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

MONDAY JULY 8 THOUGH FRIDAY JULY 19. JAZZ IN JULY. Multiple events and venues. Public performances on July 10, 12, 17 and 19. See website for a full listing. 40 years ago, a group of dedicated jazz artists and jazz educators at the University of Massachusetts developed a program that would connect jazz students with the country’s top jazz artist/educators for an intensive week of study in jazz improvisation. Their dedication to the art of jazz improvisation and jazz culture gave birth to Jazz in July Summer Music Programs– a concentrated two-week program, allowing participants to study jazz improvisation with some of the nation’s best jazz educators and artists. As the jazz landscape changes, Jazz in July uses that foundation to evolve with the current innovations being developed. Current and cutting edge jazz artists help to lead Jazz in July into the ever-evolving future of jazz, and ensure our jazz education vision will be current and relevant for many years to come.

WEDNESDAY JULY 10: AMHERST SURVIVAL CENTER PICNIC. 12 to 3 p.m., Mill River Recreation Area. Everyone Welcome! The Jones Library will be joining us for summer story time. Mill River Pool passes available. D. J. Matt Peterson will provide music. Open to all.

THURSDAY JULY 11 THROUGH SUNDAY JULY 14: YIDSTOCK: THE FESTIVAL OF NEW YIDDISH MUSIC. Yiddish Book Center. Yidstock: The Festival of New Yiddish Music is back! Now in its twelfth year, Yidstock brings the best in klezmer and new Yiddish music to the Yiddish Book Center in Amherst, Massachusetts. From July 11 to 14, this four-day festival will include musicians and performers at the forefront of the Yiddish music scene. In addition to seven concerts, the lineup also includes four workshops, nine talks, and one special film screening, all in celebration of Yiddish music, language, and culture. The Concert Passes are sold out but you can still purchase individual tickets for concerts, talks, and workshops. Live streaming also available. Live streaming passes.

FRIDAY JULY 12: CUPPA JOE WITH TOWN MANAGER PAUL BOCKELMAN AND NEW SCHOOL SUPERINTENDENT E. XIOMARA HERMAN. 8:00 – 9:30 a.m. Bangs Community Center Large Activity Room, 70 Boltwood Walk. Dr. Herman will be available for the first 45 minutes. We will have coffee to share. Residents and others are welcome to share their concerns, offer suggestions, or just get to know each other. 

FRIDAY JULY 12: GALLERY RECEPTION: WORKS BY AGNES MCCRAVEN. 6 to 7:30 p.m., Town Hall, 4 Boltwood Avenue. Free and open to the public.

FRIDAYS IN JULY: SUMMER CONCERT SERIES.  5 to 9 p.m., Town Common.  The Amherst Business Improvement District is again presenting a Summer Concert Series beginning this Friday! Every Friday evening in July, head to the Town Common for free music and fun. Bring your chairs and blankets, grab dinner to-go from your favorite downtown eatery, and enjoy an evening under the stars. Free. Here’s the schedule:

July 12: Grayson Ty & TapRoots
July 19: Jazz in July
July 26: The No Nos & LeFever

SATURDAY JULY 13: BIGGER THAN SPORTS 3 X 3 BASKET BALL TOURNAMENT. Mill River Recreation Area. Registration begins at 9 a.m. Games Start at 10. $20/player. $300 grand prize.. Also at the event: Western New England College will set up an admissions tent and are expecting several other organizations to set up information tables. There will be a DJ, food trucks, raffles, and other entertainment for all ages to enjoy. The mission of Bigger Than Sports is to empower student-athletes in lower-income communities to reach their full potential. We do this by providing them with the resources and guidance needed to create and execute plans for life after high school. Amherst native Ian Waite is the founder of Bigger Than Sports.

WEDNESDAY JULY 17: HOLDING ONTO HUMANITY IN PALESTINE AND ISRAEL, A CONVERSATION WITH PALESTINIAN AND ISRAELI PEACE BUILDERS. 11:00 a.m – 12:30 p.m on Zoom. The Karuna Center for Peacebuilding invites the public to join them on Zoom for the conversation. Free and open to the public. Register here for Zoom link. More information

FRIDAY JULY 19: ZOE AND CLOYD BLUEGRASS MUSIC. 5 p.m., Wesley United Church, 98 North Maple Street, Hadley. Come hear husband and wife, John Cloyd Miller and Leverett native Natalya Zoe Weinstein, who form the duo Zoe & Cloyd, perform bluegrass, old-time, and American roots music, and klezmer. The duo is based in Ashville, NC, but make an annual visit to the Valley and northeast bluegrass festivals. Admission.

SATURDAY JULY 20: ART AT ATKINS RESERVOIR. 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. Atkins Reservoir, Shutesbury. To celebrate the beauty of each season, Kestrel and the Amherst Plein Air Society are partnering to offer a 4-part Plein Air Landscape Painting series. The 2024 theme focuses on landscapes along the Robert Frost Trail (RFT) in honor of the 150th birthday-anniversary of the four-time Pulitzer Prize winning American poet who taught at Amherst College. It’s also a celebration of Kestrel’s ongoing efforts to revitalize the long-distance trail that bears his name. The summer event will be held at Atkins Reservoir in Shutesbury, one of the many conservation areas in the Connecticut River Valley that host a section of the RFT. The trail runs alongside the reservoir on Cushman Road in Amherst, making it an easily accessed location for walkers and for artists! To participate as a painter:  Register here! To watch participating artists: Register here! Registration is required, and Kestrel members receive a 20% discount for this event by using the discount code: KLTMOON. Your discounted price will be $32 instead of $40.

SATURDAY JULY 20: FULL MOON HIKE TO MOUNT NORWOTTUCK.  6:30 to 10 p.m. Hiking at night can change your perspective of what it means to spend time outdoors. Come experience a guided night hike this summer on Saturday, July 20, 6:30-10 PM, for a moon-rise climb to the top of Mount Norwottuck on the Mount Holyoke Range. The full moon in July is called the Buck Moon. This hike, in partnership with Adventure East, will begin at our Kestrel Land Trust headquarters located at the foot of the beautiful Mount Holyoke Range. We’ll climb for approximately an hour and a half before arriving to the top of Norwottuck. Once there, we will stop to take in the iconic views and watch the moon rise over the Pelham Hills and enjoy a snack provided by your Adventure East guide. Returning to the trailhead, we’ll have the unique opportunity to take in the sights and sounds of the forest at night, guided by the light of the moon. Headlamps will be provided.

WEDNESDAY JULY 24: MOBILE DENTAL CLINIC. Bangs Community Center, 70. Boltwood Walk. 9 a.m.- 2 p.m. Appointments include teeth cleaning, clinical assessment, screenings for oral cancer and blood pressure, referrals if needed, and a free goodie bag! Appointments are free for MassHealth recipients and $75 for patients with other insurance. Denture care is $30. Older adults welcome. Please call the Amherst Senior Center at (413) 250-3060 to schedule an appointment. Walk-in services not available. Don’t delay, oral health is essential to overall health! The clinic will operate the fourth Wednesday of every month through March 2025.

FRIDAY JULY 26: THE MAGIC OF MOTHS WITH ADAM KOHL. 8 to 9:30 p.m. Hitchcock Center for the Environment, 845 West Street. During Moth week come learn about this amazing night time creature.  Did you know that it seems that by tracking moths in a habitat you assess the stability and productivity of your local food web? Register here.

SATURDAY July 27 : AMHERST COMMUNITY BAND CONCERT. Sweetser Park, Lessy and Main Street. 6:30 p.m. Free

MONDAY AUGUST 5: COMMON GROUND FILM SCREENING AND DISCUSSION AT AMHERST CINEMA. 7 p.m. Amherst Cinema. COMMON GROUND is the highly anticipated sequel to the juggernaut success documentary, KISS THE GROUND, which touched over 1 billion people globally and inspired the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) to put $20 billion toward soil health. By fusing journalistic expose’ with deeply personal stories from those on the front lines of the food movement, COMMON GROUND unveils a dark web of money, power, and politics behind our broken food system.

The film reveals how unjust practices forged our current farm system in which farmers of all colors are literally dying to feed us. The film profiles a hopeful and uplifting movement of farmers who are using alternative “regenerative” models of agriculture that could balance the climate, save our health, and stabilize America’s economy—before it’s too late.

Featuring Laura Dern, Roasario Dawson, Jason Momoa, Donald Glover, and Woody Harrelson. Tickets.

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.

TUESDAYS IN JULY: SUMMER LUNCHES WITH AMHERST NEIGHBORS. 12 to 1 p.m., Kendrick Park. Meet other Amherst Neighbors members in person for general camaraderie and discussion. Bring your own lunch and a lawn chair or blanket (picnic tables may be available) and join us at Kendrick Park.

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: IRISH MUSIC SESSION. White Lion Brewery. 24 North Pleasant Street. 4 p.m – 7 p.m.

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.

SATURDAYS UNTIL OCTOBER 2024: CAMBODIANS IN AMERICA.  Exhibit 11 a.m. to 3 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.

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 June 16.

NOW THROUGH JULY 15. BOOK DONATIONS COLLECTION FOR LEAGUE OF WOMEN VOTERS ANNUAL BOOK SALE. Fort River School. More information

FRIDAY JULY 26 THROUGH MONDAY AUGUST 5. LEAGUE OF WOMEN VOTERS ANNUAL BOOK SALE. Fort River School. More information

NOW THROUGH NOVEMBER 3: METAFICTION IN ART. Eric Carle Museum of Picture Book Art, 125 West Bay Road. The art in this exhibition contains an extraordinary sense of playfulness and surprise. It comes from metafictive books: those that tell stories about stories and about the art of storytelling itself. Artists experiment with styles, typography, and page design to delightfully disrupt the rules of how books usually work. Guests can enjoy work by 29 artists in a variety of media. They can read books and “remix” story titles on a magnetic bookshelf. Gallery graphics add a sense of surrealism. Open Wednesday through Sunday.