|
COMMUNITY FEEDBACK
| |
"I was so pleased to find Hilltown Families. I had been searching for a resource in the area to find out about activities for my four year old daughter, parenting ideas and support, and being a part of the local community. Hilltown Families is exactly what I had been searching for! I only wish I had found it sooner!" - Elizabeth Grow
|
|
SUPPORT
HILLTOWN FAMILIES
| |
|
| |
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
| |
|
|
TICKET GIVEAWAY
| |
|
HILLTOWN FAMILIES SPONSORS
| |
|
|
HILLTOWN FAMILIES
eNEWSLETTER
|  |
|
|
 | | Hands-on opportunities for kids to learn about woolcrafts happen all weekend at the Massachusetts Sheep and Woolcraft Fair at the Cummington Fairgrounds. Children can learn to felt, spin, weave, and knit in workshops just for kids! They can even wet felt a treasure bag, easy for any beginner, to take home! (Photo credit: Sienna Wildfield) |
Lots of weekend-long family fun activities happening this Memorial Day Weekend. Three highlights that happen all weekend include the Massachusetts Sheep and Woolcraft Fair at the Cummington Fairgrounds on Saturday & Sunday, and then the 3-day long weekend families can check out Old Sturbridge Village's Wool Days and the Cultural Survival Bazaar on the town common in Amherst.
Families interested in volunteering together have a few community service opportunities to choose from on Saturday, including a spruce up of the grounds at Amelia Park Children's Museum in Westfield, clean up the trails around Glendale Falls in Middlefield, or clean and repair the playground behind West Stockbrige Town Hall.
If local history is of interest to your family, take a guided interpretive hike along the Bradley Farm Trail at Mount Greylock in Lanesborough this Saturday and explore the remnants of its agricultural past, or down in the Valley, Historic Deerfield will be hosting tours that focus on the architectural history of their buildings that make up the museum. On Sunday, families can explore the evolution of automobile transportation at the Chesterwood annual antique & classic car show in Stockbridge, or take a walking tour of Florence to learn about the local history of the Underground Railroad.
To find our full list of family friendly events happening all weekend long, including a list of Memorial Day Parades happening on Monday, check out our list of Weekly Suggested Events.
| |
|
BULLETIN BOARD
|
  FAMILY DAY: Don't miss Family Day at Katywil Farm Community (katywil.com) in Colrain, MA on May 26 from 10am-1pm. See for yourself why 'it takes a farm community to raise a child'. Come to info session and Q&A from 10-11. At 11am, Trevor the Games Man will entertain preK-adults, all ability levels, by leading games outdoors, guaranteed to be fun for all! Noon-1pm you will be ready for lunch after an active hour of games! The folks at Katywil will be making fire roasted pizzas in their cob oven (gluten-free pizzas available). If interested, tours available of the beautiful community and homes. Families are discovering why cohousing is a great way to raise a family!
INTERNATIONAL FESTIVAL: Experience the World on the Amherst Common, Memorial Day Weekend at the Cultural Survival Bazaar. A FREE Admission, International Festival of Native Arts & Culture Featuring artisans, products, & performers from around the world. Shop handmade, fairly traded art, jewelry, clothing, crafts, decor, tribal rugs & more. Enjoy FREE music performances, presentations, Native American storytelling, educational displays, craft-making demos and Tibetan cuisine. Click Here for Preview. Proceeds support Native artisans, fair trade & Cultural Survival's non-profit work worldwide. For special features, artisan profiles, performance schedule, and other dates & locations visit their website at bazaar.cs.org. Amherst Common on Boltwood Ave. 10am-6pm.
MotherWoman writes, "Join our "MOMS ARE WORTH A MILLION!" Campaign. When you support a mother, you uplift her family. When you uplift her family, you strengthen their community. When you strengthen their community, you change the world. Want to help us change the world? Help us raise $10,000 towards scholarships for women leaders from low-income communities and professionals working for nonprofits to take the MotherWoman Support Group Facilitator Training. Watch this short video in which four mothers tell you how the Training has changed their lives as they navigated the struggles of motherhood. Each woman shares why she is now giving back to other mothers by leading a MotherWoman Support Group in her community. www.MotherWoman.org."
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!
CYCLING: MASS MoCA has discovered a way to provide environmentally friendly transportation for its visitors to explore North Adams and Williamstown with- bicycles! The museum now has a fleet of easy-to-ride bikes designed specifically for urban environments. There are even a couple kid-sized bikes! Rental is only $3 per hour- helmet included. There are plans in the works for a paved bike trail to Williamstown in the future. Enjoy a lovely morning touring the museum's galleries, then head out on a bike into North Adams and explore the town! For more information, visit massmoca.org.
 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 hilltownfamilies@gmail.com.
SUMMER BOWLING: The Kids Bowl Free Summer Bowling Program: Each child receives 2 FREE games of bowling every day, all summer. To register your family, go to www.KidsBowlFree.com, click on MA (or places you may be traveling to this summer) and then select the bowling centers at which you'd like to participate. There are three centers in Western MA that are participating, including: Canal Bowling Lanes in Southampton, Diamond Junction Bowling Lanes in Palmer, and French King Bowling Center in Erving. Register your kid(s) to receive free bowling passes. You can also sign up the adults and/or your older kids for the optional Family Pass which allows up to 4 adult family members including parents, grandparents, older siblings or an adult babysitter to join in the bowling fun too.
|
HILLTOWN FAMILIES PRESENTS...
SAFE & HEALTH FOOD CHOICES: EDUCATING AND EMPOWERING FAMILIES IN AN ERA OF HIGH-TECH FOOD PRODUCTION
|
 | |
Co-sponsored by the Hilltown Non-GMO Working Group
|
Tuesday, May 29th from 7-9pm - COMMUNITY TALK: 93% of the American public wants the American government to require that GMO foods be labeled in grocery stores - however, despite this, it is not required. Learn about the reality of GMO foods on Tuesday, May 29th at the Meekins Library. Hilltown Families is presenting, Safe and Healthy Food Choices: Educating and Empowering Families in an Era of High-Tech Food Production, a community conversation with local food advocates Ed Stockman, Tony(a) Lemos, and Jennifer Hartley. The event will provide attendees with information on identifying GMO foods and making good choices for their families. 413-268-7473. 2 Main Street. Williamsburg, MA. (FREE)
|
| MARK YOUR CALENDARS |
 | |
Hilltown Families and Cup and Top Café are presenting a series of free talks for parents with Brooke Norton, Certified Sex Educator. The first talk will be "Talking to Your Kids About Sex" after hours at the café from 6:30pm-8:30pm. This parents-only talk will begin with discussion about infants and toddlers, and progress to preschoolers, elementary school age kids, middle schoolers, and teenagers.
|
Saturday, June 2nd, enjoy an afternoon of Victorian lawn games at the Wistariahurst Museum! Families can play and learn about many different games enjoyed by Victorian children.
And on Sunday, June 3rd enjoy the 5th annual Fort River Celebration Day! There will be educational activities and displays, all designed to teach the community about the river's history, the organisms it is home to, and its role within the community.
Find out more at www.HilltownFamilies.org.
|
|
HILLTOWN FAMILY VARIETY SHOW:
Funk with Secret Agent 23 Skidoo
|
| |
Next week the Sugar Free Allstars take a journey thru more funk and groove with lots of great background information about the songs and styles as guest DJs the Hilltown Family Variety Show! Educational, Fun, and Funky!
|
|
HILLTOWN FAMILY VARIETY SHOW: Secret Agent 23 Skidoo the King of Kid Hop, brings along the First Funkiest Family to guest DJ a crazy diverse hour of power! MC Fireworks and Bootysattva join in the rockin rollercoaster ride fulla funk, fun, stories and songs. And get a big fat 4 song sneak peek leak of the brand new Secret Agent 23 Skidoo album, Make Believers! Soul Fried Family Funk for the whole Tribe!
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 hilltownfamilies@gmail.com 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, |
|
|
