EASTHAMPTON — The Greater Easthampton Saint Patrick’s Day Parade Committee is celebrating Halfway to Saint Patrick’s Day this month with the following events:
- On Wednesday, Sept. 17, local celebrities will participate in an annual Celebrity Bartending event at Amy’s Place, 80 Cottage St. Enjoy food, drinks, and laughter as community leaders test their gift-of-the-gab and their cocktail making skills behind the bar. All tips earned by the celebrity bartenders will be donated to the parade committee.
- On Saturday, Sept. 20, a Halfway to Saint Patrick’s Day concert will take place at Marigold Theater, 84 Cottage St. The concert will feature Irish music from two groups. Headlining the evening is Sláinte, a six-piece folk-rock band that regularly plays at the Black Rose or Mr. Dooley’s in Boston. Opening the show will be The Corner Boys, a Holyoke trio who’ve mastered traditional Irish music. Tickets start at $10 and can be purchased at www.marigold.org.
The Greater Easthampton Saint Patrick’s Day Parade Committee works year-round to support Irish culture in western Massachusetts. The committee fundraises annually to award scholarships to local graduating high school seniors, as well as to represent Easthampton, Southampton, and Westhampton in the Holyoke Saint Patrick’s Day parade.
South Hadley to hold final rezone hearing
SOUTH HADLEY — Public outreach efforts for the Route 202/33 Corridor Rezoning proposal will wrap up with a final public forum before heading to a special Town Meeting in November.
The hybrid forum on Monday, Sept. 8, at 6 p.m. will take place at 45 Dayton St. during the Planning Board meeting. Residents will have a chance to comment on a proposal to consolidate six zoning districts along Granby Road and Willimansett Street into residential core and residential mixed-use zones.
The residential core aims to keep a “residential identity.” The zoning changes expand types of housing options allowed in the area. For instance, a cottage cluster development allows for building of several village-style small housing units on smaller lots.
The residential mixed-use zones include residential and commercial developments. Proposed changes permit new types of commercial businesses in the corridor, including food trucks, a brewery and/or distillery, and a “neighborhood cafe.” Different sizes of retail and restaurants are subjected to different levels of permitting.
Residents who cannot make the public hearing can email their comments at SHPlanBoard@southhadleyma.gov.
Lake Wallace Sensory Trails set to open
BELCHERTOWN — The expanded Lake Wallace Sensory Trails will open at the first annual Lake Wallace Fall Fest, a recreational fundraiser featuring a 5k trail race, a mile-long fun run and a relaxing “Roll and Stroll.”
On Oct. 4, people will explore the new additions to trails, such as benches, signage and sculptures, at their pace of choice. Vendors, food trucks and even live bands will fill Foley Field to cheer on runners and provide educational materials for festival goers.
“It’s been delightful to know that Lake Wallace is a recongized destination for birders, and photographers, and increasingly, for people of all abilities to use the space for outdoor recreation,” said Lousie Levy, President of Friends of Lake Wallace.
All money raised from sponsors and race enterance fees will go back to Lake Wallace through the Recreation Department gift fund.
“That way, the Friends of Lake Wallace will be able to respond more quickly when damage happens on the trails,” Levy said.
The 5k track will follow new and old trails around the lake, then dip into land owned by the New England Small Farm Institute before arriving back at Foley Field. The other races will remain on the trails.
Registration for the races can be found at the Belchertown Recreation Department website.
Plainfield barbecue draws 350-plus
PLAINFIELD — Firefighters manning the grill at the 54th annual Plainfield Volunteer Firefighter’s Association Barbecue at Plainfield Park on Aug. 31 cooked and served around 370 barbecue dinners on a perfect late summer day.
Events included the group’s largest annual silent raffle, the 49th annual 1.1-mile Plainfield Foot Race, and live music by the Curtis Rich Review from Buckland and Plainfield.
The road race featured 12 runners who traversed the course, of which the last half-mile is uphill. New resident Joseph Huston was first to complete the race with a winning time of 7 minutes, 21 seconds. He was followed by Kaden Shearer, 13, who finished second in a time of 8:04, Gabe Huston, 13, third with a time of 8:07. Both Joseph and Kaden will have their names added to the race bowls on display at the Shaw-Memorial Library year-round.
Course records are held by Vince O’Connell (5:28 in 1986) and Sidney Letendre (6:24 in 2002). There is no admission fee to run in the race, which is supported by the Plainfield Volunteer Firefighter’s Association.