. Join us
SATURDAY JANUARY 27 – SATURDAY FEBRUARY 3: AMHERST WINTERFEST FESTIVAL. Assorted locations and times. The Amherst Recreation Department, in collaboration with several community partners, invites you to join a community celelbration of the magic of winter and community togetherness at WinterFest Amherst 2024! The festivities offer an array of exciting events for residents and visitors of all ages. Most events are free and all are open to the public. See here, for a selected schedule of events.
SATURDAY FEBRUARY 3: AMHERST FIRE AND ICE FESTIVAL. Town Common, 2 p.m – 7 p.m. Free and open to the public. The fourth annual Amherst Fire and Ice Festival will be held on the Town Common on February 3 with events running from 2 p.m to 7 p.m. The event is a family friendly festival that will include s’mores, fire pits, hot cocoa, crafting, ice and metal sculptures, and fire performances. As in years past, the highlight and finale of the event will be a lighting of luminaria which will begin at 6 p.m.
Sponsored by Amherst Downtown BID, Amherst College, Amherst Recreation Department, and the Amherst Fire Department. Fire & Ice is part of WinterFest Amherst, a Town of Amherst series of events celebrating the winter season. Schedule of events here.
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.
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 THROUGH JANUARY 24: ART EXHIBIT – PORTALS AND PASSAGEWAYS. Jones Library Burnett Gallery, Monday-Saturday, 9:00 a.m. to 5:15 p.m. Sunday, 1:00 p.m – 5:15 a.m. Free and open to the public. In this exhibit, Amy A. Crawley explores her ongoing journey with portals. With a focus on the movement of spirals and circles, she draws the viewer’s eye toward the center of a space and take the viewer on a visual meditation that transports them from one place to another. More information here and here.
NOW THROUGH SATURDAY JANUARY 27: ARTISTS FROM ART FOR THE SOUL GALLERY AT GALLERY A3.
Artists from Art for the Soul Gallery, in Springfield annouce their exhibition IN RESIDENCE: Art for the Soul Gallery Artists at Gallery A3 in January. There will be an opening reception, free and open to the public, on Jauary 4 from 5-7 p.m. There will be a free online art forum on Thursday January 18. Gallery A3 is located at 28 Amity Street 1 D. Hours are 2-7 p.m. Thursday – Sunday. More information
NOW THROUGH JUNE 7: DAILY YOGA AT THE MUNSON LIBRARY. Free outdoor yoga is now inside at the Munson Library. The schedule is: Sundays, Mondays, and Tuesdays at 8 a.m., Mondays and Thursdays at 5:30 p.m. Wednesdays at 7:30 a.m., Thursdays, Fridays, and Saturdays at 8 a.m. No pre-registration necessary. Bring your own mats, blocks, straps, and blankets. Donations welcome.
NOW THROUGH MARCH 2024: SELF-PORTRAITS BY FIRST GRADERS FROM WILDWOOD SCHOOL. Mead Art Museum, Amherst College. First graders from Wildwood School had a gallery opening at the Mead Art Museum at Amherst college on Thursday evening, December 14. Their self portraits are the culmination of a partnership with the Mead that included art educators visiting the Wildwood classrooms and a field trip.