Hilltown Families Weekly eNewsletter
Weekly Suggested Events
for the week of
April 28th-May 4th, 2012
Friday, April 27th
Saturday, April 28th
Sunday, April 29th
Monday, April 30th
Tuesday, May 1st
Wednesday, May 2nd
Thursday, May 3rd
Friday, May 4th

THIS WEEK
Recent Posts
Bulletin Board
Best Bets
Mark Your Calendars
Call for Kid Crafters
HFVS: Sukey Molloy Guest DJs
Advertise with Hilltown Families

SUPPORT  

HILLTOWN FAMILIES 

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COMMUNITY FEEDBACK 

"Hilltown Families continues to be my go to place for family events. I really appreciated the organized list of summer camps." - Dawn Cordeiro (Holyoke, MA)

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List of Weekly Suggested Events
Suggest Event
Enhanced Publicity
Giveaways
Hilltown Family Variety Show
Listserv 

 

If you have any additional events, camps or classes to suggest, please feel encouraged to share on these free bulletin boards, or find out more about our enhanced publicity options.

SUMMER CAMPS & PROGRAMS IN WESTERN MA

 

Contributing Writers

HILLTOWN FAMILIES SPONSORS

 

Bement School 

 

Chandler's Restaurant (South Deerfield, MA) 

 

Crimson & Clover Farm 

The Hartsbrook School 

Hilltown Tree and Garden in Haydenville, MA 

Katywill Farm Community 

Lui Collins' Upside Up Music 

RH Conwell School 

S.H.I.N.E. 

SHOW Circus Studio 

Yes Computers in Northampton, MA 

Academy at Charlemont 

Ashfield Community Preschool 

Bread Euphoria Cafe & Bakery in Haydenville, MA

Blazing Star Herbal School in Ashfield, MA 

Collective Copies in Florence, MA 

Cup & Top in Florence, MA 

Daniel Lieberman Digital Consulting 

River Valley Market in Northampton, MA  

HILLTOWN FAMILIES

eNEWSLETTER 

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Happy May Day!
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Help to tidy the East Branch Trail at the Chesterfield Gorge in West Chesterfield! Trails always need a little care after the winter, even a winter as mild as this year's. Donate some time to the preservation of an amazing community resource!

Participate in community service this weekend with your family, then head out to one of the many theater opportunities!

 

Families can spend a day volunteering with Mass Audubon! The organization's annual Statewide Volunteer Day will take place from 9am-12noon at Arcadia Wildlife Sanctuary (Easthampton), Canoe Meadows Wildlife Sanctuary (Pittsfield) & Laughing Brook Wildlife Sanctuary (Hampden)! Volunteers can help to clean up trails, gardens, and nature centers - there are activities for all ages and abilities, everything from preparing garden beds for planting to restoring trails. Must sign up as volunteer slots are limited.

 

Other morning opportunities families can participate in clean ups of our parks and community spaces include a Spring Clean Up Day in Lenox at the library and town train station, sprucing up the outdoor spaces at the Springfield Museum in Springfield, a work bee at the Cushman Library in Bernardson, or tidying up the Chesterfield Gorge in West Chesterfield.

 

In the afternoon, there will be a Sew-In at the Longmeadow Library in  Longmeadow open to sewers from beginner to advanced - if you don't know how to sew, you can learn!  The bags are simple.  Kids welcome, but use your own discretion - they must be able to independently operate a machine.

 

Then on Sunday, get moving and help to raise funds for Big Brothers, Big Sisters of Hampshire County by participating in the  Daffodil Fun Run in Amherst!

 

While you're out and about volunteering in your community, end the day with  one of the many theater performances. The Starlight Youth Theater will present Seussical at South Hadley High School, Westfield State University presents Shakespeare's Hamlet in Westfield, Williston Northampton School presents Fiddler on the Roof in Easthampton, Westfield Theatre Group will perform a musical adaptation of the story Robin Hood at the Westfield Woman's Club, and families can see the Metropolitan Opera's production of Engelbert Hunperdinck's Hansel and Gretel on the big screen at Memorial Hall in Shelburne Falls.

 

All of this and more can be found on our list of Weekly Suggested Events

 

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RECENT POSTS

BULLETIN BOARD

 Hilltown Families Event Hilltown Families EventPRESCHOOL OPEN HOUSE:

The Ashfield Community Preschool invites you to join them for their annual open house on Saturday, April 28th 10am-Noon.  This event is for families with young children age 2.9 - 5yo who are looking for quality care and small class sizes in the rural Hilltown of Ashfield, MA. Children who attend the preschool participate in a hands-on gardening program, growing sunflowers, pumpkins and blueberries. The preschool grazes the neighbors' sheep and llamas in their pastoral setting and offers a six week summer program with walking trips to visit local Ashfield artists.  Join their staff on April 28th and tour their facility and grounds. 103 Baptist Corner Road. Ashfield, MA.  Call for more information 413-628-3248.

 

 BLUEGRASS BBQ: 3rd Annual Kentucky Derby Bluegrass BBQ happens on Saturday, May 5th at the Pines Theater at Look Park in Florence MA from 12noon-6:30pm. Open Jam featuring Acoustic Brew, barnRocket, and Seven Mile Line Cliff's Smokin' Backyard BBQ, Kentucky Derby Coverage. Still slots available for fiddler's in Novice and Senior divisions.  A benefit for uninsured cancer therapies. $5 at the door for guests over 12. Picnics and lawn chairs welcome but no beverages please. 

   

SUMMER CAMP: Are you looking for a great summer experience for your kids? Check out our post Summer Camps and Programs in Western MA which highlights opportunities happening throughout the region. With a great variety of themes, there are many summer camp/programs your family can choose, including: farm & gardening, music, art, technology, nature, personal development, science, theater, sports, ballet, preK, college... as well as a good old fashion summer camp! Discover what's being offered near you, and find out how you can add a camp to this growing list too!

  

WESTFIELD RIVER: At the Hilltown Spring Festival on May 12 at the Cummington Fairgrounds, the Westfield River Wild & Scenic Committee will provide important information to Hilltown residents and visitors. The Committee will show residents how their communities can apply for grants to protect portions of the River and its tributaries. Residents are also invited to sign up as Stream Team volunteers for wild and scenic portions of the river. And the Committee is seeking people to share their stories and photos about experiences along the river during Hurricane Irene, so that the community can be better prepared for the next hurricane. Young visitors to the Festival will learn about conservation by creating a simulated flow of water, sediment, and pollution in a table-top model of a watershed. Come to learn more about how you can help protect the Westfield River watershed, this treasure in our midst in the Hilltowns.

  

SPONSORSHIP & ADVERTISING: Reach thousands of families in Western MA while supporting the work of Hilltown Families. See your event, camp, workshop, business featured here in the bulletin board section of our list of Weekly Suggested Events and eNewsletter! Find out more about our Enhanced Publicity options and how we can help with your marketing.

 

JOIN OUR TEAM OF CONTRIBUTING WRITERS: Interested in becoming a Contributing or Guest Writer for Hilltown Families? We welcome writings that reflect the community building and educational efforts parents, teens, teachers, artists, activists and community leaders work towards and accomplish and how that affects, supports and empowers our families. All writing styles welcomed, including DIY posts, seasonal cooking, and community-based educational opportunities. Send your query to [email protected].


COMMUNITY SERVICE: Leftover prescription medicines can pose a hazard to both families and wildlife!  Many streams contain traces of prescription medicines (up to 80%, in fact!), and drinking water can be affected, too.  This water pollution has adverse affects on aquatic life, as well as those who drink the water!  Having unnecessary medications around the house can also be dangerous to children and/or teenagers, whose health can be affected by consumption (intentional or accidental) of prescription drugs.  On Saturday, April 28th, from 10am-2pm, there will be prescription medication collection sites all over Western MA!  Any medication that is in solid form and not a chemotherapy drug can be recycled at a drop off site.  Other items not accepted include lancets, IV bags, thermometers, and syringes.  Drop-off locations will be set up in many locations, including Anne Dunphy School in Williamsburg, town hall in Ashfield or Southampton, Westhampton Police/Fire Station, Huntington Transfer Station, Buckland-Shelburne Elementary School, Greenfield High School, Wildwood Elementary School in Amherst... For a complete list of locations, visit www.northwesternda.org.

BEST BETS THIS WEEKEND
On Saturday, April 28th, families can learn about vernal pools at Great Falls Discovery Center in Turners Falls or go explore vernal pools in the Maitland Memorial Forest in Heath. Click on the banner full listings
In addition to all of the wonderful community service and theater opportunities mentioned above, here are some educational highlights:

Saturday, April 28th in Berkshire County, the Stockbridge Library invites families to come to learn all about North American birds of prey! Wingmasters, a partnership dedicated to raising awareness about birds of prey, presents a program for kids on identifying birds of prey, bird rehabilitation, where birds fit into folklore, and more! 

 

And on Sunday, April 29th in Hampden County, families can visit the Zoo in Forest Park to experiment with bubbles of all types! Great opportunity to learn through play! 

 

Find out all the details at www.HilltownFamilies.org.
MARK YOUR CALENDARS
The Hilltown CDC's 6th Annual Hilltown Spring Festival will be on Saturday, May 12 at the Cummington Fairgrounds! Entertainment will include live music, workshops, artists & artisans, local food, family contra-dance, kids-made craft bazaar, Maypole, Morris Dancers, and much more!
On Saturday, May 5thit's Family Day at Red Gate Farm in Buckland!  This month's theme is chickens- how do they eat?  Where do they sleep? Why do their legs look like dinosaurs? 

 

On Sunday, May 6th families can attend the Renaissance Fair hosted by the UMass Renaissance Center in Amherst. There will be music, swordsmanship, falconry, plays, juggling and much more!  

 

And in two weeks on Saturday, May 12th from 5-7pm, there will be a family contra-dance at the Hilltown Spring Festival, featuring The Gaslight Tinkers, a new group that includes Peter Siegel and Zoe Darrow. They describe their music as "Afrobeat, Caribbean, breakbeat, funk, and latin grooves meet traditional Northern Fiddle. It's the future of the music of the past; it's a live remix; it'll move your feet and intrigue your mind." Steve Howland will be the caller. Cummington Fairgrounds. Cummington, MA (>$, kids 12yo & under FREE)


Find out more at www.HilltownFamilies.org.

CALL FOR KID CRAFTERS FOR THE HILLTOWN SPRING FESTIVAL
KIDS-MADE CRAFT BAZAAR

 

The Hilltown CDC's 6th Annual Hilltown Spring Festival will be on Saturday, May 12 at the Cummington Fairgrounds! 2,000 people are expected at the Hilltown Spring Festival this year and entertainment will include musical performances and workshops, exhibits by artists and craftspeople, displays by local businesses, food from local vendors, a family contra-dance, kids-made craft bazaar, children's activities and much more.
The Hilltown CDC's 6th Annual Hilltown Spring Festival is on Saturday, May 12th
at the Cummington Fairgrounds. This will be the 3rd year the Kids-Made Craft Bazaar happens at the festival, spearheaded by Hilltown Families founder, Sienna Wildfield in 2010.

Children up to the age of 12 are invited to sell and bartered their hand-made crafts and arts
... and each year it's a huge success! The Kids-Made Craft Bazaar allows children to participate directly in the Festival, rewards them for their creativity, and gives them some real-world experience showing and selling their work.

 

Kids ages 12 and younger are invited to participate!  The Kids-Made Crafts Bazaar will be located in a central covered area on the fairground, and all crafts and art must be hand-made predominantly by children. Children will participate directly in the Festival as vendors, allowing for hands-on experience in showing and selling their crafts. Participants must be pre-registered and be able to bring their own tables (card table size) and chairs. The fee for child artists and crafters is $5.  Registration forms must be filled out and returned with registration fee to the Hilltown CDC:

Only a certain number of children can be accommodated, so register early.  One adult free pass will be provided for each exhibitor. If there are questions, call Seth Isman at 413-296-4536 x12 or email [email protected].

 

HILLTOWN FAMILY VARIETY SHOW: Sukey Molloy is our Guest DJ 


 


Next week is a rebroadcast of Moona Luna's Cindo de Mayo guest DJ episode of the Hilltown Family Variety Show!

HILLTOWN FAMILY VARIETY SHOWSukey Molloy Brings Music to Move to to the Hilltown Family Variety Show this Weekend!  Sukey Molloy specializes in music and movement styles the whole family can enjoy.  Her Hilltown Family Variety Show segment will offer an hour of fun songs to move to, along with tidbits on the benefits of movement alternatives in daily family living.

 

Families have several ways to tune in to the Hilltown Family Variety Show:

 

  • Streaming Audio: Surf on over to ValleyFreeRadio.org on Saturday (9-10am) & Sunday (7-8am) mornings and listen to us live via streaming audio.
  • On Your FM Dial: Tune in to WXOJ 103.3FM if you live near Northampton, MA.
  • Podcast: Listen to the most recent episodes of the Hilltown Family Variety Show anytime you wish! Click here to see our current select of episodes, and be sure to subscribe to our podcast too!   
  • SPONSORSHIP & ADVERTISING 


    Serving Western Massachusetts since 2005, Hilltown Families supports development and enhancement of our local economy and community! Local businesses, individuals, schools and non-profits are invited to Sponsor and Advertise with Hilltown Families.  Let us help get the word out about your class, event, camp, workshop, fundraiser, business or announcement. Deliver your message to thousands of families living throughout Western Massachusetts while supporting the work of Hilltown Families.  Email [email protected] for more information, or click here.
    Hilltown Families' Blog was voted as Best Local Blog in the Valley Advocate Best of the Valley Readers' Poll for the past two years in a row!  Thank you for your support!
    Hilltown Families is an online grassroots communication network serving thousands of families living in the four counties of Western MA.  Through an award winning web site, social networking, listserv, radio show/podcast, online bulletin boards, and collaborations with civic and nonprofit groups, Hilltown Families connects people and organizations in the widespread communities of Western MA. With your support, we help area residents to share ideas, organize activities, support their children's education and increase participation in community life.  We welcome your participation and feedback at anytime. 

    Warm regards,

    Sienna Wildfield
    Founder/Director, Hilltown Families
    [email protected]

     

     

    ENTER TO WIN
    Hilltown Families EventLocal best-selling author/illustrator Mo Willems most memorable creations come to life in a new 2 volume DVD collection, "MO WILLEMS' PIGEON AND PALS:  COMPLETE CARTOON COLLECTION, VOL. 1&2." Enter to win this great new collection by replying to this email with "Mo Willems" in the subject line by midnight Sunday, April 29th.  We'll randomly select one winner from all who reply.
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