What’s Happening In Amherst?

by Art and Maura Keene

There are lots of interesting events happening in our town. 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.

SINGLE DAY EVENTS

SATURDAY APRIL 29: 30th ANNUAL AMHERST ULTIMATE INVITATIONAL. All day beginning at 9 a.m. at the McDuffy School in Granby. Over 600 athletes from Massachusetts, Pennsylvania, New Jersey, and more, are scheduled to compete. At 30 years running, the Amherst Invitational is the longest running high school ultimate tournament in the country. This year, the tournament is a qualifying event for the 2023 High School National Invite (HSNI). Winners from the Girls Division 1 and Open Division 1 will receive an automatic invitation to this year’s HSNI. All are welcome to attend this free event.

SATURDAY APRIL 29: INDEPENDENT BOOKSTORE DAY. All day at Amherst Books, 8 Main Street. A one-day party that takes place at independent bookstores across the country.   Every store is unique & every party is different—so sample a few!   At Amherst Books we’ll have exclusive books & literary items to give away & to sell, cookies, a raffle, special discounts, & everything in between.   It’s a celebration you won’t want to miss!

SATURDAY APRIL 29: MULTI LINGUAL HERITAGE CELEBRATION. 2:30 to 5:30 p.m. Fort River School, 70 South East Street (new location due to rain). Multilingual activities including read aloud, crafts, story walk, and a scavenger hunt. Snacks will be provided! Music, poetry, and dance performances by students, staff, community members, and featured artist: Bomba de Aqui!. Free and open to the public.

SATURDAY APRIL 29: EDIBLE PERENNIAL GARDENING AND LANDSCAPING. 3 to 4:30 p.m. Woodbury Room, Jones Library. Join us in the Woodbury Room as naturalist and landscaper John Root explains how to establish and maintain a variety of familiar and unusual perennials including trees, shrubs, vines, canes, and herbaceous plants for abundant harvests of fruits, nuts, and vegetables. This program was rescheduled from February 28.

SUNDAY APRIL 30: 13th ANNUAL DAFFODIL RUN FOR BIG BROTHERS BIG SISTERS OF HAMPSHIRE COUNTY. 5K AND 10K races beginning and ending at the Amherst Town Common. Start time 10 a.m. Virtual participation option also available. Registration information and more

SUNDAY APRIL 30: TROMBONE, HORN, AND BRASS CHOIRS. 4:30p.m. Bezanson Hall, UMass. Gregory Spirdopoulos and Josh Michal, faculty coordinators. Free.

TUESDAY MAY 2: JAZZ LAB ENSEMBLE. 7:30 p.m. Bezanson Hall, UMass. Keenan Asbridge and Cameron Chandler, directors. Including tunes by Sammy Nestico; Benny Carter, the Beatles’ Oh! Darling, Lewis/Hamilton’s How High the Moon, and much more. Free or livestream at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PsFTDH5YHP4

WEDNESDAY MAY 3: ALL UNIVERSITY ORCHESTRA. 7:30 p.m. Bowker Auditorium, UMass. Morihiko Nakahara, conductor. Featuring W.A. Mozart’s Divertimento in D major and Samuel Barber’s Adaggio for Strings.  Free.

WEDNESDAY MAY 3: COLOR-CASTE-DENOMINATION: EMILY DICKINSON’S RACE AND CLASS CONTEXTS. Virtual program from the Emily Dickinson Museum. 6:30 p.m. What was Amherst like for those who were not members of the provincial elite and how did they shape Emily Dickinson’s life experience? In this program created and presented by Museum Tour Guides, learn more about the forces of race and class impacting Emily Dickinson’s Amherst life. We’ll discuss the Dickinson family’s settler colonial roots, industry in Amherst, the town’s changing demographics, musical influences on the poet, and more. Register at https://www.emilydickinsonmuseum.org/color-caste-denomination/ (free).

THURSDAY MAY 4: LECTURE. “DOES EVERYONE LOSE FROM RACISM? INSIGHTS FROM STRATIFCATION ECONOMICS“. 5:30 p.m. Bowker Auditorium, UMass.William A. (“Sandy”) Darity Jr., the Samuel DuBois Cook Professor of Public Policy, African and African American Studies, and Economics at Duke University, will present the annual Philip Gamble Memorial Lecture. The event is free and open to the public, with seating available on a first-come, first-served basis. More information

THURSDAY MAY 4: PERCUSSION ENSEMBLE. 7:30 p.m. Tillis Performance Hall (stage seating). Ayana Kataoka, director. Music by Paul Lansky, Luciano Berio, Takayshi Yoshioka, Astor Piazzolla, and Steve Reich. Buy tickets online at https://fac.umass.edu/Online/default.asp?BOparam::WScontent::loadArticle::permalink=musicanddancedepartment&BOparam::WScontent::loadArticle::context_id= $10 adults, $5 students and seniors.

FRIDAY MAY 5: WOODWIND AND BRASS CHAMBER ENSEMBLES III. 7:30 p.m. Bezanson Hall, UMass. Greg Spiridopoulos, Remi Taghavi, and Joshua Michal, faculty coordinators. Free

FRIDAY MAY 5: MEGAN PINTO POETRY READING. 5 p.m. Amherst Books, 8 Main Street.   Megan Pinto, winner of the annual Anne Halley Poetry Prize, sponsored by the Massachusetts Review, will read from recent poetry.   Pinto’s debut collection of poetry is forthcoming from Four Way Books.   She has received scholarships & fellowships from the Bread Loaf Writers’ Conference, the Martha’s Vineyard Institute of Creative Writing, the Port Townsend Writers’ Conference, Storyknife, & an Amy Award from Poets & Writers.   She is currently a 2022-2023 Artist Fellow at The Peace Studio.  The Anne Halley Poetry Prize is named in memorial for Anne Halley, to honor her 25 years of work as poetry co-editor of the Massachusetts Review as well as her work as a poet & writer.   Her last collection of poetry, Rumors of the Turning Wheel, was published by University of Massachusetts Press in 2003.

SATURDAY MAY 6: TONY TRISCHKA AT THE DRAKE.8 p.m. The Drake, 44 North Pleasant Street. Tony Trischka is considered the consummate banjo artist and perhaps the most influential banjo player in the roots music world. For more than 50 years, his stylings have inspired a whole generation of bluegrass and acoustic musicians with the many voices he has brought to the instrument. Tony will be honoring the music of Earl Scruggs, pioneer of the three-finger banjo style and one of the most important musicians in bluegrass, or, in Tony’s opinion, in any genre. Tix: $20 ADV. $25 at the door. Doors open at 7 p.m. Full calendar of events here.

SUNDAY MAY 7: ASIAN AMERICAN PACIFIC ISLANDER HERITAGE MONTH CELEBRATION. 1 to 3 p.m. Town Common. Join us on the Town Common as we celebrate Asian-American Pacific-Islander Heritage Month. This is an afternoon of Food, Arts and Crafts, and Live Entertainment. Rain Location: Bangs Community Center, 70 Boltwood Walk. Sponsored by the Human Rights Commission. Free.

SUNDAY MAY 7: MUSIC ON MAIN: CONCERTS AT FIRST CHURCH PRESENTS “TOGETHER WE SING: A MULTICULTURAL COUNCIL. 2:00 p.m. at First Congregational Church, 165 Main Street in Amherst. Featuring Mak’hela, the Jewish Chorus of Western Mass, directed by Elaine Broad Ginsberg, and the First Church Choir, led by Richard S. Matteson, singing together three choruses from Mendelssohn’s much beloved Elijah and then celebrating music from the Jewish and Christian traditions.  The church is handicap accessible.  A donation of $15 is suggested. For further information, visit www.firstchurchamherst.org or call (413) 253-3456.

SUNDAY MAY 7: CONCERT BAND. 4 p.m. Tillis Hall, UMass.  Timothy T. Anderson, conductor. Madeline Wight and Richard Sargent, graduate conductors. Buy tickets online https://fac.umass.edu/Online/default.asp?BOparam::WScontent::loadArticle::permalink=musicanddancedepartment&BOparam::WScontent::loadArticle::context_id= $10 adults, $5 students and seniors. Livestream at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KsrcXp4nmC8

WEDNESDAY MAY 10: HEAT PUMP PANEL DISCUSSION WITH SCOTT CERNAK AND THE ENERGY AND CLIMATE ACTION COMMITTEE. 5:30 to 6:30 p.m. Virtual meeting with local installer and heat pump expert Scott Cernak will give an intro to heat pumps, followed by a Q&A with Energy and Climate Action Committee members whose homes have recently undergone energy conversions. Come with your questions, learn about how you can green your home, and hear about how your neighbors converted theirs. Join at https://zoom.us/j/95283460251#success

WEDNESDAY MAY 10: JAZZ ENSEMBLE I AND STUDIO ORCHESTRA. 7:30 p.m. Tillis Hall, UMass. Jeffrey W. Holmes, conductor. Buy tickets online at https://fac.umass.edu/Online/default.asp?BOparam::WScontent::loadArticle::permalink=musicanddancedepartment&BOparam::WScontent::loadArticle::context_id= $10 adults, $5 students and seniors.

SATURDAY MAY 13: ANNUAL POETRY WALK. 10 a.m. In honor of the 137^th anniversary of the poet’s death, The Annual Poetry Walk returns in-person for the first time since 2019! Join us for an engaging poetry walk through Amherst, the town Dickinson called “paradise.” At each stop we will explore sites of meaning for Dickinson and read poetry. Register here. (free)

SATURDAY MAY 13: SPRINGFEST AT THE MILL DISTRICT WITH MR. G. 10 a.m. to 1 p.m.Mill District, 91 Cowls Road.  Latin Grammy winner Mr. G will have fans of all ages jumping and dancing to his upbeat performance at The Mill District’s SpringFest on Saturday May 13.  This resident of Western Massachusetts is known offstage as Ben Gundersheimer. He performs in English, Spanish and Hebrew

“SpringFest is a new family fun event at the Mill District.  We’re honored to host MISTER G,” said Cowls’ Senior Communications Director Tim O’Brien. “We’ve planned additional fun activities too.” Complementing Mister G’s live concert, The Mill District Local Art Gallery has arranged pre-show kids’ crafts, games and giveaways.  There will be post-show book signings and photo-ops with MISTER G. Weather permitting, Mister G will lead a singing stroll along the Mill River Story Walk, which will be featuring one of Mister G’s latest books, How Many Squirrels Are in the World?  A huge live squirrel may even be in attendance!  You never know in The Mill District.The book signing is sponsored by Mill District partner, Amherst Books. Copies of many MISTER G titles will be available for sale during the event. The event and concert are free of charge, however pre-registration is required at Eventbrite.

SATURDAY MAY 13: JOHN BRACEY CELEBRATION OF LIFE. Theater Room, New Africa House , 180 Infirmary Way, UMass. 4-7 p.m. Honoring the life of John H. Bracey Jr. with art, music, food, memories and more.

SUNDAY MAY 14: SPRING CHORAL CONCERT. 4 p.m. Bowker Auditorium, UMass.

Lindsay Pope and Stephen Paparo, conductors. Buy tickets online at https://fac.umass.edu/Online/default.asp?BOparam::WScontent::loadArticle::permalink=musicanddancedepartment&BOparam::WScontent::loadArticle::context_id=  Tix: $10 Adults, $5 Seniors/Students, UMass Amherst Students Free

MONDAY MAY 15: DINE TO SUPPORT AMHERST REGIONAL CLASS OF 2023. 3 to 8 p.m. Dine-In or To-Go at the Texas Roadhouse, 280 Russell Street, Hadley, Massachusetts. Ten percent of proceeds will be donated to the Amherst Regional High School.

SATURDAY MAY 20:BE AN ALLY, NOT A SAVIOR.9:30-11 a.m. Bangs Center 70 Boltwood Walk. Sponsored by the Department of Diversity and Inclusion. Join Jana McClure as she facilitates answers to: What is the role of the white ally to Black and BIPOC communities? How can you shed the cape of savior to become the warrior ally? Jana McClure is a Truth School trainer and a resident of Amherst. She has participated in several local activities serving the community. As a life-long non-profit human service administrator, Jana has worked in numerous positions supporting individuals with varied abilities and challenges. Light refreshments will be served. 

SATURDAY MAY 20: GARDEN CLUB OF AMHERST PLANT SALE. 8:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. under the tent on the Town Common, rain or shine. Fabulous woodland and native plants, perennials, shrubs, grasses, trees. Plants for shade and sun. Plants for everyone!

SATURDAY MAY 27: BILL FRISELL TRIO. The Drake, 44 North Pleasant Street. 8 p.m. (doors open at 7 p.m.) Bill Frisell’s career as a guitarist and composer has spanned more than 40 years and many celebrated recordings, whose catalog has been cited by Downbeat as “the best recorded output of the decade.” Recognized as one of America’s 21 most vital and productive performing artists, Frisell was named an inaugural Doris Duke Artist in 2012.  He is also a recipient of grants from United States Artists, Meet the Composer among others.  In 2016, he was a beneficiary of the first FreshGrass Composition commission to preserve and support innovative grassroots music.  Upon San Francisco Jazz opening their doors in 2013, he served as one of their Resident Artistic Directors.  Bill is also the subject of a new documentary film by director Emma Franz, entitled Bill Frisell: A Portrait, which examines his creative process in depth. Tix: $$38.50 adv. $45 day of show. General Admission seating. More information

ONGOING AND 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.

FIRST AND THIRD TUESDAY OF EVERY MONTH: 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.

FIRST WEDNESDAY OF EVERY MONTH: COVID 19 VACCINE CLINIC. Bangs Center, 70 Boltwood Walk. 3:00-5:00 p.m. Free. The clinics offer Pfizer and Moderna Bivalent Boosters for ages 12 and up and Pfizer Bivalent Booster for ages 5 and up.  Registration is preferred, but walk-ins are accepted. To schedule an appointment, click here. 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+.

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. 

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 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

THIRD SUNDAY OF EVERY MONTH APRIL THROUGH OCTOBER: CARS AND COFFEE AT THE MILL DISTRICT. Hosted by the Mill District General Store, 91 Cowls Road, 8:30 to 11:30 a.m. It is free for collectors to display their cars and compete for trophies in four categories: best domestic, best foreign, best exotic, and best overall, based on votes of the public. Plus, there will be coffee from Futura Coffee Roasters which will soon be joining the Mill District. Cars and Coffee will be held rain or shine.


NOW through SATURDAY MAY 6: INTO THE WOODS. Rand Theater at UMass. The UMass Theater Department presents the Stephen Sondheim musical “Into the Woods”. Twisted takes on fairy tale conventions make this offering from the late, great Stephen Sondheim an utter delight. These tales came from Germany, France, England and other countries, but it is in the United States where, thanks to a certain animated film company, they blended into the versions that became cultural megaliths — which in turn are filtered through the equally American art form that is the musical. What happens when Cinderella, Red Riding Hood, Rapunzel, a brace of princes, and a boy with some magic beans are threatened with an ending that’s not so happy? Can they find a way to come together as a community to triumph over adversity?  April 28, 29, May 4, 5, 6 at 7:30 p.m. May 6 matinee at 2 p.m. $20 general admission, $10 for students and seniors. Tickets available at the Fine Arts Center Box Office or 1-800-999-UMAS.

NOW through April 29: “BECOMING FORM”. ABSTRACT PAINTINGS AND PHOTOGRAPHS AT GALLERY A3. 28 Amity Street 1 D. Gallery Hours: Thursday-Sunday, 2-7:00 p.m. A one-person show of abstract paintings and photographs by Karen Iglehart, explores the emergence of form in the layering of color. While she primarily works with paint on canvas, Iglehart’s exhibit also includes photographs taken in Gloucester and Venice that inspired and relate to recent paintings. More information

NOW through FRIDAY 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.

NOW through 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.

NOW through FRIDAY MAY 27: ROOTS -PAINTINGS, DRAWINGS, AND PASTELS BY TOM MORTON. Gallery A3. 28 Amity 1D. Gallery Hours: Thursday-Sunday, 3-8:00 p.m. Opening Reception: May 4, 5-7:00 p.m. Free online Art Forum on May 18 at 7:30 p.m. More information

NOW through FRIDAY JUNE 2: A RECIPE FOR SAVING SEEDS. (Beginning TH MAR 12). 10 A.M. – 5:00 p.m. –
(MON-SUN). University of Massachusetts Amherst, Science and Engineering Library,740 N Pleasant St.
The exhibit consists of a series of ten seed-saving recipe cards. Each card provides easy, step-bystep instructions for saving seeds of specific flowers, herbs, and vegetables, with images and text. Reception: April 7, 1-3 p.m.

NOW through SUNDAY JULY 2: GOD MADE MY FACE: A COLLECTIVE PORTRAIT OF JAMES BALDWIN. Meade Art Museum, 41 Quadrangle Street, Amherst College. Look here for days and hours. This exhibit presents works from iconic artists such as Richard Avedon, Marlene Dumas, and Kara Walker alongside archival materials in order to explore the life, work, and legacy of James Baldwin (1924–1987). More information

NOW through JUNE 30: ARTWORK OF DR. SHIRLEY JACKSON WHITAKER AT LOCAL ART GALLERY IN THE MILL DISTRICT. Artist, activist and local nephrology specialist, Dr. Shirley Jackson Whitaker, will bring her etchings, paintings, and storytelling to the Front Window Gallery at The Mill District’s Local Art Gallery, 91 Cowls Road, for a new exhibit that will run through the end of June.  Whitaker weaves her love of art into all aspects of her life, connecting medical conundrums to trauma, to racism, to ongoing lynching, and then to canvas and the page.  Social Justice and a healthy community are her goals. A protégé of renowned artist Leonard Baskin, Whitaker uses her talent in etchings, drawings, paintings, photography, children’s books, and cinematography to “roar for change.” More information

NOW throughout -SUMMER 2023: ANCESTRAL BRIDGES EXHIBITION AT FROST LIBRARY TO CELEBRATE BLACK AND AFRO-INDIGENOUS FAMILIES WHO LIVED AND WORKED IN AMHERST Frost Library at Amherst College, 61 Quadrangle Drive, 4:30 p.m.-6 p.m. This exhibition, the first partnership between the Ancestral Bridges Foundation  and Amherst College, seeks to center this long-neglected aspect of town history and to reveal the rich and complex lives of the Black and Afro-Indigenous community of Amherst. Our families’ old black-and-white photographs complement oral histories–some yet to be recorded – and other artifacts available locally and at the college. I hope these images and stories raise questions, prompt further research, and challenge us all to meet our collective responsibility to build a more just and equitable future. All are welcome. On view through the summer of 2023. Free.