NORTHAMPTON — CNN has named Northampton as the No. 8 pick on its newly released list of ”America’s Best Towns to Visit, 2025.” The feature, written by CNN reporter Jeanne Bonner, highlights the city’s vibrant downtown, local flavor, inclusive culture, and independent spirit.
CNN evaluated hundreds of communities across the country, selecting just 10 based on criteria including cultural life, dining, nightlife, diversity, identity, and overall charm.
Bonner writes that “Northampton is No. 8 thanks to its lively downtown, diversity, local flavors and independent spirit,” noting the city’s unique blend of New England charm and cosmopolitan sensibility. They especially enjoyed the city’s unofficial motto by noting that Northampton appreciates strong women — and strong coffee.
“It’s always rewarding when others see what makes Northampton special,” Mayor Gina-Louise Sciarra said in a statement. “This is a community full of creativity, passion, and welcoming people — and it shows in our culture, our businesses, and our public spaces … I enthusiastically thank CNN for celebrating us in this very select list and welcome all to come enjoy Northampton!”
Other communities on the list include Ithaca, New York, at No. 1, followed by Missoula, Montana; Asheville, North Carolina; Bend, Oregon; Annapolis, Maryland; Petaluma, California; Las Cruces, New Mexico; Clarksdale, Mississippi; and Rapid City, South Dakota.
SOUTH HADLEY — Pioneer Valley Performing Arts Charter Public School (PVPA) is expanding the school’s arts classes to add a fifth Arts Department: Technical Design and Production.
The Technical Design and Production track will include courses ranging from costuming, stage design, cinematography, stage construction, lighting design, scenic design, sound design and engineering and more. With the additional 26 classes, PVPA will have over 100 arts courses offered across five departments, joining existing courses in music, dance, theater and visual arts.
PVPA will also be offering free bus transportation to all students residing within the school’s new region, beginning with the upcoming school year. For the first time in the school’s 30-year history, all students will have the option to pick up the bus less than 2 miles from their home.
PVPA is currently accepting applications for the 2025/2026 school year at www.pvpa.org/admissions. Application deadline is July 1. An enrollment lottery will take place on July 3 for Grades 7 & 10. All other applications will be held until current waitlists are exhausted.
PVPA’s region includes the following school districts: Agawam, Amherst-Pelham (Amherst, Leverett, Pelham and Shutesbury), Belchertown, Chicopee, East Longmeadow, Easthampton, Granby, Hadley, Hampden-Wilbraham (Hampden and Wilbraham), Hampshire (Chesterfield, Goshen, Southampton, Westhampton, Williamsburg, Worthington), Hatfield, Holyoke, Ludlow, Northampton, South Hadley, Springfield, West Springfield, and Westfield.
AMHERST — The Amherst Woman’s Club will present an event featuring an hour of jazz music and a glass of wine on Thursday, from 4 to 6 p.m., at its clubhouse at 35 Triangle St., in Amherst.
The event is open to the public. The Jazz Mesmerizers will perform aural comfort music to accompany conversations, without being overwhelming. Peter Sikowitz’s vintage hollow-body guitar and Markleford Friedman’s digital keyboard with a Fender Rhodes vibe will provide a smooth sound, perfect for relaxing on a late afternoon in the summer.
Many of the band’s all-instrumental selections are from the Great American Songbook of the 1940s and 1950s, but they have also jazzified a fair number of tunes from other eras, keeping to the same style. For a richer sound, the live performance of these musicians will overdub recordings of Sikowitz playing bass and Friedman’s drum tracks. Friedman writes the group’s music arrangements and serves as its producer.
The event is a fundraiser for the Women’s Club, and proceeds will help the nonprofit maintain the historic Hills Memorial Clubhouse. The clubhouse serves the community by hosting many events; recent ones include a Juneteenth celebration, Wish Upon a Wedding for a terminally ill bride, and helping to raise funds for the local Ukrainian families displaced by the war.
Throughout the club’s history, there have been several crises that required substantial funds and threatened losing the house. The building is beautiful, but some work is being done, and there is a 30-year plan, in an effort to be proactive and avoid needing a miracle.
To register for the event, go to amherstwomansclub.org, and click Calendar, Summer Jazz Hour, and see the blue section, or email Hello@AmherstWomansClub.org, or call (805) 886-9291.