SOUTHAMPTON— Warm up your caroling voice and save room for cookies, because the town is ringing in the holiday season Saturday night with a community tree lighting at Town Hall.
Following the Lions Club Toy Drive at the Town Hall gazebo from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m., holiday festivities will begin at 5 p.m. featuring hot chocolate and cookies from Good Eats to Go, as well as festive carols from the Community Chorus.
The tree lighting will commence at 5:30 p.m., and all friends, families and neighbors are welcome to come and join the fun.
NORTHAMPTON — The Northampton Kiwanis Club will host a special comedy rendition of Charles Dickens’ “A Christmas Carol” at the Elks Lodge in Florence on Saturday, Dec. 7, at 4 p.m., as a fundraiser for youth service programs in Northampton. Enjoy hors d’oeuvres and drinks alongside a hilarious retelling of this classic holiday tale adapted by Kathleen Palmer, featuring members of the Northampton Kiwanis Club, live musical performers and local celebrities.
The Kiwanis Club is a community service organization dedicated to children and the community. Since reforming in 2018, the club has worked with Cathedral in the Night providing meals to community members, distributed backpacks filled with school supplies to local elementary school students, and installed several Little Free Libraries in the city’s public housing developments.
This fundraiser will support the formation of a new Builders Club at JFK Middle School, the Kiwanis Service Leadership Program for middle school age students. The Kiwanis Club currently oversees the high school-level Key Clubs at Northampton High School, Hopkins Academy, and the HEC Academy, and the college-level Circle K clubs Mount Holyoke College and UMASS Amherst.
Tickets for the Saturday’s production are on sale at northamptonkiwanis.org. For more information, email northamptonkiwanis@gmail.com.
WHATELY — Quonquont Farm, long a seasonal pick-your-own orchard and event venue, is opening for a two-weekend holiday market starting Saturday, Dec. 7. This first-ever store opening will feature handmade wreaths and greenery, dried floral arrangements, locally made gifts, pies, candies, fresh fruits, vegetables, and Quonquont’s own apple cider.
A variety of gifts will be available including artwork by Jo-Ann Denehy, a Whately oil painter and birdhouse maker whose love of the land and New England landscape provides endless motivation for her work. The store will offer pies and treats from Sweet Lucy’s Bakery in Bernardston, cider donuts from North Hadley Sugar Shack, hot apple cider from Quonquont Farm, and the farm’s popular 2025 wildlife calendar. There are even beaver-made, human-finished, Quonquont walking sticks.
The store will be open Dec. 7-8 and Dec. 14-15, from 11 a.m to 3 p.m. at 9 North St.
SOUTHAMPTON — Southampton Tractor Supply will spread holiday cheer this year with its photos with Santa event on Dec. 7, from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.. Customers are invited to bring their children and pets to the store for photos with Santa and other holiday activities.
A local photographer will be on site during the event taking holiday-themed photos of Santa’s little helpers and their owners. The first 25 customers to take their photo with Santa will also receive a free magnetic picture frame.
In addition to photos with Santa, customers will have the opportunity to enjoy a pet adoption.
This event is open to the public and will take place at 2 College Highway. For more information, contact the Southampton Tractor Supply at 413-527-5566.
NORTHAMPTON — Healing Across the Divides (HATD) is pleased to announce a powerful event series set for Sunday, Dec. 8 in Northampton and Springfield. This occasion will feature two leaders from the Regional Council for the Unrecognized Bedouin Villages in the Negev, highlighting the significant strides Bedouin women are making within their communities amid adversity.
HATD, committed to fostering health equity and reconciliation in divided societies, has been pivotal in supporting mental health initiatives in the Negev’s 46 unrecognized Bedouin villages. This partnership has led to the establishment of support groups, empowering women through professional assistance and fostering nonviolent community change. The events in western Massachusetts aim to share these transformative stories and foster dialogue on global grassroots empowerment.
The event in Northampton is from 10:30 a.m. to 12 p.m., while the Springfield event takes place from 1:30 to 3 p.m. Attendees will have the opportunity to hear directly from Yeela Raanan and Lobna Sana. Raagnan, an Israeli activist, has been a coordinator for the Negev Coexistence Forum and later with the Regional Council for the Unrecognized Bedouin Villages in the Negev, focusing on the rights of unrecognized Bedouin villages. Sana, engaged in Palestinian rights and empowerment initiatives, brings experience from her leadership roles. Their remarkable stories of overcoming barriers to education and empowerment inspire real change.
HATD encourages people to register and attend, either in person or via Zoom. After registering, you will receive a confirmation email containing the location information or Zoom login about joining the meeting. Registration is encouraged, as space for these events is limited.
SPRINGFIELD — The Massachusetts Executive Office of Veterans Services will bring its HERO Act Roadshow, an initiative aimed at educating veterans across the commonwealth about the most comprehensive veterans legislation in Massachusetts history, to western Massachusetts on Wednesday, Dec. 11, from 1 to 2 p.m., at Springfield Tech Community College, 1 Armory St., Springfield.
Following overwhelming interest and engagement at prior events, EOVS has scheduled several new regional town halls to ensure that veterans have the opportunity to learn about the HERO Act and its transformative impact on their lives and communities.
The HERO Act Roadshow highlights key provisions of the bill through a one-hour presentation followed by a Q&A session. In partnership with elected officials and local veteran organizations, the Roadshow provides veterans with a clear understanding of how the legislation supports them, including its expanded benefits, new programs, and ongoing implementation efforts.
Signed into law by Gov. Maura Healey, the HERO Act is the most comprehensive veterans legislation in Massachusetts history. The bill addresses critical areas such as expanding access to behavioral health treatment, increasing benefits for disabled veterans, supporting businesses that hire veterans, updating the definition of a veteran, expanding the Veterans Equality Review Board’s scope, and codifying medical and dental benefits.
For more information about the HERO Act and the Roadshow events, visit the EOVS website or contact the EOVS Engagement Team.