Things to Do in Western Mass

Things to Do in Western Mass
  • 5.0 (1)
  • Places & Travel

Discover what’s happening across Western Massachusetts, with a focus on Amherst, Northampton and the surrounding Pioneer Valley. Each episode explores events, day trips, local history, culture, food, outdoor adventures, seasonal traditions and places worth discovering. Whether you live here, are visiting for the weekend or are planning a Western Mass getaway, we’ll help you find something interesting to do—and tell you a little of the story behind it.

Episodes

  1. 4d ago ·  Bonus

    Five Reasons to Get Out This Winter: Alma Thomas, Windborne, Hockey & Butterflies

    Five reasons to get out of the house this winter, from color on the walls to cheering at the rink. In this episode Alma Thomas: Composing Color. Smith College Museum of Art, Northampton. Free admission. Through January 10.Windborne: Music for Midwinter. Bombyx, Florence. Wednesday, December 9, 7 pm.Arcadia Wildlife Sanctuary. Easthampton/Northampton. Four miles of trails through woods, meadows and wetlands.UMass Hockey. Mullins Center, Amherst. Northeastern on December 4–5, Boston University on January 9.Magic Wings Butterfly Conservatory. South Deerfield. Indoor tropics for a gray day.Links Smith College Museum of Art: https://scma.smith.edu Arcadia (Mass Audubon): https://www.massaudubon.org UMass Athletics: https://umassathletics.com Magic Wings: https://magicwings.com Make a weekend of it at The Silo in Amherst: https://thesiloamherst.com

  2. 4d ago ·  Bonus

    A Snow Day Your Way: Downhill, Cross-Country & an Amherst Evening

    One mountain makes its own electricity. One trail system sits above 2,000 feet in red spruce forest. And at the end of the day there’s a nonprofit cinema in Amherst. Choose your snow day. Ski downhill at family-run Berkshire East, where a wind turbine and a solar field power the lifts. Or go quiet at Notchview in Windsor, with groomed cross-country trails and snowshoe routes on an old hill farm. Then trade the cold for a film at Amherst Cinema and dinner downtown. Come back to The Silo, a converted silo turned private circular suite on the edge of farmland near UMass. Warm up, kick off your boots, and compare runs. Snow dependent, so check conditions before you go. Links Berkshire East: https://berkshireeast.com Notchview (The Trustees): https://thetrustees.org/place/notchview/ Amherst Cinema: https://amherstcinema.org Book your stay at The Silo: https://thesiloamherst.com

  3. 5d ago

    November 9–15: Dickinson's Scandalous Editor, a Sculpture You Can Step Inside & Letters Before Fame

    Mark and Cassidy pick five ideas for November 9–15 in Western Massachusetts, starting with a question: how did the woman who first brought Emily Dickinson's poems to the world also become a painter of flowers and the talk of Amherst? Tuesday, Nov 10, 5:30–7:30 PM — Opening reception for The Preferred Flower: Paintings by Mabel Loomis Todd, Emily Dickinson Museum and Amherst History Center. Remarks at 6, free shuttle between the two. Free: https://www.emilydickinsonmuseum.org/opening-reception-the-preferred-flower/ Tuesday, Nov 10, 7 PM — Poet Ama Codjoe, Weinstein Auditorium, Smith College, Northampton. Open to the public: https://scma.smith.edu/calendar/boutelle-day-poetry-center-presents-ama-codjoe-2026-cromwell-day-poet Friday, Nov 13, 4:30–7 PM — Mount Holyoke College Art Museum 150th Anniversary Celebration, South Hadley. A cappella, a Glee Club premiere at 5:45, drawing and crafts for all ages. Free, RSVP optional: https://artmuseum.mtholyoke.edu/mhcam-event/mhcam-150th-anniversary-celebration/ Friday, Nov 13, 4–8 PM — Second Friday: Light, Smith College Museum of Art, Northampton. Step inside Younes Rahmoun's sculpture Markaba, 5:30–6 PM only. Free: https://scma.smith.edu/novembersecondfriday Saturday, Nov 14, 7:30 PM — Letters Aloud: Before They Were Famous, Academy of Music, Northampton. About $27 with fees: https://aomtheatre.com/aom_event/letters-aloud-before-they-were-famous/ Saturday, Nov 14, 8 PM — Endea Owens & The Cookout, Club B10, MASS MoCA, North Adams. $36 advance / $46 week-of: https://massmoca.org/event/endea-owens-the-cookout/ Details can change — check each link before you go. More ideas: https://thingstodoinwesternmass.com Presented by The Silo Amherst: thesiloamherst.com

  4. 5d ago

    November 2–8: A Theater Born on a Farm, Revolution in a Dress & a Big Band Centennial

    Mark and Cassidy pick five ideas for November 2–8 in Western Massachusetts, starting with a question: why would a fashionable woman in 1774 proudly wear a plain, scratchy, homemade dress? Thursday, Nov 5, 7–9 PM — Double Edge Presents: documentary screening and book talk with founder Stacy Klein, Shea Theater, Turners Falls: https://www.sheatheater.org/d/23336/Double-Edge-Presents:-Documentary-Screening-and-Book-Talk Friday, Nov 6, 8 PM — Dead Man's Waltz (Grateful Dead, The Band and the Allman Brothers, Watkins Glen style), Shea Theater, Turners Falls. $20 advance / $28 door: https://events.leapevents.com/event/DMW-shea-nov26 Saturday–Sunday, Nov 7–8, 10 AM–4 PM — Revolutionary War-era dressmaking and millinery with Emily Stringham, Hall Tavern, Historic Deerfield: https://www.historic-deerfield.org/events/historic-trade-demonstration-millinery-revolutionary-war-era-fashion-and-dressmaking-with-emily-stringham/Saturday, Nov 7 — Open-hearth baking day in the Hall Tavern kitchen: https://www.historic-deerfield.org/events/open-hearth-cooking-demonstration-baking-day/Exhibition: Dressing the Revolution: Fashion and Politics 1760–1789: https://www.historic-deerfield.org/exhibitions/Admission $20 adults: https://www.historic-deerfield.org/hours-admission/ Sunday, Nov 8, 2–4 PM — Forest Bathing with Todd Lynch, Hitchcock Center, Amherst. Sliding scale $18/$25/$35, register ahead: https://www.hitchcockcenter.org/programs/community-programs/ Sunday, Nov 8, 7:30 PM — UMass Jazz Ensemble I plays Gerald Wilson & Melba Liston (Liston's centennial), Bezanson Recital Hall, UMass Amherst. Free: https://www.umass.edu/music-dance/events/newly-added-jazz-ensemble-i-plays-music-gerald-wilson-melba-liston Details can change — check each link before you go. More ideas: https://thingstodoinwesternmass.com Presented by The Silo Amherst: thesiloamherst.com

  5. Oct 25

    October 26–November 1: A Masquerade, a Rare Reunion & That Mystery Rock

    Halloween week in Western Mass, five ways: a masquerade reception at Forbes Library's Hosmer Gallery (Wed, Oct 28), pumpkins after dark at Look Park's Allura (select nights through Nov 1), a rare reunion show from Cordelia's Dad — the only band to play with both Doc Watson and Nirvana — in Deerfield (Fri, Oct 30), candle and broom making at Historic Deerfield (Sat, Oct 31), and Identify It Day at Amherst College's Beneski Museum, where experts tell you what that mystery rock really is (Sun, Nov 1). Details change — check each organizer before you go. Forbes Library gallery: https://forbeslibrary.org/gallery/Look Park Allura: https://lookallura.comCordelia's Dad: https://www.timeriksenmusic.com/Historic Deerfield candle making: https://www.historic-deerfield.org/events/historic-trade-demonstration-candle-making-with-garine-arakelian/Historic Deerfield broom making: https://www.historic-deerfield.org/events/special-demonstration-sweeping-in-broom-making-is-back/Beneski Museum: https://www.amherst.edu/museums/naturalhistory More local ideas: https://thingstodoinwesternmass.comPresented by The Silo Amherst: https://www.thesiloamherst.com

  6. Sep 23

    The Falcons Above UMass: Peregrines in Amherst

    Look up when you’re walking through UMass Amherst and you may spot one of the area’s most remarkable residents: a peregrine falcon. Mark and Cassidy explore the peregrines that have made the UMass campus part of their territory—and the surprising story behind one of the fastest animals on Earth. It’s a reminder that some of Western Massachusetts’ best discoveries aren’t necessarily places you set out to visit. Sometimes they're hiding in plain sight—or right above you. In this episode: UMass Amherst • Peregrine falcons • Amherst • Wildlife • Birding Planning time in Western Mass? Explore more local discoveries, events and ideas with www.ThingstoDoinWesternMass.com

  7. Sep 22

    Things to Do in Western Mass: October 19–26, 2026

    Two unexpected discoveries for October 19–25, 2026, from Things to Do in Western Mass. Join Mark and Cassidy for stories written in stone—from carved memorials in Historic Deerfield to prehistoric footprints in Holyoke. At Historic Deerfield’s Graveyards and Gravestones event on October 24, explore gravestone carving, a talk by John Hanson, and guided visits to the Old Burying Ground. Then discover Dinosaur Footprints in Holyoke, where ancient tracks are preserved in sandstone. Event details and admission:https://www.historic-deerfield.org/events/special-all-day-event-graveyards-and-gravestones/ Dinosaur Footprints visitor information:https://thetrustees.org/place/dinosaur-footprints/ Check current schedules, admission, and site conditions before heading out. Explore the local events calendar:https://thingstodoinwesternmass.com Presented by The Silo Amherst—a distinctive place to stay while exploring the area:https://thesiloamherst.com

  8. Sep 22

    Things to Do in Western Mass: October 5–11, 2026

    Five ideas for October 5–11, 2026, from Things to Do in Western Mass. Join Mark and Cassidy for the Paradise City Arts Festival in Northampton, Ashfield’s Fall Festival, a mushroom class at Mount Toby, ghost stories at the Smith College Museum of Art, and carving and furniture-making demonstrations at Historic Deerfield. Whether you’re planning a fall visit or looking for something different nearby, this episode offers a mix of art, local traditions, nature, and craftsmanship. Check organizer details, admission, registration requirements, and ticket availability before heading out. Explore the local events calendar:https://thingstodoinwesternmass.com Presented by The Silo Amherst—a distinctive place to stay while exploring the area:https://thesiloamherst.com

  9. Sep 22

    Things to Do in Western Mass: October 12–18, 2026

    Four ideas for October 12–18, 2026, from Things to Do in Western Mass. Join Mark and Cassidy for fall photography at the Quabbin with John Green, Steely Beck at the Shea Theater in Turners Falls, Hitchcock Harvest in Amherst, and Eric Carle’s Modernist Inspirations at the Eric Carle Museum. A mix of outdoor discovery, live music, local food, and art—with an indoor option for a rainy fall day. Event details and visitor information: Quabbin photography outing:https://www.hitchcockcenter.org/event/photographing-fall-foliage-at-the-quabbin/ Shea Theater:https://sheatheater.org/ Hitchcock Harvest:https://www.hitchcockcenter.org/hitchcock-harvest/ Eric Carle’s Modernist Inspirations:https://carlemuseum.org/art-books/exhibitions/current-exhibition/eric-carles-modernist-inspirations Confirm ticket availability and registration before making plans. For the Quabbin outing, ask the Hitchcock Center for the exact meeting point. Check museum hours for your chosen day. Explore the local events calendar:https://thingstodoinwesternmass.com Presented by The Silo Amherst—a distinctive place to stay while exploring the area:https://thesiloamherst.com

  10. Sep 22

    Things to Do in Western Mass: September 28–October 4, 2026

    Five ideas for September 28–October 4, 2026, from Things to Do in Western Mass. Join Mark and Cassidy for a little creativity, live music, close-up encounters with nature, and some unexpected local discoveries. Listen ahead to plan a visit, or find something different to do nearby. Check organizer details, registration requirements, and ticket availability before heading out. Explore the local events calendar:https://thingstodoinwesternmass.com Presented by The Silo Amherst—a distinctive place to stay while exploring the area:https://thesiloamherst.com

  11. Sep 22

    An English Knight’s Parlor in Amherst? Discover the Mead Art Museum

    How did an English knight’s parlor end up in Amherst, Massachusetts? Join Mark and Cassidy for a visit to the Mead Art Museum at Amherst College, where the Rotherwas Room’s journey leads from seventeenth-century England to a Fifth Avenue showroom—and eventually to a museum designed to accommodate it. We also explore the story of the Mead’s ancient Assyrian stone reliefs, which were drawing curious visitors to the college long before the museum existed. An indoor outing for a winter afternoon, a college visit, or a day spent discovering something unexpected close to home. Admission is free and open to the public, with downtown Amherst a few blocks away. Plan your visit:Check the museum’s current hours, gallery access, and parking information, especially around holidays.https://www.amherst.edu/museums/mead/visit Presented by The Silo Amherst.Explore more local ideas and learn about staying at The Silo:https://thesiloamherst.com

  12. Sep 19

    Things to Do in Western Mass: September 21–27, 2026

    If you’re wondering what to do in Western Massachusetts this week, there’s indie rock, intimate folk, a full weekend of jazz in downtown Northampton, a mountaintop hawk watch, and even a nighttime hike beneath the full moon. In this episode, we explore some of the most interesting things happening September 21–27, including the Northampton Jazz Festival and Jazz Strut, live music at the Iron Horse, Parlor Room and The Drake, the Amherst Farmers Market, hawk watching at the Summit House at Skinner State Park, UMass events, a Full Moon Hike in Sylvan Woods, and the Yiddish Book Center’s Yiddish: A Global Culture. These are just a few of this week’s highlights. For the complete filterable calendar—with dozens of events, direct organizer links, and options organized by week and activity type—visit ThingsToDoInWesternMass.com. Event details can change, so please confirm times, tickets and availability directly with organizers. Things to Do in Western Mass is presented by The Silo Amherst.

  • 12 Episodes

About

Discover what’s happening across Western Massachusetts, with a focus on Amherst, Northampton and the surrounding Pioneer Valley. Each episode explores events, day trips, local history, culture, food, outdoor adventures, seasonal traditions and places worth discovering. Whether you live here, are visiting for the weekend or are planning a Western Mass getaway, we’ll help you find something interesting to do—and tell you a little of the story behind it.

Information

  • Creator
    Things to Do in Western Mass
  • Years Active
    2026
  • Episodes
    12
  • Rating
    Clean
  • Copyright
    © 2026 The Silo Amherst
  • Show Website
    Things to Do in Western Mass