Montague stands as another cultural focal point within Franklin County. It extends north of Leverett and is made up of five distinct villages—Montague Center, Montague City, Turners Falls, Millers Falls, and Lake Pleasant. Situated to the west is the Connecticut River, featuring a historic dam and canal constructed in the 1800s to supply [...]
This Saturday, July 1, 2023, enjoy a free, village-wide festival in Turners Falls. The Antenna Cloud Farm Music Walk, presented by Riverculture, the municipal arts program of the Town of Montague, will showcase the works and performances of various local artists at beautiful public spaces throughout Turners Falls.
The schedule runs from 2 to 8 pm with live music. Performances will include solo saxophone by [...]
The Smithsonian and Mass Humanities have partnered together to bring a traveling exhibition to several small towns in Massachusetts. The Smithsonian’s Museum on Main Street aims to reach underserved rural communities through their traveling exhibitions which explore common themes in American Life. An exhibition titled “Crossroads: Changes in [...]
Find beautiful, handmade holiday gifts for your loved ones at the Little Drummer Craft Fair on Saturday, November 19th, 2022. The fair, which is held annually on the Saturday prior to Thanksgiving, benefits the students of Franklin County Technical School. Browse a variety of handmade crafts and art from around the region from 9 am to 3:30 [...]
For over a decade the Great Falls Festival has been a signature fall celebration in Franklin County. Sadly, this year will be the 12th and final year for this fun local festival. Formerly known as Pumpkinfest, the Great Falls Festival takes place on Avenue A in Turners Falls and is free to the public. This year’s festival is happening [...]
The Turners Falls Fishway is now open for viewing until June 12th! Witness the spectacular journey of the anadromous fish in the Connecticut River, as they make their spring migration upstream. Anadromous fish such as American shad, sea lamprey, and others, are born in freshwater, mature in the ocean, and return to freshwater to [...]
Here in New England, we commonly refer to this time of year as mud season. During late winter and early spring, the dirt becomes muddy from melting snow and we feel stuck between two seasons. The land is filled with neither shimmering white snow, nor blossoming flowers, but instead there’s just mud.
To help us through this less favorable season, the Shea Theater in downtown Turners Falls has put together a one-day music festival just when we need it most, Mud Season! This Saturday, March 19th, 2022 from 11:30 am to 9:00 pm, you can enjoy live music performed by musicians from around the region. The lineup includes some of the best roots Americana artists in the valley, such as Love Crumbs, the Barnrocket Racketeers, and Cloudbelly.
Check out the full lineup of bands at mud-season.com. Tickets are $15 in advance and $20 at the door. Purchase tickets in advance here.
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For more information about community happenings and real estate news visit Wanda's Blog at www.wandamooney.com/blog.
The Great Falls Festival, also known as Pumpkinfest, is back this year in Turners Falls! This Saturday, October 23, join in the fall fun on Avenue A. Bring your own carved and painted pumpkin to add to the display in front of St. Kaz from 10 am onwards. Costumes are encouraged, so come dressed up and bring your Halloween spirit.
It wouldn’t be Pumpkinfest without local pumpkin beer. Pioneer Valley Brewery brewed up a special Pumpkin Fest Pumpkin Ale just for this event. Hitchcock Brewery will also be there pouring their Nice Rumpkin Toasted Pumkin Ale. Try them both and decide who makes the better pumpkin ale. Berkshire Brewing Company, the first brewers to attend the original Pumpkinfest, will be under the beer tent too.
Pumpkinfest will run from 12 to 8 pm with lots of entertainment, food, games, and local craft beer. Entrance is free to the public, which means you can spend more on beer, food, and fun. Take advantage of the free shuttles from Turners Falls High School and Sheffield School.
See what else will be happening this weekend at Pumpkinfest by following the Great Falls Festival Facebook page.
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For more information about community happenings and real estate news visit Wanda's Blog at www.wandamooney.
Around Franklin County, you’ll find many old buildings, structures, and features which were built around the time of the Industrial Revolution and no longer serve a purpose. Rather than letting them sit and deteriorate, many of these outdated relics have been renovated and given a new purpose which serves the community in some way. One example of this is the Canalside Rail Trail, a little treasure in Turners Falls.
Once a rail bed, which runs along the canal and the Connecticut River, the trail has been paved and made usable for walkers/joggers, cyclists, and other forms of human-powered wheels. The stretch of trail runs 3.7 miles with ample parking on both ends, at Unity Park in Turners Falls, and McClelland Farm Road in Deerfield. Along the way, you’ll cross the 1880 trestle bridge over the Connecticut River, from which you can gaze up and down the river and even see the mouth of the Deerfield River. You’ll also pass many serene rest stops with benches and picnic tables which offer stunning views of the river and the wildlife. Once you reach Turners Falls, you'll be riding alongside the canals and old factories (hence the name!) and eventually come to the fish ladder where you can get a close up view of the migrating fish. The Canalside Rail Trail has a lot to offer and I recommend riding it during different times of year to see the trail in all its forms!
After the trail, be sure to check out the wonderful village of Turners Falls. There are some great eateries such as The Rendezvous, Five Eyed Fox, and Black Cow Burger Bar to name a few, and some great places to shop, like Tangible Bliss and LOOT Found + Made.
More information on the Canalside Rail Trail here.
Happy Trails!
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For more information about community happenings and real estate news visit Wanda's Blog at www.wandamooney.
From now through the end of February, check out a community art exhibit at the Great Falls Discovery Center, curated by Exploded View. The exhibit includes work by regional artists in multiple media exploring maps, the significance of place, and movement across boundaries. It asks questions such as: Where do you live? Where are you from? Where do you dream? How do you find your way? Where are your borders? Do maps lie?
During these two months, you may also come upon members of Exploded View working in various corners of the building. Exploded View is a dynamic group of women artists and writers working together to create original performance and exhibition.
This program is supported in part by a grant from the Montague Cultural Council, a local agency which is supported by the Mass Cultural Council, a state agency.
The Great Falls Discovery Center is located at 2 Avenue A in Turners Falls. For directions, hours, and more information about the Discovery Center, visit greatfallsdiscoverycenter.org.
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