NORTHAMPTON — The Polish Heritage Committee will celebrate their Polish history and culture with an annual Polish flag-raising ceremony this Saturday, Oct. 4, to mark the 44th anniversary of Polish Heritage Month. The ceremony will take place at 11 a.m. at Memorial Hall on Main Street.
After the flag-raising, Mayor Gina-Louise Sciarra will read the proclamation declaring October Polish Heritage Month in Northampton. This will be followed by a Pledge of Allegiance, and singing of the Polish and American national anthems.
This will be followed by a memorial service at Pulaski Park that includes a welcome message by Bob Gibowicz, reading of the state proclamations declaring General Pulaski Memorial Day, wreath laying, remarks by state legislators, a salute by General Puchlaski, and patriotic songs.
The Polish Heritage Committee is also planning a 12th annual Polish Christmas Carols event on Jan. 4, at 2 p.m., at St. Valentines PNC Church, 127 King St., Northampton.
Tibetan Association to present special screening
NORTHAMPTON — The Regional Tibetan Association of Massachusetts will present a screening of “Mission Joy — Finding Happiness in Troubled Times,” as part of its yearlong initiative, “Year of Compassion” (2024–2025), commemorating the 90th birth anniversary of His Holiness the 14th Dalai Lama.
The screening will take placed Saturday, Oct. 4, at 4 p.m. (doors open at 3:30 p.m.), at the Academy of Music Theatre, 274 Main St. The screening is free and open to the public.
The “Year of Compassion” is a global initiative designed to celebrate and share His Holiness the Dalai Lama’s vision of peace, compassion and universal responsibility. Through cultural programs, exhibitions, lectures, and film screenings, the initiative aims to bring communities together to reflect on timeless human values and inspire compassionate action in everyday life. It is both a tribute to His Holiness and a call to cultivate compassion as a guiding principle in addressing today’s challenges.
“Mission Joy,” directed by Academy Award-winner Louie Psihoyos and co-director Peggy Callahan, offers unprecedented access to the extraordinary friendship between His Holiness the Dalai Lama and Archbishop Desmond Tutu. In their final joint mission, these self-described mischievous brothers share timeless wisdom—backed by cutting-edge science—on how to cultivate joy even amidst life’s greatest challenges.
At a time of growing polarization, conflict, and climate anxiety, this film reminds audiences of the transformative power of joy as a form of resilience and resistance. By centering around the enduring friendship of two global icons, “Mission Joy” offers not only inspiration but also practical wisdom on how individuals and communities can nurture hope in troubled times.
Big Y’s 5th annual Big Vax Week underway
SPRINGFIELD — From Sept. 29 through Oct. 5, all Big Y supermarket locations will host an on-site multi-vaccine clinic for all customers, employees and their families. No appointments are necessary.
All stores will offer seasonal flu and the new 2025-2026 COVID vaccine and updated booster. Stores with an on-site pharmacy also offer a variety of vaccines including
pneumonia, shingles, Tdap, Hepatitis A and B, meningococcal, RSV, MMR and HPV.
Further details are available on bigy.com where each location’s specific times are listed
(click here for clinic dates and times).
This communitywide event spans every one of Big Y’s 76 locations throughout
Massachusetts and Connecticut including Table & Vine. All locations, including those
that have a pharmacy, will have a specific clinic day during Big Vax Week where
patients who receive a vaccine from their trained pharmacists will receive a coupon for $5 off a minimum $25 purchase.
Big Y Pharmacy teams administered over 16,000 flu and COVID vaccines during its
2024 Big Y Big Vax Week.
An insurance card is required to receive vaccines at clinic locations. Big Y administers
flu vaccines for ages 5 years and up and COVID vaccines for ages 12 years and up.
Big Y follows state and federal approved age limits for all other vaccines.
HCC to hold Latinx Fiesta on Wednesday
HOLYOKE — Holyoke Community College will continue its celebration of Hispanic Heritage Month with a Latinx Fiesta on Wednesday.
The annual event will run from 11 a.m. to 12:15 p.m. on the second floor of the HCC Campus Center, featuring food, music, and art. HCC faculty, staff, and students representing some 20 South American, Latin American, and Caribbean countries will have tables highlighting their individual cultures.
Hispanic Heritage Month is celebrated nationally each year from Sept. 15 through Oct. 15 to recognize the cultural and historical influences of Hispanic Americans. On the HCC campus, it is called Latinx Heritage Month.
Latinx Heritage Month activities at HCC also include the following:
- Oct. 2, 11 a.m.: Latinx Film Festival: “Todavia Estamos Aqui” (We Are Still Here), a student-made documentary about the lives and experiences of the residents of Barrio Rucio in Puerto Rico and their historic resistance to government intrusion. (Campus Center, cafeteria).
- Oct. 2, 1:30 p.m., “Froteria.” Enjoy fried treats and play the lottery with members of El Centro and HCC’s ALANA Men in Motion programs. (Campus Center 224).
- Oct. 9, 11 a.m.: Latinx Film Festival: “Dolores,” a documentary about American activist, feminist, and labor leader Dolores Huerta, co-founder of the United Farm Workers Union with Cesar Chavez. (Campus Center, cafeteria)
- Oct. 14, 11 a.m., “Our Stories, Our Voices, Our Lens,” a conversation with local Latinx “artivists,” talking about how art contributes to the preservation and celebration of history and culture. (Campus Center, second floor, outside El Centro).