by Kristin Palpini | Jun 20, 2016 | Articles, Between the Lines, News
When we set out to reinvigorate the Valley Advocate a little more than a year ago, we had some goals in mind. We wanted to bring our venerable newspaper back to its roots: alternative stories, for alternative people — and some mainstream folks who are still cool. We...
by Richard Andersen | Jun 14, 2016 | Articles, News
This story of today starts in 1934. The American Legion Post 21 Championship baseball team has been invited to play in a national tournament in Gastonia, North Carolina. When the team gets off the train, the band stops playing. A bus pulls away from the curb. At the...
by Hunter Styles | Jun 14, 2016 | Articles, Columns, News, The Beerhunter
Have you ever wondered why Massachusetts farmers markets don’t allow the sale of beer, even though vendors are typically welcome to sell hard cider and wine? So have state lawmakers. Early last month, the Senate passed a sweeping agricultural bill...
by By Kristin Palpini | Jun 6, 2016 | Articles, Arts, Music, News
It’s okay to be stumped when your friend invites you out to see his favorite math rock funk band — tonight with a Zydeco guest washboard player! The variety of musicians in the Valley is immense, and so is the range of music they play. So, if you ever wondered whether...
by Hunter Styles, a.k.a. The Beerhunter | Jun 6, 2016 | Articles, Columns, Food + Booze, Newsletter, The Beerhunter
The Beerhunter’s ears are always pricked to news of local craft beer happenings, and this month, they’re positively tingling. All that excitement in the air is thanks to the first-ever Western Mass Beer Week, a series of events at breweries, bars and restaurants all...