The Ashfield Fall Festival returns this Saturday and Sunday, October 8th and 9th, 2022. Foliage colors have already come out in Ashfield, so head over to the Ashfield Commons this weekend and join in the celebration of this wonderful [...]
With cooler weather and beautiful autumn foliage, now is the best time of year to enjoy the wilderness in Western Mass. There are many ways to get outside and enjoy, including running, kayaking, and mountain biking. Why not do all three at the 7th Annual Great River Challenge Off-Road Triathlon in Northfield, Massachusetts! The event is [...]
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One of the benefits of living in Franklin County is having so many beautiful rivers to enjoy locally, such as the Green River, the Connecticut River, and the Deerfield River. Unfortunately, these rivers often suffer from pollution. Walking along the rivers or paddling down them can reveal certain areas where trash and debris has accumulated, interrupting the natural beauty of the river banks and harming wildlife. It is up to us as members of the community to take care and protect our rivers by removing this litter and cleaning them up.
This weekend is a chance for you to participate in a local river clean up as part of the Annual Franklin County Rivers Cleanup, in conjunction with the Connecticut River Conservancy Source to Sea Cleanup.
As part of the Source to Sea Cleanup, groups are encouraged to organize a cleanup of their own local rivers within Franklin County. If you would like to organize a group or join an existing group, you can register on the Source to Sea Cleanup website. The website also has useful information around group organization, cleaning supplies, proper waste disposal, safety considerations, and more. After the cleanup, you can share your progress via their social media or website form.
The Green River portion of the cleanup will be held at the Green River Swimming and Recreation Area on Nash’s Mill Road in Greenfield. This all-day event begins at 9 am and ends at 5 pm, with breakfast, lunch, and music provided for the volunteers. To donate, volunteer, report a site needing cleanup, or to find out more information, call 772-2020, ext. 211.
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For more information about community happenings and real estate news visit Wanda's Blog at www.wandamooney.com/blog.
Photo credit: Fulbright MENA Re-Entry Workshop Community Service - Potomac River Cleanup
The Annual Trolleyfest in Shelburne Falls is a celebration of the restoration of Trolley No. 10, which at one time was an active trolley in Shelburne Falls. Hosted by the Shelburne Falls Trolley Museum, Trolleyfest is happening on Saturday, September 24th, 2022 from 11 am to 5 pm. During Trolleyfest, get a discounted all-day pass at $4.00 per person and enjoy lots of fun activities.
As always, there will be trolley car rides and pump car rides. In addition, there will be lots of fun Trolleyfest activities such as Speeder (aka Motorcar) Rides, wooden and electric trains, sending messages via telegraph, hands-on demonstrations of trolley-era activities, railroad movies, and more. There will also be food for sale and a Railroad Tag sale.
See a full list of Trolleyfest activities and learn more about the Shelburne Falls Trolley Museum at sftm.org.
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For more information about community happenings and real estate news visit Wanda's Blog at www.wandamooney.com/blog.
The Food Bank of Western Massachusetts and its supporters will come together once again for a memorable day of biking. The annual Will Bike 4 Food event will take place Sunday, September 25th, 2022, starting at the [...]
The Big E is the sixth largest fair in the nation and it’s located right here in Western Massachusetts. Head down to West Springfield Friday, September 16th through Sunday, October 2nd for endless entertainment, food, and fun things to do at The Big [...]
The 173rd Franklin County Fair starts this Thursday, September 8th and runs all weekend long through Sunday, September 11th! This year’s theme is “Thrills for you in 2022.” Come out to the Franklin County Fairgrounds in Greenfield, Massachusetts and experience the thrills at the Franklin County Fair.
The Franklin County Fair started in 1848 with the purpose of providing agricultural education to the community at a time when many immigrants were fleeing cases of famine in European countries. The fair offered a way to both demonstrate skills such as quilt-making, pie-baking, or cheese-making, as well as flaunt new agricultural innovations or breeds of sheep. Many of the events from the original county fair still continue today.
Be sure to download an Exhibitor’s Handbook on the Franklin County Fair’s website to see what will be on display this year. Visit the Roundhouse and Youth Hall to see all of the wonderful handmade works. Check out the cattle, sheep, oxen, rabbits, chickens, and horses at the animal shows. There will also be a parade and other entertainers such as Rosaire’s Racing Pigs and Dinosaur Xperience.
The Coleman Brothers Midway returns again this year for family fun and thrills. Check out all of their fun rides starting at 4pm on Thursday and Friday and 12 pm on Saturday and Sunday. The Stoney Roberts Demolition Derby will also take place again at the fair this year on Saturday at 7 pm and Sunday at 6 pm.
For ticket information and the full schedule of events visit fcas.com.
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For more information about community happenings and real estate news visit Wanda's Blog at www.wandamooney.com/blog.
After a two-year hiatus, the Franklin County Community Meals Program (FCCMP) is bringing back their annual Hope Against Hunger Auction. This year marks the 18th year of this event, which brings the community together to raise support for FCCMP. Come to Hawks and Reed in Greenfield on Monday, September 12th, 2022 from 5 to 7 pm for this fun event which supports FCCMP and their programs.
FCCMP is a non-profit organization which works with the community to alleviate hunger. They host 4 free community meal sites, 2 food pantries, and also run a mobile food bank. The FCCMP serves over 26,000 meals per year and distributes 250,000+ pounds of food to thousands of families in our community.
Show your support for this wonderful organization by attending the auction - it is always a great time! There will be a cash bar, live music, and delicious appetizers. All of this can be enjoyed while you browse and place bids on a variety of live and silent auction items.
Entrance to the Hope Against Hunger Auction is $15 per person in advance or $20 at the door. Tickets can be purchased in advance online here or in person in advance at Hawks and Reed Monday to Friday 11 am to 3 pm or at the FCCMP office at 324 Wells Street, Greenfield, Monday to Wednesday 9 am to 5 pm.
For more information visit FCCMP’s website here and the Facebook event here.
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For more information about community happenings and real estate news visit Wanda's Blog at www.wandamooney.com/blog.
Just up the road from Montague Center, at the corner of Greenfield Rd and Turners Falls Rd, remains a small grist mill from 1834 on the Sawmill River. Overlooking the river, you’ll find a small conglomerate of locally owned shops and eateries, which provides a scenic getaway any day of the [...]
As summer winds down, fairs and festivals are popping up all over Western Mass. Last weekend, hundreds came out for the Heath Fair. This weekend, Thursday August 25th through Sunday, August 28th, 2022, marks the 154th Cummington Fair in Cummington, MA. The Fair was started in 1869 but was initiated in 1883 as the Hillside Agricultural Society. Today, the Cummington Fair remains true to its agricultural roots with events based around livestock and tractors, such as the livestock shows, horse draws, and antique engine and tractor shows.
The event begins Thursday, August 25th at 4 pm with the Antique Engines and Tractor Show, Dan the Pirate, and the Rock-n-Circus. The Midway and Rides will also open up, as well as the Craft Barn. Friday is Children’s Night and Cruise Night with the car show and Youth Dairy Judging Contest. Then, all weekend long on Saturday and Sunday, there will be plenty to see and do, such as Comedy and Juggling by Bryson Lang, livestock shows, tractor pulls, square dancing, live music, games, food, and more.
Whether you are a resident of Cummington, or the Pioneer Valley, or you are traveling from surrounding areas, you won’t want to miss this huge event. Purchase your tickets ahead of time at cummingtonfair.com to receive a discount and save time waiting in line. Also visit their website for a full listing of events and other information such as directions and parking. Hope to see you at the Cummington Fair!
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For more information about community happenings and real estate news visit Wanda's Blog at www.wandamooney.com/blog.
