Programming

August 21st – August 27th

The Valley Nerd Watch!

We had a wonderful time at Nerd Nite this past week! And guess what we made a special announcement and we’re going to re-make that announcement here, but later! Next time attend Nerd Nite if you want the scoop, folks.

Nerd Nite NoHo is going to have a special show at the Academy of Music! In anticipation of the Academy’s putting on the play Einstein! by Jack Fry on November 18th we’re going to do an Einstein-focused Nerd Nite on Monday, October 23rd! Two local physics professors – Dr. Gary Felder and Dr. Brokk Toggerson – are going to discuss cosmology and how it relates to relativity and the sometimes unsolved mysteries of the physics of the mundane!

It’ll be the best opportunity you have to take your friends and family to a Nerd Nite! You’ll be able to pretend it’s a way classier event! We’re excited!

Go check out the Valley Creators page! As always, be sure to check out our Patreon and the Weekly Events page! There are a lot of fun things happening this and every week! And don’t forget to check out the updated Book Clubs List!

THIS WEEK

Art:

Tuesday, August 22nd
Jones Library [43 Amity St., Amherst, MA 01002] at 9:00 AM to 12:00 PM
Gods and Goddesses of Ancient Greece Writing Workshop
Create a god or goddess to add to the pantheon, young writers ages 9 – 12! Children’s author Burleigh Muten will help you create a new myth! Don’t go too hard on the mythmaking though you don’t want to wake up to a knock on the door from the Un-Council of No-Space, they keep a lid on the power levels of most gods. Pre-registration only, $100, call 413-657-7721 to pre-register!
Wednesday, August 23rd
Jones Library [43 Amity St., Amherst, MA 01002] at 9:00 AM to 12:00 PM
Gods and Goddesses of Ancient Greece Writing Workshop
More gods! The mind boggles at all these ancient deities!
Forbes Library [20 West St, Northampton, MA 01060] at 6:30 PM to 8:30 PM
Forbes Library Zine Club
Zine fiends clean your spleens and eat some greens on the way to the zine club! It’s the most important night of the week! Let us know if you make a zine and we will maybe feature it in the Nerd Watch? Yeah why not that sounds fun. Zines!
Thursday, August 24th
Jones Library [43 Amity St., Amherst, MA 01002] at 9:00 AM to 12:00 PM
Gods and Goddesses of Ancient Greece Writing Workshop
We suggest creating a god or goddess of some abstract thought process. Like the goddess of being quite happy but low-key nervous that you’ve forgotten a deadline.
Saturday, August 26th
Unitarian Society [220 Main Street, Northampton] at 7:00 PM to 9:00 PM
The Scarlet Professor: An Evening of Discussion & Song
Award-winning biographer Barry Werth and composer Eric Sawyer will describe how they and the librettist Harley Erdman transformed the powerful story of Newton Arvin, a Smith professor who was persecuted in the 60s for ‘possession of lewd photos of men’, into an opera. We’re going to assume they made it somewhat like the Scarlet Letter, because of the name!

Board Games:

Saturday, August 26th
Modern Myths [34 Bridge Street #4, Northampton, MA 01060] at 7:00 PM to 11:00 PM
Board Game Night
Play board games at a wonderful local store! The staff will help you set yourself up, and you’ll quickly be exploring fun new games with a whole bunch of other friendly Valley residents! There’s also always a game demo available to show you something new! Beginners welcome, ages 13+ recommended, younger folks welcome with a parent!

Books:

Thursday, August 24th
Packards [14 Masonic Street, Northampton, MA] at 6:30 PM to 9:00 PM
Hugo Award nominated short fiction + dinner
Read a bunch of excellent short fiction works and then talk about them with a group of friendly people at a nice local restaurant! You can find a link to each of the stories discussed on the meetup page! https://www.meetup.com/4scifi/events/242268636/
Friday, August 25th
Jones Library [43 Amity St., Amherst, MA 01002] at 12:00 PM to 3:00 PM
Meet The Author/Illustrator Mark Parisi
Ages 8+! Also their families! Meet an author and illustrator who is lovely and then have a writing and illustration lab and some snacks! What a delightful afternoon this sounds like, good job Mark Parisi!
Saturday, August 26th
Palmer Public Library [1455 N Main St, Palmer, MA 01069] at 1:00 PM to 4:00 PM
Tim Burke Book Talk | Deception
Deception is a book with a cover image of what look like some snappily-dressed mob people pointing guns while competing to be in the most photogenic shadows so we’re assuming kind of a noir adventure/thriller? Really long talk, too! Maybe it’s just someone recording an audio-book while you’re in the room.

Card Games:

Friday, August 25th
Modern Myths [34 Bridge Street #4, Northampton, MA 01060] at 7:00 PM to 10:30 PM
Friday Night Magic BOOSTER DRAFT
Play Magic in the Booster Draft format which we are not super familiar with but it seems like you basically get a bunch of booster packs and draft a deck from them. Your $16 entry fee includes MA Sales Tax and purchases your 3 boosters, as well as adding a pack to the prize pool! Everyone who participates will get at least one prize pack, and special promos will go to exceptional players! This is an intermediate-level event, ages 13+ recommended! Younger players allowed with an adult accompanying them!
Saturday, August 26th
Modern Myths [34 Bridge Street #4, Northampton, MA 01060] at 1:00 PM to 4:00 PM
Human Era Playtest
From the creators of the spectacular DRAGOON, check out and provide excellent and useful feedback about Human Era! It’s a competitive time-travelling card game which sounds pretty neat. Stop by any time from one to four to help out and play a fun game!

Community:

Wednesday, August 23rd
Jones Library [43 Amity St., Amherst, MA 01002] at 9:30 AM to 11:30 AM
Moms of Color Western Mass
A weekly support group for moms of color. Pregnant women and children welcome. This group is an intentional space for Women of Color. Free and open to the public.
Forbes Library [20 West St, Northampton, MA 01060] at 3:00 PM to 6:00 PM
Volunteer to Become a Special Education Surrogate Parent
Are you interested in supporting students in your community? You can help by volunteering to become a Special Education Surrogate Parent (SESP) for a student in state care that requires special education supports and whose parents are unknown or unavailable. These children depend on SESPs to protect their legal right to a free and appropriate education.
Saturday, August 26th
Greenfield Public Library [402 Main St, Greenfield, MA 01301] at 3:00 PM to 4:30 PM
Franklin County League of Women Voters
Get together with the wonderful folks who like to vote! Get informed, get involved, get ready to keep working for your ideals!

Movies:

Wednesday, August 23rd
Forbes Library [20 West St, Northampton, MA 01060] at 6:30 PM to 8:30 PM
Film: The Coming War on China
The Northampton Committee to Stop War offers a fee and accessible screening of John Pilger’s 60th film for ITV. Pilger dives deep into the US’s belligerence toward the world’s second economic power, and why it seems like we’re on the long road to a short and horrific war. Discussion will follow the film!

RPGs:

Thursday, August 24th
Modern Myths [34 Bridge Street #4, Northampton, MA 01060] at 7:00 PM to 10:00 PM
Dungeons & Dragons
Play the old familiar, the classic, the one with dungeons and also dragons! You’ll be exploring the Dwarven fortress Stone Tooth! The adventure is recommended for characters of at least level 3. To enter, you need to get a $5 day pass, but that becomes store credit immediately!

SPACE:

Monday, August 21st
America [Earth] at 1:30 PM to 4:00 PM
The Sun Escapes
It’s done it this time, folks, it’s really gone and done it. We had it for a long time, we kept it here to keep us warm and to help us photosynthesize but it’s gone and slipped the chains and it’s taking the first train to anywhere but here. The portal will open and begin swallowing the sun around 1:30pm, and by about 2:30pm we should all begin to freeze into an endless tableau of eternal night, and then at about 4:00pm the Sun will arrive… somewhere a little bit better than here.
Greenfield Public Library [402 Main St, Greenfield, MA 01301] at 1:00 PM to 5:00 PM
Community Solar Eclipse Viewing
If you can’t make it to the first viewing, they’ll be doing a repeat viewing 6pm – 9pm.

Science:

Monday, August 21st
Forbes Library [20 West St, Northampton, MA 01060] at 2:00 PM to 4:00 PM
Scientific Kids Club: Astronomy and the Solar Eclipse
Astronomy is the study of how to chain stars. Basically it’s a series of elaborate binding rituals that “Astronemeers” use each day to make sure that a new star is available to power Earth for the day. Learn more about this eldritch scientific pursuit and watch as Astronemeers attempt to keep the sun from escaping!

August 7th – August 13th

The Valley Nerd Watch!

We hope your week’s going well! This coming week there’s a bunch of neat stuff!

We highly recommend checking out Saturday Board Games at Modern Myths, because it is always a fun time. Or Wednesday Games if you’re in Easthampton! There’s always a good game night in the Valley.

Also! We have exciting news BUT we can’t talk about it just yet. Suffice to say it is related to Nerd Nite and you should all make sure to make it to the next Nerd Nite on Monday, August 14th at the World War 2 Club! It’s going to be about song mashups and weather forecasting, two great tastes that obviously taste great together!

Go check out the Valley Creators page! As always, be sure to check out our Patreon and the Weekly Events page! There are a lot of fun things happening this and every week! And don’t forget to check out the updated Book Clubs List!

THIS WEEK

Art:

Wednesday, August 9th
Forbes Library [20 West St, Northampton, MA 01060] at 6:30 PM to 7:00 PM
Forbes Library Zine Club/strong>
Zines! Zines! Zines off the screens, and into the streams! Zines are a means to preen your mean … … hm. Feathers? We don’t have all day to think of ryhmes!
Friday, August 11th
Emily Dickinson Museum [280 Main St, Amherst, MA 01002] at 8:00 PM to 10:30 PM
Jane Ira Bloom Quartet presents “Wild Lines”
Award-winning soprano saxophonist and composer Jane Ira Bloom presents “Wild Lines”, her new work for jazz quartet and spoken word and inspired by the poetry of Emily Dickinson. Inspired by the knowledge that Dickinson was a pianist and improviser, this explores the jazz-like quality of Dickinson’s writing! Tickets are $18 for general admission, $15 for Friends, seniors, and students!
Smith College Museum of Art [20 Elm St, Northampton, MA 01063] at 10:00 AM to 8:00 PM
FREE FUN FRIDAY!
We don’t know why they’re shouting it this time but it’s still nice! It’s a great chance to see “The Villas of Oplontis” before the exhibit closes on August 13th! There will be a food truck around lunch time, hands-on art making for all ages, light refreshments, and a guided conversation about one of the objects of art on display! A delightfully mind-expanding time for all.
Historic Northampton [46 Bridge Street, Northampton, MA 01060-2406] at 5:00 PM to 8:00 PM
Reframing Northampton: A Contemporary View of the Howes Brothers Photographs by Sara Lyons
Sara Lyons has revisited and re-photographed a bunch of the homes that the Howes Brothers documented over 100 years ago. Her contemporary portraits will be displayed alongside the original Howes Brothers images. We presume the purpose to to lord it over the past, showing off how much cooler our house are now that we have color.

Board Games:

Tuesday, August 8th
Greenfield Public Library [402 Main St, Greenfield, MA 01301] at 5:30 PM to 8:00 PM
Ice Cream and Air Condition Board Game Night
Eat ice cream! Play board games! There’s really not much more to say about this. We suppose the air conditioning part of things has been weirdly unnecessary for some bits of this summer, but it’s August so we’re probably going to melt as we do every year. Have a good time!
Wednesday, August 9th
The Brass Cat [65 Cottage St #101, Easthampton, MA 01027] at 7:00 PM – 11:00 PM
Ice Cream and Air Condition Board Game Night
Another lovely game night at the Brass Cat! Good beer, good companionship, good games. What more can a person ask for? This week they’re going to be focusing on the Highlight Game “Not Alone”! It’s about being hunted by a mysterious alien on a strange world and it sounds great!
Saturday, August 12th
Modern Myths [34 Bridge Street #4, Northampton, MA 01060] at 7:00 PM to 11:00 PM
Board Game Night
Play board games at a wonderful local store! The staff will help you set yourself up, and you’ll quickly be exploring fun new games with a whole bunch of other friendly Valley residents! There’s also always a game demo available to show you something new! Beginners welcome, ages 13+ recommended, younger folks welcome with a parent!

Books:

Wednesday, August 9th
Odyssey Bookshop [9 College St, South Hadley, MA 01075] at 7:00 PM to 8:00 PM
Claire McMillan, The Necklace
The Necklace is a story of resentment and secrets spanning generations and all circling around a mysterious and awe-inspiring necklace from India that was left to young lawyer Nell Quincy after her great-aunt’s death! So far most of the items we’ve received from deceased relatives have been at BEST moderately cursed.
Thursday, August 10th
Palmer Public Library [1455 N Main St, Palmer, MA 01069] at 6:00 PM to 7:30 PM
Book Talk with Edward Lodi, The Angel of Hadley
The Angel of Hadley, A Legend of King Phillip’s war and the Strange History Behind It is an account of an attack on Hadley in September of 1675 by native Americans during which a stranger saved the day before vanishing. This led the settlers to believe he was an emissary of God. Edward Lodi will explain what’s up with that.

Card Games:

Friday, August 11th
Modern Myths [34 Bridge Street #4, Northampton, MA 01060] at 7:00 PM to 10:30 PM
Friday Night Magic BOOSTER DRAFT
Play Magic in the Booster Draft format which we are not super familiar with but it seems like you basically get a bunch of booster packs and draft a deck from them. Your $16 entry fee includes MA Sales Tax and purchases your 3 boosters, as well as adding a pack to the prize pool! Everyone who participates will ge at least one prize pack, and special promos will go to exceptional players! This is an intermediate-level event, ages 13+ recommended! Younger players allowed with an adult accompanying them!

Community:

Thursday, August 10th
Common Media [84 Russell Street, Hadley, MA] at 6:00 PM to 9:00 PM
Hack for Western Mass
Get some quick updates about ongoing projects followed by a discussion of upcoming projects and then it’s straight to work hacking to make a difference in our local communities! If you’ve got a skill you can contribute whether that’s coding, analysis, the ability to speak to people on a phone without hyperventalitating a little, you’re welcome to help out! You can also join the Slack group at h4wm.slack.com/ signup if you’d like to chat there! Dinner and drinks are provided by the firendly Hackers!
Jones Library [43 Amity St., Amherst, MA 01002] at 6:30 PM to 7:30 PM
Habitat for Humanity – Building a Better World Locally and Globally
Learn about an organiation that’s helping people here and around the world live indoors!
Forbes Library [20 West St, Northampton, MA 01060] at 6:00 PM to 7:00 PM
Plant Swap
Swap plants! Bring some plants, talk to some folks who like plants, take their plants, and then give them your plants! Heck basically anything you can imagine doing with plants you can do here with these plants! Except plant them, no planting them in the library.

Computers:

Thursday, August 10th
Palmer Public Library [1455 N Main St, Palmer, MA 01069] at 1:00 PM to 2:00 PM
Coding with Minecraft
Kids ages 10 and up, learn how to summon lighting wit ha bow and arrow, build giant rainbows, spawn farms, and modify the world… of MINECRAFT that is! Thank goodness we don’t need any more lightning-summoning children. Please pre-register at the Youth Services Desk by calling 413-283-3330.

Entertainment:

Wednesday, August 9th
Palmer Public Library [1455 N Main St, Palmer, MA 01069] at 10:30 AM to 11:30 AM
The Toe Jam Puppet Band
Join Mr. Vinny and Mr. Tom to play laugh sing and dance along to the fantastic fantabulous puppet band!
Forbes Library [20 West St, Northampton, MA 01060] at 3:30 PM to 4:30 PM
Circus Minimus: One-Man-Circus-in-a-Suitcase!
This terror of a man has crafted a device capable of shrinking or ‘Minimizing’ entire rooms full of people! Beware, dear readers! Beware the Minimus, many have already been captured! A circus follows him, seeking to regain their forms! If you hear the subtle sound of a tiny elephant trumpetting you know it’s already too late!

Kids:

Wednesday, August 9th
Greenfield Public Library [402 Main St, Greenfield, MA 01301] at 10:00 AM to 10:45 AM
Sunshine Story Time
A special storytime designed for 3-5 year-olds that has puppets and rythm instruments! We tend to prefer arthymic instruments. Like a tambourine with a hole through it missing 3 of the jingly bits.
Saturday, August 12th
Greenfield Public Library [402 Main St, Greenfield, MA 01301] at 10:00 AM to 12:00 PM
Caravan Puppet Theater Summer Reading Program Wrap Up Party
Ring the death knell for summer and welcome the Dark Times with this summer reading wrap-up party! There’s going to be a puppet show and prizes, so definitely bring in your reading record and pick up your prize book!
Sunday, August 13th
The Eric Carle Museum of Picture Book Art [125 West Bay Rd., Amherst, MA 01002] at 2:00 PM to 2:30 PM
Special Storytime: Leslea Newman
Wear a sparkly thing to this “Sparkle Party”! It’s a storytime! It’s an art activity! It’s sparkly as all get out! You’ll hear the story of Casey and his older sister Jessie! Casey loves trucks and blocks and puzzles as well as shimmery glittery things, but Jessie says shiny pretty things are just for girls! This story speaks to us all about freedom and respect and how to make your way in a confusing world!

Movies:

Wednesday, August 9th
Forbes Library [20 West St, Northampton, MA 01060] at 6:30 PM to 8:00 PM
Film: Command and Control
Command and Control sells the message of anti nuclear proliferation via the quite reasonable method of recounting a 1980 incident during which Arkansas was almost destroyed. Like, the state. Not even by any particularly wildly unlikely account. It’s almost as though hanging on to weaponry that can destroy states isn’t particularly useful OR safe!

RPGs:

Thursday, August 10th
Modern Myths [34 Bridge Street #4, Northampton, MA 01060] at 7:00 PM to 10:00 PM
Dungeons & Dragons
Play the old familiar, the classic, the one with dungeons and also dragons! You’ll be exploring the Dwarven fortress Stone Tooth! The adventure is recommended for characters of at least level 3. To enter, you need to get a $5 day pass, but that becomes store credit immediately!

Science:

Monday, August 7th
Forbes Library [20 West St, Northampton, MA 01060] at 7:00 PM to 8:00 PM
The Great North American Solar Eclipse
There’s going to be the first solar eclipse in North America in 38 years this month! That’s wild! Wait why do we have a memory of seeing a solar eclipse as children? That makes no sense. We were… hm. We’re really going to need to talk to mom about that rune circle she never allows us to pass through in the basement. Either way, Meg Thatcher from the Astronomy Department at Smith College will give you the low-down about what an eclipse is, why they happen, and how to view one safely!
Wednesday, August 9th
Palmer Public Library [1455 N Main St, Palmer, MA 01069] at 6:00 PM to 7:30 PM
The Role of the Honeybees in the Environment
Beekeeper Kenneth Warchol will speak about the role of honeybees in the environment! Oddly enough? CTO. Bees, the collective, are the CTO of the environment. There are going to be samples of honey to taste!

July 24th – July 30th

The Valley Nerd Watch!

Hello all you wonderful people out there! We’re extremely glad to bring you another issue of the Nerd Watch!

This week let’s celebrate that local creators at Make Big Things made not just double, not just triple, not just quadruple, but QUINTUPLE their Kickstarter goal for their new game Damn the Man, Save the Music! They’re putting out an absolutely delightful sounding game about saving a failing record store in the mid-1990s! And they made enough to hit their stretch goal of releasing an extra Sci-Fi/Douglas Adams inspired game “The Record Store at the End of the Universe”.

Make Big Things is one of the prides of the Valley, making tabletop RPGs that plumb interesting experiences and innovative play styles, and you owe it to yourself to check out their recent release Noirlandia as well as their original game Questlandia! Yay for Make Big Things!

Go check out the Valley Creators page! As always, be sure to check out our Patreon and the Weekly Events page! There are a lot of fun things happening this and every week! And don’t forget to check out the updated Book Clubs List!

THIS WEEK

Art:

Monday, July 24th
Sunderland Public Library [20 School St., Sunderland, MA 01375] at 6:00 PM to 7:00 PM
Learn Ukulele with Julie
Learn the most tiny and fun of guitars: Ukulele! Sooner than you think you’ll be belting out songs and by the end of the hour you’re going to have a seven-album recording deal with a major studio, we guarantee it!
Tuesday, July 25th
Greenfield Public Library [402 Main St, Greenfield, MA 01301] at 5:30 PM to 7:00 PM
Book to Art Club
Create your own alphabet and learn the art of hand-lettering! All the supplies will be provided and you’ll also get a copy of “The Sun is Also a Star” which sounds neat and accurate. You’re going to use it for a string art project next meeting! Also there are refreshments and AC!
Wednesday, July 26th
Mead Art Museum [41 Quadrangle Dr, Amherst, MA 01002] at 1:00 PM to 3:00 PM
Family Workshops at the Mead
Come to the Mead to experience the wonder of air conditioning and making good art! Visitors are invited to participate in a variety of fun activities, from film screenings to art-making!
Forbes Library [20 West St, Northampton, MA 01060] at 6:30 PM to 8:30 PM
Forbes Library Zine Club
Keen zines for zine fiends, never before seen zines, zines for teens and tweens, Halloween zines, zines about queens, all the zines you can fit in your… … machine!
Thursday, July 27th
Palmer Public Library [1455 N Main St, Palmer, MA 01069] at 2:00 PM to 3:00 PM
Upcycling Workshop
Learn about upcycling from Lou’s Upcycles! You’ll learn about how to make plastic bags useful again view the process of fusing them! Fuse and reuse, we always say!
Sunday, July 30th
Mead Art Museum [41 Quadrangle Dr, Amherst, MA 01002] at 11:00 AM to 4:00 PM
Sunday Sketch at the Mead
Draw at the Mead! Artists are welcome to sketch in the galleries or outside in the courtyard! Paper and pencils and drawing boards AND gallery stools provided!

Board Games:

Wednesday, July 26th
Greenfield Public Library [402 Main St, Greenfield, MA 01301] at 5:30 PM to 7:00 PM
Family Game Night
Play games with your family and friends! It’s a good night for a bunch of friendly people!
The Brass Cat [65 Cottage St #101, Easthampton, MA 01027] at 7:00 PM to 11:00 PM
Wednesday Game Night at the Brass Cat
Play games with your family and friends! It’s a good night for a bunch of friendly people! With a Mission Cantina food truck and good beer!

Books:

Monday, July 24th
Greenfield Public Library [402 Main St, Greenfield, MA 01301] at 6:00 PM to 7:00 PM
Thoreau Open Mic
Kick off the GPL Thoreau celebration we’ve decided to call Thoroughly Thoreau Thrills! This open-mic night will be a chance to read your favorite Thoreau works!
Wednesday, July 26th
Odyssey Bookshop [9 College St, South Hadley, MA 01075] at 7:00 PM to 8:30 PM
Kory Stamper, Word by Word
Kory Stamper, Lexicographer for Merriam-Webster, takes you through how dictionaries are made and helps you understand the complex world of obsession over every single word! A must-see if you want to get in on the ground floor of this year’s hottest new words, like strealf and minump.
Palmer Public Library [1455 N Main St, Palmer, MA 01069] at 6:00 PM to 7:00 PM
A Book Discussion of Cape Cod by Henry David Thoreau
Come discuss what Thoreau thought about Cape Cod, and enjoy some cake and refreshments in celebration of his birthday! Weirdly most of his thoughts about Cape Cod had to do with the quality of the Mozzarella sticks at local eateries. Register for the discussion at 413-283-3330 and pick up a copy of the book at the library!
Saturday, July 29th
Odyssey Bookshop [9 College St, South Hadley, MA 01075] at 2:00 PM to 3:00 PM
Find Waldo in the Pioneer Valley Party and Grand Prize Drawing!
Did you find Waldo at local businesses this summer? Well, if you found 20 or more Waldoes, you’re eligible for the Grand Prize drawing.. If you found fewer than 20 you’re eligible for a great party with snacks!

Comic Books:

Thursday, July 27th
Northampton Sidewalk Sale [Between GoBerry and the Northampton Box Office] at 10:00 AM to 8:00 PM
Modern Myths at the Sidewalk Sale!
Get a bunch of great books for really cheap! Old comics for less! Graphic novels half-off! It’s a deal bonanza!
Friday, July 28th
Northampton Sidewalk Sale [Between GoBerry and the Northampton Box Office] at 10:00 AM to 8:00 PM
Modern Myths at the Sidewalk Sale!
Get a bunch of great books for really cheap! Old comics for surprisingly litte! Graphic novels half-off! It’s a deal extravaganza!
Saturday, July 29th
Northampton Sidewalk Sale [Between GoBerry and the Northampton Box Office] at 10:00 AM to 8:00 PM
Modern Myths at the Sidewalk Sale!
Get a bunch of great books for really cheap! Old comics for amazing prices! Graphic novels half-off! It’s a deal stanza!
Sunday, July 30th
Northampton Sidewalk Sale [Between GoBerry and the Northampton Box Office] at 10:00 AM to 8:00 PM
Modern Myths at the Sidewalk Sale!
Get a bunch of great books for really cheap! Old comics for practically nothing! Graphic novels half-off! It’s a deal that exists!

Entertainment:

Thursday, July 27th
The Eric Carle Museum of Picture Book Art [125 West Bay Rd., Amherst, MA 01002] at 4:00 PM to 5:30 PM
In Conversation: Eric Carle and Annie Lionni
Eric Carle’s meeting with Leo Lionni in 1952 led to not just a job but also a long friendship! Eric Carle will be joined by Annie Lionni, granddaughter of Leo Lionni, as they share their memories of Leo Lionni and discuss the parallels between Carle and Lionni’s careers! There’s a Q&A afterward and a light reception! Books autographed by Eric Carle will be available in the Museum Shop!
Saturday, July 29th
Cummington Fairgrounds [97 Fairgrounds Road, Cummington, MA] at 10:00 AM to 10:00 PM
Massachusetts Renaissance Faire
Enjoy jousting, delicious food, bards, fire shows, magic, games, and excitement for all ages! Tickets are $15 for adults, $10 for ages 6-15, and children 5 and under are free!

Kids:

Tuesday, July 25th
Forbes Library [20 West St, Northampton, MA 01060] at 2:30 PM to 3:30 PM
Jungle Jim’s Minecraft Madness
Balloon artistry, magic, comedy, improv, and more in this action-packed performance that’s a Minecraft fan’s dream! Join Jungle Jim on stage for the Building Block Madness Tournament, the Zombie Chase, and the Balloon Firework Rocket Extravaganza!
Wednesday, July 26th
Sunderland Public Library [20 School St., Sunderland, MA 01375] at 6:00 PM to 7:00 PM
Reading is Magic! With Ed the Wizard!
It’s not often that one of the legendary Order of the Silver Secrets comes to our humble Valley but when they do, they love to teach people about how reading is a kind of magic we can do every day! Ed also teaches kids how to brew a potion that turns people into newts but that’s his own thing, the Order has specifically requested he not do that at these events.
Palmer Public Library [1455 N Main St, Palmer, MA 01069] at 10:30 AM to 11:30 AM
Sparky’s Puppets
Enter the world of stories via puppets! Humorous, colorful puppet people will get kids laughing and learning and generally feeling like hey stories are very fun and good and so are puppets. Recommended for kids ages 3-10!
Friday, July 28th
Jones Library [43 Amity St., Amherst, MA 01002] at 5:30 PM to 6:30 PM
Laser Tag (Ages 11-17)
Registration required ahead of time! Hunt your friends through the library and then shoot them with lasers!
Saturday, July 29th
Sunderland Public Library [20 School St., Sunderland, MA 01375] at 2:00 PM to 3:00 PM
End of Summer Reading Program Party
Ice cream! Water games! We assume that water games are where you just play videogames but under water. There are also drawing for raffles during the party! See if you won anything! Also you did win something: ice cream.
Greenfield Public Library [402 Main St, Greenfield, MA 01301] at 10:00 AM to 5:00 PM
Experience the Book: A Picnic with Hector Fox and Friends
Celebrate Hector Fox and his woodland friends! Author/Illustrator Astrid Sheckels will appear as Hector the Fox himself! Sign up to reserve your spot in this world of imagination! 413-772-1544 x5104!
The Eric Carle Museum of Picture Book Art [125 West Bay Rd., Amherst, MA 01002] at 11:00 AM to 1:00 PM
Starlight Theatre presents The Little Mermaid Jr.
The Starlight Youth Theatre is proud to present Disney’s beloved Little Mermaid but with adorable kids, we presume! We’re pretty sure the players are youths and that’s why it’s the Little Mermaid Jr. It’s possible that the youth just run the theater company.

Movies:

Wednesday, July 26th
Forbes Library [20 West St, Northampton, MA 01060] at 6:30 PM to 8:30 PM
Film: Let the Fire Burn
Let the Fire Burn is a 2013 documentary film about one of the of the most under-reported clashes between the government and US citizens in our history: the stand-off between MOVE and the Philadelphia Police Department. This horrifying event is brought to life through archived news coverage and interviews.
Saturday, July 29th
Jones Library [43 Amity St., Amherst, MA 01002] at 2:30 PM to 4:30 PM
Hot Summer Saturday Movie Matinee: Queen of Katwe
Based on the true story of a young girl from the streets of Uganda whose world changes when she’s introduced to chess! Thanks to the support of her family and community, she pursues her dream of becoming an international chess champion! Free and open to the public!
Sunday, July 30th
Yiddish Book Center [1021 West St., Amherst, MA 01002] at 2:00 PM to 4:00 PM
FILM | Portrait of Wally
Egon Schiele’s tender portrait of his mistress was locked up in a legal battle between the Leopold Museum and the Jewish family from whom the Nazis seized the painting in 1939. Learn more about the history of this iconic image, from the painting of it to the theft to the post-war confusion and resurfacing of the image!

Science:

Saturday, July 29th
Odyssey Bookshop [9 College St, South Hadley, MA 01075] at 10:30 AM to 11:30 AM
Tom Ricardi, “Birds of Prey”
Meet and learn about the coolest birds! Sorry songbirds you’re very neat but these are the best birds because they are very fast and make loud, terrifying shrieks. Tom Ricardi, an avian expert who operates a rehab center for birds of prey in Conway MA, will be on hand to demonstrate and teach you about these beautiful animals!

July 17th – July 23rd

The Valley Nerd Watch!

We want to take a moment to thank our readers for reading, because that’s what makes us get this thing out the proverbial door on days we really need to also cook a whole ton of food. Thanks readers!

Speaking of readers, if you like to READ comic books, you should make certain to go to Modern Myths in Northampton and Comics N’ More in Easthampton, our two excellent local places that sell comic books and other neat things! They’re not even paying for us to say this, we’re just pretty certain that selling comic books is a business that is at best “really difficult” and we want them to have an easy week once in a while because we like them.

If you don’t read comic books just slip a $20 under the door after business hours.

Also! We really would appreciate if you would let us know if you have any special wishes for what the Nerd Watch site could do for you. We edge ever closer to our now-mythical site redesign and we’d love to hear what our adoring fans like and do not like about the current format!

Go check out the Valley Creators page! As always, be sure to check out our Patreon and the Weekly Events page! There are a lot of fun things happening this and every week! And don’t forget to check out the updated Book Clubs List!

THIS WEEK

Art:

Tuesday, July 18th
Holyoke Public Library [250 Chestnut St, Holyoke, MA 01040] at 12:30 PM to 3:30 PM
Radioplasma Recording Studio Sessions
Meet in the Teen Room to walk as a group to the Radioplasma Recording Studio to get some hands on experience with journalism, storytelling, and sound mixing! SOUNDS cool! Get it? See that? Nice.
Wednesday, July 19th
Mead Art Museum [41 Quadrangle Dr, Amherst, MA 01002] at 1:00 PM to 3:00 PM
Family Workshops at the Mead
Come to the Mead to experience the wonder of air conditioning and making good art! Visitors are invited to participate in a variety of fun activites, from film screenings to art-making!
Thursday, July 20th
Jones Library [43 Amity St., Amherst, MA 01002] at 6:00 PM to 8:00 PM
The Jones Library Stitchin’ Club
A club to stich in, we suppose.
Friday, July 21st
Sunderland Public Library [20 School St., Sunderland, MA 01375] at 4:00 PM to 5:30 PM
Book Sculptures with Cathy Thibodeau
Upcycle your old hardcover books by turning them in to really cool sculptures! There’s no experience necessary, and they’ll have some materials on hand. If you want to bring your own book it should be at least 140 pages and 21cm in height!
Sunday, July 23rd
Mead Art Museum [41 Quadrangle Dr, Amherst, MA 01002] at 11:00 AM to 4:00 PM
Sunday Sketch at the Mead
Draw at the Mead! Artists are welcome to sketch in the galleries or outside in the courtyard! Paper and pencils and drawing boards AND gallery stools provided!

Board Games:

Monday, July 17th
Holyoke Public Library [250 Chestnut St, Holyoke, MA 01040] at 2:00 PM to 4:00 PM
Game On!
Play some games! Indoor and outdoor! Everything from frisbee to Apples to Apples!
Tuesday, July 18th
Building Autistic Community, Inc [8 Washington St., Westfield, MA] at 6:30 PM to 8:30 PM
Gaming for Anxiety and Depression
Come down for a nice night of board games and card games with people on and off the spectrum! This is a meeting for people who love games and want to play in a supportive environment and meet other great people to hang out with.
Saturday, July 22nd
Modern Myths [34 Bridge Street #4, Northampton, MA 01060] at 7:00 PM to 11:00 PM
Saturday Board Games
We have this on our weekly events list but we just wanted to call it out because it’s very excellent! Play games with a great crowd! Meet new people! Try stuff before you buy stuff! It’s a very very good night moderated by the friendly staff at Modern Myths!

Books:

Tuesday, July 18th
Odyssey Bookshop [9 College St, South Hadley, MA 01075] at 7:00 PM to 8:00 PM
Bill Roorbach, The Girl of the Lake: Stories
Bill Roorbach will regale you with tales from his most recent collection, spanning time and space and character with abandon. Teens in love, couples at war, disaster, history, comedy, emotional heft, his stories have it all!
Greenfield Public Library [402 Main St, Greenfield, MA 01301] at 6:00 PM to 8:00 PM
Children’s Book Writers Group
Adults who write for children are invited to a critique group at the Greenfield Room! Nell Wright will facilitate, and wonderful people will attend! Discuss the art and business of writing books for children, and share tips with your fellow writers!
Wednesday, July 19th
Holyoke Public Library [250 Chestnut St, Holyoke, MA 01040] at 3:30 PM to 5:30 PM
Bikes and Books Club
Read and discuss a book, then get a free bike maintenance lesson, go for a ride, and play some games!
Forbes Library [20 West St, Northampton, MA 01060] at 6:00 PM to 8:00 PM
Society of Children’s Book Writers and Illustrators (SCBWI) Writing Critique Group
Writers of picture books and middle grade and YA meet up to read and receive feedback about their works in progress from the group! It’s facilitated following the SCBWI guildlines but you don’t need to be a member to participate. Though being a member of a Society of any sort always sounds sort of neat. We should start a Society. Or just hand out memberships to the Nerd Watch!
Friday, July 21st
Holyoke Public Library [250 Chestnut St, Holyoke, MA 01040] at 2:00 PM to 3:00 PM
Paperbacks and Snacks
Holyoke area teens are invited to participate in author Gene Luen Yang’s “Reading Without Walls” challenge. Which is “Read a book about a character who doesn’t look like you or live like you, read a book about a topic you don’t know much about, read a book in a format that you don’t normally read for fun”. Discuss your reading and eat tasty snacks!

Comic Books:

Monday, July 17th
Modern Myths [34 Bridge Street #4, Northampton, MA 01060] at 7:00 PM to 9:00 PM
Queers in Comics and Games
Find new pals via friendly conversation moderated by store manager Melissa! Key topics include representation of LGBTQIA+ people in comics and gaming! Admission is a $5 Day Pass, and that’s immediately store credit. Basically a good excuse to justify an immediate purchase of something fun from that comic shop you love so much!

Community:

Tuesday, July 18th
Jones Library [43 Amity St., Amherst, MA 01002] at 6:30 PM to 8:00 PM
Creating Community for Women with Chronic Illness
A monthly support group for women living with any sort of chronic illness, free and open to the public!
Wednesday, July 19th
Palmer Public Library [1455 N Main St, Palmer, MA 01069] at 6:00 PM to 8:00 PM
Mindfullness seminar with Dr. Ruth Folchman, PsyD, CGP
Dr. Folchman will discuss mindfulness, being present and open to your direct experience rather than and we’re just pulling a totally random example from the ether here, seeing a house centipede in the bathroom and then spending a good two to three hours lying in bed thinking about how it COULDN’T be in the room… but what if it was? Dr. Folchman is a licensed Clinical Psychologist and Certified Group Psychotherapist in private practice in Northampton!
Jones Library [43 Amity St., Amherst, MA 01002] at 9:30 AM to 11:30 AM
Moms of Color Western Mass
A weekly support group for moms of color, pregnant women and children welcome. This group is an intentional place for women of color, and is free and open to the public!

Computers:

Wednesday, July 19th
Last Call Media [136 West St., Suite 01, Northampton, MA] at 6:00 PM to 8:00 PM
Agile Methods Meetup
Learn Agile methods from the best and friendliest! The folks who attend are happy to explain Agile to complete newcomers or drill down into the specifics of a problem you’re having! There’s usually a few presenters with a specific topic, but they’re always open to a freewheeling discussion of Agile in general. Plus there’s pizza!

Entertainment:

Wednesday, July 19th
Forbes Library [20 West St, Northampton, MA 01060] at 7:00 PM to 8:00 PM
The Gray Divas Residency Concert
Two voices, two Ukuleles, more than two songs! From Hawaii and beyond!
Thursday, July 20th
Palmer Public Library [1455 N Main St, Palmer, MA 01069] at 12:30 PM to 2:00 PM
Con-Anon! PPL’s 4th Annual Fan Convention!
Join wonderful people at the fourth annual con at Palmer Public Library! There will be snacks, games, a cosplay contest, and a wonderful panel! Make new friends with whom to talk about anime!
Palmer Public Library [1455 N Main St, Palmer, MA 01069] at 6:00 PM to 8:00 PM
Anime Club
Watch anime with friends! Any sort of anime will work well here, so long as you like having fun watching anime!
Forbes Library [20 West St, Northampton, MA 01060] at 2:00 PM to 3:00 PM
Cookies with a Curator
Eat some cookies and learn about the library! Anything with cookies is a good time from the word go.
Friday, July 21st
Sunderland Public Library [20 School St., Sunderland, MA 01375] at 6:30 PM to 8:00 PM
TJ and the Peepers
Watch TJ and their friends the Peepers play country/pop, the best music!
Saturday, July 22nd
Sunderland Public Library [20 School St., Sunderland, MA 01375] at 5:00 PM to 6:00 PM
Draco and the Malfoys
SPECIAL TEEN CONCERT ALERT TEEN CONCERT BEARING DOWN AT SPEED watch this band that has really committed to being the second-most-well-known-Harry-Potter-themed-novelty-act. Though to be totally fair they’re the most popular and well known Harry-Potter-villain-themed-act so they’ve got that going for them.
Greenfield Public Library [402 Main St, Greenfield, MA 01301] at 10:00 AM to 12:00 PM
PITI Theatre Company Play in a Day
PITI Theatre Company will… well, we’re just going off the name but we think they’ll write and cast and perform an entire play in 2 hours. Impressive!
Historic Northampton [46 Bridge Street, Northampton, MA 01060-2406] at 4:30 PM to 6:00 PM
Good Neighbors Paint Good Fences
Join volunteers at Historic Northampton to paint the fences! It’s really wonderful that their description says you’ll have the “privilege” of helping to paint the fence. We like that they’re being honest about how much it will be awful. But! It’ll also make you proud of all your good work!
Sunday, July 23rd
Historic Northampton [46 Bridge Street, Northampton, MA 01060-2406] at 2:00 PM to 3:00 PM
The Brush Shop – A film by Stan Sherer
Another screening of a nice film about local history! Learn about the folks who worked at the old toothbrush factory! There are interviews and archival photos and old commercials to help you understand what this formerly incredibly important part of the town!
Yiddish Book Center [1021 West St., Amherst, MA 01002] at 2:00 PM to 3:00 PM
TALK| Rabbi Akiva: Sage of the Talmud with Barry Holtz
Listen to professor Barry Holtz of the Jewish Theological Seminary talk about his new biography of the first century Rabbi Akivia, a brilliant and fascinating person! It is always a good idea to know more about the past, it keeps your life from getting repetitive.

Kids:

Monday, July 17th
Palmer Public Library [1455 N Main St, Palmer, MA 01069] at 1:30 PM to 3:00 PM
Library Lego Lady
The Library Lego Lady was bitten by a radioactive block long ago, and has chosen to use her newfound powers for good! Kids 5+ welcome, kids 5 and under need a parent with them! Let your kids build something wonderful!
Tuesday, July 18th
Sunderland Public Library [20 School St., Sunderland, MA 01375] at 6:00 PM to 7:00 PM
Mr. Vinny’s Shadow Puppet Puppet Show
Kids ages 3-9 are invited to experience the magic of shadow puppetry! This is the perfect time to reveal to your young child that shadows are alive, and can be kept tame for only a time.
Palmer Public Library [1455 N Main St, Palmer, MA 01069] at 1:00 PM to 3:30 PM
Simple Machines with David Hyde Costello
Learn how simple machines work with author/illustrator David Hyde Costello! With this knowledge, you could become a siege weapon designer in the 15th century OR just learn more about how the world works if you like!
Greenfield Public Library [402 Main St, Greenfield, MA 01301] at 5:30 PM to 7:30 PM
Graphic Novel and Fan Fiction Club
People ages 12-17 come hang out and talk about comics and fanfiction, that which makes the world go round!
Wednesday, July 19th
Palmer Public Library [1455 N Main St, Palmer, MA 01069] at 10:30 AM to 11:30 AM
Magic by Scott Jameson
Be dazzled! Be mystified! Consider whether the world functions as you have always imagined, or perhaps has hidden and terrifying recesses which allow Scott Jameson to bend reality to his will! Could his power could be yours if only you could find where the gem that powers it is hidden?
Greenfield Public Library [402 Main St, Greenfield, MA 01301] at 5:30 PM to 7:00 PM
Family Night
Bring your family and hang out at the library! Games, puzzles, all sorts of projects for families to do together!
Thursday, July 20th
The Eric Carle Museum of Picture Book Art [125 West Bay Rd., Amherst, MA 01002] at 2:30 PM to 3:30 PM
Lyra Music Festival and Workshop: Young Artist Program Special Concert
Classical music performed by kids for kids! Hear young musicians bring their instruments to life, and afterward check out what it’s like to hold a violin or to play a cello! Cellos are very cool and we highly recommend taking the chance to experience as many cellos as possible.
Forbes Library [20 West St, Northampton, MA 01060] at 2:00 PM to 4:00 PM
Kids Art Market
Children ages 3-10 are invited to develope number and money sense at the library! They’ll start with 20 Library Bucks and by budgeting their spending, they’ll get to make cool art with supplies they buy! Bring an adult to help! You know, Money Sense is the most underrated super-power, it really comes in handy in a lot more situations than laser vision.
Friday, July 21st
Jones Library [43 Amity St., Amherst, MA 01002] at 3:30 PM to 4:30 PM
Building Lab (Ages 4-7)
A lab in which to build things!
Saturday, July 22nd
Odyssey Bookshop [9 College St, South Hadley, MA 01075] at 10:30 AM to 11:30 AM
Trevor “The Games Man”
That man is back again. That Games Man, who delights us but also makes us narrow our eyes in suspicion. Could it be that Trevor, known for his Games, is playing a Games with us? Do we all dance to Trevor’s wild tune? Either way he’ll make sure kids get to have fun and he’s on big stilts and that’s funny!
The Eric Carle Museum of Picture Book Art [125 West Bay Rd., Amherst, MA 01002] at 2:00 PM to 3:00 PM
Special Storytime: Deborah Freedman
Award-winning author/illustrator Deborah Freedman is gong to read her books “Shy” and “This House, Once”. Her meditative works ask readers to think about where things come from and what nature provides. Afterward, draw your own special house! Here’s an idea: what if a house had doors instead of windows?

RPGs:

Thursday, July 20th
Modern Myths [34 Bridge Street #4, Northampton, MA 01060] at 7:00 PM to 10:00 PM
Dungeons & Dragons
Ahh, good old Wizards & Wimbledon! Play the newest version of the venerable classic at Modern Myths! You’ll join heroes plundering the depths of the old Dwarven fortress Stone Tooth! Recommended for characters of at least level 3, but you can always bring a level 0 character with no skills and just say “And I stay a safe distance behind” every time anything happens. Entry is a $5 Day Pass that immediately becomes store credit!
Palmer Public Library [1455 N Main St, Palmer, MA 01069] at 4:00 PM to 6:00 PM
RPG Club
Play RPGs with friends! Any sort of RPG will work well here, so long as you like having fun with games!

June 19th – June 25th

The Valley Nerd Watch!

Once you have moved into a new place, it is impossible to ever not feel tired again. Also, boxes.

Anyway! Happy Father’s Day folks! We celebrated by buying a copy of the first volume of Usagi Yojimbo and a copy of Faith Erin Hick’s The Adventures of Superhero Girl. Also, some videogames. Our father would have approved of the comic books but not of the videogames, because he was incapable of honestly addressing his own hobbyist inclinations.

Also in case you haven’t already gotten Pandemic Legacy by local creator Rob Daviau let us say: get that game, play that game. It’s lovely! It’s maintaining tension and interest 15 games in!

Go check out the Valley Creators page! As always, be sure to check out our Patreon and the Weekly Events page! There are a lot of fun things happening this and every week! And don’t forget to check out the updated Book Clubs List!

THIS WEEK

Art:

Monday, June 19th
Sunderland Public Library [20 School St., Sunderland, MA 01375] at 4:30 PM to 6:30 PM
Lou’s Upcycling!
“Lou will teach the teens how to make a pouch out of fused plastic! This pouch can be used as a wallet, a pencil case, coupon holder, and more! You may bring your own plastic to make your item more personal or you can use the plastic provided! Help the environment by reusing your trash!” There are only 15 spots available, so call 413-665-2642 to reserve a spot!
Tuesday, June 20th
Greenfield Public Library [402 Main St, Greenfield, MA 01301] at 5:30 PM to 7:00 PM
Book to Art Club
“Use your love of a favorite book(or books) to create a cool collage. Each participant will get a copy of “Aristotle and Dante Discover the Secrets of the Universe” for use as inspiration for the July meeting. Refreshments, air conditioning and books- what could be better?!”
Wednesday, June 21st
Forbes Library [20 West St, Northampton, MA 01060] at 6:00 PM to 8:00 PM
SCBWI (Society of Children’s Book Writers and Illustrators) Writing Critique Group
“Writers of picture books, middle grade and YA meet to read and receive feedback about their work-in-progress from the group, facilitated by leaders following the SCBWI guidelines. You don’t have to be a member of SCBWI to participate.”
Thursday, June 22nd
Holyoke Public Library [250 Chestnut St, Holyoke, MA 01040] at 4:30 PM to 5:30 PM
Teen Writing Workshop
“Bring a piece of creative writing, an essay for school, a short story, etc. to work on and share with the group! Writing instructor and tutor Abby Forcier will be on hand to offer guidance and support.” Contact Rachel at 413-420-8119 for more information.
Saturday, June 24th
Holyoke Public Library [250 Chestnut St, Holyoke, MA 01040] at 10:00 AM to 12:00 PM
Collages
Collages! Make a collage! Stick stuff together until it looks neat!
Sunday, June 25th
Mead Art Museum [41 Quadrangle Dr, Amherst, MA 01002] at 11:00 AM to 12:00 PM
Sunday Sketch at the Mead
“Drop in and draw with us at the Mead on Sundays this summer! Artists of all skill levels are welcome to sketch works in the galleries or outside in our sculpture courtyard. We will provide paper, graphite pencils, erasers, drawing boards and gallery stools every Sunday through July 30. This series is free and open to the public.”

Board Games:

Tuesday, June 20th
Holyoke Public Library [250 Chestnut St, Holyoke, MA 01040] at 4:00 PM to 6:00 PM
Game On!
“Take a break from homework to play games with your friends! The teen room has a collection of new games and old favorites!” Contact Rachel at 413-420-8119

Books:

Tuesday, June 20th
Greenfield Public Library [402 Main St, Greenfield, MA 01301] at 6:00 PM to 8:00 PM
Children’s Book Writers Group
“Adults who write for children are invited to attend a critique group in the Greenfield Room the third Tuesday of each month from 6 to 8 pm. The group will be facilitated by Nell Wright. Participants will discuss skills, share tips and opportunities for development, and read and discuss their stories. For more information, Call the library at 413-772-1544.”
Wednesday, June 21st
Odyssey Bookshop [9 College St, South Hadley, MA 01075] at 7:00 PM to 9:00 PM
Politics, Crime, and Social Issues in Fiction with Jaqueline Sheehan, Randy Susan Meyers, and Ellen Meeropol
“”Q. What’s more fun than one author with her new novel? A. THREE authors and three new novels! (Especially when they ask the questions you’re too polite to pose.)” Featuring The Widow of Wall Street, Kinship of Clover, and The Tiger in the House!
Saturday, June 24th
Greenfield Public Library [402 Main St, Greenfield, MA 01301] at 10:00 AM to 1:30 PM
Friends of the Greenfield Public Library Book Sale
Buy books to support your local library!
Sunday, June 25th
The Eric Carle Museum of Picture Book Art [125 West Bay Rd., Amherst, MA 01002] at 10:00 AM to 4:00 PM
12th Annual Children’s Book Festival: Dig It! Build It! Dream It!
“10:00am – 4:00pm: Free with Museum Admission, 10:30 am: Groundbreaking Celebration (Orchard), 11:00 am: Special Storytime with Tom Lichtenheld (Auditorium), 11:30 am: Book signing with Tom Lichtenheld (Great Hall), 12:30 pm: Cupcakes celebrating Eric Carle’s birthday!, 1:00 – 2:00 pm: Happier Family Comedy Show (Auditorium), 2:00 pm: Storytime (Reading Library)”

Comic Books:

Monday, June 19th
Modern Myths [34 Bridge Street #4, Northampton, MA 01060] at 7:00 PM to 9:00 PM
Queers in Comics and Games
Meet some local folks, talk to them, and generally have an enjoyable evening! This discussion is moderated by the store manager, Melissa!

Community:

Saturday, June 24th
Jones Library [43 Amity St., Amherst, MA 01002] at 10:00 AM to 12:00 PM
Speak Up for Change for Women: How (and Why) to Speak Up without Freaking Out
“Public speaking expert Cathy McNally is offering a series of free workshops to women activists and advocates who would like to become more effective and confident public speakers. These workshops will offer speaking tips to women who want to inspire and motivate others at rallies, meetings, hearings, or other events.” contact McNally to reserve a space at cathy@speakersisterhood.com
Forbes Library [20 West St, Northampton, MA 01060] at 10:00 AM to 12:00 PM
Poetry as Resistance
“What, exactly, is the work of words? How does poetry differ from other instances of language in the political sphere? How can poetry be used to disentangle us from systems of oppression? How can it move us closer to equality and liberation? In this interactive workshop, we will have a guided conversation about these and other related ideas. Participants will then have an opportunity to apply these ideas by either writing their own piece, or by reading materials brought by the trainer, before coming back together to discuss what we created/discovered. No prior experience is necessary. All are welcome to this safe, inclusive space.”
Forbes Library [20 West St, Northampton, MA 01060] at 12:15 PM to 1:45 PM
Informational Session on Adoption from Foster Care
“Interested in adopting? This informational event is open to anyone considering adoption from foster care. Come hear about the adoption experience from adoptive parents and adoption professional, Diane Tomaz, Director of Family Support Services at the Massachusetts Adoption Resource Exchange. Light refreshments will be served.”

Entertainment:

Monday, June 19th
Sunderland Public Library [20 School St., Sunderland, MA 01375] at 6:00 PM to 7:00 PM
Circus Minimus
For the summer reading kick-off event, experience the wonder of a one-man circus in a suitcase!
Wednesday, June 21st
Greenfield Public Library [402 Main St, Greenfield, MA 01301] at 6:00 PM to 8:00 PM
The Taste of Franklin County Honey
“Bonita and Dan Conlon of Warm Colors Apiary will teach us how bees produce honey, information about various floral sources and a honey tasting of some of Warm Colors seven varieties.”
Forbes Library [20 West St, Northampton, MA 01060] at 7:00 PM to 8:15 PM
The Alchemystics in A Midsummer Night’s Lawn Concert
“Fueled by their passion to explore beyond the edges of traditional musical boundaries and their diverse ethnic and musical backgrounds, the Alchemystics blend reggae, politically infused hip-hop, gritty soul, hard-driving rock, and pulsing Jamaican, Cuban and Trinidadian rhythms into an utterly unique and distinctively original new sound.”
Thursday, June 22nd
Palmer Public Library [1455 N Main St, Palmer, MA 01069] at 6:00 PM to 8:00 PM
Anime Club
Watch some Anime with friends! We recommend starting a play-through of Persona 5 and just doing that for the next year.
Odyssey Bookshop [9 College St, South Hadley, MA 01075] at 7:00 PM to 9:00 PM
Prospects for Impeachment
“Two experts on the Constitution, Chris Pyle and Bill Newman, will lead a discussion of prospects for the impeachment of Pres. Trump at the Odyssey Bookshop, 9 College Street, South Hadley, at 7:00 pm on Thursday, June 22.They will lay out the issues and discuss, with the audience, the law and prospects for specific articles of impeachment. Chris Pyle is a veteran of Watergate era investigations and professor of constitutional law and civil liberties at Mount Holyoke College. He worked for the Senate Subcommittee on Constitutional Rights, the Senate Subcommittee on Government Organization, and the Senate Select Committee on Intelligence (the Church Committee). Bill Newman has practiced law in Northampton since 1976 and been the director of the Western Massachusetts Office of the American Civil Liberties Union of Massachusetts since 1987.”
Friday, June 23rd
Sunderland Public Library [20 School St., Sunderland, MA 01375] at 5:30 PM to 6:30 PM
Sunderland Community Sing
Welcome to all ages and abilities! Everyone has a right to the Joy of Song! If the weather’s nice they’ll be singing outside under the Elm Tree, there will be prize baskets for kids! Bring snacks!
Saturday, June 24th
Mead Art Museum [41 Quadrangle Dr, Amherst, MA 01002] at 1:00 PM to 3:00 PM
Community Day: Mead Tea Party
“You’re invited to a festive summer afternoon at the Mead! Sample iced tea and sweet treats as you pose for a photo in a seventeenth-century English room, discover drinking vessels from around the world, plant a seed, sketch a landscape and more! Feel free to bring your own picnic to enjoy outdoors if you wish.” Free and open to all!

Kids:

Tuesday, June 20th
Forbes Library [20 West St, Northampton, MA 01060] at 3:30 PM to 4:30 PM
Make Your Own Mermaid Tail
Please bring a knee-high sock! Ages 4+ in the community room!
Wednesday, June 21st
Forbes Library [20 West St, Northampton, MA 01060] at 11:00 AM to 11:30 AM
Music and Books with Mr. Liam
“Mr. Liam brings music, stories, and activities to the library! Come have fun with other toddler, preschoolers, and caregivers.”
Forbes Library [20 West St, Northampton, MA 01060] at 3:30 PM to 4:30 PM
Minecraft Club
“Minecraft Club’s June meeting. Call 587-1010 or sign up at the Children’s Desk. Make sure to let us know whether you will be using a library laptop, or bringing your own device!”
Saturday, June 24th
Sunderland Public Library [20 School St., Sunderland, MA 01375] at 11:00 AM to 12:00 PM
BIM BAM! Bilingual Music and Movement with Tom & Laurie
A highly interactive bilingual Spanish/English program that gets the whole family moving, gesturing, singing, and generally having a nice time! Sing along and have fun with Tom & Laurie!

Movies:

Tuesday, June 20th
Sunderland Public Library [20 School St., Sunderland, MA 01375] at 6:00 PM to 8:00 PM
The LEGO Batman Movie
Watch the best movie about Batman at the Sunderland Public Library!

RPGs:

Thursday, June 22nd
Palmer Public Library [1455 N Main St, Palmer, MA 01069] at 4:00 PM to 6:00 PM
RPG Club
Play an RPG today! Try the locally-developed Apocalypse World!

June 12th – June 18th

The Valley Nerd Watch!

We just moved! Our new place is very very good and we like it but what we don’t like is that all of our muscles and organs are now gone. They transubstantiated about 4 hours into the move and now we’re mostly composed of noodles and it’s just not working out as well as organs used to. That’s why there’s a lot of “from the site” this week and why it’s coming out late! Jeez for real typing feels like work, why does moving ever happen.

Of note this week: we’re doing Nerd Nite tomorrow at the World War Two Club at 50 Conz St. in Northampton at 7:00pm EVEN THOUGH we are basically the most tired, it’s heroic.

Second: local creator Epidiah Ravachol (buy his games, buy his magazine, support local creators!) has a podcast about the Rockford Files and we’ll be honest we’re kind of excited. What even IS the Rockford Files? We’re gonna see if they ever explain that. This could be the next U Talking U2 2 Me!

Oh also also the book Annihilation by Jeff Vandermeer was real good, read that one quick reminded us of some of the thinkier 70’s SF our dad liked and the Gwent free-to-play game they just put out? Weirdly good! Just like, good old-fashioned fun. Updated to be not as easy to cheese as the game featured in the game The Witcher 3, which is good.

Go check out the Valley Creators page! As always, be sure to check out our Patreon and the Weekly Events page! There are a lot of fun things happening this and every week! And don’t forget to check out the updated Book Clubs List!

THIS WEEK

Art:

Monday, June 12th
Forbes Library [20 West St, Northampton, MA 01060] at 5:00 PM to 7:00 PM
Reception for New Americans by the NHS Teen Advisory Group, and Paintings and Photographs by Jan Ruby-Crystal and Ellen Augarten
What it says on the tin, we guess! A reception for new pals and some excellent paintings and photos!
Tuesday, June 13th
Sunderland Public Library [20 School St., Sunderland, MA 01375] at 6:30 PM to 7:30 PM
Sunderland Short Story Series presents Linda Putnam and Kim Mancuso
Linda Putnam will be reading “Two Kinds” by Amy Tan, and Kim Mancuso will be reading “Hell-Heaven” by Jhumpa Lahiri!
Wednesday, June 14th
Forbes Library [20 West St, Northampton, MA 01060] at 6:30 PM to 8:30 PM
Forbes Library Zine Club
Zines! Zines about beans, zines about Commander Keen, zines about greens, zines about spleens! If you can dream it you can zine it!
Saturday, June 17th
Sunderland Public Library [20 School St., Sunderland, MA 01375] at 2:00 PM to 3:00 PM
Portable Herb Gardens
Paint a terracotta pot to brighten up a window or a porch! Plant herbs in them, then eventually harvest and consume those herbs! Make those herbs into more of yourself!

Books:

Tuesday, June 13th
Odyssey Bookshop [9 College St, South Hadley, MA 01075] at 7:00 PM to 9:00 PM
Dusty Miller, Danger Under Ground
From the site: “In Danger Under Ground, Alice is on the move again as she follows the trail of a highly charged kidnapping. Her friend Felicia, her dashing French lover Gerard, and their young tattooed friends Warp and RubyStarr must expose this politically-motivated crime.”
Thursday, June 15th
Odyssey Bookshop [9 College St, South Hadley, MA 01075] at 7:00 PM to 9:00 PM
Linda Greenlaw, Shiver Hitch
From the site: “Jane Bunker thought she’d escaped the pollution, noise, and dead bodies of the big city when she left her job as a Miami homicide detective and moved back to the idyllic town of Green Haven, Maine. But through her work as a marine insurance investigator, it appears she’s left behind the bustle of the city, but not the murder.” But the murder’s the worst part!

Card Games:

Friday, June 16th
Modern Myths [34 Bridge Street #4, Northampton, MA 01060] at 7:00 PM to 10:00 PM
Friday Night Magic: Amonkhet Draft
From the site: “Friday Night Magic: Amonkhet Draft. This is a limited booster draft using the new set, Amonkhet! Tournament with Swiss Pairing. Entry: $18.00 Prizes: At least one AmonkhetBooster, promo cards, and possibly winning more boosters depending on match results.

Community:

Monday, June 12th
Greenfield Public Library [402 Main St, Greenfield, MA 01301] at 5:00 PM to 7:00 PM
Transportation Justice for Franklin County MA
We’re assuming this is about public transit conditions in Franklin County and how they affect the lives of residents in unequal ways which we as a community must address rather than a pitch for a new Star Trek police procedural but we can’t be 100% certain.

Computers:

Monday, June 12th
MYSTERY LOCATION at 6:00 PM to 8:00 PM
Using Elastisearch – Monthly Full Stack Meetup
From the site: “Half database and half search engine, Elasticsearch powers things like GitHub’s code search, eBay’s item listing, and Netflix’s internal logs and metrics. Come learn about the basics of Elasticsearch and full-text indexing from Ross Johnson, who has been using Elasticsearch for 6 years to power document search in web apps.” Take a look at the meetup group to sign up and see the MYSTERY LOCATION! https://www.meetup.com/wmasswebdev/events/240263959/
Wednesday, June 14th
Last Call Media [136 West St., Suite 01, Northampton, MA] at 6:00 PM to 8:00 PM
Agile Methods Meetup
From the site: “Are you curious about flow-based Agile methods? Kanban provides a continuous flow of project work, in contrast to Scrum’s iterative process. In this session, Lisa Sieverts will provide an overview of Kanban, we’ll see the magic of limiting work-in-progress, and we’ll share stories and insights”
Thursday, June 15th
Last Call Media [136 West St., Suite 01, Northampton, MA] at 6:00 PM to 8:00 PM
June 2017 Western Mass Drupal Users Group Meeting
From the site: “6:00 Welcome & Introductions, 6:10 Upcoming Events / Announcements, 6:15 Tip of the Month, 6:20 Module of the Month, 6:30 Lightning Talks (5-10 minutes talks on a brief topic), 7:15 Presentation “What are Drupal 8 Plugins?”, 8:00 Adjourn” … Comprehensive!
Northampton Community TV [380 Elm St., Northampton, MA] at 7:00 PM to 9:00 PM
WordPress Developers and Admins
From the site: “WordPress sure is a neat platform, but what if your WordPress site is based on selling products or services? WooCommerce is a popular plugin that helps make it easy for your customers to buy your products and services inside the WordPress framework. Marjorie Ray will provide a short overview of how she uses Woocommerce on her children’s educational toy site.” and more!

Entertainment:

Wednesday, June 14th
Palmer Public Library [1455 N Main St, Palmer, MA 01069] at 6:00 PM to 7:00 PM
Ukulele With David Hyde Costello
Do you find you lack Ukulele music in your life? Address that.

History:

Saturday, June 17th
Historic Northampton [46 Bridge Street, Northampton, MA 01060-2406] at 2:00 PM to 3:00 PM
Chaotic Freedom in Civil War Louisiana: The Origins of an Iconic Image by Bruce Laurie
From the site: “Bruce Laurie will speak on his research into two Pioneer Valley soldiers who changed the course of the Civil War. Laurie’s work culminated in the essay, “Chaotic Freedom” in Civil War Louisiana: The Origins of an Iconic Image, a Working Titles e-book published by The Massachusetts Review.”

Kids:

Friday, June 16th
Forbes Library [20 West St, Northampton, MA 01060] at 3:30 PM to 4:30 PM
Spoken Word with Rah and Kat
From the site: “Calling kids, tweens, and teens- try out our new spoken word program in the Children’s Department! The first meeting will be Friday June 16th, at 3:30. Rah represented Northampton at the 2017 Women of the World Poetry Slam, and Kat holds a Masters in Poetry. Come create, experience, and learn about poetry with us!”
Saturday, June 17th
Forbes Library [20 West St, Northampton, MA 01060] at 2:00 PM to 3:00 PM
Scientific Kids Club
From the site: “Learn about an assortment of tiny critters this month as Ralph & Steven explore entomology, the study of insects! Register here https://goo.gl/forms/iBh193ojpudlHU1n2!”

Movies:

Wednesday, June 14th
Forbes Library [20 West St, Northampton, MA 01060] at 6:30 PM to 8:30 PM
Film: AWAKE
From the site: “AWAKE is a Josh Fox-directed film chronicling the native-led peaceful resistance at the Standing Rock Sioux Reservation near Cannon Ball, North Dakota, against the construction of the $3.7 billion Dakota Access Pipeline (DAPL), intended to carry fracked oil from North Dakota’s oil fields through native land and under the Missouri River, the water source for the Standing Rock reservation (and 17 million people downstream).”
Saturday, June 17th
Millside Park [2 Ferry St., Easthampton, MA] at 8:30 PM to 11:30 PM
The Dark Crystal
Free movie! Popcorn and refreshments available for purchase, bring a blanket and bug spray! Watch this weird as heck old Henson film on the big screen!

RPGs:

Saturday, June 17th
Modern Myths [34 Bridge Street #4, Northampton, MA 01060] at 10:00 AM to 10:00 PM
Free RPG Day!
RPGs for you to play free all day! Bring some friends and head down to the … quay. Shoot. No we lost the plot there. Head Modern Myths to play some games and then buy some games!

Science:

Monday, June 12th
World War 2 Club [50 Conz St., Northampton, MA 01060] at 7:00 PM to 9:00 PM
Nerd Nite NoHo
Come see ‘A History of Public Benefits’ by Monk Kelley and ‘The Economy is a Badly Designed Game’ by Aaron Jensen! The rare set of talks that actually relate to one another!
Tuesday, June 13th
Greenfield Public Library [402 Main St, Greenfield, MA 01301] at 6:00 PM to 8:00 PM
Pollinators Need Our Help Now
From the site: “With a chaotic climate, so much foul weather, and many other threats to their existence, there can be no better time to start supporting native bees and butterflies, and no better way than planting pesticide-free flowers and making nests in our yards and public spaces. Come see what we can do to brighten the futures for these critically important beneficial insects.”
Wednesday, June 14th
Historic Northampton [46 Bridge Street, Northampton, MA 01060-2406] at 9:00 PM to 10:00 PM
Downtown Northampton’s “Wild” Night Life: Moths, Fireflies & Other Night Flying Insects
From the site: “Presented by moth aficionado Betsy Higgins, the evening will include an indoor slide presentation about the diversity of moths in our area. Following this, we will head outdoors to check out the variety of night-flying insects drawn to Higgins’ black lights and mercury vapor lamps. The evening will conclude with a light show, courtesy of thousands of fireflies in the nearby meadows.” pre-registration required at lsanders@historicnorthampton.org, $10 members, $15 non-members!

June 5th – June 11th

The Valley Nerd Watch!

Happy Summertime, folks! We recommend taking the opportunity in this time of sunlight and sunheat to go outside and hang about! Amble around in the daytime and watch the stars at night! We’re… gonna take a minute to get on out there. We’ve got like a couple dozen hours of Persona 5 to go. We’ll keep the windows open though!

This week is jam-packed! People are getting excited about getting out and about. Have a lot of fun!

Speaking of fun we had a great time playing around with Sculptris this weekend! We were taught how to do things by an local expert and we got to make a little demon that kind of looks like a pillow and a little alien with bug eyes!

It’s weird playing around with 3D modelling and realizing it’s way way easier than drawing just because it gives you a lump of clay that you can fool about with instead of the terror of a blank page. If we could do this in VR we’d grab a headset today.

Go check out the Valley Creators page! As always, be sure to check out our Patreon and the Weekly Events page! There are a lot of fun things happening this and every week! And don’t forget to check out the updated Book Clubs List!

THIS WEEK

Art:

Thursday, June 8th
Forbes Library [20 West St, Northampton, MA 01060] at 3:30 PM to 4:30 PM
The Art of Letter Writing
Letters! The old-school, the real stuff, the stuff you have to physically put on a piece of paper in order to communicate! Write some letters and discuss what letter-writing is as you write! Mostly it’s just and excuse to indulge in some good old asynchronous communictation!
Friday, June 9th
Smith College Museum of Art [20 Elm St, Northampton, MA 01063] at 4:00 PM to 8:00 PM
Free Second Friday
Make your own bookmarks! Explore an art object in detail! Get free refreshments! Get in the museum for free! It’s a seriously great museum, check it out if you haven’t already.
Historic Northampton [46 Bridge Street, Northampton, MA 01060-2406] at 5:00 PM to 8:00 PM
Contained and Constrained by Karen Battles and Leslie Lyman
Artists Leslie Lyman and Karen Battles ahve each created artworks that draw from the Historic Northampton archives and reinterpret them. They’re presented in a context designed around the ideas presented in the 19th century etiquette guide “Social Etiquette or Manners and Customs of Polite Society”.
Sunday, June 11th
Mead Art Museum [41 Quadrangle Dr, Amherst, MA 01002] at 11:00 AM to 1:00 PM
Sunday Sketch at the Mead
Drop in and sketch something interesting at the Mead! Paper, graphite pencils, erasers, drawing boards, and stools provided! It is a great chance to hone your skills while looking quite serious and artistic!

Board Games:

Saturday, June 10th
Burger King Community Room [344 King St., Northampton, MA 01060] at 12:30 PM to 6:30 PM
Tabletop Gaming Day
Board games with friendly people! Bring one you love! Play some classics! Bring in your favorite games and meet some new people who are very excited to play them with you.

Books:

Thursday, June 8th
Odyssey Bookshop [9 College St, South Hadley, MA 01075] at 7:00 PM to 9:00 PM
Julie Lekstrom Himes, Mikhail & Margarita and Jim Shepard, The World to Come: Stories
Two great Massachusetts authors with two great books! One book of short stories covering historic tragedy and the pitfalls of the everyday, and one about the terrors of being a writer in 30’s Russia!

Comic Books:

Wednesday, June 7th
Forbes Library [20 West St, Northampton, MA 01060] at 3:30 PM to 4:30 PM
Comics Club
A monthly meetup to discuss and share your favorite comics! You’ll also get a chance to create one of your own with provided artist supplies! Intended for elementary, tween, and teen readers and artists!

Community:

Tuesday, June 6th
Greenfield Public Library [402 Main St, Greenfield, MA 01301] at 6:00 PM to 7:30 PM
Pioneer Valley Habitat for Humanity Information Session
Learn how to become a homeowner through the Pioneer Valley Habitat for Humanity program!
Saturday, June 10th
Greenfield Public Library [402 Main St, Greenfield, MA 01301] at 10:00 AM to 11:30 AM
Pioneer Valley Habitat for Humanity Information Session
Learn how to become a homeowner through the Pioneer Valley Habitat for Humanity program!

Computers:

Tuesday, June 6th
Sunderland Public Library [20 School St., Sunderland, MA 01375] at 6:30 PM to 7:30 PM
The ABCs of Apple Computers
New to Apple? Learn about the built-in features of these magical machines. But not the literally magical ones! Those are for advanced users. No Sorcerer’s Apprentic shenanigans in this course please. Please register in advance by telling the library!
The Foundry [24 Main St., Northampton, MA] at 6:00 PM to 9:00 PM
Northampton Webdive – After Work
A regular meetup of designers! Whether you work on the web, or just work on some sort of code for some sort of thing in general, or just want to hang out and talk about hobby work, they’re there for you to gripe with!
Wednesday, June 7th
MGHPCC [100 Bigelow St., Holyoke, MA] at 5:30 PM to 7:30 PM
3D Game Day
What’s the best way to become inspired to make a game? Playing a game! What’s the worst way? Eating an Xbox controller. Never works. Wait! No shoot that’s how Noby Noby Boy was inspired dang. Anyway! Play games with friends! Mario Kart! Gang Beasts! Minecraft! VR games like Minecraft! and The Night Cafe in VR and various demos! Play and learn and then hey maybe make a game in Unity!

Entertainment:

Monday, June 5th
Forbes Library [20 West St, Northampton, MA 01060] at 7:00 PM to 8:00 PM
Food and Habitat for Pollinators through the Seasons
How do you attract bees and other pollinators? Flowers have been dealing with this for a while! Ashley Schenk has been speaking with the flowers in the proverbial sense for a while now teaching and practicing permaculture landscape design and he’ll let you in on all the pollinator-attraction secrets so you can have a pretty garden that’s also useful to the local ecosystem!
Wednesday, June 7th
Greenfield Public Library [402 Main St, Greenfield, MA 01301] at 6:00 PM to 8:00 PM
First Wednesday Speaker Series: The French in the Americas
“First Wednesday Speaker Series welcomes Jeanne Douillard presenting “Silent Presence: The French in New England” a unique look at the history of “un petit people” The French in the Americas. “
Forbes Library [20 West St, Northampton, MA 01060] at 5:00 PM to 6:15 PM
Design, Build, Grow Your Landscape!
Landscape Designer and owner of Wilder Hill Gardens Lilian Jackman and Landscape Consultant Vivian Felten will show you how to grow colorful and beauitful landscapes that are ecologically sound to boot!
Thursday, June 8th
Palmer Public Library [1455 N Main St, Palmer, MA 01069] at 6:00 PM to 8:00 PM
Anime Club
Watch anime! We recommend locally-developed anime like Cowboy Bebop or Evangelion!
Greenfield Public Library [402 Main St, Greenfield, MA 01301] at 6:00 PM to 9:00 PM
2nd Annual Spelling Bee
“The Friends of Greenfield Public Library is hosting the 2nd Annual Spelling Bee as part of the Beek Week Celebration. Form a team of three and register at the Library by June 7. The event will be held on June 9 at 6pm at the Second Congregational Church on Court Square. Food and raffles are a part of the fun.” We’ve never been a part of Beek Week but we’ve been reliably informed that there’s no better time to find the freshest, most chitinous beeks.
Saturday, June 10th
Sunderland Public Library [20 School St., Sunderland, MA 01375] at 1:00 PM to 2:00 PM
Edible Plants of the Northeast with Naturalist and Landscaper John Root
Free admission! Plus you get edible perennials offered for sale at the event! Grow your own food! Well, a small part of your own food. We’re like 99% certain that without a full-on meadow of these things out back you’re not going to manage to survive on flowers alone. Still! It’s interesting stuff!
Historic Northampton [46 Bridge Street, Northampton, MA 01060-2406] at 2:00 PM to 3:00 PM
Call Me Professor or Students and Respect on Campus by Rob Cox, Special Collections at the Umass Archives
Rob Cox takes a look at the student attitudes at Umass to understand what respect has meant to students and faculty at our gigantic local institution over the years, and whether a “culture of respect” is passing or if it’s just the latest iteration of a long line of kids these days complaints. Personally we felt most respected in class when students had the kindness to pretend to type while they watched videos instead of listening to us.
Forbes Library [20 West St, Northampton, MA 01060] at 10:00 AM to 3:00 PM
24th Annual Northampton Garden Tour
Rain or shine! Tour gorgeous gardens with a gregarious group! Tour tickets cost $15 ahead of time and $20 the day of! You can get raffle tickets as well to win gift certificates, compost, a landscape consult, or gardening supplies! All proceeds go to fund the Forbes Library!

History:

Saturday, June 10th
Holyoke Public Library [250 Chestnut St, Holyoke, MA 01040] at 2:00 PM to 5:00 PM
Cada Familia Tiene una Historia – Every Family has a Story
An exhibit of the family and personal histories shared with the Nuestros Senderos Project. There will be refreshments around 2pm, then speakers Ramon Borges-Mendez of Clark University and Joel Blanco-Rivera of the University of Puerto Rico. This is a free event and all are welcome to come learn!

Kids:

Wednesday, June 7th
Greenfield Public Library [402 Main St, Greenfield, MA 01301] at 4:00 PM to 5:00 PM
Puzzles, Patterns, and Picture Books
Explore puzzles, explore patterns, explore picture books, explore the uncharted Arctic if you dare! But specifically this program’s for the first three. Teacher Sue Creighton will lead with some books and crafting! Intended for ages 8-12!
Saturday, June 10th
Odyssey Bookshop [9 College St, South Hadley, MA 01075] at 11:00 AM to 2:00 PM
Summer Brain Quest Kick-Off Event
Expand your brains with the Odyssey! Draw a plant, find some shapes, eat marshmallows after an interminable wait during which an adult attempts to teach you delicious delicous math. Receive a Brainiac Award Certificate and a gift bag full of awesome goodies when you complete two activites!

Movies:

Tuesday, June 6th
Greenfield Public Library [402 Main St, Greenfield, MA 01301] at 5:30 PM to 7:30 PM
GPL Teen Pizza and Movie Night
Francesca and Steve are going to show a movie and provide some snacks! It’s going to be a delightful time during which you will get a chance to we’re going to say definitely yell at a film with some friends. Intended for ages 12-17!
Wednesday, June 7th
Forbes Library [20 West St, Northampton, MA 01060] at 7:00 PM to 8:30 PM
The Brush Shop – A film by Stan Sherer
Learn about the history of the Brushworks, the big old brick complex in Northampton that now houses a bunch of local artists and craftspeople! The reason it’s the Brushworks is because it used to be a gigantic toothbrush manufacturing complex! See interviews and archival photographs that look back on when Northampton was an industrial town!
Forbes Library [20 West St, Northampton, MA 01060] at 8:30 PM to 9:50 PM
Moana Lawn Screening
Hang out on the lawn for the screening of this new Disney classic! Definitely not going to get rained out THIS week!
Friday, June 9th
Amherst Cinema Arts Center [28 Amity St., Amherst, MA] at 9:30 PM to 11:00 PM
Spaceballs
See the movie that you like that’s kind of very funny but then kind of not that funny as you remember but also you love Star Wars and it does hit with some of the stuff and… the point is it’s a decent parody and we watched it like 90 times as a kid during that magical time in our lives when no amount of repetition killed a joke.

RPGs:

Thursday, June 8th
Palmer Public Library [1455 N Main St, Palmer, MA 01069] at 4:00 PM to 6:00 PM
RPG Club
Play RPGs with some friendly people! We recommend locally-developed games like Noirlandia or Dread!