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4th OF JULY IN WESTERN MA
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COMMUNITY FEEDBACK
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"I am relatively new to Hilltown Families. I found them when someone else shared a link on Facebook. I love to peek in weekly and catch up on all the great events going on in our area." - Jessica Judd (Goshen, MA)
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SUPPORT
HILLTOWN FAMILIES
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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.
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HILLTOWN FAMILIES SPONSORS
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HILLTOWN FAMILIES
eNEWSLETTER
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Lavender Festival happens this weekend in Buckland at Johnson Hill Farm. Walk their Lavender Labyrinth, gaze at their dove release, and join in on a number of hands-on workshops. (Photo credit: Sienna Wildfield)
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Summer is officially here and school is out (for most)! This weekend there are several community festivals and celebrations happening in Western MA to start your summer off right. Three such festival will be celebrating specific cultures, including Puerto Rican, Chinese and Vietnamese.
A community celebration of Puerto Rican arts and culture happens on Saturday, June 23rd in Holyoke at La Noche de San Juan. Live music will fill Holyoke Heritage State Park as participants enjoy dancing, beach volleyball and family activities. And on Sunday, June 24th up in the Berkshires, The Clark in Williamstown will host a traditional Chinese Street Festival, while down in the Pioneer Valley STCC host a Springfield Vietnamese Festival.
On both Saturday and Sunday this weekend the annual Mutton and Mead Festival takes place in Montague, a traditional Renaissance Faire offering families a unique opportunity to learn about medieval culture. And in the Hilltowns, Johnson Hill Farm in Buckland will have their annual Lavender Festival where visitors can tour the farm, watch demonstrations and take part in workshops.
Other festivals and celebrations this weekend include Trolleyfest on Saturday at the Shelburne Falls Trolley Museum where families can enjoy a trolley ride with costumed actors offer a living-history presentation of a 1910 trolley trip. And in Great Barrington, welcome the summer at the Berkshire Coop's Summer Solstice Bash at Memorial Field with David Grover giving a family concert and local food being featured. Then on Sunday, festivals continue with Family Fun Day in Greenfield.
Library adventures await you this week too! With school letting out, many libraries will begin their summer reading programs. On Saturday, June 23rd, Tom Stankus presents, "T-Bone's Big Adventure" at the Wilbraham Library to kick-off their summer reading program in the morning, and then in the afternoon Roger Ticknell and Davis Bates present,"Imagine That: A Song and Story Celebration" at the Meekins Library in Williamsburg to kick off their program. Then on Monday, June 25th, Lee Library will kick-off their program with Magician Ed Popielarczyk, and the Southampton Library will kick off theirs with a family-friendly show from the Salvation Alley String Band in the evening on Tuesday, June 26th.
Other literary adventures this coming weekend include local local author Ty Allen Jackson, reading When I Close My Eyes at the Lanesborough Library this Saturday morning, and a Bear-Themed Storywalk for the book Saturday Errands: A Day With Momma Bear and Honey Bee will lead families through Easthampton Saturday afternoon. The later in the week on Thursday, June 28th, there will be a poetry slam at the Berkshire Athenaeum in Pittsfield which will include a workshop for kids where they can learn about the idea of a slam, and see a mock-slam in the evening.
Find out about all of these events, and other weekend highlights, as well as our summer list of ongoing weekday events, on this week's list of Weekly Suggested Events.
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BULLETIN BOARD
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 INNOVATION SCHOOL: Berkshire Trail Elementary School in Cummington is pleased to announce that it is transitioning to an Innovation School in September. It's a cutting-edge program that transforms a traditional classroom environment into a vibrant learning community where students are authentically engaged, energized, focused, challenged, and having fun! The program's successful, ground-breaking strategies are project based, hands-on, creative and authentic - with proven academic results for students in reading, numeracy, research, writing, critical thinking, problem solving and collaboration. School choice openings are now available in grades Pre-K through five. For more information, call Berkshire Trail Elementary School at 413.634.5327 or visit online.
  MEET ERIC CARLE! The acclaimed author and illustrator of The Very Hungry Caterpillar will be signing books this Saturday, June 23rd at 10 a.m. (9 a.m. for members) at The Eric Carle Museum of Picture Book Art in Amherst, MA. Get your books signed, say hello, and have your picture taken. A signed Eric Carle Book makes the perfect gift! Plus, Picture Book Theatre will perform Slowly, Slowly, Slowly, said The Sloth for two special performances. The book signing is free with museum admission; Picture Book Theatre is $3 per person. Sponsored by People's United Bank. For more information on the book signing, please visit: www.carlemuseum.org or call 413-658-1100.
 PLANT STUDIES: Summer Intensives at Goldthread Organic Herb Farm. Let the aromatic air of the farm restore harmony and revive your senses while enjoying two hands-on, capacity building botanical medicine intensives at Goldthread this summer. In July join them for a multi-dimensional week long immersion into the aesthetics, qualities & manifestations of the Ayurvedic 5 elements that will give participants both a scholastic and deeply felt understanding of botanical medicine. In Sept, propagate, harvest, process, and study the botanical characteristics, medicinal properties and therapeutic uses of 25-30 major herbs grown at the farm during the Farm to Pharmacy Intensive with David Crow and William Siff. Dates, tuition and full details are on their website.
  HOST FAMILIES: Joe Bock writes, "Share your summer with a young person from Spain! Homestaysusa offers Spanish children the opportunity to experience American culture by living with a host family for the month of July. We match ages, genders & interests to those of the host family. Students come to the area with a supervisor who is nearby & in contact the entire time. Host families receive $600 stipend, the student pays for extra activities, including camps & excursions. Hosting teens are invited to an exciting 2-day New York trip with the group. More info & testimonials at homestaysusa.org. Personal references available upon request. Become a host family & represent the Hilltown community to students from abroad. A summer you will always remember. joe@homestaysusa.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!
 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.
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 blog.massmoca.org
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| MARK YOUR CALENDARS | |
Next Saturday, June 30th in Florence, explore the Fitzgerald Lake Conservation Area and help to identify all of the species of beetles, bugs, and butterflies that are found with Naturalist Dr. Josh Rose. And next Sunday, July 1st the Chesterfield 250th Anniversary Celebration begins, a week long celebration for all members of the family!
Find out more at www.HilltownFamilies.org.
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HILLTOWN FAMILY VARIETY SHOW:
Recess Monkey Guest DJ
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Next week we celebrate with our Birthday Episode!
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HILLTOWN FAMILY VARIETY SHOW: Step right up, ladies and gentlemen, and children of all ages! Next weekend Seattle's celebrated band of teacher-rockers - Recess Monkey - will bring their special brand of "undeniably hip, yet also kid-accessible" music and humor to a stint as guest DJs for a special circus-themed episode of Hilltown Family Variety Show
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!
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SPONSORSHIP & ADVERTISING
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 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!
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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, |
TICKET GIVEAWAY
| |  Want a pair of weekend passes to the Green River Festival happening July 14th & 15th in Greenfield, MA? We have two opportunities for our subscribers to enter to win tickets. The first is to click on the banner here and enter to win on our web site. The second chance, and only open to our eNewsletter subscribers, is to reply to this email with "Green River Festival" in the subject line, and your name and mailing address in the body of the email by Friday, July 6th. We'll randomly select a winner from all who reply on Saturday, July 7th and mail the winner the tickets. Limit of one entry per household. Find out more about the Green River Festival at www.GreenRiverFestival.com.
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