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 (more or less)
FRIDAY APRIL 4 AND SATURDAY APRIL 5: UMASS JUNIPER LITERARY FESTIVAL. UMass Amherst’s MFA for Poets and Writers will hold the Juniper Literary Festival 2025 on Friday, April 4, and Saturday, April 5, on the UMass Amherst campus. All events are free and open to the public.
SATURDAY APRIL 5: GLOBAL VILLAGE FESTIVAL. 10 a.m. to 6 p.m., Amherst Town Common. This annual event is dedicated to celebrating cultural diversity and promoting inclusivity within the community. The festival will feature a vibrant array of activities, including international food trucks offering cuisine from various cultures, live performances showcasing traditional music and dance, and local vendors representing diverse crafts and products. By fostering a welcoming atmosphere, the Amherst Global Village Festival aims to bring together individuals from all backgrounds, encouraging dialogue and understanding while highlighting the rich tapestry of global cultures in a fun and engaging environment.
SATURDAY APRIL 5: ETIENNE CHARLES: CREOLE SOLE. 8 p.m., Tillis Performance Hall, Fine Arts Center, UMass.Trumpeter Etienne Charles defies musical categorization. A native of Trinidad, Charles is widely recognized for blending jazz with Caribbean music genres. “People ask me how I think about the difference between jazz and Caribbean music, but jazz is Caribbean music,” Charles said in an interview with the New York Times. Charles’s lush trumpet sound, varied compositional textures, and pulsating percussive grooves evoke trance, soothing and exciting listeners while referencing sensitive and controversial subjects. Charles’s work connects to the African diaspora and draws lines to regions at the roots of migrations. Highlighting and engaging with marginalized communities has been his mission. “Real, good music needs to get to the people,” Charles told the New York Times. “A lot of what’s funneled through the media doesn’t teach people about their power or their freedom. It’s time for that to change.” Tickets start at $30, students $15.
SATURDAY APRIL 5: EMPTY BOWLS FOR THE AMHERST SURVIVAL CENTER. 12 to 4 p.m., Amherst Survival Center, 138 Sunderland Road. Join us for a heartwarming meal that makes a difference. Savor a delicious hearty soup while chatting with local celebrity hosts and enjoying live music, pick out a gorgeous handmade bowl from a selection of hundreds donated by local artists, and soak in the warmth of community spirit! With soups from your favorite local restaurants—plus bread, salad, and dessert—there’s a warm bowl of goodness for everyone, including vegetarian, vegan, and gluten-free options. Every ticket and every donation helps fill empty bowls for the 11,500+ people who rely on our Food and Nutrition Programs each year. Tickets $50 with a handcrafted bowl, $30 for meal only, $10 for children.
SATURDAY APRIL 5: LOCAL VOCAL CHORD BOWL. 7 p.m., Amherst Regional High School Auditorium, Mattoon Street. Come and enjoy this annual fabulous multi-generational night of acapella music that benefits the music and arts programs at Amherst Regional High School and Northampton High School. This year’s concert will feature nine groups, including the Chorale and the Hurricane Singers from ARHS and two groups from Northampton High, college groups from UMass and Smith, and local adult groups. Suggested admission: $15 for adults, $10 for students. Under 12 free. No one turned away.
SATURDAY APRIL 5: SONG AND STORY SWAP FEATURING CHRISTA JOY. 7 p.m., First Church, 165 Main Street. Singer-songwriter Christa Joy is known for her strong sense of melody, resonant storytelling, and charming sincerity. Growing up in what she describes as “a teacher preacher truck-driving kind of family,” Christa’s early songwriting drew from her rural upbringing, the illness and death of her mother, and the brokenhearted years that followed. Giving birth and becoming a mother added a new dimension to her music, and inspired a substack of her writing called Momsongwriter. Christa Joy has performed at many notable New England venues, including the Parlor Room, the Iron Horse and Club Passim. She has opened for some of her heroines, including Lucy Wainwright Roche, Meg Hutchinson, The Sweetback Sisters, Loudon Wainwright III, and Antje Duvekot. She frequently tours with her Americana band, Christa Joy and the Honeybees. Her fourth album, a collaboration with the group, was released last August. Organized by the Pioneer Valley Folklore Society. This month’s theme is Strength. Suggested Donations $5-$10. Free parking behind the church.
SATURDAY APRIL 5: 27TH ANNUAL HIGH SCHOOL JAZZ FESTIVAL. Workshop sessions 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. in Bezanson and Tillis Hall, Fine Arts Center, UMass. Workshops are Free. 7:30 p.m. High School ensemble performances. 8 p.m. Etienne Charles concert. Trinidad-born trumpeter and bandleader Etienne Charles’ compositions evoke musical traditions from the Caribbean and across the African diaspora while remaining firmly rooted in jazz. Tickets $30 to $40, Students $15.
SUNDAY APRIL 6: YIDDISHLAND: A PLACE WITH NO BORDERS. 11 a.m., Yiddish Book Center,1021 West Street. This captivating documentary offers an upbeat, witty, and timely exploration of a global community of artists who are rediscovering and revitalizing the endangered Yiddish language through their progressive and provocative creative works. Together, as we travel through Yiddishland – not a homeland but a heartland without borders – we journey across continents, from Melbourne to Berlin, New York to Haifa to meet the diverse array of individuals who find solace, identity, and inspiration within Yiddish language and culture. Tickets. Post-screening discussion with Lisa Newman, Director of Publishing and Public Programs, and Caleb Sher, Senior Bibliography Fellow, at the Yiddish Book Center. For a complete listing of films in the 19th annual Pioneer Valley Jewish Film Festival, see here.
SUNDAY APRIL 6: TOWN WIDE RUBBISH ROUND-UP: 12 to 2 p.m., Mill River Recreation Area, Town Hall-North Common, or Groff Park. The Town of Amherst is excited to announce our upcoming Rubbish Roundup on Sunday, April 6th! This community clean up event aims to bring residents together for a day of camaraderie and positive change. We invite all town residents and groups to participate, including community organizations, businesses, families, neighborhood associations, student clubs, religious communities, and any small group or individuals eager to connect with their neighbors. Together, we can make our town cleaner, greener, and even more beautiful than it already is. Volunteers will report to clean up sites throughout Amherst. Each site will be staffed by a team of captains with supplies, safety instructions, and assignments. Supplies will be provided but we encourage you to bring your own work gloves and eye protection (safety glasses or sunglasses) if you have them. Additionally, please remember to bring water, wear closed toe shoes, and apply sun protection for your comfort and safety. Sign up by March 30.
SUNDAY APRIL 6: THE GLORY OF LIFE. 2 p.m., Yiddish Book Center, 1021 West Street. Set against the picturesque Baltic Sea coast in 1923, this tender drama captures Franz Kafka’s final year, transformed by the redemptive power of love. The fragile writer, battling tuberculosis and an overbearing family, finds an unforeseen connection with Dora Diamant, a spirited young woman working at a Jewish community center. Their romance blooms into a profound partnership, carrying them through Berlin to an Austrian sanatorium where Kafka confronts his mortality with newfound peace. Tickets. For a complete listing of films in the 19th annual Pioneer Valley Jewish Film Festival, see here.
MONDAY APRIL 7: COFFEE WITH STATE REPRESENTATIVE MINDY DOMB. 8 to 9 a.m., The Works Café, 48 North Pleasant Street. Feel free to drop this Monday morning. Share some conversation, questions, ideas.
MONDAY APRIL 7: ADVOCATING ON STATE ISSUES WITH STATE REPRESENTATIVE MINDY DOMB. 4 to 5:30 p.m. on Zoom. This session will help you gain an understanding of the state legislative process and how to advocate for the issues that matter to you. Sponsored by Amherst Neighbors. Zoom link here. No registration required.
MONDAY APRIL 7: “THE SILENCE OF THE LAMBS:” SCIENCE ON SCREEN AT AMHERST CINEMA. 7 p.m., Amherst Cinema, 28 Amity Street. Rated R. Directed by Jonathan Demme, 1991. Young F.B.I. cadet Clarice Starling enlists the help of an incarcerated cannibal to help catch another serial killer. Speaker: Erik Cheries, Senior Lecturer in the Dept. of Psychological & Brain Sciences at UMass Amherst. “The Science of the Lambs?: What Hollywood’s most famous crime thriller tells us about serial killers, psychopathy, and the birth of Forensic Psychology. Tickets.
TUESDAY ARPIL 8: PUBLIC LECTURE – AMERICAN CIVIL WARS: CANADIAN DIMENSIONS.Alan Taylor, History Writer in Residence at UMass Amherst, will present this year’s, UMass/Five College Graduate Program in History’s 2025 Distinguished Annual Lecture on Tuesday April 8, at 6:00 p.m. in the UMass Amherst Commonwealth Honors College Events Hall, 157 Commonwealth Avenue. The event is free and open to all. The lecture explores the role of the American Civil War in the emergence of the Canadian nation. More information
TUESDAY APRIL 8: PHYLLIS BENNIS IN CONVERSATION WITH MICHEL MOUSHABECK. 7 p.m., Room 106 Thompson Hall, UMass. Presented by the Students and Faculty for Justice in Palestine. A crucial new book is arriving at the perfect time. Understanding Palestine and Israel by renowned activist and political analyst Phyllis Bennis, with a foreword by noted Palestinian analyst Omar Baddar, cuts through the noise and delivers clear, accessible answers to the most pressing questions about the situation—questions that many have never had the opportunity to ask. The book covers events right up through Israel’s genocidal war and the 2024 US elections. You’re invited to this discussion between Phyllis Bennis and Michel Moushabeck, Palestinian American founder of Interlink Publishing. Books will be available for purchase at the event that will conclude with a book signing. Tickets. Free.
TUESDAY APRIL 8: UMASS BACH AT THE DRAKE. 7:30 p.m., The Drake, 44 North Pleasant Street. Bach at the Drake: Regal to Rustic: a Musical Offering (selections) and the Peasant Cantata (BMV 1079 and BMV 212) with UMass alum and recent Grammy nominee Corrine Byrne, soprano; David Thomas Mather, baritone; Noah Horn conducting. Tickets $20 in advance, $25 at the door. See full calendar here.
TUESDAY APRIL 8: THE BLOND BOY FROM THE CASBAH: PIONEER VALLEY JEWISH FILM FESTIVAL SCREENING. 7 p.m., Amherst Cinema, 28 Amity Street. Please join us for Closing Night of the Pioneer Valley Jewish Film Festival at the Amherst Cinema. Passionate filmmaker Antoine travels to his birthplace, Algiers, with his young son to present his new film: an account of his childhood in 1960s Algeria during the country’s civil war. As he wanders through the city, the filmmaker immerses us in the moments of laughter and tears of his childhood – spent between school, friends, and his Sephardic Jewish family. Growing up in the final moments of Algeria’s pre-independence period, the young Antoine discovers his profound fascination with cinema and starts to understand who he truly is. A joyful and nostalgic love letter to the Algiers of prolific French filmmaker Alexandre Arcady’s youth, this enchanting semi-autobiographical drama won Best Film at the UK Jewish Film Festival. Tickets. Post-screening discussion with Dr. Simon Sibelman, Professor Emeritus, French and Holocaust Studies, University of Wisconsin Oshkosh. For a complete listing of films in the 19th annual Pioneer Valley Jewish Film Festival, see here.
WEDNESDAY, APRIL 9: “ON TRANSLATING MY LANGUAGE IS A JEALOUS LOVER”: A READING AND DISCUSSION WITH MASS BOOK AWARD-WINNERS VICTORIA OFFREDI POLETTO AND GIOVANNA BELLESIA CONTUZZI. 4:30 p.m. UMass Downtown,108 N. Pleasant St. Join the Edwin C. Gentzler Translation Center at UMass Downtown for a special event with Victoria Offredi Poletto and Giovanna Bellesia Contuzzi. They will read from and discuss their translation of Adrián N. Bravi’s My Language Is a Jealous Lover, which won the 2024 Mass Book Award for Translated Literature. This is a Mass Book Awards Speakers Bureau event, sponsored by the Massachusetts Center for the Book. For more information, visit the MA Literary Events Calendar.
WEDNESDAY APRIL 9: “NO HUMAN BEING IS ILLEGAL:” A CONVERSATION WITH JOSE ANTONIO VARGAS. 5 p.m., Johnson Chapel, Amherst College. Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist, Emmy-nominated filmmaker, Tony-nominated producer, and immigrant rights activist Jose Antonio Vargas will discuss undocumented immigration, advocacy, and democracy in the current political moment. Vargas is the founder of Define American, an organization that empowers diverse and nuanced storytelling about immigrant experiences. The conversation will be moderated by Sony Coráñez Bolton, Associate Professor of English and Spanish and Faculty Equity and Inclusion Officer. Free and open to all. Registration not required but appreciated. Register here.
FRIDAY APRIL 11: CUPPA JOE WITH TOWN MANAGER PAUL BOCKELMAN AND RECREATION DIRECTOR REY HARP. 8 to 9:30 a.m., Coronation Café, 135 North Pleasant Street. The Town of Amherst invites community members to join us for coffee and conversation with Amherst Town Manager Paul Bockelman and Director of Recreation Rey Harp. Amherst Recreation’s mission is to enrich the quality of life for all members of the community by providing the highest level of recreational programs, facilities, and services. They host special events, summer camps, swimming lessons,
after-school programs, and other recreation initiatives for community members of all ages. Amherst Recreation also oversees Amherst’s public swimming pools, recreation areas, and the Cherry Hill Golf Course. The “Cuppa’ Joe with Paul” events are monthly and rotate locations around Town. Each time, Paul is joined by a different Town department head or official who provides insights into their area of focus. Residents and others are welcome to share their concerns, offersuggestions, or just get to know each other.
FRIDAY APRIL 11: AWARD WINNING FILM DIRECTOR JOHN CAMERON AT UMASS. 8 p.m., Bowker Auditorium, UMass. John Cameron Mitchell, director and co-creator of Hedwig and the Angry Inch, presents a hair-raising, hilarious romp of songs, stories and characters. Mitchell is a one-stop shop when it comes to bringing an artistic vision to life. He’s an award-winning actor, playwright, screenwriter, singer, songwriter, producer, and director. Tickets $40 to $75. Students $15-$20.
SATURDAY APRIL 12: SHADE TREE PLANTING. 9 a.m. to noon, Town Common. If you’re at risk of news overload, if you’re doom-scrolling on your phone, if you just haven’t gotten outside enough, we have the answer. That first slice of the shovel through spring soil can be magical – no, really. And then, once you’ve placed a tree in the hole, you can’t help but think about what it will look like in 20 years. That’s just good for the brain. So, join us on Saturday, 4/12, from 9AM to noon. We’ll be at the Town Common – just look for the people with shovels.
SATURDAY APRIL 12: CELEBRATE EQUALITY DAY. 3 to 4:30 p.m., Lower level of WEB DuBois Library, UMass. Celebrate the 134th anniversary of Dr. B.R.Ambedkar. Join us in honoring the remarkable logistics of Dr. B.R. Ambedkar and W.E.B. DuBois, two pioneering intellectuals and social justice advocates who fought for equality, human rights, and democracy across the world. Guest speakers and discussion, featuring Shahir Samghaji Bhagat, renowned Indian folk poet, singer, playwright, and activist. Contact us @BostonStudyGroup.org.
SATURDAY APRIL 12: DOWNTOWN DESSERT CRAWL. 3 to 6 p.m., Purchase tickets and pick up wrist bands at the Visitors Center, 35 South Pleasant Street. Downtown Amherst is about to get a whole lot sweeter! The Amherst Dessert Crawl is set to take place on Saturday, April 12, 2025, from 3:00–6:00 PM, inviting the community to indulge in exclusive dessert samples from local businesses while exploring the town. Attendees will receive a wristband granting access to participating businesses, where they can sample a variety of sweet treats. In addition to dessert tastings, the event will feature a scavenger hunt, allowing participants to complete fun challenges for a chance to win prizes donated by local businesses. Highlights: Dessert Tastings – Sample delicious treats from participating Amherst restaurants, cafés, and bakeries; Scavenger Hunt & Prizes – Complete challenges while enjoying your desserts for a chance to win exciting giveaways; Support Local Businesses – A fun way to explore and support Amherst’s vibrant small business community. $20 in advance, $25 at the door.
SATURDAY APRIL 12: CELEBRATE EQUALITY DAY. 3 to 4:30 p.m., Lower level of WEB DuBois Library, UMass. Celebrate the 134th anniversary of Dr. B.R.Ambedkar. Join us in honoring the remarkable logistics of Dr. B.R. Ambedkar and W.E.B. DuBois, two pioneering intellectuals and social justice advocates who fought for equality, human rights, and democracy across the world. Guest speakers and discussion, featuring Shahir Samghaji Bhagat, renowned Indian folk poet, singer, playwright, and activist. Contact us @BostonStudyGroup.org.
TUESDAY APRIL 15: “THE POD GENERATION:” SCIENCE ON SCREEN AT AMHERST CINEMA. 7 p.m., Amherst Cinema, 28 Amity Street. Directed by Sophie Barthes, 2023. Living in the not-so-distant future, a New York couple takes a wild ride to parenthood after landing a coveted spot at the Womb Center, which offers couples a convenient and shareable pregnancy by way of detachable, artificial wombs. Speaker: Carrie N. Baker, Professor and Chair of the Program for the Study of Women, Gender, and Sexuality at Smith College. “Pushing the Limits: Ethics, Opportunities and Perils of Reproductive Technologies.” Tickets.
TUESDAY APRIL 15: “GETTING FITTED FOR THE WORK:” HARRIET TUBMAN’S PREPARATION FOR A LIFETIME OF COURAGEOUS ACTION. 5 p.m., Cole Assembly Room, Amherst College. Tiya Miles, the Michael Garvey Professor of History at Harvard University and Radcliffe Alumnae Professor at the Radcliffe Institute, will reconstruct the early life of abolitionist Harriet Tubman, considering how relationships, religious faith, and environmental knowledge prepared her for a lifetime of bold activism and creative community building. The lecture will conclude with lessons that we can draw from Tubman’s life story as we face significant societal challenges today. Event Link/more information
WEDNESDAY APRIL 16: INAUGURAL RHONDA COBHAM-SANDER LECTURE FEATURING POET AND ESSAYIST HANIF ABDURRAQIB. 7 p.m., Johnson Chapel, Amherst College.The Amherst English department invites you to the inaugural Rhonda Cobham-Sander Lecture featuring poet and essayist Hanif Abdurraqib. In his work as poet and essayist, Hanif Abdurraqib thinks about topics such as culture, memory, and race on a personal and national level. Textually, his work engages deeply with core human emotions – such as
grief, longing, and joy – that often times feel too big and abstract. The event will include followed by a Q&A. You can find more on this event here. Free.
THURSDAY APRIL 17: PHOSPHORESCENCE CONTEMPORARY POETRY SERIES. 6 p.m. on Zoom. April’s featured poets are Carlene Kucharczyk, Avia Tadmor, and Silvia Bonilla. Emily Dickinson, phosphorescence was a divine spark and the illuminating light behind learning — it was volatile, but transformative in nature. Produced by the Emily Dickinson Museum, the Phosphorescence Contemporary Poetry Series celebrates contemporary creativity that echoes Dickinson’s own revolutionary poetic voice. The Series features established and emerging poets whose work and backgrounds represent the diversity of the flourishing contemporary poetry scene. Join us on a Thursday evening each month to hear from poets around the world as they read their work and discuss what poetry and Dickinson mean to them. Free, but registration required.
THURSDAY APRIL 17: COMPLEXIONS CONTEMPORARY BALLET. 7:30 p.m., Tillis Performance Hall, UMass. “Forging a path for what ballet can be instead of what it historically has been.” — The Guardian. Hailed as a “matchless American dance company” by the Philadelphia Inquirer, Complexions Contemporary Ballet transcends dance tradition through a groundbreaking approach to the art. Founded in 1994 by master choreographer Dwight Rhoden and the legendary Desmond Richardson, Complexions’ foremost innovation is to remove boundaries. Complexions was the first American ballet company to actively recruit and prioritize diverse bodies and identities on stage. The company blends methods, styles, and cultures from across the globe. The result is a continually evolving form of dance that reflects the movement of our world — and all its cultures — as an interrelated whole. The program for this performance, which is part of the company’s thirtieth anniversary celebration tour, will center on WOKE, an activist piece created in response to continuing racial violence and discrimination in American society. Tickets start at $30, students $15.
FRIDAY APRIL 18: PEACEFEST: A BENEFIT CONCERT. 8 p.m., The Drake, 44 North Pleasant Street. UMass Disability Services is proud to host PeaceFest at the Drake with support from Local Mojo. Featuring a variety of acts from the Amherst area and beyond. This benefit concert will support funding for a center dedicated to providing support, resources, and programming to the campus community around the disabled identity. Featuring performances from Stock Goblin, Skruple, B’Shara, Leadheads, and Eliza Howells. Tickets $12in advance, $15 at the door. . See full calendar here.
TUESDAY APRIL 22: OFFICE HOURS WITH STATE REPRESENTATIVE MINDY DOMB. 12:30 to 1:30 p.m. at the Amherst Survival Center, 138 Sunderland Road, State Representative Mindy Domb (D-Amherst) announced her monthly community office hours for April. As she does every month, her office will be at the Amherst Survival Center on Tuesday, April 22, 2022 from 12:30 p.m. to 1:30 p.m. She’ll also be at the Jones Library on Friday, April 25, 2022 from 4:00 p.m. to 5:00 p.m. If you have a time sensitive matter that needs assistance, Rep. Domb urges you not to wait for office hours. Instead, contact her office at your convenience (413) 335-1362.
THURSDAY APRIL 24: MESHELL NDEGEOCELLO: NO MORE WATER—THE GOSPEL OF JAMES BALDWIN. 8 p.m., Bowker Auditorium, UMass. Meshell Ndegeocello is known as a virtuoso of the electric bass, and as a songwriter and arranger whose work spans multiple genres. She is a thirteen-time Grammy nominee, and three-time Grammy winner. Her first album for the iconic Blue Note label, The Omnichord Real Book (2023), took the first-ever Grammy for Best Alternative Jazz Album. The critically acclaimed Omnichord found Ndegeocello creating at the intersection of jazz, R&B, funk, soul and other genres developed by Black American artists. Ndegocello notched her second consecutive Best Alternative Jazz Album Grammy with her second Blue Note release, 2024’s No More Water: The Gospel of James Baldwin. A breathtakingly powerful record, No More Water marries Ndegeocello’s expansive vision of jazz with the words and ideas of the writer, orator, philosopher, and civil rights activist. Tickets start at $35. Students $15.
FRIDAY APRIL 25: ALLISON MILLER: BOOM TIC BOOM. 7:30 p.m., The Drake, 44 North Pleasant Street. A lauded drummer who’s mastered a vast array of musical settings and a renowned bandleader/composer in her own right, Allison Miller is always at the heart of the music. Tickets through Amherst College $28 general, $22 seniors, $12 students. See full calendar here.
FRIDAY APRIL 25: OFFICE HOURS WITH STATE REPRESENTATIVE MINDY DOMB. 4 to 5 p.m. at the Jones Library, 43 Amity Street. State Representative Mindy Domb (D-Amherst) announced her monthly community office hours for April. As she does every month, her office will also be at the Amherst Survival Center on Tuesday, April 22, 2022 from 12:30 p.m. to 1:30 p.m. If you have a time sensitive matter that needs assistance, Rep. Domb urges you not to wait for office hours. Instead, contact her office at your convenience (413) 335-1362.
SATURDAY APRIL 26: 14TH ANNUAL UMASS DINING DINE AND DASH 5K. 11 a.m. at the Southwest horseshoe, UMass. Promote health and wellness at UMass Amherst while raising funds for the Amherst Survival Center. Over the past 13 years, UMass Dining has raised over $50,000 for the Amherst Survival Center. The schedule for the April 26 event includes check-in at the Southwest Horseshoe starting at 9 a.m., followed by a free fun run for children 8 years old and younger at 10 a.m. The race itself begins at 11 a.m. followed by an awards ceremony at 11:30 a.m., and lunch in the Berkshire Dining Commons at noon. The race fee is $15 for all Five-College students, $25 for UMass Amherst faculty and staff, and $30 for the general public. Children 8 years old and under are free to participate. The race fee includes registration, and a complimentary meal at the university’s award-winning dining facilities in the Berkshire Dining Commons. Online registration ends April 24.
SUNDAY APRIL 27: 15TH ANNUAL DAFFODIL 5K/10K WALK/RUN FOR BIG BROTHERS/BIG SISTERS OF HAMPSHIRE COUNTY. 10 a.m., 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.
SUNDAY APRIL 27: CHAMBER AT THE DRAKE: QUARTETTO MOSSO. 4 p.m., The Drake, 44 North Pleasant Street. Quartetto Mosso is a new Springfield chamber players ensemble, which made its premiere in the Berkshires last winter. Tickets $17.85 in advance. See full calendar here.
MONDAY MAY 5: SNEAK PEAK: ANCESTRAL BRIDGES NEW LOCATION. 4:30 to 6 p.m., 29A Cottage Street. Take the next step on our journey as we enhance the arts and culture landscape of Amherst, MA, guided by the authenticity and vision that stems from its Black and Afro-Indigenous roots. A new cultural anchor where archives pulse with the vibrant heartbeat of a community. This initiative celebrates an opportunity to honor, share, and uplift narratives that connect us all. Together, we can cultivate a spirit of connection, reciprocity, and support, ensuring that every story becomes a treasured element of our collective experience.
FRIDAY MAY 9: BRUCE HORNSBY & YMUSIC PRESENT BRHYM. 8 p.m., Tillis Performance Hall, Fine Arts Center, UMass. The grand finale to an unparalleled season is Bruce Hornsby with yMusic on May 9. Many have followed Hornsby since the release of his Grammy-winning debut album, The Way It Is, in 1989. Deadheads know him as keyboardist for the Grateful Dead in the early 1990s. Others have joined his following along his journey through twenty-four rock, jazz, blues, and bluegrass albums, thirteen Grammy nominations, and three Grammy wins. Bruce Hornsby, with the chamber music sextet yMusic, brings a performance you simply cannot miss. Tickets $54-$99, Students $19-$34.
SATURDAY MAY 10: POETRY WALK. 10 a.m., Emily Dickinson Museum, On May 10, In honor of the 139th anniversary of the poet’s death, join the Emily Dickinson Museum for the annual Poetry Walk through downtown Amherst, the town she called “paradise.” This year’s Walk celebrates the opening of the newly reconstructed carriage house with stops that explore its significance to Amherst’s cultural landscape and to the poet herself. Take the walk at your own pace, but be sure to head to Dickinson’s grave in West Cemetery in time for the 12 pm final poems and a lemonade toast to our favorite poet! The Walk takes approximately 40 minutes to complete. Participants begin at the Homestead at any time between 10am and 11am to pick up their Poetry Walk map and daisies to lay at the grave. The Walk stations close at 11:45am so that all participants can make it to the final stop at noon in West Cemetery. Free, but advance registration required. Registration for the walk does not include admission to the museum. For museum tickets click here.
ONGOING AND MULTI-DAY EVENTS
EVERY MONDAY EXCEPT HOLIDAYS: AUTOHARP WORKSHOPS. 10 a.m. to 12:30 p.m., Senior Center, Bangs Center, 70 Boltwood Walk. Join Marie Hartwell-Walker and autoharp players throughout the country who participate on Zoom. Participants on Zoom also welcome.
TUESDAYS IN JANUARY AND FEBRUARY: AMHERST NEIGHBORS LUNCH IN TOWN. 12 to 1 p.m., Community Room, Amherst Police Station, 111 Main Street. The Lunch in Town series continues in January and February. A mixture of regulars and newcomers show up every week. Come join with a bagged lunch. There will be no gathering on January 28. Canceled if the town closes for weather.
FIRST TUESDAY OF EVERY MONTH: COUNCIL ON AGING SENIOR LUNCH. Noon. Bangs Center, 70 Boltwood Walk.
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.
SECOND TUESDAY OF EACH MONTH: ARTIST SOCIAL AND CRITIQUE. 6 to 8 p.m., Local Art Gallery, Mill District, 91 Cowls Road. All local artists, both beginners and established, are invited to attend our Artist Social and Critique that meets every 2nd Thursday of the month in The Local Art Gallery from 6-8pm. Help us create a safe space for a supportive and constructive artistic feedback while expanding your connections to other artists. Artist social time from 6 to 6:30 p.m., Artist critique from 6:30 to 8 p.m. Share digital images by emailing to gallery@cowls.com in advance. For information, contact Shannon Borrell at gallery@cowls.com or 413-835-0966.
EVERY WEDNESDAY: WEEKLY WEDNESDAY MARKET. 10 to 11:30 a.m., Bangs Community Center, 70 Boltwood Walk. Since its launch in May 2024, the Wednesday Market has served over 700 community members. The Market is open to all, and there’s no registration and no questions asked. Just come and enjoy. We distribute fresh produce, dairy, prepared food, and delicious treats.
EVERY WEDNESDAY: BEGINNER BIRDING. 9:00-9:30 a.m. Notch Visitor Center, 1500 West Street. For ages 12 and up. An easy, level, 1/4-mile guided hike to discover more about birds: their behaviors, needs, habitats and significance. Listen, observe, sketch, photo or journal. Free
LAST WEDNESDAY OF EVERY MONTH (EXCLUDING JULY AND JANUARY): 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.
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 : 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. Our 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 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 AT THE AMHERST PUBLIC HOUSE. 4 to 7 p.m., Amherst Public House, 40 University Drive. I hope these warmer, brighter days are helping lift your spirits, despite the chaos we are going through. Fiddle, Flute, Tin Whistle, Guitar, Mandolin, Banjo, Bouzouki and more. Jigs, Reels, Hornpipes, Polkas, Slides, and Waltz’ from around the Celtic world. Food, drink, friendship and a relentless cacophony of rhythmic tones, it might banish your misfortune for a moment. And you (and I) might find out what a Luachrachan is.
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 AND SUNDAYS: LIVE JAZZ AND GOOD EATS AT THE BLACK SHEEP. 11 a.m. to 1 p.m., Black Sheep Deli, 79 Main Street. Frist and third Saturdays: Masala Jazz, Second, Fourth and Fifth Saturdays: Simmer Music Presents, Sundays: the Catalytics. Tip Jar..
NOW THROUGH SATURDAY MARCH 29: EXHIBITS BY SUE KATZ AND GLORIA KEGELES. Gallery A3, 28 Amity Street 1D. Photographs and painted wood and metal assemblages by Katz explore patterns, while photographs by Kegeles find abstract form in motorcycles and brake rotors. The artists will present an Art Forum online, on Thursday, March 20, at 7:30 p.m. (Register here). Gallery Hours Thursday-Sunday, 2:00- p.m.- 7:00 p.m. More information
NOW THROUGH SATURDAY APRIL 5: YOUTH ENTREPRENEURIAL WORKSHOP. 10:30 a.m. to 12 p.m. for five Saturdays, Bangs Community Center, 70 Boltwood Walk. For grades 6-12. The DEI Department, in association with the Black Business Association of Amherst Area, is excited to announce their first program: A Youth Entrepreneurial Workshop! Young people in grades 6-12 are encouraged to join us for this free five-week program where they will learn the skills needed to develop a business and actively create and sell their own products, getting hands on experience in the process. Materials and snacks will be provided. Sign up here and we will be in touch by mid-February with an additional details. If you have questions, you can email Philip Avila at avilap@amherstma.gov.
NOW THROUGH SATURDAY APRIL 26 : PAINTER NANCY MEAGHER – CLOSED AND WIDE OPEN SPACES. Gallery A3, 28 Amity Street 1D, 5:00-7:00 p.m. Gallery Hours are Thursday–Sunday, 2:00–7:00 p.m. More information
NOW THROUGH WEDNESDAY APRIL 30: PAINTINGS BY ELAYNA STURM. 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Monday through Friday, Town Hall Art Gallery, 4 Boltwood Avenue. The public is invited to meet the artist at a free reception in the gallery on Friday, March 7th, from 6:00 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. Refreshments will be served. Elayna’s mediums range from murals, visual art, creative writing, and fiber arts to education and coaching. A self-described hopefully curious person, Elayna blends the divine and the mundane to expose overarching patterns in a visual storytelling of interconnectedness. About their art, Elayna says, “Shedding Layers explores both what we can shed to feel lighter and what we can transform to create the lives and worlds we want to be a part of. Venturing to get to the core of what matters, Shedding Layers seeks to cultivate brighter joy and deeper roots.” Elayna resides in Western Massachusetts and has ties to the North Shore of Massachusetts, the Bay Area of California, and the Olympic forests of Washington state.
NOW THROUGH WEDNESDAY APRIL 30: MULTIVERSE: AN EXHIBIT FEATURING MULTIPLE ARTISTS. Hampden Gallery, UMass. curated by D. Dominick Lombardi, from Feb. 17-April 30. “Multiverse” focuses on the recognition, conscious or subconscious, and interpretation of the concept of the multiverse in contemporary visual art. Showcasing digital art from Europe and the Americas juxtaposed with analog works by artists from the northeastern U.S., Lombardi gives visitors the opportunity to see and discuss previously unimagined possibilities. A reception and curator’s talk with Lombardi is scheduled for 5-7 p.m. on Friday April 4. Information.
NOW THROUGH WEDNESDAY APRIL 30: BE REVOLUTIONARY: UMASS STUDENT SOLIDARITY WITH CENTRAL AMERICA IN THE 1980s: STUDENT CURATED EXHIBIT.9 a.m. to 6 p.m. Monday through Friday, Lobby of Bromery Center for the Arts. In the fall of 2024, students in a UMass Amherst graduate history course set out to research, curate and design an exhibit on the history of student activism at UMass Amherst in conjunction with this year’s Feinberg Series, What Are Universities For? Struggles for the Soul of Higher Education. Focusing on anti-imperialist organizing in the 1980s, the exhibit tells the story of how UMass students joined forces with the broader Central America solidarity movements in Massachusetts and across the country to demand the end of U.S. military aid to authoritarian regimes. Titled Be Revolutionary: UMass Student Solidarity with Central America in the 1980s, the exhibit opens on Thursday, April 3 from 12-2pm, with a student-run program featuring remarks by Professor Diana Sierra Becerra and a panel with the curators, followed by dedicated time to reflect on the exhibit through art-making and alter-creation. Student- and community-oriented workshops organized by the UMass Alliance for Community Transformation will be held in the space from 4-6pm. The exhibit will remain on display through April 30 in the Bromery Center for the Arts Lobby. Join us! Openiing Thursday, April 3, 12 to 2 p.m.
NOW THROUGH THURSDAY MAY 8: Daily performances by the UMass Department of Music and Dance. Most are free. Various locations for performances by UMass students and faculty. See here for a complete listing.
NOW THROUGH FRIDAY MAY 9: (OFF) BALANCE: ART IN THE ATE OF HUMAN IMPACT. UMass Museum of Contemporary Art. The Graduate Curatorial Exhibition, co-curated by Adeyemi Adebayo, M.F.A. studio arts candidate, Eva Barajas, M.A. art education candidate, and Bo Kim, M.F.A. studio arts candidate, invites viewers to explore the intricate ways we interact with, interpret and shape our environment and challenges audiences to reflect on themes of transformation, human intervention and the tension between destruction and conservation. Opening reception Wednesday, March 26 from 5 to 7 p.m. Information.
NOW THROUGH FRIDAY MAY 9: IS ANYTHING THE MATTER? DRAWINGS BY LAYLAH ALI AND HIGH FIVE/TAKE FIVE. UMass Museum of Contemporary Art. “Is anything the matter?” includes more than one hundred drawings by Ali dating from 1993 to 2020. Though the drawings range in format – including ink, colored pencil, soluble crayon, colored marker and mixed media works – each piece explores Ali’s ongoing interest in the amalgam of race, power, gendering, human frailty and murky politics. High Five / Take Five” is an interactive exhibition featuring five art works from the museum’s permanent collection. Each piece will be accompanied by a prompt that asks participants to engage their senses, look closely and respond to the artworks through drawing, listening and writing. Gallery Talk: Wednesday, February 19, 4 to 5 p.m. More information.
NOW THROUGH SEPTEMBER 7: PORTRAITS IN RED: MISSING AND MURDERED INDIGENOUS PEOPLE BY NAYANA LAFOND. D’Amour Museum of Fine Arts, Springfield Museums. In her powerful series of portraits, artist and activist Nayana Lafond sheds light on the crisis affecting Indigenous peoples, particularly women, who are eleven times more likely to go missing than the national average. Each portrait depicts a missing or murdered Indigenous person, a family member, or an advocate, rendered in shades of gray and marked by a vivid red handprint—the only color visible to spirits—to raise awareness, inspire action, and honor the lives and stories of those impacted by this crisis. Lafond, a citizen of the Métis Nation of Ontario, graduated from Amherst High School and lives in Western Massachusetts. After studying at the Massachusetts College of Art, she became a full-time painter and has served as a curator and community arts organizer for over twenty years. Visit her website.