Programming

October 16th – October 22nd

The Valley Nerd Watch!

Happy October!

We’re a bit busy this weekend so we just want to quickly and succinctly say:

Go to Nerd Nite NoHo at the Academy of Music on Monday, October 23rd at 7:00pm! It will be a fun time and you will like it so why not? Plus it’s an excuse to enjoy the spectacular sights of Downtown Northampton!

Oh! We still need our picture with the marquee!

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, October 17th
Jones Library [43 Amity St., Amherst, MA 01002] at 4:00 PM to 5:00 PM
Teen Craft: Embroidered Felt Leaves (Ages 11-17)
Registration required! Make some embroidered leaves! Or embroider some leaves? Make some felt leaves and then embroider them, that seems more likely. We’re pretty sure you can’t embroider leaves. But then again maybe no one’s tried!
Thursday, October 19th
Greenfield Public Library [402 Main St, Greenfield, MA 01301] at 4:00 PM to 5:00 PM
Roald Dahl Art Activity
A fun art activity! Make a dream-catcher! Wait. For Roald Dahl? We don’t remember every book we read by Roald Dahl but that seems really out of left field. Maybe like make a … giant? He did the BFG, right?
Friday, October 20th
Emily Dickinson Museum [280 Main St, Amherst, MA 01002] at 12:00 PM to 2:00 PM
Emily Dickinson Poetry Discussion Group
Meet up to have lively conversation about Dickinson! The topic this month is “Emily Dickinson as a Second Language”. Speak about her private vocabulary, her nineteenth-century English, and her hyper-local references!
Saturday, October 21st
Sunderland Public Library [20 School St., Sunderland, MA 01375] at 2:00 PM to 3:00 PM
Pumpkin Painting
Paint some pumpkins! Paint them scary, paint them funny, paint them every color of the rainbow and then some! They’ll have examples and will demonstrate a technique, but you’re encouraged to go wild with your own ideas! We suggest you paint a pumpkin so that it looks like a particularly large apple, so that any friend of yours who wants an apple will gravitate to this hilariously large prank apple and you’ll be able to give them some gentle ribbing when they find out they actually just ate a pumpkin. Space is limited! Register ahead of time!

Board Games:

Palmer Public Library [1455 N Main St, Palmer, MA 01069] at 10:00 AM to 2:00 PM
Palmer Scholastic Chess Tournament
Sections for K-3, 4-6, 7-9, and 10-12 grades! A four-round Swiss System tournament where trophies will be awarded for 1st, 2nd, and 3rd in each section. Free entry, but bring a chess set and clock if you’ve got them! And a bagged lunch! Remember that if you seem to be losing you can always petition to switch to chess-boxing midstream.

Books:

Thursday, October 19th
Odyssey Bookshop [9 College St, South Hadley, MA 01075] at 7:00 PM to 9:00 PM
Gazmend Kapllani, A Short Border Handbook: A Journey Through the Immigrant’s Labyrinth
From the site: “An exhilarating, blackly funny exploration of migration and borders from an Albanian who grew up longing to cross to Greece, only to find reality did not match fantasy. Gazmend Kapllani is an Albanian-born journalist, poet and writer. His works of fiction, A Short Border Handbook and My Name is Europe, explore how totalitarianism, immigration, borders and Balkan history have shaped private lives and personal narratives.”

Comics:

Monday, October 16th
Modern Myths [34 Bridge Street #4, Northampton, MA 01060] at 7:00 PM to 9:00 PM
Comics Workshop
A comic workshop! Not 100% certain what form this takes but it’s probably going to be a lot of fun!

Community:

Greenfield Public Library [402 Main St, Greenfield, MA 01301] at 5:00 PM to 6:30 PM
Transportation Justice
Discussion and advocacy for improved regional public transit. We all benefit from excellent public transit!
Wednesday, October 18th
Greenfield Public Library [402 Main St, Greenfield, MA 01301] at 6:00 PM to 8:00 PM
Pioneer Valley Democratic Socialists of America
The monthly general meeting of the local chapter of the Democratic Socialists!
Saturday, October 21st
Sunderland Public Library [20 School St., Sunderland, MA 01375] at 10:30 AM to 12:30 PM
Adulting 101 – Cyber Smarts & Social Media Savvy
Teens and young adults ages 14-22, get some tips on staying cyber-smart this cyber-year! Craft a social media profile that tells the societally appropriate sorts of mistruths! Keep safe, set boundaries online, and avoid common mistakes! Our most useful online tip is probably delete twitter.
Greenfield Public Library [402 Main St, Greenfield, MA 01301] at 3:00 PM to 5:00 PM
League of Women Voters – Franklin County
An open meeting of members of the League of Women Voters!
Sunday, October 22nd
Yiddish Book Center [1021 West St., Amherst, MA 01002] at 10:00 AM to 4:00 PM
Community Open House
A day of activities featuring the Sarah Rose Lazarus Family Concert with the Yiddishkeit Klezmer Ensemble, a gallery talk by Mark Podwal, tours, and more!

Computers:

Thursday, October 19th
Northampton Community TV [380 Elm Street, Northampton, MA] at 7:00 PM to 9:00 PM
WordPress Developers and Admins
This time the main topic is going to be SEO! Local SEO expert Roger Montti will join to give a great presentation on how to improve traffic, sales, and leads. Our tactic is that we just copy and past all of Wikipedia into every post, then turn the text white!

Entertainment:

Tuesday, October 17th
Emily Dickinson Museum [280 Main St, Amherst, MA 01002] at 1:00 PM to 5:00 PM
Seed Saving Day at the Dickinson
Lend a hand gathering and saving seeds from the garden at Emily Dickinson’s Homestead! You can go to a sachet making session too! Make sure that the garden’s just as beautiful next year!
Thursday, October 19th
Palmer Public Library [1455 N Main St, Palmer, MA 01069] at 6:00 PM to 8:00 PM
Anime Club
Watch anime! We watched some of “Ouran Host Club.” and it was both funny and distressing in equal measure.
Saturday, October 21st
MYSTERY LOCATION at 6:00 PM to 9:00 PM
Game of Thrones S1E7 & Potluck
GoT meetups have been going great, so why not do another? See a show you either will love or do love and hang out with nice people! You can stay for one episode or multiple! Be sure to sign up for the Meetup group to make sure that you can actually find out where it is! https://www.meetup.com/4scifi/
Sunday, October 22nd
MYSTERY LOCATION at 6:30 PM to 9:00 PM
Star Trek Discovery Episodes 3-5 & Potluck
After watching the first two episodes of Discovery on the premiere, everyone decided that it made sense to keep it up! Bring something to eat or drink for this long trek to the stars!

History:

Saturday, October 21st
Historic Northampton [46 Bridge Street, Northampton, MA 01060-2406] at 11:00 AM to 12:00 AM
Dedication of the Northampton State Hospital Burial Ground Memorial Bench
The Northampton Historical Commission will dedicate a new memorial bench overlooking “Cemetery Hill”, which was used by the Northampton State Hospital from 1858 until the 1920s.
Historic Northampton [46 Bridge Street, Northampton, MA 01060-2406] at 2:00 PM to 3:00 PM
The Devil’s Juggles: Witchcraft Accusations in 17th-Century New England by Michael Thurston
A newly updated talk about the appearance of witchcraft in seventeenth-century Valley towns and villages, giving light to familiar patterns of accusation and interrogation. Also learn about the fact that Cotton Mather apparently called things the “Devil’s Juggles” which like… what… what the heck is that supposed to mean?
Emily Dickinson Museum [280 Main St, Amherst, MA 01002] at 10:00 AM to 12:00 PM
Massachusetts Archaeology Month: Digging at the Dickinson
View the world of Emily Dickinson through the eyes of an archaeologist! A presentation and a walking tour from members of the UMass school of Archaeology will present findings from the Dickinson dig site!

Movies:

Thursday, October 19th
Jones Library [43 Amity St., Amherst, MA 01002] at 7:00 PM to 9:00 PM
Film & Discussion Series: 13th
Join the group for a viewing of the documentary film “13th” followed by a group discussion. After the film and discussion, people will break out into smaller groups to talk about local action projects that you can take part in! Free and open to the public.

 

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October 9th – October 15th

 

The Valley Nerd Watch!

We just finished the game Tales of Berseria, which was quite good! It had fun characters with whom we had a fun time, and it managed to sell a lot of the extremely emotionally charged moments that sometimes come across as forced in these sorts of stories. Plus you can do a bunch of fun fashion stuff with the characters, which is a feature literally every game should have no matter the genre. We always want to be able to dress people up! It never ever stops being funny when someone’s having an intense conversation while a doll is sitting on their shoulders.

Anyway! In other news please make it a point to check out the amazing the spectacular the definitely worthwhile to see Nerd Nite NoHo! We’ll be at the Academy of Music on the 23rd at 7pm, on the same stage that’s hosted so many amazing performers! It’ll be a hoot and a half.

We’re going to be exploring the mysteries of physics! We’ll get a better idea of how Einstein’s initial discoveries are relevant today, and we’ll explore how complex everyday physics can be, and how much we still don’t know! Plus, you’ll get to see a Nerd Nite on a screen that we’re going to assume will be almost comically huge in comparison to what we use at the World War 2 Club!

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, October 11th
Mead Art Museum [41 Quadrangle Dr, Amherst, MA 01002] at 4:30 PM to 5:30 PM
From Russia to Paris and Beyond: 20th Century Russian Artists in Europe
A lecture by Curator of European and Russian Art, Dr Alla Rosenfeld, in conjunction with the exhibition! Dr. Rosenfeld will present her insights on how the concept of ‘home’ was ever-changing for Russian artists, who fled to Western Europe. She’ll also trace the complex interconnections and rich influences between Russian and Western artists in the 20th century. Find out more about art, impress your friends, cow your enemies!
Friday, October 13th
Smith College Museum of Art [20 Elm St, Northampton, MA 01063] at 4:00 PM to 8:00 PM
Free Second Friday
Art making for everyone! Get ready for Halloween with awesome paper masks that are inspired by the animals in Honore Sharrer’s art! Spooktacular! There’s also complimentary light refreshments!
Historic Northampton [46 Bridge Street, Northampton, MA 01060-2406] at 5:00 PM to 7:30 PM
Arts in Northampton – Then, Now and Going Forward: A Conversation with Gordie Thorne and Annie Woodhull
From the site: “Gordie Thorne and Annie Woodhull, in conversation with co-director Laurie Sanders, will describe the state of the arts in Northampton in the early 1970s when they first arrived to today, with the creation of the new Northampton Community Arts Trust project at 33 Hawley Street.”
Saturday, October 14th
Animagic Museum of Animation at 3:00 PM to 6:00 PM
Animagic Museum Tour and Class
From the Meetup event: “This museum is showcase for all the animation/special effects artists and work done in the region. It is a very small but unique museum and you get to meet the owners. The tour takes 20-minutes and is free tour but they request $5 donation. Afterwards there is a 2-hour animation class for $20. By the end of the class you will be able to complete a very basic animation (similar to claymation) and it they upload it to youtube. ” Sounds awesome! There are a ton of great animators nearby!

Board Games:

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!
Off The Wall Game Store [41 Russell St – Hadley MA, 01035] at 11:00 AM to 6:00 PM
Age of Sigmar Tournament
For just $15, you get to compete for prizes and have a nice pizza lunch! It’s a 2000 point tournament and you get started at noon, but need to register at 11!
Burger King Community Room [344 King St., Northampton, MA] at 12:30 PM to 8:00 PM
Tabletop Game Day
A board game meetup with some excellent folks who are happy to play some board games with you! Mostly Euro games, but feel free to bring whatever you find fun!

Books:

Monday, October 9th
Odyssey Bookshop [9 College St, South Hadley, MA 01075] at 7:00 PM to 8:00 PM
Holly Black & Cassandra Clare, The Silver Mask (Magisterium Book 4) Book Launch!
Important! Please RSVP at rsvp@odysseybks.com or call 413-534-7307! From the site: “A generation ago, Constantine Madden came close to achieving what no magician had ever achieved: the ability to bring back the dead. He didn’t succeed . . . but he did find a way to keep himself alive, inside a young child named Callum Hunt.”
Tuesday, October 10th
Odyssey Bookshop [9 College St, South Hadley, MA 01075] at 7:00 PM to 9:00 PM
Elizabeth Bear & Scott Lynch
From the Site: “Author Elizabeth Bear returns to her critically acclaimed epic fantasy world of the Eternal Sky with a brand new trilogy. The Stone in the Skull available October 10th from Tor Books takes readers over the dangerous mountain passes of the Steles of the Sky and south into the Lotus Kingdoms.”
Thursday, October 12th
Odyssey Bookshop [9 College St, South Hadley, MA 01075] at 7:00 PM to 9:00 PM
Thomas Moore, Ageless Soul
From the site: “Ageless Soul offers positive and inspiring guidance for becoming a full person as time goes by. Since we are all aging, it is for anyone who has ever thought about getting older. It’s especially valuable for people 50 and over. It seems more difficult than ever these days to deal creatively with aging. This book provides a deep and comprehensive plan that sees aging not as losing capacity but as becoming who you are destined to be, a real human being.” We’re actually destined to be a sort of linchpin sacrificial hero who will start the next cycle of an underlying world-myth.

Card Games:

Friday, October 13th
Modern Myths [34 Bridge Street #4, Northampton, MA 01060] at 7:00 PM to 10:30 PM
Friday Night Magic Booster Draft
Play a Booster Draft game of magic! Your $16 entry fee includes tax and 3 booster packs to draft with, as well as adding a pack to the prize pool! Play a fun game and win prizes!
Sunday, October 15th
Modern Myths [34 Bridge Street #4, Northampton, MA 01060] at 1:00 PM to 4:00 PM
Learn to Play Pokemon
For a small fee of $20 you get to learn how to play the Pokemon Card Game! You’ll get a theme deck and a booster pack, and the friendly Modern Myths staff will help you learn how to play!

Computers:

Wednesday, October 11th
Last Call Media [136 West St., Suite 01, Northampton, MA] at 6:00 PM to 8:00 PM
Agile Methods Meetup
Are you on an Agile team? Do you want to be? Learn more about this management technique! The topic this week is Agile Pain Points, which we assume teaches you how to use the techniques of agile to make your foes hearts explode.
Thursday, October 12th
Last Call Media [136 West St., Suite 01, Northampton, MA] at 6:00 PM to 8:30 PM
Hack for Western Mass
After some quick updates about local projects in progress, there will be some time to discuss upcoming projects and then get to hacking together some solutions! Get started on a wonderful new project this week! Also you get dinner!

Kids:

Saturday, October 14th
Sunderland Public Library [20 School St., Sunderland, MA 01375] at 11:00 AM to 12:00 PM
Special Fire Prevention Storytime with Fire Fighter Meaghan Ahearn
Join Fire Fighter Meaghan Ahearn from the Sunderland Fire Department for a special storytime! Fire, humankind’s oldest friend and most persistent nemesis, needs a constant vigil to be kept under control! Children will share stories, see a real fire truck, and learn both how to prevent fires and what to do in case of a fire!

RPGs:

Thursday, October 12th
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!
Palmer Public Library [1455 N Main St, Palmer, MA 01069] at 4:00 PM to 6:00 PM
RPG Club
RPGs are great! Play Noirlandia, or Questlandia, or Dread, or Monsterhearts, or Apocalypse World, or Dogs in the Vineyard, or One Thousand and One Nights, or any of a lot of amazing games created right here in this Valley! They’re all very good!
Friday, October 13th
Chesterfield Scout Reservation [22 Sugar Hill Road, Chesterfield, MA] at 9:00 PM to 11:59 PM
Magestry LARP Autumn Game 3
Try Magestry! It’s $40 for first-time players, but FREE to join the staff for the weekend as an NPC! Plus if you’re an NPC you get food and a costume! Sounds fun whatever you decide!
Sunday, October 15th
Odyssey Bookshop [9 College St, South Hadley, MA 01075] at 12:00 PM to 5:00 PM
Pathfinder Society
Become a hero! Join the Pathfinder Society and seek out bold new adventure in this fantasy roleplaying game! It’s limited to seven people on a first-come first-serve basis, but it’s not a bad idea to stop by and say hi even if it fills up! There’s always more adventure on the way!

Science:

Thursday, October 12th
Nacul Center [592 Main St, Amherst, MA 01002] at 6:00 PM to 7:00 PM
OEB Science Cafe Presents A Hairy Situation – Surprising Stories of Primate Evolution
Hear UMass Anthropology Professor Jason Kamilar discuss his research on primate evolution! He’s a specific expert on hair, and he’ll explain why the heck we have so many different colors of hair in mammals!

 

October 2nd – October 7th

 

The Valley Nerd Watch!

The Spooky Season is here! Yay! Get a bunch of pumpkin-flavored whatever the heck, dress in whatever you think is coolest and don’t stop until Christmas!

Also please take a moment to buy a ticket to Nerd Nite NoHo at the Academy of Music! It’s THIS MONTH and we’re 100% excited and 100% freaking out about this very neat thing we’re going to do! You are invited and it will be a lot of fun.

It isn’t quite up on the marquee yet and it’s absolutely killing us because whenever we’re in NoHo at that one interminable light we keep glancing over and we’re always kind of worried that pedestrians think we’re like getting angry at them or something for waiting to cross.

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, October 3rd
Goodwin Memorial Library [50 Middle St, Hadley, MA 01035] at 3:00 PM to 4:30 PM
Arts Adventure
“We’re taking a four week adventure through the world of collage! We’ll supply glue, markers, and old magazines to cut up, you bring any paper or photo items you want to include in your collage! On our final Tuesday, we’ll have a mini-art show to look at each other’s work.” We’re taking a four week adventure through the world of macrame but you’re not invited.
Thursday, October 5th
Emily Dickinson Museum [280 Main St, Amherst, MA 01002] at 6:00 PM to 9:00 PM
Amherst Arts Night Plus
A free cultural event where you get to see open mic performers and look at beautiful art and listen to poetry and legend says that Emily Dickinson might drop by!
Goodwin Memorial Library [50 Middle St, Hadley, MA 01035] at 3:00 PM to 4:30 PM
Homework Hang
“Need somewhere to do homework or help with an assignment? Stop by the Teen Room after school on Thursdays for homework assistance, supplies, or just a quiet spot to work!”

Board Games:

Saturday, October 7th
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:

Monday, October 2nd
Odyssey Bookshop [9 College St, South Hadley, MA 01075] at 7:00 PM to 9:00 PM
Truth to Power: Writers Respond To The Rhetoric of Hate And Fear
The book will be on sale at the event for $20, all profits will be donated to the ACLU, the Standing Rock Sioux, and the Southern Poverty Law Center. There will be a series of readings with authors Doug Anderson, Chard deNiord, Marin Espada, Howie Faerstein, Leslie McGrath, & Lauren Marie Schmidt.
Thursday, October 5th
Odyssey Bookshop [9 College St, South Hadley, MA 01075] at 7:00 PM to 9:00 PM
Peter Zheutlin, Rescued
In the follow up to the bestselling Rescue Road, Peter Zheutlin offers a look into the world of rescue dogs instead of rescue roads. He’ll teach you to set the world right one dog at a time! Next up he’ll be looking into the seedy underworld of road breeding.
Gamble Auditorium, Mount Holyoke College at 4:30 PM to 6:00 PM
Robert K. Musil: “The Legacy of Rachel Carson: Empathy and Environmental Justice”
President and CEO of the Rachel Carson Council will discuss environmental justice and political advocacy. After the event you’ll be able to get the book signed!
Friday, October 6th
Odyssey Bookshop [9 College St, South Hadley, MA 01075] at 7:00 PM to 9:00 PM
Josh Weil, Age of Perpetual Light
Josh Weil brings together a decade’s worth of work that explores the themes of progress and the bringing of light to the world. Short stories follow deeply felt characters through different eras in American history, speaking to the aspiration for advancement.
Saturday, October 7th
Forbes Library [20 West St, Northampton, MA 01060] at 11:00 AM to 12:00 PM
Local Author Series Kickoff with Mike Curato!
Kicking off the new Local Author series with the award-winning local children’s author and illustrator, Mike Curato! He’ll give a live book reading, an interactive drawing demonstration, a brief slideshow, and some Q&A! All his books will be available for purchase, so pick one up and get it signed! Recommended for children ages 4 to 12!

Card Games:

Friday, October 6th
Modern Myths [34 Bridge Street #4, Northampton, MA 01060] at 7:00 PM to 10:30 PM
Friday Night Magic (Casual/101)
Learn to play Magic in a casual setting with the friendly staff of Modern Myths! Test out a cool new deck, play with constructed decks if other folks are into it, get special door prizes! It’s the perfect night for new Magic players or people who just want to take it easy! It’s $5 to attend, which is immediately converted to store credit.

Community:

Monday, October 2nd
Forbes Library [20 West St, Northampton, MA 01060] at 1:00 PM to 4:00 PM
Career Center Registration & Job Search Assistance
Get help finding a job! See Mary Ann at the Mezzanine level to get started on your search!
Wednesday, October 4th
Jones Library [43 Amity St., Amherst, MA 01002] at 10:00 AM to 12:00 PM
Mobile Market Meeting
Join the folks at Healthy Hampshire for a meeting to hear what the community thinks about establishing a mobile farmer’s market for Hampshire County.
Thursday, October 5th
Palmer Public Library [1455 N Main St, Palmer, MA 01069] at 6:00 PM to 7:30 PM
Consumer Workshop: Identity Theft
Get a head start on that thing that’s 100% going to happen to you in the future thanks to corporate malfeasance and criminal incompetence on the part of people who are ostensibly stewards of your data! It’s not going to be fun, so you should probably figure out how to deal with it now. Ms. Milagros S. Johnson of the Mayors Office of Consumer Information will be speaking! Register by calling (413) 283-3330, extension 100!
Saturday, October 7th
Jones Library [43 Amity St., Amherst, MA 01002] at 10:00 AM to 11:30 AM
Public Speaking for Women Activists
Learn how to speak more effectively to crowds!

Computers:

Tuesday, October 3rd
The Foundry [24 Main St., Northampton, MA] at 6:00 PM to 8:00 PM
Northampton Webdive – After Work
A regular meetup of people who do web dev work! It’s a great place to meet and chat about your work and also fun stuff you do!

Entertainment:

Wednesday, October 4th
Greenfield Public Library [402 Main St, Greenfield, MA 01301] at 6:00 PM to 8:00 PM
First Wednesday Speaker Series: The Gravestone Girls
The Gravestone Girls will take you on a virtual tour of the cemetery! Take a look at the history and the present of the rural cemeteries that surround you, known by locals as “the forest of strange stone trees that almost look purposefully carved”. The tour will examine why we have graveyards, why we set up gravestones, and how styles and art on gravestones have evolved over 400 years! Local art will be featured!
Forbes Library [20 West St, Northampton, MA 01060] at 7:00 PM to 8:00 PM
Fake News and PGS (Post-Modern Gullibility Syndrome)
Veteran Gazette columnist and author Bruce Watson will speak about Fake News and why people are often eager to believe it! Free and open to all!
Friday, October 6th
Goodwin Memorial Library [50 Middle St, Hadley, MA 01035] at 5:30 PM to 7:30 PM
Ukulele Jam
Play the Ukulele? Just like the look of it and want to try? Play songs and learn at the Jam!
Sunday, October 8th
Yiddish Book Center [1021 West St., Amherst, MA 01002] at 2:00 PM to 3:00 PM
Talk: Norton Juster and Ilan Stavans
Norton Juster, author of the absolute classic children’s book The Phantom Tollbooth, and Ilan Stavans, editor of The Oxford Book of Jewish Stories, talk about writing for children! A spectacular opportunity for insights from some real pros!

Kids:

Tuesday, October 3rd
Forbes Library [20 West St, Northampton, MA 01060] at 3:30 PM to 4:30 PM
LEGO Club
Ages 5 and up can enjoy an afternoon playing with LEGOs!
Thursday, October 5th
Forbes Library [20 West St, Northampton, MA 01060] at 3:00 PM to 4:00 PM
Rainbow Makers LGBTQ+ Group
A creative bi-weekly discussion group for people ages 13-17! The goal is to publish an annual magazine featuring a wide variety of artwork, writing, opinion pieces, reviews, and much more! If you have interests you want to share, they want to help you share them!
Goodwin Memorial Library [50 Middle St, Hadley, MA 01035] at 10:00 AM to 11:00 AM
Lunatunes!
A sign-a-long for babies and toddlers! We imagine the babies are quite a bit less capable of the whole “along” part of the singalong but they have fun. There’s also always a snack, so your kids will not turn into the scary kind of Gremlin.

Movies:

Tuesday, October 3rd
Greenfield Public Library [402 Main St, Greenfield, MA 01301] at 5:30 PM to 7:30 PM
GPL Teen Pizza and Movie Night
Teens! Get pizza and watch movies! You’re invited to a party and it’ going to be great.

RPGs:

Wednesday, October 4th
Modern Myths [34 Bridge Street #4, Northampton, MA 01060] at 4:30 PM to 6:30 PM
Youngbloods Adventure Guild
A monthly D&D club for players 8-12! You can become a member of this club by prepaying $50. That gets you help with creating a character, a mini, a custom D&D session, and a set of dice! It’s the perfect way to play a fun game with friends! We recommend you play a bard. Actually everyone should play as a bard and you should be adventurers by day and a traveling band by night!
Thursday, October 5th
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!
Modern Myths [34 Bridge Street #4, Northampton, MA 01060] at 4:30 PM to 6:30 PM
Youngbloods Adventure Guild
A monthly D&D club for players 8-12! You can become a member of this club by prepaying $50. That gets you help with creating a character, a mini, a custom D&D session, and a set of dice! It’s the perfect way to play a fun game with friends! We recommend you try to figure out how to steal a dragon’s glass eye. It’s got to be powerful, right? And if it’s not it’s still a good story. Hm. A dragon would probably have like 40,000 extra glass eyes in a pile if they had one. Dragons are like that.
Saturday, October 7th
Modern Myths [34 Bridge Street #4, Northampton, MA 01060] at 2:00 PM to 10:00 PM
Xanathar’s Nemesis
A huge 8-hour D&D day and night of adventure! Head into the tunnels beneath Waterdeep and deal with a rival who’s been giving Xanathar, the Beholder mobster, a lot of grief! You’ll have a break for dinner around 6pm, there are going to be special door prizes for attendees, and play materials for all! Everything’s included in the $25 admission price! There’s a strict limit of 15 people, so sign up quick!
Sunday, October 8th
Odyssey Bookshop [9 College St, South Hadley, MA 01075] at 12:00 PM to 5:00 PM
Pathfinder Society
Become a hero! Join the Pathfinder Society and seek out bold new adventure in this fantasy roleplaying game! It’s limited to seven people on a first-come first-serve basis, but it’s not a bad idea to stop by and say hi even if it fills up! There’s always more adventure on the way!

 

September 18th – September 24th

 

The Valley Nerd Watch!

Lots going on this week! Of course the MOST important thing happening is that on October 23rd you will be able to attend the biggest event in the history of the Academy of Music: Nerd Nite at the Academy! It’ll feature two wonderful presenters discussing the most fantastic fringes of science! It’s only $5 to attend, and you can buy tickets now!

This past week we had the absolute delight of attending the Modern Myths 15th anniversary party! It was spectacular! There was delicious pizza, there were amazing vegan cupcakes, there were door prizes, there was a trivia contest, and there was the raffle for a Lifetime VIP Membership, which was won by none other than delightful Valley Creator Epidiah Ravachol! To celebrate this achievement with him, why not back his Patreon?

We really recommend checking out events at Modern Myths based on the fact that we met many people there and they were quite nice, so probably their events have nice folks there.

We love that place, and we’re really hoping for another amazing 15 years for them! It’s rough running a physical shop in the era of digital big-box stores, and we really encourage you to take your comic and board game business to Modern Myths, Northamptonites! We’d like them to stick around! Alternately just like mail stacks of money to them!

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, September 19th
Holyoke Public Library [250 Chestnut St, Holyoke, MA 01040] at 4:00 PM to 6:00 PM
Radioplasma Recording Studio Sessions
Each Tuesday, meet up in the Teen Room and walk as a group to the Radioplasma Recording Studio at 306 Race St. to learn about media literacy, get hands-on experience with song recording, journalism, storytelling, and sound mixing! Also, oddly enough, farming. No one tries to make it happen, but everyone comes out knowing more about how to till soil effectively.
Goodwin Memorial Library [50 Middle St, Hadley, MA 01035] at 3:00 PM to 4:30 PM
Arts Adventure 1
“We’re taking a four week adventure through the world of collage! We’ll supply glue, markers, and old magazines to cut up, you bring any paper or photo items you want to include in your collage! On our final Tuesday, we’ll have a mini-art show to look at each other’s work.” We’re taking a four week adventure through the world of stipple art but you can’t come
Wednesday, September 20th
Forbes Library [20 West St, Northampton, MA 01060] at 6:00 PM to 8:00 PM
Society fo Children’s Book Writers and Illustrators Writing Critique Group
Writers! Do you write children’s books, middle grade books, or YA? Illustrators! Same question! If you do, get some feedback from friendly colleagues following the SCBWI guidelines so you know it’ll be useful!
Thursday, September 21st
Smith College Museum of Art [20 Elm St, Northampton, MA 01063] at 5:30 PM to 7:45 PM
Japanese Lacquer Art from the 16th to the 19th Century: Notable Collections in the United States
Monic Bincsik, the Assistant Curator of the Department of Asian Art at the Metropolitan Museum of Art and after you listen to her excellent lecture you’ll be able to get a book signing at a post-lecture reception! There’s also probably some food and drinks at the reception!
Friday, September 22nd
Smith College Museum of Art [20 Elm St, Northampton, MA 01063] at 9:00 AM to 11:00 AM
Artist Demonstration: The Art and Practic of Japanese Lacquer
Gen Saratani, a Japanese lacquer artist and restorer, will demonstrate key components of the complicated lacquer that has been passed down for generations! Drop in at any time to meet the artist and see him at work!
Smith College Museum of Art [20 Elm St, Northampton, MA 01063] at 12:00 PM to 1:00 PM
Lunchtime Talk: The Technique of Japanese Lacquer
Following a morning demonstration, Gen Saratani will present an overview of the technical process using examples of his work! There will be lunch provided for the first 30 attendees and bitter disappointment for the rest of the attendees!
Women’s & Gender Center, Keefe Campus Center at 12:00 PM to 1:00 PM
Artist Lunch with Saya Woolfwalk at the WGC
You have been invited to have lunch with an amazing contemporary female artist! Saya Woolfalk will teach you more about her practice and her experiences as a female artist!
Mead Art Museum [41 Quadrangle Dr, Amherst, MA 01002] at 4:30 PM to 5:30 PM
Artist Talk by Saya Woolfwalk
A talk in conjunction with Rotherwas Project No. 3, Saya Woolfwalk: Life Products and the ChimaCloud. She was born in Gifu City, Japan, and is now based in New York. She’s known for exploring hybridity, race, science, and gender.
Saturday, September 23rd
Sunderland Public Library [20 School St., Sunderland, MA 01375] at 2:00 PM to 4:00 PM
Young Writers Workshop
Grades 5th – 12th! Do you love writing? Love writing in a group, and get better at writing!

Board Games:

Monday, September 18th
Holyoke Public Library [250 Chestnut St, Holyoke, MA 01040] at 3:30 PM to 5:30 PM
Game On!
Indoor and outdoor games! You can break up your Catan sessions with some frisbee if you like, or vice-versa!
Saturday, September 23rd
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, September 21st
Palmer Public Library [1455 N Main St, Palmer, MA 01069] at 6:00 PM to 8:00 PM
Stone Tablets – Book Talk with Stephanie Kraft
Ms. Kraft will talk about and read from the reknowned novel Stone Tablets. Written by the famed Polish author Wojciech Zukrowski, it was censured after its publication in 1965 for the criticism it level at the abuses perpetrated by Stalin. It was forbiddin to translate the novel until the fall of the Soviet Union!
Friday, September 22nd
Odyssey Bookshop [9 College St, South Hadley, MA 01075] at 11:00 AM to 12:00 PM
Lisa Maxwell, The Last Magician
In modern New York, magic is all but extinct. And in the book! The few who do have magical affinity hide themselves, and any who enter Manhattan become trapped, forever! And in the book! And speaking of books, Esta is a time-travelling thief who’s going to try to steal a book from the past to make that weird situation less bad!
Sunday, September 24th
Odyssey Bookshop [9 College St, South Hadley, MA 01075] at 4:00 PM to 5:00 PM
Active Citizens Club – Rat F**ked
Oh jeez, such language. That’s what the book’s called, though! Rat Faked, about how rats aren’t real. No wait it’s about rigging the House and state legislatures for the benefit of a Republican party that relies on voter suppression rather than policy proposals anyone likes. Read the book, then talk about it with the Active Citizens Club!

Card Games:

Friday, September 22nd
Modern Myths [34 Bridge Street #4, Northampton, MA 01060] at 7:00 PM to 10:30 PM
Friday Night Magic Booster Draft
Play a Booster Draft game of magic! Your $16 entry fee includes tax and 3 booster packs to draft with, as well as adding a pack to the prize pool! Play a fun game and win prizes!
Saturday, September 23rd
Modern Myths [34 Bridge Street #4, Northampton, MA 01060] at 1:00 PM to 5:00 PM
Ixalan Pre-Release
Play with a brand-new set of Magic Cards! They’re all kind of generally themed around like a faux El Dorado. This is a Sealed Deck tournament! Build the best 40-card deck you can with the new cards and compete for promo items! It’s $30 in advance, $35 at the door.

Community:

Tuesday, September 19th
Jones Library [43 Amity St., Amherst, MA 01002] at 4:00 PM to 5:30 PM
Cultural Council Public Information Meeting
Get some information about the Cultural Council, public at large! It’s not just your right, it’s your duty!
Thursday, September 21st
Goodwin Memorial Library [50 Middle St, Hadley, MA 01035] at 3:00 PM to 4:30 PM
Homework Hang
“Need somewhere to do homework or help with an assignment? Stop by the Teen Room afterschool on Thursdays for homework assistance, supplies, or just a quiet spot to work!”
Friday, September 22nd
Holyoke Public Library [250 Chestnut St, Holyoke, MA 01040] at 6:00 PM to 8:00 PM
Annual Celebration of El Grito de Lares with Guest Speaker Dr. Solsiree del Moral
Celebrate Grito del Lares, the holiday marking Puerto Rico’s attempt to gain independence, with Dr. Solsiree del Moral. Dr. del Moral is an Associate Professor of American Studies and Black Studies and the Chair of American Studies at Amherst College. She will speak about five books on Puerto Rican history that she considers essential to understanding Puerto Rico and US colonialism.
Saturday, September 23rd
Sunderland Public Library [20 School St., Sunderland, MA 01375] at 10:30 AM to 12:30 PM
Adulting 101 – Time Management & Relaxation
Teens and young adults ages 14-22, get some tips on managing your busy schedule! Also a post-talk Yoga class which will be nice. Our hot tip for managing your time: you can always procrastinate and stay up later! If you don’t sleep, it will never be the next day! That’s just science.

Computers:

Thursday, September 21st
Northampton Community TV [380 Elm Street, Northampton, MA] at 7:00 PM to 9:00 PM
WordPress Developers and Admins
Talk about your current projects, any problems and solutions you might have to share, and then listen to a presentation on the basics of WordPress customization! Learn how to develop and modify WordPress plugins and styles, learn about the API and setting up dev environments, and how to test and publish your ideas. Press your words with even greater effectiveness!
Last Call Media [136 West St., Suite 01, Northampton, MA] at 6:00 PM to 8:00 PM
September 2017 Western Mass Drupal Users Group Meeting
Learn more about Drupal! Get so good with it that you can then apply those skills to making the world’s greatest website! There’s a packed schedule of guided discussion and demonstration of techniques.
Friday, September 22nd
Massachusetts Green High Performance Computing Center [100 Bigelow St., Holyoke, MA] at 12:00 PM to 5:00 PM
BODY: SKIN: COCOON: TRANSFORMATION
Did you know that cocoons are only for moths and caterpillars? We kind of thought they were the same thing as butterfly chrysalises but nope, they’re spun with silk whereas the chrysalis is just like made of the animal, which is weird. This workshop is $286 for six weeks and we have no danged idea what it’s about. You’ll apparently consider the elements of body, space, and time with Lisa Hoag. Check it out at https://reg135.imperisoft.com/HCAC/ProgramDetail/35363937/Registration.aspx if your’e interested!
Sunday, September 24th
Sunderland Public Library [20 School St., Sunderland, MA 01375] at 10:00 AM to 12:00 PM
Web Design 101 with WordPress: Advertising, Producing Content, Networking, and Social Media
Librarian and officially licensed Tech Wizard Dylan Tibert will teach you the fundamentals of designing your own website using WordPress. Classes will be a one hour lecture followed by a hands-on workshop. Perfect for experienced computer users who are beginners at web design! This class covers how to advertise and make a site people actually see!

Entertainment:

Friday, September 22nd
Goodwin Memorial Library [50 Middle St, Hadley, MA 01035] at 5:30 PM to 7:30 PM
Ukulele Jam
Play the Ukulele? Just like the look of it and want to try? Play songs and learn at the Jam!
Historic Northampton [46 Bridge Street, Northampton, MA 01060-2406] at 10:00 AM to 12:00 PM
Explore Northampton Series: Exploring Roberts Hill, Leeds, MA
Naturalist and co-director Laurie Sanders will take you for a 2-hour exploration of one of the oldest conservation areas in Northampton! It’s an important wildlife habitat with a network of nicely maintained trails. It’s $8 for members, $12 non-members, register at lsanders@historicnorthampton.org to get directions to the meetup site! Limit of 20!
Saturday, September 23rd
Forbes Library [20 West St, Northampton, MA 01060] at 1:00 PM to 3:00 PM
Doctor Who Club
All are welcome! The theme this month is new beginnings, featuring Christopher Eccleston and Peter Capaldi as the titular “Doctor Who”.
Sunday, September 24th
MYSTERY LOCATION at 6:30 PM to 11:00 PM
Star Trek Discovery Premiere Pizza Party – Bring Toppings!
Sign up at the Meetup to find this spectacular event! https://www.meetup.com/4scifi/events/243401659/ Bring your own toppings for a delicious pizza, crust with sauce will be there already! Vegan options as well! Event starts at 6:30pm, first episode at 8:30pm, and then second after it if everyone would like!

History:

Saturday, September 23rd
Historic Northampton [46 Bridge Street, Northampton, MA 01060-2406] at 2:00 PM to 3:00 PM
Called to Serve – Stories of men and Women confronted by the Vietnam War Draft
Noted Valley Creator Ken Burns – he’s a Hampshire grad it counts – will be premiering his and collaborator Lynn Novick’s newest 18-hour documentary series The Vietnam War. At this event, author Tom Weiner will give a presentation to share his book on the Vietnam War draft and give folks an opportunity to offer their responses to the series and the war.

Kids:

Tuesday, September 19th
Goodwin Memorial Library [50 Middle St, Hadley, MA 01035] at 10:00 AM to 11:00 AM
Storytime
Give your kids a chance to hear a nice story told by a friendly librarian! Also there are snacks and crafts!
Thursday, September 21st
Goodwin Memorial Library [50 Middle St, Hadley, MA 01035] at 10:00 AM to 11:00 AM
Lunatunes!
A sign-a-long for babies and toddlers! We imagine the babies are quite a bit less capable of the whole “along” part of the singalong but they have fun. There’s also always a snack, so your kids will not turn into the scary kind of Gremlin.
Friday, September 22nd
Forbes Library [20 West St, Northampton, MA 01060] at 3:30 PM to 4:30 PM
Minecraft Club
Play some Minecraft with friends!

Movies:

Tuesday, September 19th
Jones Library [43 Amity St., Amherst, MA 01002] at 7:00 PM to 9:00 PM
Jane Austen Film Festival: Sense & Sensibility
A classic of the genre that we can’t completely remember but definitely have read/seen because it’s well-known that it’s great. It’s just that “romance, drama, comedy, and pithy characters” sums up like a good deal of Austen and it’s hard for us to place this one.
Wednesday, September 20th
Forbes Library [20 West St, Northampton, MA 01060] at 6:30 PM to 8:30 PM
Free Screening: Guess Who’s Coming to Dinner
The Forbes Film Club will present a free screening of the classic film starring Sidney Poitier, Katherine Hepburn, and Spencer Tracy! Refreshments will be served at the screening!
Sunday, September 24th
Yiddish Book Center [1021 West St., Amherst, MA 01002] at 2:00 PM to 4:00 PM
Film: Rabbi Wolff: A Gentleman Before God
As the State Rabbi of North-East Germany, he looks after the Jewish communities in Schwerin and Rostoc, but still lives in a bungalow near Henly-on-Thames. We recognize exactly none of those place-names, but we’re assuming he’s doing important high-placed work and yet living in a small house in a small neighborhood? Find out more and purchase tickets here: http://www.yiddishbookcenter.org/visit-shop/calendar-events/film-rabbi-wolff%E2%80%A8-gentleman-god-sunday-september-24-2-pm

RPGs:

Thursday, September 21st
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!
Sunday, September 24th
Odyssey Bookshop [9 College St, South Hadley, MA 01075] at 12:00 PM to 5:00 PM
Pathfinder Society
Become a hero! Join the Pathfinder Society and seek out bold new adventure in this fantasy role-playing game! It’s limited to seven people on a first-come first-serve basis, but it’s not a bad idea to stop by and say hi even if it fills up! There’s always more adventure on the way!

Science:

Tuesday, September 19th
Historic Northampton [46 Bridge Street, Northampton, MA 01060-2406] at 10:00 AM to 4:00 PM
Public Invitation to the Archaeology Dig Behind the Parsons House
“From September 18-22, a small archaeological dig will be underway behind the Parsons House (1719) to investigate a historic well and its immediate surroundings. On Tuesday, September 19, from 10 am to 4 pm, you’re invited to come by the site and talk to professional archaeologists Craig Chartier and Greg Walwer about what they’re doing and finding.” Talk to some archaeologists about their work! It’s wild how little time needs to pass for things to start being hidden in a way that takes care to unravel!

 

September 11th – September 17th

 

The Valley Nerd Watch!

Are you going to see Nerd Nite tomorrow? You should! It’ll be fun! It’s going to be about bats and manipulative presenting tactics! Educational, fun, all the things you like. We’re finally going after that lucrative bats and sociology crowd.

We’re also going to be at The Academy of Music on the 23rd of October! They have 800 seats, did you know that? Did you know that they have more seats than we knew they had and that if people sat in all those seats it would be nervewracking but also if there were a bunch of empty seats it would be a different sort of nervewracking? Anyway please attend!

Hey have you seen the nice retro poster designs that Aaron Wood does? Why not buy a few? They’re all cool and it’s nice supporting a local artist, isn’t it?

Also we forgot if we already said this recently but are you interested in a gigantic number of old comics? We’ve got a gigantic number of old comics. That’s where we keep getting these header images. If you want expensive rare ones, we’re happy to take your money. If you want every issue of Spawn, we’re happy to take a very little of your money!

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, September 12th
Mead Art Museum [41 Quadrangle Dr, Amherst, MA 01002] at 5:00 PM to 8:00 PM
Fall Exhibitions Opening
Five new exhibitions are opening and you’re invited! Food, art, music, and photographer Mimi Cherono Ng’ok are all going to be there! Free and open to all!
Mead Art Museum [41 Quadrangle Dr, Amherst, MA 01002] at 5:00 PM to 6:00 PM
Artist Talk by Mimi Cherono Ng’ok
A Kenyan photographer who lives and works in Nairobi, Mimi has practiced all over the world! From her studies in Cape Town, to residences in Berlin and exhibitions in Mozambique, she’s doing a whole ton of excellent photography! Learn more about her artistic practice at this talk!
Holyoke Public Library [250 Chestnut St, Holyoke, MA 01040] at 4:00 PM to 6:00 PM
Radioplasma Recording Studio Sessions
Each Tuesday, meet up in the Teen Room and walk as a group to the Radioplasma Recording Studio at 306 Race St. to learn about media literacy, get hands-on experience with song recording, journalism, storytelling, and sound mixing! Also, oddly enough, carpentry. No one tries to make it happen, but everyone comes out knowing more about how to make those nice invisible wood joins.
Goodwin Memorial Library [50 Middle St, Hadley, MA 01035] at 3:30 PM to 5:15 PM
Writing Workshop 3
Learn how to write well! We imagine this will teach you the age-old lesson that books have never existed and we were all just pretending to be literate this whole time!
Wednesday, September 13th
Holyoke Public Library [250 Chestnut St, Holyoke, MA 01040] at 3:30 PM to 5:30 PM
Crafternoon
Teens! Come hang out in the Teen Room, your designated room, to create! Write, draw, make jewelry, design things in 3D, play with their technology! Use the library’s resources to make your dreams… reality.
Thursday, September 14th
Goodwin Memorial Library [50 Middle St, Hadley, MA 01035] at 3:30 PM to 5:15 PM
Writing Workshop 4
Learn how to write well! We imagine this will teach you the age-old lesson that all good writing shares one key element: two pages about a bear. No more, no less.
Saturday, September 16th
Sunderland Public Library [20 School St., Sunderland, MA 01375] at 12:00 PM to 2:00 PM
Upcycled Paper Flowers
Learn how to re-purpose discarded book pages into paper flowers using the Kusudama technique! All materials are provided, but feel free to bring your own decorative accents for the center of the flowers! Amber Ladley is a lifelong crafter and creative entrepreneur, and finds a lot of joy helping people learn how to do stuff that reduces waste! So find joy with her at this session!
Sunderland Public Library [20 School St., Sunderland, MA 01375] at 2:30 PM to 4:30 PM
Upcycled Paper Flowers Session 2
This again! But later.

Books:

Greenfield Public Library [402 Main St, Greenfield, MA 01301] at 10:00 AM to 1:30 PM
Friends Book Sale
Friends, Romans, Countrymen! Lend us your dollars! In exchange for books! Nailed it on the first try with that gag, thank you very much!

Comic Books:

Friday, September 15th
Modern Myths [34 Bridge Street #4, Northampton, MA 01060] at 6:30 PM to 10:00 PM
Modern Myths Fifteenth Anniversary Party!
The big event this week! “Join us on FRIDAY, September 15th for our annual celebration of defying the odds for one more year! We’ll have our usual spread: Pizza, soft drinks, and amazing (totally vegan!) cupcakes! ALL attendees will receive a door prize, and one lucky winner will get to be our latest LIFETIME VIP, with free admission to all future Day Pass events and FIFTEEN of our sweet new $5 Tokens to spend however they like! We’ll also have a special prize for the winner of our Modern Myths Trivia Contest, where we see who knows the most about the history of the store! Doors open at 6:30 PM and pizza arrives at 7:00. This event is open to ALL AGES, and is totally free, our gift back to the community that’s kept us around for so long. Call or stop by the store for any additional details.”

Community:

Monday, September 11th
Greenfield Public Library [402 Main St, Greenfield, MA 01301] at 6:00 PM to 8:00 PM
Marie Bartlett — September 11 Program
From the site: “Marie Betts Bartlett, author and illustrator of The Little Yellow Trolley Car, will describe her strategies for writing, illustrating and discussing her children’s picture book Poppy’s Purpose, which is a true story based on a subway car that survived the collapse of the World Trade Center towers.”

Computers:

MYSTERY LOCATION at 6:00 PM to 8:00 PM
Making Smart Technical Decisions – Monthly Full Stack Meetup
“In this meetup, we’ll discuss technical decisions and their impact over the span of years. When is the best time to migrate from an antiquated system that is becoming a pain to manage? Is it worth months of effort to port functionality to the latest and greatest service? Could we avoid these problems up front? Can we migrate incrementally without getting stuck?” Figure out how to resolve technical issues that snag great projects! Check out the Meetup to make sure you know where to meet up! https://www.meetup.com/wmasswebdev/events/242981781/
Wednesday, September 13th
Last Call Media [136 West St., Suite 01, Northampton, MA] at 6:00 PM to 8:00 PM
Agile Methods Meetup
Agile! It’s the currently in vogue method for getting things done, and it seems to work rather well for a lot of folks! Learn how to make it work even more excellently by speaking with this group of excellent ScrumMasters and associated experts! There’s pizza and discussion as well as a presentation about specific techniques!
Last Call Media [136 West St., Suite 01, Northampton, MA] at 6:00 PM to 8:00 PM
Agile Methods Meetup
Learn Agile from some experts! Talk about your expertise with Agile to some novices! Come together and spread the good news of Agile, and also get some pizza.
Thursday, September 14th
Amherst College [220 South Pleasant St., Amherst, MA] at 6:00 PM to 8:00 PM
Hack for Western Mass
Get together and talk about the projects currently underway, propose new ideas, work together to make the Valley a more spectacular place to live! Dinner is served at this even’t!
Sunday, September 17th
Sunderland Public Library [20 School St., Sunderland, MA 01375] at 10:00 AM to 12:00 PM
Web Design 101 with WordPress: Improving Your Website
Librarian and officially licensed Tech Wizard Dylan Tibert will teach you the fundamentals of designing your own website using WordPress. Classes will be a one hour lecture followed by a hands-on workshop. Perfect for experienced computer users who are beginners at web design! This class covers how to improve the page you built with CSS, SEO, and analytics!

Entertainment:

Wednesday, September 13th
Palmer Public Library [1455 N Main St, Palmer, MA 01069] at 6:00 PM to 7:30 PM
Henry David Thoreau Takes the Train to Palmer – and Beyond!
Thoreau hated the train, and we’re going to use the Palmer’s own joke here because we love it, he “railed” against it! But nonetheless it was an important part of his life! He went to lectures, visited friends, and traveled around New England, Palmer, and the to the Midwest! Corinne Smith will let you know why!
Springfield Symphony Hall [34 Court St, Springfield, MA 01103] at 6:00 PM to 8:00 PM
Steve Forbes: America’s Future in the Global Economy
Listen to Steve Forbes, noted winner of the HIGHLY PRESTIGIOUS “Crystal Owl” award, speak about the only way for your life to get better is for him to get way more money as quickly as possible. And really we just want to focus on the fact that this extremely wealthy and powerful man with a storied life full of basically non-stop achievement of everything he could want is really putting the danged Crystal danged Owl award front-and-center. We suppose it’s to burnish his bonifides but for real. We’re going to start saying this site has won the Spangled Starling award 9 times every time we send an email.
Friday, September 15th
Odyssey Bookshop [9 College St, South Hadley, MA 01075] at 6:00 PM to 8:00 PM
Annual Eid al-Adha Celebration featuring Haroon Moghul
A big celebration of Eid al-Adha, the Sacrifice Feast, which is one of the biggest Muslim holidays celebrated worldwide every year! Author and commentator and broadcaster Haroon Moghul will be there talking and we’re guessing signing books, and you’ll be able to get food for $8 if you’re a non-student!
Goodwin Memorial Library [50 Middle St, Hadley, MA 01035] at 5:30 PM to 7:30 PM
Ukulele Jam
Play the Ukulele? Just like the look of it and want to try? Play songs and learn at the Jam!
Saturday, September 16th
MYSTERY LOCATION at 6:00 PM to 8:00 PM
Game of Thrones S1E4 & Potluck
Everyone really liked having a GoT meetup, so they’re doing it again! The first time the plan was to watch just the first episode, but it wound up being the first three! See if this one can keep itself under control! Bring food or drink to share!

Kids:

Tuesday, September 12th
Goodwin Memorial Library [50 Middle St, Hadley, MA 01035] at 10:00 AM to 11:00 AM
Storytime
Give your kids a chance to hear a nice story told by a friendly librarian! Also there are snacks and crafts!
Thursday, September 14th
Goodwin Memorial Library [50 Middle St, Hadley, MA 01035] at 10:00 AM to 11:00 AM
Lunatunes!
A sign-a-long for babies and toddlers! We imagine the babies are quite a bit less capable of the whole “along” part of the singalong but they have fun. There’s also always a snack, so your kids will not turn into the scary kind of Gremlin.

Movies:

Tuesday, September 12th
Sunderland Public Library [20 School St., Sunderland, MA 01375] at 6:00 PM to 8:00 PM
Film Screening: Before the Flood
Before the Flood is a film about the ways in which climate change affects our environment and what society can do to save some of what we love. A discussion of the film and climate change will be held after the screening. We recommend holding a discussion about ice cream in your tummy after that if you want to cheer up a bit.
Thursday, September 14th
Westhampton Public Library [1 N Rd, Westhampton, MA 01027] at 6:30 PM to 8:00 PM
Film: The Brush Shop
“Stan Sherer’s film, The Brush Shop, will be shown at the Westhampton Public Library. This film tells the story of a vital Northampton industry through interviews with former Pro Brush people, archival photographs and commercials and advertisements from different periods.” Learn more about the history of your lovely Valley!
Saturday, September 16th
Goodwin Memorial Library [50 Middle St, Hadley, MA 01035] at 12:00 PM to 2:00 PM
Dungeons & Dragons
Play D&D with excellent pals, new players welcome! There will be pizza, an integral part of playing D&D!

Science:

Monday, September 11th
World War 2 Club [50 Conz St., Northampton, MA 01060] at 7:00 PM to 9:00 PM
Nerd Nite NoHo!
It’ll be another wonderful time with the nerds! Meet new people, have a good night out at a fine local establishment, and learn about how to influence people with presentations and how the bats are doing! Did you not know the bats were having a hard time? They were! We’ll find out why and whether we should be nervous about these cute critters having a hard time again!

 

September 4th – September 10th

The Valley Nerd Watch!

Happy Labor Day! It’s a good day off to spend thinking about how you can organize to help out your fellow laborers. Maybe check out the Pioneer Valley Workers Center? Or like consider actually attending some union or other workplace community-building event this week instead of blowing it off as we’ve done for approximately 100% of the times we’ve had the opportunity.

It’s important to support and join together your fellow workers, because the odds that you wake up having inherited a billion dollars and therefore not needing nobody nohow are getting lower and lower each day.

You can also take this day off to offer support to the people who make our Valley something wonderful! Maybe buy one of the excellent illustrations from Bryant Paul Johnson’s store?

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, September 5th
Holyoke Public Library [250 Chestnut St, Holyoke, MA 01040] at 4:00 PM to 6:00 PM
Radioplasma Recording Studio Sessions
Each Tuesday, meet up in the Teen Room and walk as a group to the Radioplasma Recording Studio at 306 Race St. to learn about media literacy, get hands-on experience with song recording, journalism, storytelling, and sound mixing! Also, oddly enough, psychology. No one tries to make it happen, but everyone comes out knowing more about attachment styles.
Goodwin Memorial Library [50 Middle St, Hadley, MA 01035] at 3:30 PM to 5:15 PM
Writing Workshop 1
Learn how to write well! We imagine this will teach you the age-old lesson that every truly great book has 125,983 words.
Wednesday, September 6th
Holyoke Public Library [250 Chestnut St, Holyoke, MA 01040] at 3:30 PM to 5:30 PM
Crafternoon
Teens! Come hang out in the Teen Room, your designated room, to create! Write, draw, make jewelry, design things in 3D, play with their technology! Use the library’s resources to make your dreams… reality.
Thursday, September 7th
Palmer Public Library [1455 N Main St, Palmer, MA 01069] at 6:00 PM to 7:30 PM
Dennis Burke: Artist Reception
Dennis Burke, the titular artist of this reception, will be received! That usually means some light refreshments and viewing of neat artwork!
Goodwin Memorial Library [50 Middle St, Hadley, MA 01035] at 3:30 PM to 5:15 PM
Writing Workshop 1
Learn how to write well! We imagine this will teach you the age-old lesson that every truly great book has a character whose central conflict is that they can’t find a pair of boots that not only fit but are waterproof and stylish.
Friday, September 8th
Smith College Museum of Art [20 Elm St, Northampton, MA 01063] at 4:00 PM to 8:00 PM
Free Second Friday
Art making for everyone! Think outside the box by observing the art of Japanese lacquer and then make your own mini container! Cute and delightful. There’s also complimentary light refreshments!
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. Check it out at Northampton Art’s Night Out!
Saturday, September 9th
Historic Northampton [46 Bridge Street, Northampton, MA 01060-2406] at 2:00 PM to 3:00 PM
Public Talk: Photographic Portraits and History by Sandra Matthews
Sandra Matthews will speak on photographic portraits and history in conjunction with the Reframing Northampton exhibition! She’ll explain what’s up with photo portraits and what they reveal about our history!
Sunday, September 10th
Yiddish Book Center [1021 West St., Amherst, MA 01002] at 2:00 PM to 3:00 PM
Gallery Talk: Beyond the Forest with Loli Kantor
Photographer Loli Kantor talks about her exhibit, a photographic series that represents the fragile renewal of Jewish life in Eastern Europe in the early twenty-first century.

Board Games:

Friday, September 8th
Burger King Community Room [344 King St., Northampton, MA] at 6:30 PM to 10:00 PM
Tabletop Game Night
Play board games with an excellent crowd of folks in a comfortable location! Mostly Euro-style apparently, though they’re up for whatever you think would be interesting!
Saturday, September 9th
Palmer Public Library [1455 N Main St, Palmer, MA 01069] at 10:00 AM to 2:00 PM
Palmer Scholastic Chess Tournament
Sections for K-3, 4-6, 7-9, and 10-12 grades! A four-round Swiss System tournament where trophies will be awarded for 1st, 2nd, and 3rd in each section. Free entry, but bring a chess set and clock if you’ve got them! And a bagged lunch! Remember that if you seem to be losing you can combine your Queen with two Rooks and two Bishops to create a mecha that can move and fire twice per turn!
Palmer Public Library [1455 N Main St, Palmer, MA 01069] at 10:00 AM to 2:00 PM
Palmer Scholastic Chess Tournament
Sections for K-3, 4-6, 7-9, and 10-12 grades! A four-round Swiss System tournament where trophies will be awarded for 1st, 2nd, and 3rd in each section. Free entry, but bring a chess set and clock if you’ve got them! And a bagged lunch! Remember that if you seem to be losing you can always petition to switch to chess-boxing midstream.

Books:

Wednesday, September 6th
Palmer Public Library [1455 N Main St, Palmer, MA 01069] at 6:00 PM to 8:00 PM
Walden Book Discussion
Talk about Walden, a book that is good! It’s about nature and we have not yet read it so that’s about where we get off this train. You can check out a copy at the library if you’d like!

Community:

Saturday, September 9th
Greenfield Public Library [402 Main St, Greenfield, MA 01301] at 9:30 AM to 12:30 PM
Dialogue Across Differences
For more information check out http://www.truthschoo.org or talk to Lily Lombard at registrar@truthschool.com! We’re going to assume this is about talking to people who are not similar to you in order to come to an undestanding!

Computers:

Tuesday, September 5th
The Foundry [24 Main St., Northampton, MA] at 6:00 PM to 9:00 PM
Northampton Webdive – After Work
A rendezvous of the most fantastic sort! It’s a chance to hang out with web developers and coders and just folks in general, talk about web dev stuff and just hang at a nice local bar!
Sunday, September 10th
Sunderland Public Library [20 School St., Sunderland, MA 01375] at 10:00 AM to 12:00 PM
Web Design 101 with WordPress: Building Your Website
Librarian and officially licensed Tech Wizard Dylan Tibert will teach you the fundamentals of designing your own website using WordPress. Classes will be a one hour lecture followed by a hands-on worksop. Perfect for experienced computer users who are beginners at web design! This class covers how to build your page!

Entertainment:

Wednesday, September 6th
Greenfield Public Library [402 Main St, Greenfield, MA 01301] at 6:00 PM to 8:00 PM
First Wednesday Speaker Series
Listen to a speaker talk about the things that they want to talk about! It’s not currently actually described at all so we’re going to say it’ll be delightful.
Friday, September 8th
Goodwin Memorial Library [50 Middle St, Hadley, MA 01035] at 5:30 PM to 7:30 PM
Ukulele Jam
Play the Ukulele? Just like the look of it and want to try? Play songs and learn at the Jam!

Kids:

Tuesday, September 5th
Goodwin Memorial Library [50 Middle St, Hadley, MA 01035] at 10:00 AM to 11:00 AM
Storytime
Give your kids a chance to hear a nice story told by a friendly librarian! Also there are snacks and crafts!
Thursday, September 7th
Goodwin Memorial Library [50 Middle St, Hadley, MA 01035] at 10:00 AM to 11:00 AM
Lunatunes!
A sign-a-long for babies and toddlers! We imagine the babies are quite a bit less capable of the whole “along” part of the singalong but they have fun. There’s also always a snack, so your kids will not turn into the scary kind of Gremlin.

Movies:

Tuesday, September 5th
Greenfield Public Library [402 Main St, Greenfield, MA 01301] at 5:30 PM to 7:30 PM
GPL Teen Pizza and Movie Night
Teens! Get pizza and watch movies! You’re invited to a party and it’ going to be great.
Jones Library [43 Amity St., Amherst, MA 01002] at 7:00 PM to 9:00 PM
Jane Austen Film Festival: Love & Friendship
Love & Friendship is a pretty broad topic! But Jane Austen is the one to tackle it!
Wednesday, September 6th
Iconica Social Club [1 Amber Lane, Northampton, MA] at 6:30 PM to 8:30 PM
Critique Group
Another chance to discuss and critique your films, in a special and extremely cool after-hours setting! The cafe is usually closed at this hour, but you can come in and order drinks and baked goods after you pay your $5 to cover the rental of the space. A great chance to expand your knowledge!
Thursday, September 7th
Forbes Library [20 West St, Northampton, MA 01060] at 2:45 PM to 4:15 PM
Teen Movie Night: Everything, Everything
Maddy is hermetically sealed into her house because of an illness, Olly is the boy next door that falls in love with her! They form a bond so deep they’re willing to risk everything to be together. We’re kind of assuming they just consult with medical professionals about how to best maintain a safe environment for Maddy while allowing for visits and eventually moving out of that specific house or something? Like it doesn’t seem necessary to “risk everything”, right? She’s got a lot of people who are working hard to keep her healthy, this should be a team effort! It’s possible this is explained in the narrative but there’s no way for us to know.
Saturday, September 9th
Jones Library [43 Amity St., Amherst, MA 01002] at 7:00 PM to 9:00 PM
Jane Austen Film Festival: Emma
Emma is about a really charming person doing a bunch of very silly and kind of annoying things, but it all works out in the end. Basically we’ve just described ‘a comedy’ but like, Jane Austen wrote a very good comedy.
Goodwin Memorial Library [50 Middle St, Hadley, MA 01035] at 12:00 AM to 2:00 PM
Movie: Back to the Future!
Watch a nice afternoon classic with some popcorn! Bring your own lunch if somehow eating just popcorn is “not life-sustaining” for you.

August 28th – September 3rd

The Valley Nerd Watch!

This week is starting out pretty good we think! We recommend checking out the Queers in Comics & Games discussion at Modern Myths tomorrow. It’s a great place to meet new people and have a chat, and it’s a way to support a wonderful local shop! And you get a great excuse to spend $5 on some comics and games!

This past week we again had a lovely time at Wednesday Games at The Brass Cat! We got to play Tiny Epic Quest, which is a fun if slightly overly fluffy game. There were little bits and bobs that you could attach to your tiny meeple figures and frankly they mostly contributed to an avalanche of plastic which might be lost. Also, it was rough getting a clear grasp of some of the mechanics until 3/5 turns in, which had the effect of making everyone at various points suddenly very sad as they realize oh shoot I messed up bad!

Still once things got going it was nice, and the mechanics worked together to ensure that the finish-line wasn’t too far away once we had coherent plans in place. We think Tiny Epic Galaxies was more fun and less fuss, though.

Also earlier we got to play Time of Crisis, an excellent game from the always-spectacular and often confusing GMT! This one wasn’t confusing, though! It’s just a very straightforward attempt to rack up victory points by controlling and improving parts of Rome, and then becoming Emperor at the right moment! Making things a bit more interesting is a system of deck-building that doesn’t require you to shuffle, so you can spend time figuring out how you want to construct your next couple hands as you look at your deck. We had a blast even though we got soundly defeated.

We also just had a fun time building characters for Breaking The Ice of the Romance Trilogy, excellent game by local excellent person Emily Care Boss of Black & Green Games. We highly recommend you check it out! A rare two-person RPG, it’s the perfect game to play with a pal who’s a bit nervous about getting into an adventuring party!

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 29th
Holyoke Public Library [250 Chestnut St, Holyoke, MA 01040] at 4:00 PM to 6:00 PM
Radioplasma Recording Studio Sessions
Each Tuesday, meet up in the Teen Room and walk as a group to the Radioplasma Recording Studio at 306 Race St. to learn about media literacy, get hands-on experience with song recording, journalism, storytelling, and sound mixing! Also, oddly enough, geology. No one tries to make it happen, but everyone comes out knowing more about sediment.
Jones Library [43 Amity St., Amherst, MA 01002] at 4:00 PM to 5:00 PM
Teen Craft: Shrink, Shrank, Shrunk (Making Jewlery)
We enjoy the fact that they definitely liked the name of this but realized it in no way communicated ‘Jewelry’ at the end. They made it work, though! Create jewelry using stamps, Shrinky Dink material, and a heat source! Open to ages 11-17, pre-register by calling 413-259-3091 or at teens@joneslibrary.org by 5:30pm Monday!
Thursday, August 31st
Holyoke Public Library [250 Chestnut St, Holyoke, MA 01040] at 4:30 PM to 5:30 PM
Learn to play the Ukulele with Julie Stepanek!
Learn to play the only instrument that looks like a small guitar besides a guitar that’s quite small. Julie brings her 20 Ukuleles and her prepared lessons to get the playing started! This is limited to 20 participants! Reserve a Ukulele by registering early by calling 413-420-8101! We suppose you could also just attend willy-nilly, but you may wind up watching 20 other people learn to play Ukulele.
Friday, September 1st
Emily Dickinson Museum [280 Main St, Amherst, MA 01002] at 6:00 PM to 9:00 PM
Amherst Arts Night Plus
A free cultural event where you get to see open mic performers and look at beautiful art and listen to poetry and legend says that Emily Dickinson might drop by!

Board Games:

Saturday, September 2nd
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:

Monday, August 28th
Greenfield Public Library [402 Main St, Greenfield, MA 01301] at 6:00 PM to 7:30 PM
Reading & Book Signing | Amy Larade
Amy Larade will perform a dramatic reading and sign copies of her debut novel! The novel is called “So Nice to Finally Meet You…” so it’s sort of like the book’s happy to have finally come out! Yay!

Card Games:

Friday, September 1st
Modern Myths [34 Bridge Street #4, Northampton, MA 01060] at 7:00 PM to 10:30 PM
Friday Night Magic (Casual/101)
Learn to play Magic in a casual setting with the friendly staff of Modern Myths! Test out a cool new deck, play with constructed decks if other folks are into it, get special door prizes! It’s the perfect night for new Magic players or people who just want to take it easy! It’s $5 to attend, which is immediately converted to store credit.

Comic Books:

Monday, August 28th
Modern Myths [34 Bridge Street #4, Northampton, MA 01060] at 7:00 PM to 9:00 PM
Queers in Comics and Games
Talk to a bunch of wonderful people about LGBTQIA+ representation in comics and games of all stripes! It’s moderated by the spectacular store manager, and admission is a day pass of $5 that immediately becomes store credit!

Community:

Wednesday, August 30th
Greenfield Public Library [402 Main St, Greenfield, MA 01301] at 6:00 PM to 7:30 PM
Foster Care Recruitment Informational Session
Get information about becoming a foster parent! Get started on helping out some kids!
Thursday, August 31st
Jones Library [43 Amity St., Amherst, MA 01002] at 1:00 PM to 2:30 PM
Creating Community for Women with Chronic Illness
We hold a monthly support group for women living with a variety of chronic illnesses (e.g. autoimmune disorder, MS, arthritis, Crohn’s and colitis, Chronic Fatigue Syndrome, Lyme disease, etc.). It is free and open to the public.

Computers:

Saturday, September 2nd
Massachusetts Green High Performance Computing Center [100 Bigelow St., Holyoke, MA] at 1:00 PM to 4:00 PM
Raspberry Jam
A Raspberry Jam is a place for young and old, experienced hands and new folks, to learn about Raspberry Pi! What is Raspberry Pi? A tiny inexpensive computer you can practice coding with! And Robotics! If that sounds neat, come hang out and learn more!
Sunday, September 3rd
Sunderland Public Library [20 School St., Sunderland, MA 01375] at 10:00 AM to 12:00 PM
Web Design 101 with WordPress: Getting Started
Librarian and officially licensed Tech Wizard Dylan Tibert will teach you the fundamentals of designing your own website using WordPress. Classes will be a one hour lecture followed by a hands-on workshop. Perfect for experienced computer users who are beginners at web design! This class covers how to get started with web servers and WordPress!

Entertainment:

Thursday, August 31st
Palmer Public Library [1455 N Main St, Palmer, MA 01069] at 6:00 PM to 8:00 PM
Anime Club
Watch anime! Watch one about robots! Gundam, maybe? There are more than one Gundam series, right? We just heard about one episode being so bad it was expelled from the canon, which could be fun to watch!
Friday, September 1st
Sunderland Public Library [20 School St., Sunderland, MA 01375] at 6:30 PM to 7:30 PM
Johnny & the Flashbacks
Take a trip back, in TIME that is! Back to the era of the Mesozoic! We think. We’re about 90% certain. It’s also possible that this is a 50’s throwback band but we’re almost entirely sure that it’s a dinosaur-themed ‘rock’ band haha get it. Bring blankets or lawn chairs! Free to all and sundry!

Movies:

Monday, August 28th
Holyoke Public Library [250 Chestnut St, Holyoke, MA 01040] at 12:00 PM to 2:00 PM
Free Movies for Adults in the Community Room: Psycho
Bring your lunch and watch Psycho in the community room! A completely normal activity that is definitely what you should do and not the trap of a clever murderer!
Forbes Library [20 West St, Northampton, MA 01060] at 7:00 PM to 9:00 PM
Far Out Film Discussion: Playtime
Check out the film first! Watch it at home! They don’t screen the film there! You can use Kanopy.com to see it too! Then, again we stress after having already watched the film, go talk about it with these friendly folks!
Wednesday, August 30th
Amherst Cinema Arts Center [28 Amity St., Amherst, MA] at 6:30 PM to 8:30 PM
Space is the Place
Meet in the Lobby with the friendly friends of the Western Mass Sci-Fi Meetup! You can sit together at the film and discuss it afterward! This movie sounds very neat: “The special effects, outrageous plot line and apocalyptic message harmonize with the otherworldly score and a climactic live performance by one of the most innovative and profound groups in jazz history.”
Saturday, September 2nd
Jones Library [43 Amity St., Amherst, MA 01002] at 2:30 PM to 4:30 PM
Jane Austen Film Festival: Northanger Abbey
Watch a beautiful Jane Austen movie about an abbey named Northanger, and all the adventures it has! We have not read this Jane Austen book.

RPGs:

Thursday, August 31st
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!
Palmer Public Library [1455 N Main St, Palmer, MA 01069] at 4:00 PM to 6:00 PM
RPG Club
RPGs are great! Play Noirlandia, or Questlandia, or Dread, or Monsterhearts, or Apocalypse World, or Dogs in the Vineyard, or One Thousand and One Nights, or any of a lot of amazing games created right here in this Valley! They’re all very good!
Friday, September 1st
Chesterfield Scout Reservation [22 Sugar Hill Road, Chesterfield, MA] at 9:00 PM to 12:00 AM
Magestry LARP Autumn Game 1
Return, heroes, to Elmerton! A season has been spent away, and now’s the time to discover what has changed! You can find out as a Player Character or a Non Player Character, and if you want to be a Non Player and help flesh out the cast, it’s free and includes meals! Check out https://www.meetup.com/larping/events/242818315/!
Saturday, September 2nd
Chesterfield Scout Reservation [22 Sugar Hill Road, Chesterfield, MA] at 8:00 AM to 12:00 AM
Magestry LARP Autumn Game 1
Explore, enjoy, magic, fancy dress! Check out https://www.meetup.com/larping/events/242818315/!
Sunday, September 3rd
Chesterfield Scout Reservation [22 Sugar Hill Road, Chesterfield, MA] at 8:00 AM to 2:00 PM
Magestry LARP Autumn Game 1
Remember, you get all your food free if you’re an NPC, and you can even come for just a few hours to help out if you like! Check out https://www.meetup.com/larping/events/242818315/!