Thursday 5/18
Holyoke Farmers Market: Every Thursday, 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. City Hall, High Street, Holyoke. (413) 322-5510, andres.f.villada@gmail.com.
Bicycle Picnic and Filmfest: Picnic for bicyclists; bring your own food. Music by Sun Is All We Need. Test-ride bikes. 4 p.m. Free. Jones Library and Strong Museum, 43 Amity St., Amherst. (413) 367 6479, bicyclewater@gmail.com.
Cookies with a Curator: Join the head of Arts and Music, Faith Kaufman, for an exploration of World War II posters. 2 p.m. Free. Forbes Library, 20 West St., Northampton. (413) 587-1012, reference@forbeslibrary.org.
Lunch for Veterans: Weekly. Noon. Free. Elks Lodge, 2 Church St., Greenfield. (413) 834-7153, chadericwright@gmail.com, franklincc.chambermaster.com/events.
Third Friday Open Prose and Poetry Reading: 5-minute open mic slots; one 10-minute slot available. Listeners welcome. Through June. Arrive before 7 p.m. to sign up. 7 p.m. Free. Arms Library, Bridge and Main streets, Shelburne Falls. (413) 625-0306.
Friday 5/19
Afternoon Book Discussion — We Were Brothers: 1 p.m. Forbes Library, 20 West St., Northampton.
Debut Party for Guitar — The Instrument That Rocked the World: 5:30 p.m. Berkshire Museum, 39 South St., Pittsfield.
Emily Dickinson Poetry Discussion Group: Reading Dickinson through different critical lenses with Bruce Penniman. Noon. Center for Humanistic Inquiry at Amherst College Robert Frost Library, 61 Quadrangle Dr., Amherst. (508) 951-8538, mmedeiros@EmilyDickinsonMuseum.org, EmilyDickinsonMuseum.org/events.
Italian Conversation Circle: 3:30 p.m. Free. Forbes Library, 20 West St., Northampton. (413) 587-1011.
Lifeguards Commencement Performance: 8 p.m. Smith College, 10 Elm St., Northampton.
Upper Lake Fun Run: 3 p.m. Mount Holyoke College, 50 College St., South Hadley.
Palestinian House of Friendship Fundraiser: Palestinian food, slides, music and talk by Mohammed Sawalha, founder and director of a community center for children and youth in the West Bank. 6 p.m. Free. Florence Business and Civic Center, Park St., Northampton. (413) 586-0215, petertitelman@gmail.com.
Plants and Answers 40th Annual Plant Sale: Iconic spring event featuring 180-plus species/cultivars of natives, annuals, perennials, herbs, garden advice, trees, shrubs, silent auction, vendors, etc. Friday, 11 a.m.; Saturday, 9 a.m. Free. Berkshire Botanical Garden, 5 West Stockbridge Road, Stockbridge. (413) 298-3926, info@berkshirebotanical.org, berkshirebotanical.org.
Reading: Dennis Lehane reads from his new novel Since We Fell. 7 p.m. Gateway City Arts, Holyoke. (413) 534-7307, odysseybks.com.
Robots Storytime and Craft: Stories and songs about robots. Make a robot art project from recycled materials. All ages welcome. 10:30 a.m. Free. Gaylord Memorial Library, 47 College St., South Hadley. (413) 5385047, shgaylord@gmail.com, gaylordlibrary.org.
Shoshanim’s Journey: Turner’s Falls and the Treaty of 1676. Professor Lisa Brooks’ new research on King Philip’s War and Turners Falls during the spring of 1676, when a diplomatic mission was halted by violence at local traditional fishing and gathering places. 7 p.m. Free. Greenfield High School, 21 Barr Ave., Greenfield. (413) 773-9818, nolumbekaproject@gmail.com, nolumbekaproject.org.
Southampton Book Sale and Bake Sale: Friday, 1-4 p.m.; Saturday, 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. Free. Edwards Public Library, 30 East St., Southampton. (413) 527-9480, jdouglass@cwmars.org.
Spring Circus Show: 7:30 p.m. $5-$25. Austine Gym, 209 Austine Dr., Brattleboro. (802) 254-9780, info@necenterforcircusarts.com, necenterforcircusarts.org/events/shows.
Story Hour with Dana Lee: 10:30 a.m. Dickinson Memorial Library, 115 Main St., Northfield.
Submissions and Revisions for Writers: A free, drop-in group gathering to polish and send out submissions of work to literary magazines, agents and editors. 3 p.m. Free. Forbes Library, 20 West St., Northampton. (413) 587-1011, info@forbeslibrary.org.
Saturday 5/20
3rd Annual Cancer Crushers Tag and Bake Sale: 8 a.m. Valley Medical Group, 329 Conway St., Greenfield.
6th Annual Run for River Valley: There will be prizes for the top three male and female runners in seven categories and a raffle for walkers. 8 a.m. 250 Whitney Ave., Holyoke.
Amherst Summer Farmers Market: Local farm fresh products. Acoustic entertainment. 8 a.m. Free. Spring Street parking lot, Amherst. (978) 360-8116, amherstfarmersmarket.com, amherstfarmersmarket.com.
Berkshire East Bone Frog Challenge: With at least 36 Navy SEAL-style obstacles spread out over 9-plus miles, the course will test everyone. Choose your own start time during the registration process. Waves of 125 runners start every 15 minutes. After party to include music, beer, food, and fun for the whole family. 8 a.m. $45-$90 for runners; viewing is free. Berkshire East Mountain Resort, 66 Thunder Mountain Road, Charlemont. (413) 339-6617, berkshireeast.com.
Berkshire Festival of Women Writers: 2 p.m. $35. South Berkshire Friends Meeting, 280 State Road, Great Barrington. (413) 243-2382, MssEnn29@gmail.com, berkshirewomenwriters.org.
Bird Walk with Naturalist John Green: 7 a.m. J.A.Skinner State Park, 10 Skinner State Park, Hadley.
Bridge of Flowers Plant Sale: 9 a.m. Trinity Baptist Green, corner of Main and Water streets, Shelburne Falls.
Citizen Archivist Workshop: Transcribe letters of Meshech Weare, correspondent of Washington and Jefferson. Email to register: morelup@keene.edu. 10 a.m. Free. Keene State College, 229 Main St., Keene. (413) 768-9244, morelup@keene.edu.
Easthampton Farmers and Makers Market: Free seed planting, music, kid goats. 9 a.m. Free. Easthampton City Hall parking lot, 50 Payson Ave., Easthampton. (978) 810-8334, easthamptonfarmersmarket@gmail.com, easthamptonmarket.com.
Follow Your Dreams Workshop: Cheryl Melody Baskin, author/performing artist. 11 a.m. Bird’s Nest BandB, 2 Charlemont Road, Buckland. (508) 435-6198, chermelody@aol.com, shiftofheart.com.
An Overview of Kalarama Orchards: Lecture. 10 a.m. Free. The Clark Art Institute, 225 South St., Williamstown.
Garden Club of Amherst Annual Plant Sale: Rain or shine. 8:30 a.m. Next to the Amherst Farmers Market on the Amherst Common. kathleenteagno@gmail.com.
Grown in Westhampton Plant Sale: Perennials, permaculture plants, edibles, and herbs. 9 a.m. Small Engine Workshop at 11 a.m. Free. Westhampton Library, 1 North Road, Westhampton. cwayne@ed-tech.com.
Kids! Science Club: Form your own hypotheses with Ralph and Steven as they experiment using the scientific method. 2 p.m. Free. Forbes Library, 20 West St., Northampton. (413) 587-1012, reference@forbeslibrary.org.
Lefty’s Spring Fever Brew Fest: Games, food, raffle, merch, craft vendors, live music and a huge beer garden. Free games include horseshoes, cornhole, keg toss, stein holding, barrel roll, beer pong, buckets, bear pong, and washers. Music by Ruby’s Complaint, Whiskey Treaty, and Shokazoba. No pets, no kids, 21-plus. $10-$25. 3 p.m. Franklin County Fair Grounds, 89 Wisdom Way, Greenfield.
Massachusetts Military History Expo: 10 a.m. 645 S Main St., Orange.
Outdoor Adventure and Wilderness Skills Weekend of Workshops: Sessions on tracking, wild edibles, navigation, fire-making, and more. For adults. 9 a.m. $50-$60. Greenhill Center for Outdoor Activities, 1356 Ashfield St., Conway. (413) 340-1161, frank@earthworkprograms.com.
Plants and Answers: See Friday’s listing for event details.
Poetry Reading — The Quabbin Writers Salon: Reading by poet Ina Anderson from her new collection Journey into Space. 3 p.m. Free. Common House, Pioneer Valley Cohousing, Pulpit Hill Road, Amherst. (413) 213-0501, kbholzman@gmail.com.
South Deerfield Plant Sale: 9 a.m. Tilton Library, 75 North Main St., South Deerfield. (413) 665-4683, tiltonlibrary@cwmars.org, tiltonlibrary.org.
Southampton Book and Bake Sale: See Friday’s listing for event details.
Southampton Plant Sale: Southampton Woman’s Club hosts annual Anita Smith Memorial Plant Sale. 8 a.m. Free. Conant Park, Route 10, Southampton.
Spring Circus Show: 3 p.m. $5-$25. Austine Gym, 209 Austine Dr., Brattleboro. (802) 254-9780, info@necenterforcircusarts.com.
Spring Ephemeral Wildflower Walk and Talk: Guided hike to check out the wildflowers on a protected property on a hike to the top of Round Top Hill. 10 a.m. $0-$5. Private property, Round Hill Road, Chester. (413) 628-4485, hltoutreach@thetrustees.org.
Springfest at WRBC: Noon. $20. Westfield River Brewing Co., 707 College Highway, Southwick.
Stories for Grownups: Sidney B. Simon, professor emeritus of the University of Massachusetts Amherst, will tell his “Best of the Best Stories” from the past 15 years. 1 p.m. Free. Goodwin Memorial Library, 50 Middle St., Hadley.
Storybook Hike and Bug Safari: All-ages hike. Part of the Storybook Hike Series. Noon. Free. Fort River Division, 69 Moodybridge Road, Hadley. (413) 548-8002, Tasha_Daniels@fws.gov.
Sunderland Book, Plant, and Bake Sale: 9 a.m. Free. Sunderland Public Library, 20 School St., Sunderland. (413) 387 2539, morrell38@gmail.com.
Truth to Power — Writers Respond to the Rhetoric of Hate and Fear: Cutthroat: A Journal of the Arts presents poetry and prose from writers Marilyn Nelson, Doug Anderson, Leslie McGrath, Kate Bell, and Howie Faerstein. 2 p.m. Free. Forbes Library, 20 West St., Northampton. (413) 587-1012, reference@forbeslibrary.org.
Volleyball Hall of Fame Open Hosts Night of Heroes Police and Fire Challenge: The Battle of the Badges Volleyball Tournament is back for a third year. This time featuring members of the New York City Fire Department going head to head with teams of emergency personnel from Holyoke, Springfield and greater New England. 11 a.m. Free. Volleyball Hall of Fame, 444 Dwight St., Holyoke. (413) 536-0926, volleyhall.org.
Weather Station Open House: Join Jasper Lapienski, a local resident who proposed this project, to view and discuss the Forbes Library Weather Station. 11 a.m. Free. Forbes Library, 20 West St., Northampton. (413) 587-1012, reference@forbeslibrary.org.
Whately Book Club: John James Audubon, The Making of an American. 11 a.m. Free. Whately Public Library, 202 Chestnut Plain Road, Whately. (413) 665-2170, directorwhatelylibrary@gmail.com.
The Writing Room: 9:30 a.m. Forbes Library, 20 West St., Northampton.
Sunday 5/21
Anthony Cavallini House Presents First Annual Bike Run: 9 a.m. Holyoke High School, 500 Beech St., Holyoke.
Author Talk — Ruth Behar: Behar talks about her first novel for young readers, Lucky Broken Girl. 2 p.m. Yiddish Book Center, 1021 West St., Amherst.
Dogs and Toddlers Workshop: Is your baby getting ready to sit up? Crawl? Or Walk? These new stages can be an exciting time for parents but often a stressful time for family dogs. You can change that! 1 p.m. Free. Dakin Humane Society, 171 Union St., Springfield.
Girl Power Chords: Songwriting for social change, ages 9-16: 2 p.m. Click Workspace, 9.5 Market St., Northampton.
The Shakespeare Club: This month, Henry IV, Part I. 11 a.m. Odyssey Bookshop, Village Commons, South Hadley. (413) 534-7307, odysseybks.com.
Special Storytime — David Hyde Costello: 2 p.m. The Eric Carle Museum, 125 W. Bay Road, Amherst. shop@carlemuseum.org.
Springfield Book Crafters Fair: For makers and lovers of handcrafted books, zines, and self-published writing. 10 a.m. Free. Make-It Springfield, 168 Worthington St., Springfield. (413) 455-0033, admin@bjeanwalsh.com, bjeanwalsh.com/springfield-bookcrafters-fair.
Whole Children’s Wild Goose Chase: Family fun run and carnival. 10 a.m. Look Park, 300 N. Main St., Florence. (413) 585-8010, Brittany.Brown@pathlightgroup.org, runreg.com/wildgoose.
Shakespeare’s History Plays with Marie Roche: 5 p.m. Free. UMass Amherst. (413) 577-3600, renaissance@english.umass.edu.
Labyrinth Walk: A meditative practice for clarity, peace and healing. 4th Monday of the month, 7 p.m. Free. Edwards Church, 297 Main St., Northampton. (413) 584-5500, info@edwardschurchnorthampton.org.
Organic Gardening for Everyone: Presented by naturalist/landscaper John Root. Perennials for edible landscaping and attracting pollinators will be offered for sale. 6:30 p.m. Free. Pelham Community Hall, 40 Amherst Road, Pelham. (413) 961-9059, info@johnroot.net.
Monday 5/22
Voices for Children 2017: 4 p.m. Treehouse, 1 Treehouse Circle, Easthampton.
Tuesday 5/23
Astronomy Club Meeting: Steve Herzberg will give the talk, “One Pair of Stars is Like Another?”, shedding light on how we can study a universe beyond our physical reach. 7 p.m. $2. Springfield Science Museum, 21 Edwards St., Springfield. (800) 336-9054, alan@rifkin.com, reflector.org/Calendar.html.
Food and Habitat Pollinators Through the Seasons: Ashley Schenk, of Broadfork Permaculture, will teach you how to choose pollinator plants and shrubs that will thrive in your yard’s conditions. 6:30 p.m. Free. Sunderland Public Library, 20 School St., Sunderland. (413) 6652642, director@sunderlandpubliclibrary.org, sunderlandpubliclibrary.org.
Wednesday 5/24
An Evening with Rebecca Bradshaw: Join IPV guiding teacher Rebecca Bradshaw for an open meditation sitting and dharma talk. No experience necessary. All are welcome. 7 p.m. Insight Meditation Center of Pioneer Valley, 116 Pleasant St., suite 242, Easthampton. (413) 527-0388, jgenet@insightpv.org.
The Course of Miracles: Richard Martin and John Deschemes discuss the book A Course in Miracles. 10 a.m. Free. Amherst Community Connections, 121 N. Pleasant St., Amherst. accinamherst@gmail.com.
Healthcare Forum — Facts + Options + Action: Citizens 4 Healthcare Action host public forum about health insurance in Massachusetts. With Michael Knapik, Stephen Kulik, Eliza Lake, Jackie Wolf. 6:30 p.m. Worthington Town Hall, , Worthington Center. (413) 238-5304.
Place and Practice — History, Geography, and the New Latin American Studies: Panel discussion on the emerging intersections of Latin American history, geography, and new digital and quantitative data technologies. 4 p.m. Free. Seelye 201, Smith College, Northampton. (413) 585-2190, mhobbes@smith.edu.
The Writing Room: 9:30 a.m. Forbes Library, 20 West St., Northampton.
