What’s Happening in Amherst?

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 APRIL 27: NATIONAL DRUG TAKE-BACK DAY. 10 a.m. to 2 p.m., Wildwood School. Sponsored by the Hampshire County Sheriff’s Dept., Northwestern District Attorney’s Office, Amherst Police Department, and SALT Council, the program will be held at Wildwood School. Free ice cream and car seat inspections are also available on-site! Learn more about the lock box and house numbers programs and special services for older adults offered by the Hampshire County TRIAD unit. Open to all!

SATURDAY APRIL 27: TOWN WIDE CLEAN-UP DAY. 9:30 a.m. to noon. Mill River Recreation Area (95 Montague Road), Kendrick Park (East Pleasant Street Downtown), and Groff Park (83 Mill Lane). Meet at one of the above spots to fan out to nearby spots to pick up refuse. Wear appropriate clothing and closed-toe shoes. See related announcement.

SATURDAY APRIL 27: UMASS CONCERT BAND. 7:30 p.m., Tillis Hall, Fine Arts Center, UMass. Timothy T. Anderson, conductor. Miles Anglin, Kaitlyn Burns, and Richard Sargent, graduate conductors. Ian Hale, marimba soloist. Featuring the premiere of Jeff Holmes’ Other Roads, written in honor of the career of Professor Thom Hannum. Also including Rossini’s William Tell Orchestra and a trumpet trio feature on Leroy Anderson’s Bugler’s Holiday. $15/ $5/ UMass students free. Tickets.

MONDAY APRIL 29: FOUNDERS’ DAY AT UMASS. Join us for a daylong, campus-wide celebration of UMass pride and community building. Find a full schedule of activities and special events here.

TUESDAY APRIL 30: UMASS PERCUSSION ENSEMBLE. 7:30 p.m., Tillis Performance Hall, Fine Arts Center, UMass. Ayano Kataoka, director. Includes music by Peter Klatzow, John Cage, Igor Stravinsky, Robert Maggio, Dave Friedman, and Dave Samuels and Toru Takemitsu. Experience seating on the stage. Tickets $15 general, $5 seniors, students. UMass students free.

TUESDAY APRIL 30: WHEATUS (ACOUSTIC): DIRTBAGS ACROSS AMERICA. 8 p.m. The Drake. Started by Brendan B. Brown from Montreal, Wheatus has released seven albums, their songs have been covered by many artists. They are currently on a U.S. tour. Tickets $20/$25 at the door.

WEDNESDAY MAY 1: CODEMAKERS: PETER SELLARS ON STAGE. 7:30 p.m., Bowker Auditorium, UMass. Director Peter Sellars is regarded as perhaps the most important figure in theater and opera over the past half century. Sellars has gained international renown for his groundbreaking and transformative interpretations of classics, advocacy of twentieth century and contemporary music, and collaborative projects with an extraordinary range of creative and performing artists. Free, but Ticket required.

THURSDAY MAY 2: RIBBON CUTTING FOR THE NORTH AMHERST LIBRARY. 3:30 p.m. Come join us for the ribbon cutting ceremony for the remodeled and expanded North Amherst Library.

THURSDAY MAY 2: CONVERSATIONS ABOUT MEMORY: NORMAL VS. ABNORMAL. 4 to 5:30 p.m. via Zoom. Are you worried about dementia? Come listen to our region’s expert on memory loss and learn the difference between normal aging related memory challenge and early warning signs of possible dementia. Bring your questions and curiosity about this important topic in our lives. Understanding the nature of memory loss and dementia will help you learn the best approaches to dealing with this life challenge. About the Speaker: Dr. Rebecca Starr, MD, AGSF, serves as the Medical Director for The Pioneer Valley Memory Care Initiative. An Amherst Neighbors program. Join here.

THURSDAY MAY 2: UMASS CHAPEL JAZZ ENSEMBLE. 7:30 p.m., Bezanson Hall, UMass. Thomas Giampietro, director. Works by Mary Lou Williams, Quincy Jones, and others. Including two pieces featuring UMass Jazz Vocalists and two world premiere arrangements. Free.

THURSDAY MAY 2: BECOMING A BELOVED COMMUNITY: DEALING WITH MICROAGGRESSIONS. 6 to 8 p.m., Large Activity Room, Bangs Center, 70 Boltwood Walk. Microaggressions: What are they and how do you respond: When you are the target of a microaggressions? When your told that you committed a microaggression? When you are a bystander to microaggressions? Hosted by the Department of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion. Free, Dinner will be served. Registration appreciated but not required. For childcare, call 259-0360.

SATURDAY MAY 4: UMASS CHOIRS AND ORCHESTRA: MOZART REQUIEM. 4 p.m. Tillis Performance Hall, Fine Arts Center. Featuring Mozart’s epic Requiem plus the All-University Orchestra performing Barber’s Adagio for Strings and Mozart’s Ave Verum Corpus with the Chamber Choir. E. Wayne Abercrombie, choir director and Gonzalo Hidalgo Ardila, orchestra director. Tickets $15, $5 seniors, students, UMass faculty/staff. Free for UMass students.

SUNDAY MAY 5: 14^TH ANNUAL DAFFODIL RUN FOR BIG BROTHERS/BIG SISTERS. 10 a.m., Amherst Town Common. This community event has become the first marker of spring for the town of Amherst and draws hundreds ofcommunity members to the area to participate and cheer on their family and friends. Look forward to 5K Run/Walk & 10K Run post-race party with delicious food, and family-friendly fun. The Daffodil Run helps sustain the power of youth mentoring through Big Brothers Big Sisters by connecting adult mentors with young people in our community. Once matched they go on to build a meaningful, positive relationship that empowers the potential inherent in each child. Register at https://racewire.com/register.php?id=14021 .

SATURDAY MAY 4: EAST GABLES COMMUNITY COOKOUT. 2 to 5 p.m., East Gables, 132 Northampton Road. Food, cold drinks, music, community, friends, fun. Side dishes and desserts are welcomed. RSVP by May 1 at TLovett@Hmrproperties.com.

SUNDAY MAY 5: LEAGUE OF WOMEN VOTERS CHARTER REVIEW SESSION 3. 2 to 3:30 p.m. on Zoom. Topics are Public Participation (Article 8) and Transition Procedures (Article 10). Zoom link here.

MONDAY MAY 6 THROUGH SUNDAY MAY 12: MASS KIDS LITFEST. Various locations in Western Massachusetts. Amherst events include: Storytime with Representative Mindy Domb, Thursday, May 9, 10:30 to 11:15 a.m. at the Jones Library; Film screening: “Story and Pictures By”, Thursday May 9, 5:30 to 8 p.m.at the Eric Carle Museum of Picture Book Art (Adults, museum admission required); Special Storytime with author E.B.Goodale, Saturday, May 11, 11:00 to 11:30 a.m., Eric Carle Museum (museum admission required); and Storytime and family tour of the Yiddish Book Center, Sunday, May 12, 10:30 a.m. and 2:30 p.m. with Storytime with author Nicholas Day at 2 p.m. For full schedule, see here.

WEDNESDAY MAY 8: UMASS WIND ENSEMBLE AND SYMPHONY BAND. 7:30 p.m., Tillis Performance Hall, Fine Arts Center. Matthew Westgate and Lindsay Bronnenkant, conductors. Including Karel Husa’s Music for Prague 1968 and much more. Tickets $15; $5 seniors, students, UMass faculty/staff. UMass students free.

WEDNESDAY MAY 8: REBUILDING THE TEMPLE: CAMBODIANS IN AMERICA. 7 p.m., Amherst Cinema, 28 Amity Street. This local documentary examines the Cambodian refugees’ efforts to adjust to Western life and the significant role played by the Buddhist culture in this difficult process. Panel discussion to follow the screening.

FRIDAY MAY 10: UMASS STUDIO ORCHESTRA AND JAZZ ENSEMBLE I. 7:30 p.m., Tillis Performance Hall, Fine Arts Center. Jeffrey W. Holmes, director. Strings and woodwinds join the jazz ensemble for Studio Orchestra, performing rich arrangements of Jazz and pop tunes. Tickets $15/$5. UMass students free.

SATURDAY MAY 11: CAMBODIANS IN AMERICA: GRAND OPENING OF EXHIBIT. 12 to 4 p.m., Amherst History Museum, 47 Amity Street. Cambodians in Amherst exhibit: a history of the Khmer community. Telling the 45-year history of Cambodians in Amherst through oral histories, photos, art, and archived footage. On exhibit until October 2024. Saturdays from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. or any other day by appointment.

TUESDAY MAY 14: LEAGUE OF WOMEN VOTERS JUDY BROOKS CONVERSATION SERIES. 7 p.m. on Zoom. Discussion with Jacqueline Wallace: Black Woman Leader for Amherst’s Racial Justice. For more information, see below. Register on our website.

SUNDAY MAY 19: ASIAN AMERICAN/PACIFIC ISLANDER HERITAGE MONTH CELEBRATION. 11 a.m. to 2 p.m., Amherst Town Common. Arts and crafts, food, live entertainment.  Sponsored by the Human Rights Commission. Free. Rain location: Amherst Regional Middle School.

THURSDAY MAY 23: ELEANOR LEVINE AND LUX DELUX. 8 p.m., The Drake, Musicians from Western Mass in a fundraiser for A Cure in Sight (ACIS), which supports education and research on ocular melanoma. Tickets $15/ $20 at the door.

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.

FIRST AND THIRD FRIDAY OF EVERY MONTH: VETERAN’S COMMUNITY BREAKFAST FOR ALL -8 a.m – 9 a.m. Large Activity Room, Bangs Center, 70 Boltwood Walk. At each breakfast (bagel/donut/coffee), a veteran or veteran ally, will tell his or her personal story regarding military service. Generation after generation reveals that those going to war to defend our country come back spiritually and morally wounded, regardless of the bodily consequences of combat. We want to bring veterans together for food and friendship to help coalesce a spirit of camaraderie to enable authentic, veteran-oriented communities to flourish. WELCOME: Veterans, Spouses, Caregivers, Amherst Community Members.  Let’s Build a Thriving Veterans Community.  There are 387 Veterans in town! Sponsored by CRESS. FOR MORE INFORMATION:  CALL THE CRESS OFFICE, (413) 259-3370  OR GENE HERMAN, VIETNAM VETERAN, (240) 472-7288  –  CRESS VETERAN’S OUTREACH VOLUNTEER.

EVERY SATURDAY UNTIL NOVEMBER: AMHERST FARMERS’ MARKET. 8 a.m. to 1:30 p.m., Amherst Town Common. Widely known as one of the best places for local food, fun, and community. Offering farm to table produce and selections from your local growers and valley producers. Come out for food, music, events, and community offerings in downtown Amherst.

EVERY THIRD SUNDAY FROM APRIL THROUGH OCTOBER: CARS AND COFFEE AT THE MILL DISTRICT. 8:30 to noon, Mill District, 91 Cowls Road. CARS & COFFEE IS OPEN TO EVERYONE – Exhibitors and Spectators alike are welcome! CAR OWNERS: There is no fee to exhibit your car, and pre-registration is NOT required. Aim to arrive by 8:30am for best parking spots. We’ll have our trophy ceremony at 11:45am and the show wraps up at 12 noon sharp. SPECTATORS : Come to the HQ tent and pick up your ballots. Vote for your favorite Domestic, Import, Exotic, and Best Overall. Every complete ballot returned puts you into a drawing for a Mill District Gift Card! Enjoy our expanding array of shops and discover your favorites! Next Cars and Coffee is May 19.

NOW THROUGH APRIL 27: “PIECES OF US:” WORKS BY PELHAM STUDENT ARTISTS. Local Art Gallery and General Store in the Mill District, 91 Cowls Road. We are so proud that the work of student artists from Pelham Elementary is going to be featured at Local Art Gallery. This collection of artworks by Pelham Elementary students, aged 5 to 12 explores identity themes. Each piece reflects discussions on diversity and individuality with students choosing to represent a single aspect of themselves through various mediums.There will also be an Open House weekend April 6-7 during the hours of 10:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. both days.

NOW THROUGH FRIDAY MAY 10: AS WE MOVE FORWARD: ART EXHIBIT. Augusta Savage Gallery, New Africa House, 80 Infirmary Way, UMass. Curated by Juana Valdes and Nhadya Lawes. As We Move Forward honors the work and legacy of American sculptor and educator Augusta Savage (1892-1962), who paved the way for future generations of Black artists. Valdes and Lawes have chosen the works of seventeen Black, Latinx, and Afro- Indigenous women artists from Savage’s home state of Florida. The exhibition combines printmaking, photography, sculpture, architecture, ceramics, and other mixed media to create a space of celebration and growth for these emerging artists. Opening Reception: Tuesday, February 27, 5-7 p.m. Curators’ Talk: Thursday, April 4, 6 p.m.

NOW THROUGH FRIDAY 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 SUNDAY JUNE 9: SLOW WALK WITH TREES: ALICIA GRULLON PHOTO EXHIBIT. Mead Art Museum, Amherst College. The exhibition is a call to consider notions of land and labor as interconnected systems through various mediums. Grullón’s new photographs of trees and pictures of a single masked person are each paired with text. The compilation of texts reflects Grullón’s research of recent protests in a range of industries such as mining, shipping, and entertainment. 

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