Science

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 14th – August 20th

The Valley Nerd Watch!

This pleasant weekend we got to see our mom and celebrate the 100th birthday of our grandma, which was nice. There were small children there and when you made faces at them they either looked confused or they made the same face back which is pretty much all we ask for out of a social gathering!

Also hey guess what we’re making cookies for Nerd Nite NoHo tomorrow! We’re doing a bake-sale/charity drive again and they’re going to be as always extremely good and you’re going to love them. Nerd Nite is to reiterate tomorrow at 7:00pm to 9:00pm and it’ll be a blast as always! Wesley Olds will be speaking about weather forecasting and Adam Marks will talk about song mash-ups! Come say hi at the door! If you tell us you enjoy the Nerd Watch we’ll be extremely excited!

We got to play Not Alone at the Wednesday Games at the Brass Cat this past week and it was really neat! Fast hidden-movement game that’s pretty quick to pick up. Our previous experience with hidden-movement was the excellent but super-intimidating Whitechapel, and it was nice to play one that was boiled down to a real basic but effective “which of these places will be safe this turn?”

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, August 14th
Holyoke Public Library [250 Chestnut St, Holyoke, MA 01040] at 4:00 PM to 5:00 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.
Greenfield Public Library [402 Main St, Greenfield, MA 01301] at 6:00 PM to 8:00 PM
Henry David Thoreau: The Man and His Work
Local presenter extraordinaire Barry “the Presenter” Deitz will speak on Thoreau, his life, and his works! Learn more about a person who really made a heck of an impact pretty much describing how nice the Valley is to people for a large bit of his life. We think. Look don’t spread this around but we’re pretty sure we’ve never read a single word Thoreau wrote and it’s making us feel a bit embarrassed.
Friday, August 18th
Emily Dickinson Museum [280 Main St, Amherst, MA 01002] at 10:00 AM to 6:00 PM
Free Fun Friday!
Visit the museum for free! Crafts, tours, scavenger hunts, and more!

Board Games:

Wednesday, August 16th
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! And if you find that your family is getting large and unwieldy just play like a 7-player game of Risk and someone will definitely estrange themselves.
Saturday, August 19th
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 16th
Odyssey Bookshop [9 College St, South Hadley, MA 01075] at 7:00 PM to 8:00 PM
Kamila Shamsie, Home Fire
A family is riven by secrets and forced to pit love against loyalty! Isma has finally started pursuing her dreams, but she can’t stop worrying about her sister Aneeka or her brother Parvaiz. Then, Eamonn enters the picture… is he a chance at love? A chance to help Parvaiz? What sacrifices will Isma make for love?

Card Games:

Friday, August 18th
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!

Computers:

Tuesday, August 15th
Sunderland Public Library [20 School St., Sunderland, MA 01375] at 6:30 PM to 7:30 PM
Troubleshooting Tablets
Technology is a cruel mistress that each day claws at us. Fight back against the spiraling confusion of technological influence in your life by taking this class by Rita Gavelis and learn about how to explore and learn about tablets and get great tips about figuring out how to fix them when they cease to work!
Thursday, August 17th
Amherst Media [246 College Street, Amherst, MA] at 6:00 PM to 8:00 PM
August 2017 Western Mass Drupal Users Group Meeting
If you love Drupal, dopal yourself a favor and attend this event! Learn the tip of the month, the module of the month, hear some lightning talks, and then listen to the presentation “Using Patternlab with Drupal!” It’s a great chance to get better at the Drupal you knowpal and lovepal!

Entertainment:

Monday, August 14th
The World War 2 Club [50 Conz St, Northampton, MA 01060] at 7:00 PM to 9:00 PM
Nerd Nite NoHo: Weather and Song
Nerd Nite! The nitiest nite we know. It’s going to get extremely wonderful in there as we learn from Wesley Olds why our weather forecasts aren’t down to the second, and from everyone’s favorite Adam Marks how to make music mashups!
Thursday, August 17th
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 sports! There’s a bunch of neat sports-related anime we think. There’s not a ton of sports-related serial media that we’re aware of in non-animated media. Friday Night Lights? That’s the one we know. We don’t know a lot about anime or sports, so learn for us!
Sunday, August 20th
Historic Northampton [46 Bridge Street, Northampton, MA 01060-2406] at 4:30 PM to 6:00 PM
Fourth Annual Ice Cream Social on the grounds of Historic Northampton
Herrell’s will bring the On the MOOOve get it like a cow haha ice cream trailer! The Florence Community Band will be there! You’ll eat ice cream! You can get a nice membership discount!

Kids:

Tuesday, August 15th
Greenfield Public Library [402 Main St, Greenfield, MA 01301] at 5:30 PM to 7:30 PM
Graphic Novel Fan Club
Do you love graphic novels and are you 12-17 years old? Come speak with other people who love graphic novels and are 12-17 years old! We personally really liked reading the first volume of Usagi Yojimbo recently, as well as Womanthology: Space! There are a ton of wonderful things out there for you to read and share and use as inspiration for your own creations!

Movies:

Sunday, August 20th
Yiddish Book Center [1021 West St., Amherst, MA 01002] at 2:00 PM to 4:00 PM
FILM | Dough
A dramatic comedy or ‘Comatic’ as everyone says film about an old Jewish baker and his new assistant, a Muslim teenager. They grow to become unlikely friends as the teen navigates the difficulties of life as an immigrant.

RPGs:

Thursday, August 17th
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 Breaking the Ice or any of a lot of amazing games created right here in this Valley! They’re all very good!
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!

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 31st – August 6th

The Valley Nerd Watch!

Good to see you again! We hope your week was wonderful. We had a great chance to hang out at the incredible Wednesday Games Night at the Brass Cat this past Wednesday, and we highly recommend you check it out!

We got to play a little “trick-taking” card game called Spires with some very friendly folks and it was good and makes us kind of understand what the heck our parents and grandparents were doing with Bridge, sort of. It’s a card game about bidding to get the cards you want but also about trying to force your opponents to take your trash cards by tricking them into bidding against you!

Very fun, we lost by an astonishing amount as a sort of ploy to trick everyone into thinking we’re terrible at card games so that when we finally figure out how to play them well we’ll astound people. We’re playing the long game!

We also got some amazing comic books at the Sidewalk Sale this week thanks to Modern Myths being out there with some great reads! We may have fallen off on our monthly collecting but they’ve got a bunch of weird one-shot things that are super neat.

Continue being lovely, all of you!

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 31st
Forbes Library [20 West St, Northampton, MA 01060] at 5:30 PM to 7:30 PM
Closing Reception for Zea Mays Printmaking Members Exhibition
A final chance to see excellent art and also probably eat some nice cheese.
Wednesday, August 2nd
Forbes Library [20 West St, Northampton, MA 01060] at 5:00 PM to 7:00 PM
Artists’ Reception for Lisa Yeisley, Shannon Ryan, and Ray Radigan
See some amazing artwork, eat some nice finger foods!
Thursday, August 3rd
Emily Dickinson Museum [280 Main St, Amherst, MA 01002] at 5:00 PM to 8:00 PM
Amherst Arts Night Plus
See some poets! See some art! It’s a good time!
Friday, August 4th
Greenfield Public Library [402 Main St, Greenfield, MA 01301] at 12:00 PM to 2:00 PM
Writer’s Lunch Workshop
A writing workshop led by Joannnah Whitney that includes exercises and discussion as well as a chance to share what you write! There’s no charge and you don’t need to register! Just show up and write!
Forbes Library [20 West St, Northampton, MA 01060] at 11:30 AM to 12:15 PM
treading our path: the 2017 tiny tour
The tinydance project stops at Forbes for two family friendly dance projects! All money collected furing the project will be donated to the Prison Birth Project. They’re also collecting bicycle repair tools for the Holyoke Urban Bike School!
Forbes Library [20 West St, Northampton, MA 01060] at 12:30 PM to 1:15 PM
treading our path: the 2017 tiny tour
The tinydance project again! Still tiny, still dancing!
Saturday, August 5th
Greenfield Public Library [402 Main St, Greenfield, MA 01301] at 10:00 AM to 12:00 PM
Maker Space
A father and son team will bring in a 3-D printer and a bunch of other gadgets for a morning of creation and fun!
Emily Dickinson Museum [280 Main St, Amherst, MA 01002] at 10:00 AM to 12:00 PM
Nature Poetry Ramble with David K. Leff
Naturalist and New England Trail poet-in-residence David K. Leff will guide you along a sensory awareness and poetry walk along Amherst’s Emily Dickinson Trail! Drink in the scenery and go slowly and observantly through the landscape while David regales you with poems by Dickinson, himself, and others!

Board Games:

Thursday, August 3rd
Jones Library [43 Amity St., Amherst, MA 01002] at 6:30 AM to 8:00 PM
Summer Community Read and Family Game Night
Discuss the fantastic “Escape from Mr. Lemoncello’s Library”, then discuss it tonight! There are also great games for all ages!
Saturday, August 5th
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:

Tuesday, August 1st
Jones Library [43 Amity St., Amherst, MA 01002] at 6:30 PM to 8:15 PM
Science Fiction & Fantasy Book Club
Read and enjoy the classic genres: sci-fi and fantasy! Share with your friends!
Friday, August 4th
Forbes Library [20 West St, Northampton, MA 01060] at 11:00 AM to 12:00 PM
Your Next Great Read LIVE!
Join Forbes on social media @ForbesLibrary, tell them a title you enjoyed, and then they’ll respond with a few titles they think you’ll like!

Card Games:

Friday, August 4th
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:

Wednesday, August 2nd
Forbes Library [20 West St, Northampton, MA 01060] at 3:30 PM to 4:30 PM
Comics Club
Kids! Join Ralph to discuss and share your favorite comics, and make some of your own!

Community:

Wednesday, August 2nd
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!
Forbes Library [20 West St, Northampton, MA 01060] at 5:45 PM to 6:45 PM
Forbes Library Tour
Tour the library! Become acquainted with the many-folded null space that it contains! Escape if you can, fool!
Friday, August 4th
Greenfield Public Library [402 Main St, Greenfield, MA 01301] at 9:30 AM to 12:30 PM
World Breastfeeding Week Celebration
No details on this, but we are going to assume this involves a cake. Any celebration without a cake is no celebration at all.

Computers:

Tuesday, August 1st
The Foundry [24 Main St., Northampton, MA] at 6:00 PM to 9:00 PM
Northampton Webdive – After Work
Talk to people about web design and really whatever else you like! Do it in a friendly local bar that also has some nice food! It’s a good time for all and sundry.

Entertainment:

Wednesday, August 2nd
Greenfield Public Library [402 Main St, Greenfield, MA 01301] at 6:00 PM to 8:00 PM
First Wednesday Speaker Series
We have no idea who is speaking but we’ll let you in on a little secret: it is definitely the one person you most wish to hear speak! It’s your moment! You can finally see them in person!
Forbes Library [20 West St, Northampton, MA 01060] at 6:30 PM to 8:30 PM
Lawn Concert by Zay-Tunes with Sahina Bellydance
Zay-tunes is an ensemble of Western Mass musicians playing the music of the Middle East! The band will be joined by belly dancers Sahina, and friends! Free for everyone, bring a blanket and a chair!
Thursday, August 3rd
Palmer Public Library [1455 N Main St, Palmer, MA 01069] at 6:00 PM to 8:00 PM
Anime Club
Watch anime! The anime we have heard is pretty neat today is Mob Psych 100 we think. All we know is someone said it had a wholesome physical activity club which sounds nice.
Saturday, August 5th
MYSTERY LOCATION at 6:00 PM to 9:00 PM
Potluck/The Expanse/Babylon 5
Bring food or drink to share! After the potluck they’ll be watching the first episode of The Expanse and the first episode of Babylon 5! Experience two great sci-fi shows in one night!
Odyssey Bookshop [9 College St, South Hadley, MA 01075] at 10:30 AM to 11:30 AM
Roger Tincknell Sing-tastic Songs!
Roger Tincknell has performed around the world for all ages over the past 40 years! He’s a yodeler! He’s a singer! He’s a multi-instrumentalist! He’s going to entertain the heck out of you and that’s a guarantee the Nerd Watch will happily stand by.
Sunday, August 6th
Mount Sugarloaf State Reservation at 4:00 PM to 7:00 PM
PVGD: Three-year Anniversary cookout & Potluck on Sugarloaf!
Burgers! Veggie and beef! All for you! Every burger is yours! It’s your responsibility now! They just made them, you need to care for them and raise them! Join the PVGD at the top of Mount Sugarloaf to celebrate a fun anniversary and just generally meet new people and catch up with old friends.

Kids:

Tuesday, August 1st
Greenfield Public Library [402 Main St, Greenfield, MA 01301] at 5:30 PM to 7:30 PM
GPL Teen Pizza and Movie Night
Teen Librarians Francesca and Steve are hosting a movie and they’re providing the pizza to go with it! Intended for ages 12-17, and free!
Wednesday, August 2nd
Palmer Public Library [1455 N Main St, Palmer, MA 01069] at 10:30 AM to 11:30 AM
Storytellers Davis Bates & Roger Tinkell – Youth SRP
Youth! Listen to some stories from some excellent storytellers! You youth need more stories, it’s important to hear a bunch of stories! The best part of listening to stories is that you learn how to tell stories better at the same time!
Greenfield Public Library [402 Main St, Greenfield, MA 01301] at 10:00 AM to 10:45 AM
Sunshine Story Time
All 3-5 year-olds welcome to a special story with puppets and rythm instruments!
Friday, August 4th
Jones Library [43 Amity St., Amherst, MA 01002] at 2:30 PM to 4:30 PM
Summer Makerspace (Ages 8 and up)
Make something amazing in the library!
Saturday, August 5th
Jones Library [43 Amity St., Amherst, MA 01002] at 3:00 PM to 6:30 PM
YA Summer Reading Party
A summer reading party followed by Glow-in-the-dark Capture the Flag and Laser Tag! Ages 11-17, registration required!

Movies:

Monday, July 31st
Forbes Library [20 West St, Northampton, MA 01060] at 7:00 PM to 9:00 PM
Far Out Film Discussion: Exterminating Angel
Check out the film, watch it at home, discuss it here! This isn’t a screening! The current film is Exterminating Angel, written and directed by Spanish filmmaker Luis Buñuel!
Sunday, August 6th
Yiddish Book Center [1021 West St., Amherst, MA 01002] at 2:00 PM to 4:00 PM
FILM | Beautiful Tree, Severed Roots
Kenny Mann’s documentary film about her parents’ lives as Jewish refugees who immigrated to Kenya during World War 2 and the turbulence that Kenya experienced during the mid-20th century.

RPGs:

Thursday, August 3rd
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!
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!
Friday, August 4th
Ye Olde Commons [120 Northside Road, Charlton, MA] at 7:00 PM to 12:00 AM
Future Imperfect LARP Fall 1 2017
The robot war is underway! The citizens of Touchstone are trying to bring together the colonies on this planet together to defeat the automaton menace and save the Mothership initiative! This is the first day of a multi-day extravaganza! Get tickets at http://www.future-imperfect.com/fisite/event.php
Saturday, August 5th
Ye Olde Commons [120 Northside Road, Charlton, MA] at 7:00 AM to 12:00 AM
Future Imperfect LARP Fall 1 2017
The robot war is underway! The citizens of Touchstone are trying to bring together the colonies on this planet together to defeat the automaton menace and save the Mothership initiative! This is the second day of a multi-day extravaganza! Get tickets at http://www.future-imperfect.com/fisite/event.php
Sunday, August 6th
Ye Olde Commons [120 Northside Road, Charlton, MA] at 7:00 AM to 12:00 PM
Future Imperfect LARP Fall 1 2017
The robot war is underway! The citizens of Touchstone are trying to bring together the colonies on this planet together to defeat the automaton menace and save the Mothership initiative! This is the final day of a multi-day extravaganza! Get tickets at http://www.future-imperfect.com/fisite/event.php

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!

July 3rd – July 9th

The Valley Nerd Watch!

Happy Fourth of July! Celebrate responsibly, and maintain all of your fingers and arms for next year! Fireworks look neat, but you know what’s a lot neater? Continuing to have all of the body parts you had on July 3rd this July 5th.

Despite the holiday, there’s a bunch going on! Get out there and have a wonderful time! Also if you’ve gotta work on the 3rd at least do the right thing by sighing a ton and building up a real froth of resentment. A Tuesday 4th, ridiculous.

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, July 6th
Palmer Public Library [1455 N Main St, Palmer, MA 01069] at 2:00 PM to 3:00 PM
DIY Hanging Macrame Planter Workshop
Make your own planter! Recycle old t-shirts into a neat hanging planter, bring the ones that you like the least! It’s important to not accidentally macrame your favorite t-shirts. Open to ages 10 and up! Pre-register by calling 413-283-3330 ext. 102!
Holyoke Public Library [250 Chestnut St, Holyoke, MA 01040] at 4:30 PM to 5:30 PM
Teen Writing Workshop
Teens! Bring a piece of writing and work on it while Abby Forcier provides some support!
Emily Dickinson Museum [280 Main St, Amherst, MA 01002] at 5:00 PM to 8:00 PM
Amherst Arts Night Plus
Featuring poet Dina Stander, band Old Flame and the Tiny Canvas Project, where you can complete your own tiny masterpiece on a little piece of canvas! Leave it with the museum and on August 3rd join a big Canvas Hunt downtown!
Saturday, July 8th
Greenfield Public Library [402 Main St, Greenfield, MA 01301] at 10:00 AM to 12:00 PM
Maker Space
Make things in the maker space! Create things using various tools that are neat!

Books:

Thursday, July 6th
Odyssey Bookshop [9 College St, South Hadley, MA 01075] at 7:00 PM to 9:00 PM
Alexandra Fuller, Quiet Until the Thaw
A complex tale spanning generations and miles, this is the story of the two cousins Rick Overlooking Horse and You Choose Watson and how they deal with the injustices inflicted upon the Lakota people.

Card Games:

Saturday, July 8th
Modern Myths [34 Bridge Street #4, Northampton, MA 01060] at 1:00 PM to 5:00 PM
Hour of Devastation Pre-Release
The second of the Amonkhet block! Check out Nico Bolas’s evil scheme and the gods he controls! Experience the new mechanic that reanimates your graveyard as zombies! Play with the latest Magic set a week before it goes on sale! This is a limited Sealed Deck tournament, $30 in advance, $35 at the door! Win prizes!

Community:

Wednesday, July 5th
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.”

Entertainment:

Tuesday, July 4th
The Hanger [10 University Drive, Amherst, MA] at 5:30 PM to 9:00 PM
Fourth of July Meet and Greet and Fireworks
Get together in a different setting than normal and meet some new folks! The Hanger is where the Amherst Brewing Company used to be, and it serves food and beverages that are tasty! Talk, order some food, then walk over to the fireworks!
Wednesday, July 5th
Palmer Public Library [1455 N Main St, Palmer, MA 01069] at 6:00 PM to 7:00 PM
Ukulele With David Hyde Costello
Uke! The instrument of kings. Like a guitar, but cuter and better. Listen to David Hyde Costello play this spectacular instrument!
Greenfield Public Library [402 Main St, Greenfield, MA 01301] at 6:00 PM to 8:00 PM
First Wednesday Speaker Series
A mystery speaker will attend this speaking event to describe something interesting to you!
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!
Forbes Library [20 West St, Northampton, MA 01060] at 7:00 PM to 8:15 PM
Lawn Concert by Li’l BeeDee & The Doo-Rites
Bring a picnic, a blanket, and your friends and family to listen to some good old rock and roll! If there’s bad weather they’ll just move inside!
Thursday, July 6th
Palmer Public Library [1455 N Main St, Palmer, MA 01069] at 6:00 PM to 8:00 PM
Anime Club
Watch anime! We just finished Persona 5 and we’ve never wanted to watch anime more intensely.

History:

Thursday, July 6th
Deerfield Community Center [16 Memorial Street, Deerfield, MA 01342] at 7:30 PM to 8:30 PM
Summer Living in Early America: Len Travers presents “Hurrah for the Fourth! Independence Day in New England, 1777-1850”
Learn about how the Fourth of July was celebrated in early America! Mostly with much more dangerous improvised fireworks we’re guessing.

Kids:

Wednesday, July 5th
Forbes Library [20 West St, Northampton, MA 01060] at 3:30 PM to 4:30 PM
Comics Club
Ralph in the Children’s department will help you discuss, share, and create comics and graphic novels! We just got the first volume of Usagi Yojimbo and hey folks, that extremely old and well-known and respected comic that everyone likes? It’s good!
Forbes Library [20 West St, Northampton, MA 01060] at 11:00 AM to 11:30 AM
Music and Books with Mr. Liam
Music, books, and activities for toddlers, preschoolers, and caregivers! He’s wearing a red nose in the photo so you can tell he’s fun as heck.
Thursday, July 6th
Holyoke Public Library [250 Chestnut St, Holyoke, MA 01040] at 1:00 PM to 1:45 PM
Sciencetellers: Pirate Lost at Sea!
All we can see of this event is what looks like a child laughing as an adult screams at a cloud of smoke so we’re assuming this is a story hour where children steal your most prized possessions and light them on fire.
Saturday, July 8th
Odyssey Bookshop [9 College St, South Hadley, MA 01075] at 10:30 AM to 11:30 AM
Ed Popielarczyk’s Magic Moments
Magician, balloon twister, and therefore an entertainer! Ed will make you laugh even as he makes a big duck riding a motorcycle out of balloons! Somehow he’ll pull humor out of an extremely serious situation like motor-ducks, the terror that stalks the roadways.
Sunderland Public Library [20 School St., Sunderland, MA 01375] at 11:00 AM to 12:00 PM
Dazzle Dogs!
Watch unique and talented dogs who are also adorable do a bunch of tricks! They’ll even dance! No one knows why they do this, no one knows how! It is not our place to question the dazzle dogs, we must simply accept their gifts with equinamity!
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: Rowboat Watkins
Hear the story of Pete With No Pants! Pete With No Pants is a little elephant trying to figure out the most important question of all: why do I need to wear pants? Draw elephants, pants, or things not wearing pants also!

Movies:

Saturday, July 8th
Jones Library [43 Amity St., Amherst, MA 01002] at 2:30 PM to 4:30 PM
Hot Summer Saturday Movie Matinee: Suffragette
Watch Suffragette, the movie about Suffragettes! Did you know that Edith Margaret Garrud was one of the first female martial arts instructors and taught Suffragettes Jiu-Jitsu self-defense techniques so they could flip cops when they needed to?

RPGs:

Thursday, July 6th
Palmer Public Library [1455 N Main St, Palmer, MA 01069] at 4:00 PM to 6:00 PM
RPG Club
Play RPGs with a friendly crowd of folks! Dungeon World is a fun Powered by the Apocalypse game, try that!