Bach and better than ever: UMass Amherst biennial Bach Fest returns April 25-27 with a multitude of concerts and symposia

By CAROLYN BROWN

An Amherst festival dedicated to a famous Baroque composer is coming … Bach.

Arts Briefs: Asparagus Valley Pottery Trail, Showcase South Hadley, Best of the Valley Story Slam and more

The Asparagus Valley Pottery Trail will have its annual studio tour on Saturday, April 26, and Sunday, April 27, from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.

Speaking of Nature: A surprise in my maple tree: Porcupines just want to find something tasty to eat and be left alone

By BILL DANIELSON

It was the end of an exciting day of nature photography and as I pulled into my driveway I figured that I was done for the day. I had been out in forests and fields and had managed to take just about 1,000 photographs of flowers, birds and even some turtles. I went into the house, set my camera on the writing desk by my kitchen window and started the process of shifting into “evening mode,” which is what everyone aspires to after a long day. On my way through the house, heading toward a change of clothes and something for dinner, I glanced out the back window and stopped in my tracks. What in Darwin’s name was that?

The cost of addiction: New novel draws on Valley backdrop to explore how substance use upends people’s lives

By STEVE PFARRER

Several years ago, Mattea Kramer, an Amherst writer and researcher who’s studied and written about the federal budget as well as drug policies at state and federal levels, spent time interviewing a number of women in the Greenfield jail who were part of a recovery program for substance use.

The legend lives on: The Lightfoot Band brings the music of their late bandleader to the Iron Horse

By CAROLYN BROWN

Legendary Canadian singer-songwriter Gordon Lightfoot died in 2023, but his longtime band members, who now tour as The Lightfoot Band, will share his music and legacy in Northampton at the Iron Horse on Thursday, April 24, at 7 p.m.

Young filmmaker makes his debut: 16-year-old director and writer to screen his film at Greenfield Garden Cinemas

By CHRIS LARABEE

The Greenfield Garden Cinemas is rolling out a red-carpet premiere of its own on April 16, as it welcomes the public to a free screening of a locally-produced short film with a question-and-answer session to follow.

Creativity empowers kids: Inaugural R.I.S.E. Fest is next weekend in Northampton

By CAROLYN BROWN

A new festival for young people and the arts is coming to Northampton.

Let’s Talk Relationships: Uncovering the roots of negative self-talk: What you say to yourself echoes in your relationships

By AMY NEWSHORE

Our thoughts and beliefs about ourselves greatly impact how we feel and act in our close relationships. Humans are the only species that engage in “self-talk.” Many of us find ourselves having both positive thoughts about ourselves (for example, “I feel proud for what I just accomplished”) and other times negative and self-defeating thoughts (such as, “I am not attractive enough”). In my work with couples, it is often the derogatory self-talk that each individual engages in that contributes to the difficult and painful dynamics between partners.

Weekly Food Photo Contest: This week’s winner: Peggy Sanders of Northampton

Peggy Sanders of Northampton wrote to us with the good news: “Artichokes from California are here! Simmer them, melt butter. Celebrate Spring.”

‘We’re here! We’re queer! We’re ready to cheer!’: New queerleading team hopes to perform at queer sporting events in the Valley

By CAROLYN BROWN

A new group of “queerleaders” in Northampton wants to lift up the LGBTQ community — in more ways than one.

‘Spaces that allow the imagination to be fully realized’: 33 Hawley hosts two fundraising events this month

By CAROLYN BROWN

Two events this month aim to raise funds for 33 Hawley in Northampton for two different reasons – namely, to support programming in its Barn Door Gallery and to add risers and 175 chairs for shows in its Workroom.

Arts Briefs: Classical at UMass, singer-songwriter in Easthampton, and more

The University of Massachusetts Amherst Symphony Orchestra recently announced the winners of its Concerto/Aria Competition. Daniel Ryu, a graduate student; Laura Wang, a freshman; and Robert Grahmann, a graduate student, will perform with the UMass Symphony Orchestra on Friday, April 11, at 7:30 p.m. in Tillis Hall.

Speaking of Nature: Cute as a killdeer: The killdeer have just arrived and are busy setting up territories

By BILL DANIELSON

We have reached that time of year when going to work in the morning becomes more difficult with every passing day. The world is waking up from its winter slumber and more and more items of interest present themselves to be observed and adored. I have a rather lengthy commute to work and as the amount of daylight increases each day, so to do the number of distractions. Like Odysseus tempted by the Sirens, I navigate this passage of temptation every day. There are mornings when I feel like my heart will break as I am forced to pilot myself past birds and flowers that sing out to me and beg me to stop and pay attention to them.

Amherst can’t decide where it is: Is town center uptown or downtown?

By SCOTT MERZBACH

Those attending a recent ribbon-cutting for the new UMass Downtown retail store and event space in Amherst center were invited to an afterparty at the Uptown Tap & Grille, which despite having a seemingly different geographical designation, is a neighboring business in the same building.

Here to help the community’s artists: Human Scale Art Space aims to advance visual arts in the Pioneer Valley

By CAROLYN BROWN

It’s not uncommon for a small nonprofit not to have a physical space. It is, however, ironic when that nonprofit itself is called Human Scale Art Space.

Get Growing with Mickey Rathbun: Paving over historic beauty: A history of the White House Rose Garden that Trump plans to rip up

By MICKEY RATHBUN

I wonder how closely Joni Mitchell follows the news. Did the headline “Trump Turns the White House Lawn into a Tesla Showroom” catch her eye? Trump’s craven gesture is about as close as you can get to “paving paradise and putting up a parking lot.”

Valley Bounty: Nothing sweeter than sourcing local: Lemon Bakery in Amherst is a small, seasonal, from-scratch operation

By LISA GOODRICH

Named for sunny citrus fruit grown far from the valley, Lemon Bakery in Amherst mixes the sweet with the tart. Four years ago, in the uncertainty of the pandemic, owner Rori Hanson built a bakery business with a model of curbside pickup and delivery rather than a storefront. Hanson’s menu follows the seasons by sourcing from local farms. Today, Lemon Bakery continues to sell through online pre-ordering and curbside pickup or delivery; there is no storefront cafe.

Around and About with Richard McCarthy: He kept his vow: The story of a childhood friend who was driven by his desire for affluence

By RICHARD MCCARTHY

I have a good friend who goes to family gatherings at which folks fall on either side of the Great American Political Divide. He says his relatives and in-laws have come to an understanding to not talk about politics, but rather to treat it “like a drunken uncle sleeping it off on the couch.” You know he’s there, you know he will be a source of vexation again when he comes to, but for the moment you can enjoy his being zonked out.

Weekly Food Photo Contest: This week’s winner: Jennifer Kellogg of Whately

Jennifer Kellogg of Whately made this apple buttermilk cake for her parents’ combined birthday celebration. “It was a great way to use up the fall apples that had been sitting in my refrigerator.”