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| THURSDAY, OCTOBER 8, 2026
Your chance to return to
Paradise City
Fall arts festival is coming back to Northampton with new vendors. Page D2
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paradise T
THE REPUBLICAN | MASSLIVE.COM
In Northampton, a perfect fall day in
By Keith O’Connor | Special to The Republican
he co-founders of Rediscover Handbags, a new exhibitor at this weekend’s Paradise City Arts Festival in Northampton, knew they hit the “big time” one day while showing their art at the Javits Convention Center in New York City. Ray Ruggeri, who serves as the designer, and Milton “Butch” Harrison, who leads the construction team, create one-of-akind recycled totes and purses from authentic albums, theater programs and book covers that can be used as wearable art and as home décor out of their studio in Chicago. “We had the lead producer of the Broadway play ‘Dear Evan Hansen’ come into our booth at the Javits Center. She SEE PARADISE, PAGE D3
Above, tote bags designed by Rediscover Handbags, a new exhibitor at this weekend’s Paradise City Arts Festival in Northampton. Below, a scene from a past festival.
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miles to be somewhere like Northampton, we want shoppers to know they can pick anything they want, and we are going to make it from scratch for them. We have a book they can look through filled with what we have available from Playbills to album covers to the 45 rpm picture sleeves,” Ruggeri said. “When all is said and done, we just wanted to make a great art product and reinvent A “Dear Evan Hansen” Playit in a new way, but really bill-inspired tote bag from make the emphasis on art,” he Rediscover Handbags. added. Prices range from a $149 Totey to a $225 purse, with “When we travel an additional $30 cost for a unique beaded handle, 900 miles to be upwards to several hundred somewhere like dollars for totes with a 55-inch SEE PARADISE, PAGE D6
The Paradise City Arts Festival offers many opportunities for both shopping and hands-on artmaking.
Paradise
Ray Ruggeri, co-founder, Rediscover Handbags
SOUTH MOUNTAIN CONCERTS (logo) PITTSFIELD, MASSACHUSETTS
SUNDAY, OCTOBER 11 AT 3PM SCHUBERT: THE PIANO TRIOS Benjamin Beilman violin, Beilman David Finckel Han piano Wu Han piano, Benjamin violin,cello, DavidWu Finckel cello Schubert – Piano Trio No. 1 in B-flat Major, D. 898 Schubert – Piano Trio No. 2 in E-flat Major, D. 929 South Mountain Concert Hall 730 South Street Pittsfield, MA 01201 Scan for tickets:
Information: southmountainconcerts.org Contact: info@southmountainconcerts.org or 413.442.2106
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men really took to them as art pieces as well,” Ruggeri said. “For example, we discovCONTINUES FROM PAGE D2 ered that if we made the bags asked us why we didn’t have a a certain way, it would hold record albums serving both ‘Dear Evan Hansen’ bag and function and as art. They can handed us her card saying that she would be contacting also hold guest towels for a bathroom and wine bottles. us. A couple weeks later she We had a couple order 12 called us to order 34 custom purses for the cast and crew so movie-themed bags for a very fancy wedding for their they could bring them to the daughter. What they did was Tony Awards,” Ruggeri said. to place fresh flowers in vases It all began with Ruggeri into the bag. And it was a re— who has a background in ally fantastic idea. They even theater and a love for music, movies and plays — collecting held a silent auction for the bags because guests really items such as albums, Playloved them and wanted to bills, vintage movie posters take them home,” he added. and more. Among the totes Rug“So, I had amassed this big collection and asked my part- geri expects to have at the ner one day how we could re- Northampton show will be invent them. We came up with Prince’s “Purple Rain,” Taythe idea of paying homage to lor Swift’s “Evermore,” Fleetwood Mac’s “Rumours,” both music and the arts by The Beatle’s “Abbey Road,” creating these unique pieces of art. And we’ve always from Donovan’s “Mellow Yellow” the beginning looked at them album covers and a host of others. Purses will feature as art pieces,” he said. The co-founder noted it was “Dear Evan Hansen,” “Haira process of creating and then spray,” “Moulin Rouge,” “& Juliet” and this year’s Tony getting customers’ reactions winner, “Schmigadoon!.” to their art. The duo also offers small “What we learned was totes called Toteys, made in that they not only appealed two sizes: a 7-inch version, to women who might want made from CD covers; and to carry a bag or purse, but an 8-inch version, made from that what we were making picture sleeves of records. was also a great product for “When we travel 900 collectors of all kinds and
Northampton, we want shoppers to know they can pick anything they want, and we are going to make it from scratch for them.”
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THE REPUBLICAN | MASSLIVE.COM
NORTHAMPTON
Celebrating ‘spooky season’ Second Friday event features hands-on artmaking, ghost stories at SCMA
WEST SPRINGFIELD
Big E finale Viktor Karotkin and Caitlin Michaud, both of West Hartford, Connecticut, await the start of the Styx concert Sunday night. The rock legends closed out the 2026 edition of the fair, which ran from Sept. 18 to Oct. 4. More photos from the concert available online at MassLive.com. (STEVEN E. NANTON PHOTO)
Smith College Museum of Art will celebrate the spooky season during October Second Friday: Ghost Stories, being held this Friday from 4 to 8 p.m. The free evening will feature hands-on artmaking, live folktales with storyteller Muriel Monik Johnson, and the opening of a new exhibit, “Beyond the Floating World: Viewing Japanese Prints with Smith Faculty.” The museum and its activities are free and open to all. From 4 to 7 p.m., visitors are invited to stop by the Boeckman Sculpture Court in the Museum Atrium for hands-on art making inspired by Edwin Romanzo Elmer’s 1890 painting “Mourning Picture.” Partici- Storyteller Muriel Monik Johnson will share live folktale stopants will make a folding ries at the Smith College Museum of Art’s free Second Friday SEE FRIDAY, PAGE D12 event in Northampton.
NIGHTCLUBS & OUTINGS THURSDAY
SATURDAY
Theodores': Rockstar Karaoke. 201 Worthington St., Springfield
The Drake: Oh He Dead. 44 North Pleasant St., Amherst
Uno Chicago Grill: Country Music. 820 West Columbus Ave., Springfield
Uno Chicago Grill: Modern, Contemporary Rock. 820 West Columbus Ave., Springfield
FRIDAY MGM Springfield: MGM Free Music Fridays presents Dookie, Green Day tribute band. 1 MGM Way, Springfield The Drake: Gold Dust with Stella Kola & Miles Hewitt. 44 North Pleasant St., Amherst Theodores': Buddy McEarns. 201 Worthington St., Springfield Uno Chicago Grill: Roots, Blues and Rock. 820 West Columbus Ave., Springfield
SUNDAY Uno Chicago Grill: Jazz. 820 West Columbus Ave., Springfield West Springfield's Irish House Restaurant & Pub: Trad Irish Session. 429 Morgan Road, West Springfield The Republican is not responsible for unannounced schedule changes. Items should be mailed to: Entertainment Guide, The Republican, P.O. Box 1329, Springfield, MA 011021329, emailed to pmastriano@repub. com or submitted to www.masslive. com/myevent
SPRINGFIELDDOWNTOWN.COM
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West Springfield's Irish House Restaurant & Pub: Frank Serafino. 429 Morgan Road, West Springfield
West Springfield's Irish House Restaurant & Pub: Dee Reilly. 429 Morgan Road, West Springfield
WEEKEND
THE REPUBLICAN | MASSLIVE.COM
THURSDAY, OCTOBER 8, 2026 | D5
Bob Dylan tribute to play 52 Sumner
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Bob Dylan was a headliner at Birmingham's City Stages festival in 2003. A Dylan tribute band, Forever Young, featuring several Western Mass. musicians, will play 52 Sumner in Springfield this month. (LEIGH PATTON / AL.COM FILE PHOTO)
OB DYLAN’S ICONic Rolling Thunder Revue of 1975-76 featured an all-star cast of players including Joni Mitchell, Joan Baez, Roger McGuinn, Mick Ronson and others. And while a local Dylan tribute show called Forever Young doesn’t offer quite that kind of star power, it definitely puts some local notables on display, including the likes of Peter Newland, Janet Ryan, Mark Downey and Jami Delia. The show will make one of its rare appearances on Oct. 24 at 52 Sumner in Springfield. Delia, who also serves as the show’s producer, said the
band only plays about two shows a year, as most of the players involved have other projects. “We’ve pitched two times a year, first to keep things fresh and to be sure we always have a full house. In this area, where there is so much music to experience, playing less often simply means more people will show up,” she said in a recent interview with The Republican. “If they know you’re all around all the time, they’ll pick and choose, but with this particular ensemble, they really can’t.” The idea for the show was born when Delia saw the Dylan film “A Complete
George Lenker LIVE WIRE
Unknown” on New Year’s Eve in 2023, but the initial seeds were sown long before that in some ways. “I kept going into flashbacks of my Woodstock years and my life as a kid which included Dylan‘s manager [Albert] Grossman hanging out with my mom in her shop, telling stories about Bobby, while
SEE LIVE WIRE, PAGE D12
“We’ve pitched two times a year, first to keep things fresh and to be sure we always have a full house. In this area where there is so much music to experience, playing less often simply means more people will show up.” JAMI DELIA, BOB DYLAN TRIBUTE BAND FOREVER YOUNG
From mountain trails blazing with color to pristine waters rippling under crisp, clean breezes— let go and embrace fall in the Lake George Area. Plan your getaway today at VisitLakeGeorge.com
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WHAT TO STREAM
Oasis doc, Pitbull, ‘Carrie’ series, &‘ Disclosure Day’
The Associated Press
THE REPUBLICAN | MASSLIVE.COM
Paradise CONTINUES FROM PAGE D3
continuous black polypropylene strap with pads that can be worn over the shoulder or cross body, designer fabrics for the interior and exterior, and two hand-sewn pockets. Mariah Swanson, Paradise City Arts show director, noted she was impressed when she received the Rediscover Handbags application. “They are such a conversation starter. What attracted me was that everything is handmade by them, the actual diversity of the shapes and sizes, and the repurposing of materials. And that you can actually wear them,” she said. The fall arts festival runs Friday through Sunday on the Three County Fairgrounds in Northampton in three airy, high-ceilinged exhibition buildings, along the Sculpture Promenade and under dining tents. In addition to Rediscover Handbags, more than 200 juried artists and makers from across the country, including some 40 new exhibitors, will showcase their original works of handmade home decor, museum-quality sculpture, avant-garde fashion, shimmering jewelry, fine art, and functional ceramics. Returning to this year’s show will be the Emerging Artist Collective, an initiative dedicated to fostering the next generation of talent who are just getting started by offering them a smaller space they can afford. One of the festival’s popular activities over the years — live maker demonstrations — returns this weekend, where visitors can watch artists transform raw materials into finished works. Would-be artists of all ages can find creative activities set up for them to create something of their own. The focus on the arts continues under the tents, where both the culinary and musical arts are celebrated. In-between shopping, festivalgoers can feast on taste-tempting delights served up from food trucks
An attendee examines a handcrafted knife by Del Martin of Knox Trail Forge at a past Paradise City Arts Festival in Northampton.
and local restaurants — including Local Burger, Little Wall, India House, Ginger Love Café and Skinny Pancake — and visit the show’s full bar serving craft cocktails, regional wines, and cold beer. This year’s musical lineup features jazz, groove, R&B and soul headliner Mtali
Banda on Saturday at 3 p.m., preceded by jazz pianist Stephen Page at 10 a.m. and jazz artists Green Street Trio featuring Avery Joi at noon. On Friday, cellist Stephen Katz will take the stage at 10 a.m. followed by Te Alchemystics at noon performing SEE PARADISE, PAGE D7
SUMMONING ALL SPIRITS!
Thursday, October 22 6:00-8:30 pm An alluring evening inspired by a time when science and the supernatural intertwined. Ages 21+. Themed attire encouraged. Tarot Readings ◆ Palmistry Harpist & DJ ◆ Silent Auction Complimentary Welcome Cocktail Hors d’oeuvres & much more!
RSVP by October 15 at SpringfieldMuseums.org Preview auction items at Spellbound26.givesmart.com
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Spielberg adventure through “Disclosure Day” and a new and through, with ordinary people rebelling against album from Pitbull are some shadowy secret keepers in the of the new television, films and music headed to a device name of the truth … blowing the whistle, in classic paranear you this week. noid conspiracy thriller style.” New movies to • Ben Affleck directed, stream this week co-wrote and stars in the • Even if you don’t think kidnapping thriller “Animals,” you care much about Oasis or about a Los Angeles mayoral candidate (Affleck) and his the long feud between Noel and Liam Gallagher that led wife (Kerry Washington) who are scrambling to figure out to the band’s very abrupt a ransom payment for their breakup in 2009, you might be surprised to find yourself son’s kidnappers. Debuting drawn in by the documentary on Netflix, Gillian Anderson co-stars. “Oasis: Don’t Look Back in • John Cena plays an Anger,” coming to Hulu and undercover CIA agent who Disney+ on Friday, Oct. 9. At the Venice Film Festival more brings his childhood friends, including Jessica Biel, Sam than a few non-fans, includRichardson, Arturo Castro ing me, found themselves fighting back tears during the and Teyonah Parris, on a film, which chronicles their globe-trotting action adventure in “Matchbox: The 2025 reunion tour. It’s not Movie,” streaming on Apple hard-hitting or even terribly revelatory, but its portrait of TV. Yes, that’s Matchbox as in forgiveness, of fandom and the Mattel toys. — AP Film Writer Lindsey of the music, all adds up to something quite moving. Bahr • Steven Spielberg’s“Disclosure Day” is finally beam- New music to stream ing onto Peacock. Josh O’Con- from Oct. 5-Oct. 11 nor and Emily Blunt star in • It’s always summertime the sci-fi thriller, which builds in the heart of a new Pitbull record. Mr. Worldwide will on Spielberg’s longstanding release “Pitcoin” on Friday – fascination with extraterres24 songs of good time bangers trials. In my review for The Associated Press, I wrote that and an impressive list of it’s “a classic, big-hearted SEE STREAM, PAGE D7
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THE REPUBLICAN | MASSLIVE.COM
THURSDAY, OCTOBER 8, 2026 | D7
A grotesque transformation Paradise
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Scare actors transform for Six Flags’ annual Fright Fest
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By Taylor Sanzo
tsanzo@masslive.com
efore the screams, scares and monsters take over Six Flags New England, there’s a much quieter part of Fright Fest happening behind the scenes.
Leading up to the annual haunt event, scare actors sit in makeup chairs, transforming into the ghouls guests will see once the sun goes down. Inside the “Zombie Factory” — a room filled with makeup, props, blood, costumes and more — everyday people become the monsters that will chase guests around the park, or even follow them through a haunted house. There are about 200 staff members that get ready through the course of each night for the park’s haunted
Stream CONTINUES FROM PAGE D6
collaborators. (A small sampling includes: Lil Jon, Jason Derulo, Enrique Iglesias, Wiz Khalifa and Bon Jovi. You read that last one correctly — and yes, the song features a strong sampling of “It’s My Life.”) Grab a drink — or a bald cap — and hit play on “Damn I Love Miami.” • In the decade-plus since Troye Sivan emerged a multilayered, experimental pop talent on his debut,
Above, from left, scare actor Grace Peltier has makeup done for Six Flags Fright Fest, and Aimee Meunier is pictured behind the scenes. At right, the real magic begins in the hands of talented makeup artists, actors and staff of Six Flags New England. (SEBASTIAN RESTREPO)
zones and haunted attractions. Behind the scenes can get a bit hectic. “As a makeup artist, you never know what you’re going to get,” said Gregory Seymour, entertainment supervisor and makeup artist for Six Flags New England on Thursday. “You might get a demon once, then a clown comes in next.” But the craziness is the “push that drives you forward,” Seymour added. Once scare actors are in costume and in a monster mindset, groups disperse
“Blue Neighbourhood,” the Australian singer has only grown more inventive. His forthcoming fourth studio album, “She’s the Best,” further establishes him as the thinking person’s club musician of choice — avant-garde in some moments, stunningly conventional in others (see: the sample of Madonna’s “Music” on the single “Party.”) Set the lights to low. — AP Music Writer Maria Sherman New TV to stream • Mike Flanagan, the
throughout the park — creeping out of the shadows during “the awakening” at 6 p.m. each night. Six Flags New England offers seven haunt zones and five haunted attractions. You can step into each haunt zone for free and see the scare actors throughout. If you want a more immersive
experience, the park also has five haunted attractions that let guests head through haunted houses and mazes. The haunted attractions are an additional cost to admission. Fright Fest at Six Flags New England is open every weekend and select Fridays through Nov. 1.
horror storyteller behind Netflix’s “The Haunting of Hill House,” has adapted Stephen King’s 1974 debut novel “Carrie” for television. Summer H. Howell stars as Carrie White, a high school outcast with telekinetic powers. Samantha Sloyan, a frequent Flanagan collaborator, whose credits include “Hill House,” “Midnight Mass” and “The Fall of the House of Usher,” plays her mother, Margaret White. Flanagan wrote and executive produced the eight-episode series and directed
four episodes. The full run is now available to stream on Prime Video. • Josh Hartnett has a busy October. The actor is one of the stars of the thriller “Verity” in theaters now, and leads Netflix’s “Below.” He plays a Newfoundland fisherman whose family and neighbors come under threat from a sea creature lurking offshore. Mackenzie Davis and Charlie Heaton co-star in the six-episode limited series. It premieres Thursday. — AP Writer Alicia Rancilio
soul, funk and hip-hop, and at 2 p.m., reggae artists Valley Moonstompers Society will take the stage. The music ends on Sunday at noon with indie folk and chamber pop performed by Matthew Horton Trio followed at 2:30 p.m. by Nate Martel Band. An array of donations by Paradise City Arts exhibitors will be available for open bidding each day at the silent auction tables, with 100% of the proceeds directly supporting the International Language Institute of Massachusetts. “We are also welcoming Rachel’s Table, a great nonprofit organization, who will have a space where they will be talking about the many ways they address food insecurity in Hampshire, Hampden and Franklin Counties and how people can get involved,” Swanson said. Six days a week, more than 200 volunteers for Rachel’s Table collect food from local supermarkets, restaurants, caterers and bakeries, and deliver to more than 60 local organizations including food pantries, community meal programs, after-school centers, shelters and more. The Three County Fairgrounds are located on 54 Old Ferry Road, off Route 9 in Northampton. Be sure to note the festival’s new days — Friday through Sunday — eliminating the Monday holiday. “We’ve been getting more and more requests for a Friday, Saturday and Sunday show. Not everybody has the Monday off and it’s also just nice for our exhibitors to be able to get ahead of the traffic on Sunday night,” Swanson said. Show hours are Friday from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., Saturday from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m., and Sunday from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Admission is $16 at the door and students are $10 with valid ID. A threeday pass is also available for $24. Parking at the Three County Fairgrounds is free.
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THE REPUBLICAN | MASSLIVE.COM
A 19th-century spin on ‘Frankenstein’ at
Old Sturbridge Village
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By Keith O’Connor
Special to The Republican
host hunters looking for a paranormal experience often head to re-created historic villages, like in New England, where Old Sturbridge Village hosts 19th-century buildings as part of a living history museum. Staff and visitors have alleged hearing phantom footsteps and disembodied voices in some of the structures at Old Sturbridge Village in years past — but, new this year, there’s been reports of hearing Frankenstein’s monster.
On Friday, Saturday and Sunday nights through Oct. 25, the village will transform its 200 historic acres into a shadowy world of dense fog, ominous music, crackling electricity — and one of literature’s most iconic and misunderstood creatures lurking somewhere in the darkness. Old Sturbridge Village for many years has held its Phantoms by Firelight event during the month of October to tie in with the spooky holiday. Past themed Halloween events have included the “Sleepy Hollow Experience,” “Nevermore” focusing on the terrors in Edgar Allan Poe’s short stories and poems, and most recently, “Cyrkus Vampyr.” This year it has reimagined its Halloween programming with an original production — “Phantoms by Firelight: Frankenstein Encounter” — created exclusively for OSV by ClockJack Productions, who have produced past Phantoms
by Firelight shows. “Frankenstein Encounter” began to take shape when P.J. Griffith, artistic director of ClockJack Productions, had a conversation with his producers. “We were fascinated with the relationship between Mary Shelley’s story of ‘Frankenstein’ and the rise of AI today. We thought it was an incredible parallel that she projected about arrogance and technology getting out of people’s control and then coming back to do damage. So, we thought, how can we tell this story in a 2026 context that everyone’s thinking about,” he told The Republican. Rhys Simmons, Old Sturbridge Village’s director of interpretation, noted Shelley’s novel was published in 1818 and fits in perfectly with the time period interpreted at the village. “We try to keep our SEE VILLAGE, PAGE D11
Above is a look inside Frankentsein’s Lab at Old Sturbridge Village, part of the historic museum’s Halloween programming. At left is another scene from Halloween programming. Above, inset, is a photo of author Mary Shelley.
TUESDAY
WEDNESDAY
THURSDAY
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CALENDAR THURSDAY Art in the Orchard 2026: Thu.Sun., Park Hill Orchard, Estimated viewing time might be between two to four hours. Open all daylight hours until Thanksgiving weekend. Wear sturdy shoes when visiting. 82 Park Hill Road, Easthampton.
FRIDAY UMass Amherst Dept. of Music & Dance Presents the 52nd Annual Multiband Pops Concert: Fri, 7:30 p.m. Tillis Concert Hall, formerly the Fine Arts Center Concert Hall. 14 different ensembles will present wind, jazz, orchestral, choral, percussion and chamber music and dance performance in a fast-paced 65-minute first half. The second half of the concert will feature the UMass Minuteman Marching Band taking over the hall to play highlights from their 2026 field show. Tickets are $27 general admission and $20 for students, seniors and UMass faculty and staff, and can be purchased online at purchase.arts. umass.edu 151 Presidents Drive, Amherst. 413-545-2511 or www. fineartscenter.com. Art in the Orchard 2026: See Thursday listing
SATURDAY Art in the Orchard 2026: See Thursday listing Bing Productions presents Ensemble Amphion Baroque: Sat., 7:30 p.m., Asbury Hall in Trinity United Methodist Church. This program will feature works by J.S. and C.P.E. Bach and works of their close friends and colleagues. Other composers will include Pisendel, Buxtehude, Bohm, Telemann, Benda and Janitsch. Admission is $25 at the door, cash only, or advance purchase online through Eventbrite. 361 Sumner Ave., Springfield or 413-737-5311. Easthampton Arts and Ale Trail: Sat, 2-5 p.m. Abandoned Building Brewery, The Easthampton Arts and Ale Trail is a choose-yourown-adventure afternoon through Easthampton’s Mill District, with interactive art, local bites, music, special pours, and plenty of reasons to celebrate. Bring your friends, family, coworkers, and fellow art and ale lovers together and turn your trail experience into an opportunity to support the arts. Maps with participating vendors and tickets for the Ale Trail are available online at resilientcommunityarts. org/aletrail. Check in opens at 1 p.m. $54 early bird tickets, $65 general admission. 142 Pleasant
Rockwell and appeared in some of his most iconic works of art. Tour fees separate from Museum Admission. $20 plus admission, 9 Route 183, Stockbridge or www.nrm.org.
St., Easthampton.
SUNDAY Across the Generations — An Intergenerational Performance Celebrating 10 Years of Northampton Neighbors: Sun., 2 p.m. Center for the Arts Trust Building. The School for Contemporary Dance & Thought’s Hatchery young artists, UMass public health students, and Northampton Neighbors members come together for a one-of-a-kind performance to combat loneliness and cultivate connection through art. Tickets are on a sliding scale of $15 to $35, but no one will be turned away due to lack of funds. For tickets or more information, visit www.scdtnoho.com. 33 Hawley St., Northampton. Amherst History Society Fall Walking Tour: Sun., 2-3:30 p.m. Amherst History Museum, tour of the Lower Mill River: Factory Hollow. This tour, lead by Bryan Harvey, will cover the area downstream of Puffer’s Pond to the current Mill River Recreation Area, an area in which many textile and woodworking mills once stood, as well as grist and sawmills and even a candle wicking factory. This tour is approximately 2 miles round trip and will involve walking along trails in the woods (with frequent stops). Appropriate footwear is recommended. Meeting location and information provided upon registration. This walking tour is strictly limited to 20 people and registration is required. To register, visit amhersthistory.org. Cost is $10 for Amherst Historical Society members, $15 for nonmembers. 67 Amity St., Amherst. Art in the Orchard 2026: See Thursday listing Holyoke Civic Symphony Orchestra Concert: Sun, 3 p.m. Holyoke Community College. Free and open to the public. 303 Homestead Ave., Holyoke or www.hcc.edu.
Quadrangle Springfield Science Museum: Permanent exhibits include dinosaurs, African wildlife, interactive STEM labs, Earth’s ecosystems, and immersive planetarium shows. Michele and Donald D’Amour Museum of Fine Arts: Permanent exhibitions include American and European prints, paintings, drawings, and sculpture. Special exhibition: “In Nature’s Studio: Two Centuries of American Landscape Paintings,” through Jan. 24, 2027. George Walter Vincent Smith Art
Old Sturbridge Village: “Phantoms by Firelight: Frankenstein Encounter,” Fri.-Sun, through Oct. 25, 4:30—9 p.m. The 1830s village transforms after dark into the experimental world of Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein, where every fire-lit path leads to a scene where the story is still unfolding. Route 20, Sturbridge or www.osv.org.
SPRINGFIELD MUSEUMS
American landscapes on view The Springfield Museums is presenting a special exhibition, “In Nature’s Studio: Two Centuries of American Landscape Paintings,” on view from Oct. 10 through Jan. 24, 2027 in the Michele and Donald D’AMour Museum of Fine Arts. The exhibition traces the evolution of landscape painting through major artistic movements across centuries. Above is an 1860 oil on canvas titled “Landscape” painted by American artist Edmund Darch Lewis. (IMAGE COURTESY SPRINGFIELD MUSEUMS)
Museum: Reopening on Oct. 24. Lyman and Merrie Wood Museum of Springfield History: Permanent exhibits include vintage automobiles, Indian motorcycles, historic firearms, Hasbro GameLand, and other industrial and cultural artifacts. Current special exhibition: “Declaration of Innovation: Springfield’s Revolutionary Ideas,” extended through Oct. 25. The Amazing World of Dr. Seuss Museum: Permanent exhibits include immersive, hands-on stations that explore the author’s whimsical characters and stories and childhood influences; and displays of his original studio, art, and family memorabilia. Visit springfieldmuseums.org for more information. Admission (includes all 5 museums) — $27.50 for adults, $18 for seniors and college students, $15 for ages 5-17, free to children under 5, museum members, and Springfield residents. On the first Wed. of every month through the end of 2026, admission is free for all visitors. Tuesday-Saturday, 10 am-5 pm; Sunday, 11 am-5 pm; closed on Mondays.
Museums Amelia Park Children’s Museum: Permanent exhibits include spaceship, construction site, library, grocery store, and weekday activities.Visit ameliaparkmuseum.org
for information. Hours: Tue.-Tue, 9 a.m.-4 p.m. Open for groups Wed. Admission is $8 adults, $8 children (12 months and older), $4 grandparents/seniors (60+), and free ofr members and infants. Military personnel and teachers receive a 10% discount off the price of regular admission. 29 South Broad St., Westfield or www.ameliaparkmuseum.org. Eric Carle Museum of Picture Book Art: “Under the Cork Tree: The Story of Ferdinand,” through Nov. 8. “Soul, Sound, And Voice: The Art of Jerry Pinkney,” through Jan. 3, 2027. “Eric Carle’s Modernist Inspirations,” through Sept. 5, 2027. Exhibits included with museum admisison. 125 West Bay Road, Amherst or www.carlemuseum.org. Mead Art Museum: “Remittance,” through Jan. 3, 2027. “My beautiful, pitiful age,” from the Thomas P. Whitney Collection, through Jan. 3, 2027. Free. 220 South Pleasant St., Amherst or www.amherst.edu. Norman Rockwell Museum: Online exhibit: “Imagining Freedom.,” $5 fee, available online at NRM. org. “Norman Rockwell’s Historic Stockbridge Studio Guided Tours,” through Nov. 8. Tour dates and times available online; reservations required. “Norman Rockwell’s Stockbridge Walking Tours,” Sat. in Oct. 1 p.m. Take a guided walking tour of downtown Stockbridge and discover how the town and its inhabitants both inspired Norman
Porter-Phelps-Huntington Museum: Guided tours available through Oct. 15 on Sat, Sun. and Mon. between 1-4 p.m. 130 River Drive, Hadley or www.pphmuseum.org. Smith College Museum of Art: “Beyond the Floating World: Viewing Prints with Smith Faculty,” through April 4, 2027. An exhibition bringing together 35 Japanese woodblock prints selected by eight Smith College faculty members. “Composing Color: Paintings by Alma Thomas” from the Smithsonian American Art Museum, through Jan. 10. Exhibits at Smith College Museum of Art are free and open to the public. Elm Street at Bedford Terrace, Northampton or www.scma.smith.edu. The New England Visionary Artists Museum: The New England Visionary Artists Museum in Northampton has five exhibition showrooms hosting N.E. artists’ work in all media and is home to Anchor House of Artists, the region’s subsidized studio and representation support to artists living with neurodiverse conditions. Hours are Wednesday through Saturday, 2-6 p.m., with regular free public receptions on the second Friday of the month, from 5-8 p.m. Find them at 518 Pleasant St., Northampton Ventfort Hall Mansion and Gilded Age Museum: Guided tours of the first and second floors weekdays from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. and weekends from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Self-guided tours are on the hour with the last self-guided tour weekdays at 2 p.m. Call to reserve at 413-637-3206. Admission is $18 adults, $17 seniors (65+), $10 students with ID, $7 children 5-17 and free for children 4 and younger. 104 Walker St., Lenox or www.gildedage.org. Volleyball Hall of Fame: Permanent exhibit. Volleyball Hall of Fame: Open Tues.-Sun, 11 a.m.-3 p.m. Closed Mon. Last admission is 30 minutes prior to close. Admission is $8 adults; $5 seniors 65 and older; $5 students, active and retired military; and free for children 12 and under. 444 Dwight St., Holyoke or www.volleyhall.org.
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“Our job as a living history museum is to educate, engage and entertain. Shelley’s enduring tale allows us to do just that in so many different ways.” Rhys Simmons, director of interpretation, Old Sturbridge Village
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Halloween event fresh to keep visitors on their toes and provide something new for them to come back to see. Our job as a living history museum is to educate, engage and entertain. Shelley’s enduring tale allows us to do just that in so many different ways beyond just telling the story of Frankenstein, but to also focus on the advancement of electricity, the scientific revolution in the Village’s time period, medical theories behind the four humors, and women like Shelley and their gothic writing, all showcased in different buildings on the grounds,” Simmons said. “It’s definitely the eeriest program that we have ever done at Old Sturbridge Village,” he added. The evening will begin on the lighter side of Halloween with family-friendly games, ghost stories by the bonfire, live music, fire performances, the opportunity to watch historic craftspeople demonstrate the macabre side of 19th-century life with coffin-making and gravestone carving, and a monster-themed take on trick-or-treating called Build a Monster. “As part of your ‘Build A Monster’ experience, you will receive a torso as you enter our Visitor Center — then collect
Old Sturbridge Village's Halloween programming, Phantoms by Firelight, returns this month with a new, immersive "Frankenstein Encounter."
adding there will be at least a dozen scenes playing throughout the Village, including at the Center Meetinghouse, Dennison Schoolhouse, Cooper Shop, and Vermont Covered Bridge. The program culminates each night at 8:45 p.m. on Bixby Hill out in the countryside, where a dramatic final confrontation takes place. “We will be providing a map for visitors showcasing where all the scenes will be happening,” Simmons said. Today people often mistakenly refer to The Creature in
the arms, legs and head as you go throughout the Village. Before leaving, you stop at our Creation Station to put your monster together and show it off in the Visitor Center as you leave to receive your treat,” Simmons said. As darkness falls, Mary Shelley’s story takes over with a cast of professional performers from New York City and Las Vegas, who will bring key characters to life — Victor Frankenstein, The Creature, Elizabeth, Henry,
Shelley’s novel as Frankenstein, while Victor Frankenstein is actually the scientist who created the monster. And don’t expect The Creature to look like the movie monster with green skin, neck bolts and dark black hair. “Our Creature is more faithful to Shelley’s book, but still a composite of many different bodies put together. He’s got kind of a baby face with several scars, and he is bald with these crazy eyes. And he is very strong and muscular like
Walton, Agatha and Justine — throughout the village as visitors are drawn deeper into the unfolding drama. Avid fans will recognize settings and scenes from the original novel — including the Creature’s awakening, the ill-fated wedding, Victor’s desperate pursuit into the Arctic, and the final confrontation between Victor and the Creature. “You are going to see the Frankenstein story unfold all around you as you go through the museum,” Simmons said,
Sam Urdang, the actor playing him who has been cast in our other Phantoms by Firelight events,” Griffith said. Outside of the Frankenstein programming, visitors can also enjoy what the OSV website describes as “seasonal sustenance and revitalizing refreshments.” The menu features hearty soups, sandwiches and wraps, and savory treats like popcorn and cider donuts, alongside holiday-themed alcoholic drinks like Halloween Punch and Franken Juice, as well as a variety of nonalcoholic beverages. OSV offers a content and sensory advisory on its website for those planning to attend the event, stating, “This is a fully immersive experience that includes theatrical fog, strobe and lighting effects, low-light areas, uneven flooring and tight passageways, loud sound effects and music, fire and recreated scenes of conflict. The night will grow increasingly eerie as the Frankenstein story unfolds. There are no planned jump scares, gore or graphic violence, but visitors are encouraged to use their best judgment when deciding whether the full experience is appropriate for younger children.” “Phantoms by Firelight: Frankenstein Encounter” is open from 4:30 to 9 p.m. Friday through Sunday. Tickets are $36 for adults and $18 for youth ages 4-17, available in advance online at osv.org/phantoms-byfirelight. At the door, tickets are $45 and $20, with the event being free to children 3 and younger. A $75 pass for adults and $35 for youth ages 4-17 is also available for unlimited visits during the event. The museum is also open for regular daytime admission during the event from 9:30 a.m. to 4 p.m.
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THE REPUBLICAN | MASSLIVE.COM
Live Wire
a couple of hours,” Delia said — they ask special guests that sometimes play with the band CONTINUES FROM PAGE D5 if want to tackle deeper cuts. “We also want to be careful members of the band would stop in for fancy snuff bottles because we could easily not and such from her,” she said. hit songs that the audience “I thought I knew everything can sing along to,” she said. about Dylan, because I grew “This is one of the features up with him seemingly as a of the music that everyone long-distance family memknows: they really want to ber, but this movie taught me sing along.” so much more. I already had The biggest local name in locked him in as my primary the show is Newland, who influence as a writer, but now fronted the legendary band I was ready to do something FAT, one of the first local acts with all of this, and with oth- to get signed to a major record ers involved.” label. He cited several reaAfter seeing the film, Delia sons for joining forces with called on her 35 years of the ensemble. playing music to see if any of “Well, Jami puts on a great her fellow musicians wanted show, both as a performer to assemble an ensemble in and a producer. I couldn’t honor of Dylan. ask for a better cast, all fine “I wanted to be sure that people. Excellent players and this was not something where performers,” he said. “But we found a Dylan character, the biggest reason I’m there but rather finding others who is that, as songwriter, Dylan perform his music in their has always been my hero, and own way, and finding our any chance I get to sing those own way to do the same; to songs, I’m going to take it.” add harmonies where there Although Delia has several weren’t any and to bring our favorite aspects of the show, fans with us as we explored her first one is working with the depths of Dylan in a new the “dedicated, excited, light and in our eclectic music enjoyable and professional scene in New England, with group who show up to each one additional goal — to take rehearsal within enthusiasm our show back to Woodand each show with everystock,” she explained. thing they’ve got to give to The group achieved that their audiences,” she said. goal when it played the “Having lived in this area Woodstock Playhouse earlier now more than half my life, this year for Dylan’s 85th it is so exciting to be able to birthday. pull people together from this While the main ensemble many venues and musical exsticks to the hits — “and it is periences I have had throughhard enough getting all of out my time here in Western them covered in a matter of Massachusetts.”
Friday
Join our two Springfield families
Friday, October 9 th & Saturday, October 10 th
10am–5pm to sample My Cousins’ Wine and celebrate a collaboration that feels close to home. Rooted in Sicily and shaped by generations of family tradition right here in Springfield, My Cousins’ Wine shares many of the same values that have guided the Frigo family for generations — family, hard work, Italian heritage, and a love for bringing people together through great food and wine.
ww.frigofoods.com 90 William Street, Springfield • 732-5428 159 Shaker Rd, East Longmeadow • 525-9400
3226123-01
ginning with playful material and gradually moving toward more suspenseful tales. All CONTINUES FROM PAGE D4 are welcome. October Second Friday paper house and draw what also marks the opening of they think lies inside the house shown in the painting. “Beyond the Floating World: Viewing Japanese Prints with All ages are welcome. Smith Faculty.” Selected by From 5 to 6 p.m., Muriel eight Smith College faculty Monik Johnson will share members, the installation Southern African American brings together 35 Japanese folktales on the museum’s woodblock prints and invites third floor. Her stories will visitors to consider how include spooky creatures, suspense, songs, humor, call- works of art connect with and-response, and audience different areas of study. The museum galleries will participation. Johnson will share two to three stories, be- be open until 8 p.m.
Frigo Foods is proud to welcome My Cousins’ Wine for a special two-day wine tasting at our Downtown Springfield location!