What’s Happening in Amherst?
Photo: istock
by Art and Maura Keene
Notice: Our weekly calendar is going on vacation until Oct. 24. This week, we’ve tried to add events well into November to help you out. We’ll be back with a full calendar on the 24th, so please continue to send us your event announcements.
Help us make our events calendar more comprehensive by sending us your listings, including contact information and/or a link for more information. Send event listings to amherstindy@gmail.com.
FRIDAY SEPTEMBER 25: BLUE WAVE BOOGIE: DANCE FOR DEMOCRACY. 7 to 10 p.m., Munson Memorial Library, 1046 South East Street. Come dance, listen to live music, connect with friends, and support grassroots organizing. The No-No’s Dance Band will keep us moving, and there will also be an auction. REGISTER HERE. The dance is a fundraiser for the Movement Voter Project PAC and the committee has set a minimum goal of $25,000. We are looking for folks who would like to offer a challenge grant to help us meet our fundraising goal. Can’t make it Friday? You can still support the effort with a donation.
FRIDAY SEPTEMBER 25: OPEN MIC NIGHT AT TELL IT SLANT POETRY FESTIVAL FEATURING JOAQUIN ZIHUATANEJO. 7 p.m., hybrid program at the Emily Dickinson Museum, 220 Main Street. Bring your poems to Emily Dickinson’s garden! Readers will have 5 minutes each to make us feel “physically as if the top of [our] head[s] were taken off!” (Emily Dickinson to Thomas Wentworth Higginson, 16 August 1870). Open mic sign-ups are handled in advance via a Google Form, and selected readers will be notified. The last day to sign up will be September 13. All readers must be available to read in-person. Enter the reader lottery.
FRIDAY SEPTEMBER 25: THE CARPENTERS SONGBOOK. 7:30 p.m., Frederick Tillis Performance Hall, UMass Fine Arts Center. A love letter to the quiet magic of Karen and Richard Carpenter from the creative team behind the “Simon and Garfunkel Story” featuring a full band. More than 40 years after Karen’s tragic death, the Carpenters continue to hold a place among America’s all-time most-beloved pop acts. The Carpenters Songbook is a touching tribute that invites audiences to sing along, reminisce, and fall in love all over again. Tickets $30 to $60.
SATURDAY SEPTEMBER 26: FOUR TOWNS MEETING FOR THE REGIONAL SCHOOLS. 9 a.m. Amherst Regional High School, 21 Mattoon St. Regional Agreement Revision: Unlike traditional fall Four Towns meetings that focus strictly on upcoming budgets, this session will begin formal discussions on revising the regional agreement between Amherst, Leverett, Pelham, and Shutesbury. Changes to the Massachusetts Department of Elementary and Secondary Education (DESE) funding formula have disallowed previous cost-increase guardrails, leading to significant assessment increases for smaller towns like Leverett and Pelham.
SATURDAY SEPTEMBER 26: FIDDLING DUO SOFIA SOFIA. 6 p.m., Laughing Dog Bicycles, 63 South Pleasant Street (down the alley behind the building). sofia sofia” is a musical duo based out of Amherst. The project features musicians Abby Flanagan and Louis Bicycle, who primarily play a blend of fiddle, harmonium, and other instruments.$5 Bring your own chair.
SATURDAY SEPTEMBER 26: SALSA IN THE PARK. 6 to 9:30 p.m., Mill River Recreation Area, 95 Montague Road. Get ready for Salsa in the Park! Join us under the pavilion for outdoor dancing, great music, and food. Rain or Shine! Hosted by: Salsa con Tacos Dance. Sponsored by: Amherst Recreation. Funded by: Amherst Cultural Council & Mass Cultural Council.Schedule:
6:00 PM – 7:00 PM: Free Salsa Rueda de Casino Lesson by Celadry
7:00 PM – 9:30 PM: Free Latin Dance Social (Salsa, Bachata, Merengue) with DJ Picu
SATURDAY SEPTEMBER 26: HEADLINER NIGHT AT TELL IT SLANT POETRY FESTIVAL. 7 p.m., hybrid program at the Emily Dickinson Museum, 220 Main Street. Join us on Emily Dickinson’s lawn or virtually for a celebration of creativity and poetry! Our headlining poets, Victoria Chang and Samyak Shertok will read from their work and discuss their poetic practice and inspiration. Q&A to follow. Registration required.
SUNDAY SEPTEMBER 27: CREATING TINY ART: HAIKU AND WATERCOLOR LANDSCAPE WORKSHOP. 10:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m., Kestrel Headquarters, 37 Bay Road. Whether or not you have any experience with these creative expressions, join usfor a small-group Haiku poetry and watercolor landscape painting workshop to create miniature pieces of art inspired by nature. This event will be held at Kestrel Land Trust’s headquarters in Amherst, and co-led by Kristin DeBoer and Nancy Pick. Participants will create three or more tiny paintings and write some haikus. We will use Plum Brook Pond at Sweet Alice Conservation Area and the Mount Holyoke Range as our inspiration. Painting supplies and journals for writing will be provided. No experience necessary. Just bring your imagination and a creative spirit! Register here. Donation suggested.
SUNDAY SEPTEMBER 27: CASTING AWAY FEAR: BUILDING SHELTER FOR ALL: A NEW YEAR’S GATHERING FOR IMMIGRATION JUSTICE. 1:30 to 3:30 p.m., Groff Park Pavilion, Mill Lane.
As in past gatherings, we will include ritual, stories and songs that focus on immigration justice. The event will include a short walk to the Mill River for a Tashlich ceremony where we will cast away fear and commit ourselves to justice and building a welcoming community. We hope that many of you will consider joining us and inviting others you know who may be interested. Feel free to share the flyer below, attached in pdf and png versions. Registration is encouraged so we can get a sense of numbers, but not required. Register at tinyurl.com/tashlich-sukkot-gathering. This event is open to all who share our concerns about how our immigrant neighbors’ lives are being torn apart.
SUNDAY SEPTEMBER 27: 6TH ANNUAL BANDTOBERFEST. 2 to 5 p.m., Amherst Town Common. Celebrate Autumn with lawn games, beverages from local vendors, and a free concert of band favorites. Bring your blanket or chair, a picnic, and the whole family.
MONDAY SEPTEMBER 28: RADICAL ART AND WORKING-CLASS POLITICS: ROUND TABLE DISCUSSION WITH BOOTS RILEY. 12 to 1:30 p.m., 507 Goodell Hall, UMass. Boots Riley is a writer, director, activist, screenwriter, producer and musician. His second feature film I LOVE BOOSTERS centers on a crew of professional shoplifters who take aim at a cutthroat fashion maven. Riley is also is the founding member and lead vocalist of The Coup and Street Sweeper Social Club featuring Tom Morello of Rage Against The Machine on guitar. A dedicated community-based activist, Boots was deeply involved with the Occupy Oakland movement and was one of the leaders of the activist group The Young Comrades. He is the author of the critically acclaimed collection of essays “Tell Homeland Security-We Are the Bomb” (Haymarket Books).
MONDAY SEPTEMBER 28: “I LOVE BOOSTERS” FILM SCREENING. 2 showings at 5 and 8:45 p.m., Amherst Cinema, 28 Amity Street. Boots Riley is a writer, director, activist, screenwriter, producer and musician. His second feature film I LOVE BOOSTERS centers on a crew of professional shoplifters who take aim at a cutthroat fashion maven. Riley is also is the founding member and lead vocalist of The Coup and Street Sweeper Social Club featuring Tom Morello of Rage Against The Machine on guitar. A dedicated community based activist, Boots was deeply involved with the Occupy Oakland movement and was one of the leaders of the activist group The Young Comrades. He is the author of the critically acclaimed collection of essays “Tell Homeland Security-We Are the Bomb” (Haymarket Books). There is a Q and A with Riley after the 5 p.m. showing and an intro before the 8:45 p.m. show. Students get in free with ID.
MONDAY SEPTEMBER 28: EXIT STRATEGIES: CONTESTING THE FUTURE OF CAPITALISM. 6 p.m. on Zoom. Feinberg Family Distinguished Lecture Series. The planet is facing extinction. The causes of the coming catastrophe are as contested as the visions of the future. Some far-right thinkers and tech billionaires want to escape the current world order for techno-feudal and authoritarian enclaves, while some scholars and organizers are seeking anti-capitalist and anti-authoritarian alternatives that could ensure the survival of all humanity, not just the rich. The Feinberg Series’ opening event will trace the development of these conflicting diagnoses of what’s wrong with capitalism. Radical change is coming. The question is: What’s the nature of the change,who will survive, and how will we adapt? Presenters are: Jeanelle K. Hope, Tristan Hughes, and Clara Mattei. Register.
WEDNESDAY SEPTEMBER 30: ABRAHAM BURTON AND THE NORTHAMPTON JAZZ WORKSHOP. 7:30 p.m., The Drake, 44 North Pleasant Street. For the past three decades, world-renowned saxophonist and educator Abraham Burton has been a prominent figure on the jazz scene. He has been showcased as a soloist on two Grammy award winning albums. Cover $10 at the door, $5 for students. Jam session to follow the main set. See complete schedule here.
THURSDAY OCTOBER 1: JAZZ AT MASUDA’S. 5 to 7 p.m. Masuda’s Café, 17 Kellogg Avenue. Celebrate community, culture and music in Amherst. Mark your calendar for an exciting new Thursday night activity: Jazz at Masuda’s, a free monthly concert series bringing world-class live music right to the heart of downtown Amherst. Starting October 1st, acclaimed saxophonist and Amherst College professor Jason Robinson will host rotating quartets of local jazz favorites at Masuda’s Café (17 Kellogg Avenue) from 5–7 p.m. It’s the perfect excuse to grab a coffee or bite, settle in, and experience some of the region’s most creative musicians. Mark these dates: October 1, November 12, and December 3. Spring semester dates drop in January 2027.This series is a collaboration between Masuda’s Café, Amherst College’s Music Department, Center for Community Engagement, and the Amherst BID.
THURSDAY OCTOBER 1: US DEMOCRACY: 250 YEARS IN THE MAKING. 7 p.m., on Zoom. An exhibit produced by the Department of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion, will be introduced on Thursday, October 1 at 7:00 pm. Assistant Director of the DEI Department Philip Avila and intern Valentina Ayala-Bustamante will describe the exhibit’s creation process and discuss its impact. Visit lwvamherst.org to attend this Judy Brooks Conversation online. Student interns, volunteers, and DEI staff designed an exhibit in Town Hall to illustrate the ideals of the American Revolution and the push for legal rights under the US Constitution for the next 250 years. Challenges facing Blacks, Asians, Latinx communities, Native Americans, Women, Youth, and People with disabilities are shown as Americans advocated for equal rights, representation and social justice. To view the full exhibit, visit the DEI Department online at amherstma.gov. This is a free, public program sponsored by the Racial Justice Committee of the Amherst League of Women Voters. The Amherst LWV Racial Justice Committee honors long-time local educator, civic leader and League member Judy Harris Brooks who was actively involved in finding solutions to complex issues in our community. Previous Judy Brooks Conversations can be viewed on YouTube.
THURSDAY OCTOBER 1: DAMES, DISHES, AND DEGREES: A BOOK TALK WITH AMY MITTELMAN. 7 to 8 p.m., North Amherst Library, 8 Montague Road. Join us for a look back at the role of faculty wives in this new book by local author Amy Mittelman! At a time when the hidden labor that sustains major institutions is receiving renewed attention, a new book uncovers the overlooked role faculty wives played in building American academic life. In Dames, Dishes, and Degrees: Faculty Wives in America, historian Amy Mittelman explores how highly educated women – often barred from university employment by anti-nepotism rules and gender discrimination – organized faculty wives clubs that hosted events, mentored newcomers, supported philanthropy, and helped shape campus culture throughout the twentieth century and into the twenty-first.
THURSDAY OCTOBER 1: SOUTH KOREA’S INSUN PARK AND GENERALS. 8 p.m.. The Drake, 44 North Pleasant Street. An exhilarating night filled with music, movement, and storytelling in one of Amherst’s most intimate live performance spaces. Drawing on Korean traditional music and fusing it with rock, funk, and hip-hop, Insun Park and Generals create a sound that feels both timeless and unmistakably contemporary. Bandleader Insun Park brings the centuries-old tradition of Gangnyeong Talchum mask dance to the stage in a performance that is visually entrancing and full of infectious energy—unlike anything else you’ll see this season. Tickets $35, $20 for students. See complete schedule here.
FRIDAY OCTOBER 2: OPENING RECEPTION, VARIATIONS/SENSATIONS ART EXHIBIT BY JANET W WINSTON. Gallery A3, 28 Amity Street. 5-7 p.m. Gallery hours: Thursday through Sunday 2 to 7 p.m.
SATURDAY OCTOBER 3: OPEN HOUSE AT BALANCED BIRCH STUDIO. 5 p.m. 77 Cowls Road andUnder the tent at the Mill District, 134 Cowls Road. Balanced Birch Studio classical pilates and gyrotonic is celebrating 5 years at the Mill District. To mark this milestone, Balanced Birch Studio is excited to host an Open House Weekend on October 2nd and 3rd. The celebration will culminate in an evening gathering under the stars in the Mill District’s new tented space at 134 Cowls Road, featuring music, dancing, wine, raffle items and delicious offerings from local favorites Provisions, 3 Amigos, Carefree Cakery and more! The studio warmly invites the community to join in celebrating, moving together, and stepping into the next chapter.
SATURDAY OCTOBER 3: OCTOBER SONG AND STORY SWAP WITH PAUL SPRAWL. 7 p.m., First Church, 165 Main Street. Pioneer Valley Folklore Society’s October Song & Story Swap will feature singer-songwriter Paul Sprawl. His music blends rootsy Americana with country blues, backed by an extensive discography of full-length recordings—including his album ‘Blue Suitcase’, produced by Lee Townsend (Bill Frisell, Loudon Wainwright III, Joe Henry), as well as ‘Dark Night Sky’, which grew out of an eight-year off-grid artist residency near Big Bend National Park in the Chihuahuan Desert. The monthly song and story swap is in its 31st year. All are welcome. Suggested donation $10. Free parking behind the church.
TUESDAY OCTOBER 6: COME TOGETHER: BEATLES IMMERSIVE SING-ALONG BENEFIT. 7 p.m., The Drake, 44 North Pleasant Street. A fundraiser for Amherst Regional Performing Arts. 100% of proceeds support ARHS Performing Arts. Guided by ARHS vocal Maestro Todd Fruth, we’ll learn, practice and perform two epic Beatles songs in three-part harmony. All voices welcome. No experience required. All you need is Love. Chips and drinks and an intermission cookie sale. $20 donation suggested. See complete schedule here.
WEDNESDAY OCTOBER 7: CRAIG TABORN TRIO. 7:30 p.m., Bowker Auditorium, UMass. A performance by the Craig Taborn Trio is an evening-length conversation between musicians at the top of their art form, in which the only thing audience members can predict is that they’ll be swept away. Tickets start at $37. Students $20.
THURSDAY OCTOBER 8: MASS BOOK AWARDS: LONGLIST READING. 6 to 7 p.m., Orchard Pavilion, 154 Orchard Hill Drive. Readings by 2026Mass Book Awards longlisted authors in poetry, fiction, and nonfiction: Laura Creste, Patrick Donnelly, Emily Everett, Mia McKenzie, Nora Claire Miller, and Michelle Young. Books will be available for purchase from Amherst Books. Free and open to the public. Register here.
SUNDAY OCTOBER 11: APPLE HILL STRING QUARTET. 4 p.m., The Drake, 44 North Pleasant Street. Chamber at the Drake. Called “dashing and extraordinary” by The Strad Magazine, the Apple Hill String Quartet are the Artistic Directors and resident musicians at the Apple Hill Center for Chamber Music, winner of the CMAcclaim award from Chamber Music America. The Quartet serves as the Music Directors for Apple Hill’s Summer Chamber Music Workshop in Nelson, New Hampshire, cultivating connection and understanding among people of diverse backgrounds, cultures, playing levels, and ages through music performance and education centered around the values of acceptance, inclusivity, creative expression, and encouragement. Tickets $20 in advance, $25 at the door. See complete schedule here.
THURSDAY OCTOBER 15: THE FIRST AMENDMENT IS DANGEROUS: THAT IS WHY WE SHOULD SUPPORT IT. 7 p.m., North Amherst Library Meeting Room, 8 Montague Road. Austin Sarat, the William Nelson Cromwell Professor of Jurisprudence & Political Science at Amherst College, reviews the history and purposes of the first amendment and current threats to it.
THURSDAY OCTOBER 15: DAMES, DISHES, AND DEGREES: A BOOK TALK WITH AMY MITTELMAN. 7 to 9 p.m., Amherst Women’s Club, 35 Triangle Street. Join us for a look back at the role of faculty wives in this new book by local author Amy Mittelman! At a time when the hidden labor that sustains major institutions is receiving renewed attention, a new book uncovers the overlooked role faculty wives played in building American academic life. In Dames, Dishes, and Degrees: Faculty Wives in America, historian Amy Mittelman explores how highly educated women – often barred from university employment by anti-nepotism rules and gender discrimination – organized faculty wives clubs that hosted events, mentored newcomers, supported philanthropy, and helped shape campus culture throughout the twentieth century and into the twenty-first.
THURSDAY OCTOBER 15: ART FORUM ONLINE WITH JANET W. WINSTON. 7:30 p.m. online. anet will present an Art Forum Online, at 7:30 pm, looking at variations in style, scale, and media over the years in the three themes she explores in the exhibit: butterflies, Mayan architecture (and other structural forms), and the landscape of Cape Cod. The program is supported in part by a grant from the Amherst Cultural Council, a local agency, which is supported by the Massachusetts Cultural Council, a state agency. In paintings and prints, Janet W. Winston revisits and reinterprets themes that have held great meaning for her over the years, with expressive variations depicting the Mayan ruins in the Mexican Yucatan, the fluttering movement of butterflies, and the rolling dunes of Cape Cod. A precision of line and a joyous profusion of color characterize all her work, but her artistic trajectory suggests an arc leaning towards abstraction. Register for the online event at www.gallerya3.com
FRIDAY OCTOBER 16: “FEED THE SPIRIT:” GALA CELEBRATING 50 YEARS OF COMMUNITY IMPACT OF THE AMHERST SURVIVAL CENTER. 6 to 9 p.m., UMass Student Union Ballroom. Feed the Spirit will bring together longtime supporters, community members, and civic leaders for an evening of gratitude and celebration. The event will honor the leaders who have guided the ASC’s growth while looking ahead to the future. Guests can expect food, cocktails, music, and community connection, along with a Fund-a-Need Appeal supporting the ASC’s programs, including the food pantry, community meals, free health clinic, and other essential resources for individuals and families in need. According to Executive Director Carleen Basler, “As federal policies increasingly restrict access to benefit programs and everyday costs continue to rise, the percentage of Massachusetts households relying on emergency food programs has jumped to 56%. We are delighted to mark this milestone anniversary for the Amherst Survival Center, but more than a celebration, this is a sober reminder that our work is even more critical today than when we began.” Since its founding in 1976, the Amherst Survival Center has grown into a vital community hub, offering food, health care, and essential resources to more than 13,000 neighbors each year. Feed the Spirit is an opportunity to reflect on the history, celebrate the legacy, and help ensure the ASC is able to continue fulfilling its mission for years to come.Tickets starting at $75 are available now at www.amherstsurvival.org/feedthespirit. Sponsorship opportunities are also available for community partners interested in supporting the event.
SATURDAY OCTOBER 17: 54TH ANNUAL FALL FOLIAGE AND CIDER RUN TO BENEFIT AMHERST A BETTER CHANCE. Please join us again for the 54th Annual Fall Foliage and Cider Run , formerly known as the ABC Fall Foliage Walk/Run. Enjoy the beautiful 5K course with scenic views of the valley during peak foliage season. There will be prizes, snacks and, best of all, community at the end of the course! It starts and ends at the Amherst Town Common. Last year we raised over $50,000 for the scholars. Register now as a team or as an individual.
SATURDAY OCTOBER 17: CLASSICAL PIANIST JEREMY DENK. 7:30 p.m., Buckley Recital Hall, Amherst College. Celebrated pianist Jeremy Denk plays pieces by Johann Sebastian Bach, Unsuk Chin, Ludwig van Beethoven, and Helene de Montgeroult. Ticket sales begin October 3 through Amherst College Music.
SUNDAY OCTOBER 18: HITCHCOCK HARVEST: CREATING COMMUNITY RESILIENCE. 3 to 6 p.m., Hitchcock Center, 845 West Street. Join us to support the Hitchcock Center. Enjoy a harvest meal, libations, music, silent auction, and community connection. Wander through interactive stations inspired by the petals of our Living Building—Place, Water, Energy, Health and Happiness, Materials, Equity and Beauty—and discover how the Hitchcock Center and other local businesses and innovators are shaping a hopeful resilient future. Also, help us celebrate PV Squared who we are recognizing with the Resilient Community Award. Tickets $60.
MONDAY OCTOBER 19: LAST DAY TO REGISTER FOR HAZARDOUS WASTE COLLECTION. The Town’s Household Hazardous Waste collection will be held on Saturday, October 31 from 9 a.m. to noon at Wildwood School, 71 Strong Street. It is open to residents of Amherst, Pelham, Hadley, and Shutesbury. Registration is required.
THURSDAY OCTOBER 22: FALL VACCINE CLINIC. 4 to 6 p.m., Large activity room, Bangs Community Center, 70 Boltwood Walk. Come get your flu and Covid shots. Flu vaccine is for anyone 6 months and older. Covid vaccine (Pfizer) is for those ages 65 and older and those 18 and older considered high risk. Please bring your insurance card, but no one will be turned away due to lack of insurance. Vaccines are free. Limited walk-ins available, but pre-registration is encouraged. Register here.
THURSDAY OCTOBER 22: WHO ELSE OPPOSED MONARCHY IN 1776? 5:30 p.m., UMass Student Union Cape Cod Lounge, Room 405-415. Priya Satia, Raymond A. Spruance Professor of International History and Professor of History, Stanford University will examine alternative forms of republicanism prevalent in the 18th century world that were eclipsed by colonial conquest. Erasure of these forms from popular memory has fueled myths about the exclusively European origins of the concept of freedom and its necessarily individualistic character. This is the second part of the Feinberg Family Lecture series.
THURSDAY OCTOBER 22: CHRISTIAN MCBRIDE AND URSA MAJOR. 7:30 p.m. Bowker Auditorium, UMass. Downbeat Magazine terms Christian McBride “arguably the best jazz bassist of his generation and one of our most celebrated and most visible living jazz artists. Eleven-time Grammy winner McBride is joined by Ursa Major on an album “Points of Light” to be released on October 30 on Mack Avenue records. Tickets start at $40. Students $20.
TUESDAY NOVEMBER 3: RHIANNON GIDDENS AT MOUNT HOLYOKE COLLEGE. 5:30 p.m., Mary Woolley Hall, Chapin Auditorium, Mount Holyoke College, South Hadley. Rhiannon Giddens has built an iconic career stretching folk music—and its deep historical roots—into just about every field imaginable. A two-time GRAMMY Award winner, MacArthur “Genius” grant recipient, Pulitzer Prize winner, and composer of opera, ballet, and film, Giddens centers her work on lifting up previously overlooked contributors to American musical history. A founding member of the landmark Black string band Carolina Chocolate Drops and supergroup Our Native Daughters, Giddens is as much curator as creator. She serves as Artistic Director of the Yo-Yo Ma–founded Silkroad Ensemble, hosts PBS’s My Music with Rhiannon Giddens, and hosted the podcasts Aria Code and American Railroad. Her discography on Nonesuch Records includes solo releases, collaborations with Francesco Turrisi, Silkroad’s American Railroad (2024), and What Did the Blackbird Say to the Crow (2025) with Justin Robinson. Tickets
THURSDAY NOVEMBER 5 THROUGH SUNDAY NOVEMBER 8: VALLEY LIGHT OPERA PRESENTS “FIDDLER ON THE ROOF.” 7:30 p.m. on Thursday and Friday, 2 p.m. on Saturday and Sunday. Academy of Music, Northampton. Stage Director Rose Schwietz Malla, Music Director Matthew Bertuzzi, Choreographer, Marybeth Mizula Vargas. Preshow talk at 1 p.m. before both matinees by Joshua Horowitz of the Yiddish Book Center. Four shows only. Order your tickets now!
SATURDAY NOVEMBER 14: UMASS CHILLY CHALLENGE FOR A VIOLENCE-FREE COMMUNITY. 10: 30 a.m. to 12 p.m., Puffers Pond, State Street. Each fall we gather to plunge into chilly water to raise awareness & funds for critical services for survivors and a violence-free community. Whether you’re cheering from the shore, going all in, or anything in between, all are invited to join us! This year, we will be crowning two “Chilly Champions” for the people who raise the most funds and the most awareness (by getting others to sign up too). Champions will receive bragging rights and a special photo op. Learn more when you sign up! Warm drinks & chili are provided, along with a DJ, games, and a photo op in the Chilly Champion’s Ice Throne. Registration $10-$25 for students, $25-$100 for community members.
SUNDAY NOVEMBER 15: PICKLEBALL TOURNAMENT TO BENEFIT THE FRIENDS OF THE JONES LIBRARY. Hatfield Rally House, 255 West Street, North Hatfield. The Friends of the Jones Libraries is excited to host its third annual Pickleball Tournament. Proceeds of the Tournament support programs and services of the three branches of the Jones Library. This is This is a recreational friendly tournament, open to anyone 18 years or older, following USA Pickleball Rules (PDF). The Tournament is a Round Robin with up to 32 players per Session. In each Session there will be a 1st Place Prize Winner and a 2nd Place Prize Winner. Your player number will be drawn when you arrive to play. There are also free raffle prizes. Food and beverages will be provided. With 32 players, the games will be held on 8 indoor courts. Everyone will play a minimum of 7 rounds, each round with a different partner. You will have 12 minutes to play a game to 11 points (or more, if necessary, to win by two points). Once time is called, whichever side is ahead is the winner.
FRIDAY NOVEMBER 20: DAMES, DISHES, AND DEGREES: A BOOK TALK WITH AMY MITTELMAN AT “HISTORY BITES.” 1 to 3 p.m., Bangs Community Center. Join us for a look back at the role of faculty wives in this new book by local author Amy Mittelman! At a time when the hidden labor that sustains major institutions is receiving renewed attention, a new book uncovers the overlooked role faculty wives played in building American academic life. In Dames, Dishes, and Degrees: Faculty Wives in America, historian Amy Mittelman explores how highly educated women – often barred from university employment by anti-nepotism rules and gender discrimination – organized faculty wives clubs that hosted events, mentored newcomers, supported philanthropy, and helped shape campus culture throughout the twentieth century and into the twenty-first.
Session I
- Mixed Gender Intermediate, Level 3.0-3.4, 8:30 am – 10:45 am: The player has good mobility; good stamina; able to sustain medium length rallies; has some understanding of pickleball strategy; and successfully implements various shots.
Session II
- She/Her/They Advanced Intermediate, Level 3.5-3.9, 10:45 am – 1:00 pm: The player has very good pickleball footwork; very good mobility to cover the court; very good hand-eye coordination, as well as very good quickness for hands and feet; has command of many shots consistently; and is able to sustain medium to long rallies.
Session III
- Mixed Gender Intermediate, Level 3.0-3.4, 1:00 pm – 3:15 pm (limited to 16 players)
- He/Him/They Advanced Intermediate, Level 3.5-3.9, 1:00 pm – 3:15 pm (limited to 16 players): The player has very good pickleball footwork; very good mobility to cover the court; very good hand-eye coordination, as well as very good quickness for hands and feet; has command of many shots consistently; and is able to sustain medium to long rallies
Session IV
- She/Her/They Advanced Intermediate, Level 3.5-3.9, 3:15 pm – 5:30 pm (limited to 16 players)
- Mixed Gender Advanced, Level 4.0+, 3:15 pm – 5:30 pm (limited to 16 players): The player has excellent pickleball footwork, mobility, and hand-eye coordination, as well as quick hands and feet; has excellent stamina; understands and implements strategies at game speed; consistently employs all shots; and can sustain long rallies of varied pace.
Registration $60. Registration closes on October 31.
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.
EVERY TUESDAY: RACIAL JUSTICE VIGIL We Stand for Peace and Justice Amherst. 4-4:30 p.m. in the center of town in front of the Bank of America Building (1 S. Pleasant St.) Join Amherst community members from various affiliations, who come together every Tuesday to stand out in downtown Amherst for social justice, peace, and in support of our immigrants neighbors in danger. We often sing while standing together, accompanied by a guitar or drum. More info
FIRST TUESDAY OF EVERY MONTH: COUNCIL ON AGING SENIOR LUNCH. Noon. Bangs Center, 70 Boltwood Walk.
FIRST TUESDAY OF EVERY MONTH. RAINBOW COFFEE HOUR. 9:30-11 a.m. Amherst Senior Center, Bangs Center, 70 Boltwood Walk. The Rainbow Coffee Hour is a LGBTIA+ social coffee group for ages 50 and above. Join us for this welcoming space to socialize. No format, no agenda, just community. More information
TUESDAYS, THURSDAYS, SATURDAYS, AND SUNDAYS: DROP IN PICKLEBALL. 8 a.m. to noon, Mill River Recreation Area, 95 Montague Road. Drop-in to play pickleball at Mill River Recreation Area. Nets are available on-site to put up and play! Free and open to the public. Sponsored by Amherst Recreation.
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
EVERY WEDNESDAY : CAFE. Bangs Community Center, Room 101, 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. Pastries provided generously by Atkins Farms Country Market. 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 Wednesdays, Come for the coffee, stay for the connections! Email seniorcenter@amherstma.gov or call 413-259-3060 with questions.
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.
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 THURSDAY: IRISH MUSIC AT THE HARP. 4 to 7 p.m., The Harp, 163 Sunderland Road. Banish the cold and damp of the past months with Irish music. There may be Fiddle, Flute, Tin Whistle, Guitar, Mandolin, Banjo, Bagpipes, Bouzouki, Bodhran and ?. It’s always a surprise who shows up. Jigs, Reels, Hornpipes, Flings, Polkas, Slides, and Waltz’ from around the Celtic world. Food, drink, friendship and a relentless cacophony of rhythmic tones. Undeterred by the chaos and heartbreak of our troubled world, As a favorite jig of mine says, We’re always Happy to Meet and Sorry to Part. Who knows? .it might help banish misfortune for a moment. And, you may find out what a Luachrachan is. Or how to pronounce “Cuil Aodh.” I hope to see you.
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.
EVERY FRIDAY IN JULY, BEGINNING JULY 10: SUMMER CONCERT SERIES. 5 to 8 p.m., Town Common. Kick off your weekends with live music on the Amherst Town Common! The Summer Music Concert Series returns Friday, July 10 and continues on July 17, 24, and 31 from 5–8 PM. Free and open to all, these concerts feature local and regional artists bringing the community together for music, dancing, and summer fun.
Bring your lawn chairs, picnic blankets, friends, and family, and enjoy a variety of live music performances under the summer sky. Free. Sponsored by the Amherst Business Improvement District.
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 FROM APRIL 18 THROUGH NOVEMBER 21: AMHERST FARMERS’ MARKET. 8 to 1:30 p.m., Amherst Town Common, Boltwood Avenue. The Amherst Farmers Market is 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 the food, music, events, and community offerings in Downtown Amherst. Saturdays from 8:00 am to 1:30 pm during the 2026 season of April 18 – November 21
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.
SUNDAYS SANDLOT BASEBALL. 4 to 6 p.m., Amherst Regional Middle School field, Chestnut Street. Get your bat, gum, and cleats ready to play some sandlot baseball! Every Sunday, from 4:00 PM – 6:00 PM, at the Amherst Middle School field you are invited to play with enthusiasts of the sport. Remember, this is for fun, open to all skills levels! $5 Drop-In Fee. Remember, this is for fun, open to all skills levels!
THIRD SUNDAY OF EVERY MONTH APRIL THROUGH OCTOBER: CARS AND COFFEE AT THE MILL DISTRICT. 8:30 to 11:30 a.m., 91 Cowls Road. The free car show for all! This FREE community event invites car lovers of all ages to enjoy an exciting morning filled with cool cars, coffee, and family fun. Spectators get a free drip coffee token and information on entering our raffle for a $50 gift certificate to the Mill District General Store and Local Art Gallery. There will also be an on-site playground and coloring activities to keep the kids entertained. Trophies awarded for the top cars in several categories. Pre-register your vehicle here.
NOW THROUGH THE END OF SEPTEMBER: EXHIBIT BY LOCAL ARTIST AMY DAWN KOTEL Monday through Friday 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.,Town Hall, 4 Boltwood Avenue. Amy Dawn Kotel is a multidisciplinary artist whose creative path spans dance, puppetry, education, and fitness, all of which inform her vibrant fine art practice. Bursting with color, movement, and imagination, Kotel’s work invites viewers into richly layered worlds where countless forms converge to create expansive landscapes, dreamlike narratives, and unexpected connections. After years working in movement-based and community-centered arts, Kotel returned to visual art as a primary outlet, using drawing, painting, collage, and upcycled fabric sculpture to explore her inner world. Her work is characterized by bold color, dynamic movement, and intricate compositions built from small shapes that form larger images. Blending elements of nature, abstraction, and surrealism, her pieces often oscillate between expressing emotional depth and imagining beauty, inviting viewers into a space that is at once playful, heartfelt, and introspective. In addition to Kotel’s large art life, she is also a mom, wife, community organizer, tree hugger, and educator.
NOW THROUGH SUNDAY JANUARY 3: “MY BEAUTIFUL, PITIFUL AGE:” THE 20TH CENTURY THROUGH THE THOMAS P. WHITNEY COLLECTION. Mead Art Museum, Amherst College. The multipart exhibition at the Mead Art Museum and the Amherst Center for Russian Culture will offer the first in-depth exploration of the Thomas P. Whitney Collection of art and rare books. Exhibition materials will be shown in galleries in both locations throughout the 2026-2027 academic year: A graduate of Amherst College, Thomas P. Whitney (1917–2007, Class of 1937) worked as an economic analyst and then as a diplomat and journalist in Moscow from 1944 to 1953. Upon returning to the United States, he became known as an expert in Soviet affairs and a translator of Russian literature. Driven by a special interest in Russian-speaking networks of thought and visual art, he assembled a library of rare books, manuscripts, and periodicals that formed an intellectual whole with his art holdings. The literary materials established the Amherst Center for Russian Culture in 1991, followed a decade later by the gift to the Mead of approximately 700 artworks by over 160 artists from the Russian Empire and Soviet Union. Today, these holdings remain one of the most comprehensive North American collections of art and literary materials from that region. The art collection encompasses the late Russian Empire and the Soviet Union while tracing artists’ global trajectories across the territories of present-day Russia, Ukraine, Belarus, the Baltic states, Germany, France, the United Kingdom, the United States, and beyond. Holdings include Orthodox icons from various periods and regions, as well as the artwork of important late 19th- and early 20th-century figures like Léon Bakst, Alexandre Benois, and Nicholas Roerich; radical modernists including Vassily Kandinsky, Kazimir Malevich, Naum Gabo, Alexander Archipenko, Sonia Delaunay, Natalia Goncharova, Alexandra Exter; as well as major Soviet nonconformists like Vladimir Veisberg, Oskar Rabin, and Ülo Sooster. The collection combines paintings, drawings, prints, sculptures, rare books, and manuscripts, with a special focus on the dialogue between visual art and literature.
MONDAY SEPTEMBER 21 THROUGH SUNDAY SEPTEMBER 27: EMILY DICKINSON POETRY MARATHON. Virtual and hybrid program at the Emily Dickinson Museum, 220 Main Street. Part of the 2026 Tell It Slant Poetry Festival. Come read with us and join in for the week-long Emily Dickinson Poetry Marathon! An Emily Dickinson Museum tradition, the Marathon is a group reading of all 1,789 poems by Emily Dickinson over the course of 7 sessions. For this year’s hybrid Festival, some sessions will take place in-person and others online. For the Marathon, we will be reading from Ralph Franklin’s The Poems of Emily Dickinson: Reading Edition. Register for the festival here.
THURSDAY OCTOBER 1 THROUGH SATURDAY OCTOBER 31: VARIATIONS/SENSATIONS ART EXHIBIT BY JANET W WINSTON. Gallery A3, 28 Amity Street. Gallery hours: Thursday through Sunday 2 to 7 p.m. Opening reception Saturday, October 2, 5 to 7 p.m. In paintings and prints, Janet W. Winston revisits and reinterprets themes that have held great meaning for her over the years, with expressive variations depicting the Mayan ruins in the Mexican Yucatan, the fluttering movement of butterflies, and the rolling dunes of Cape Cod. A precision of line and a joyous profusion of color characterize all her work, but her artistic trajectory suggests an arc leaning towards abstraction. “My inspiration comes from nature, from the smallest of delicate butterflies to rolling sandy dunes or distant mountains in dry hot climates where colors change from whiter light to dark-colored shadow,” Janet explains. Her particular interest in butterflies comes from a stint as a scientific illustrator in Entomology and what she describes as “a magical trip to the wintering sites of the Monarch butterflies in central Mexico.” The architectural geometry of the ancient Mayan ruins in the Yucatan also intrigued her, appearing in early large paintings as well as later, smaller prints.