Glasgow Lands Scottish Festival to mark 30 years
By Trent Levakis tlevakis@thereminder.com
NORTHAMPTON — The Glasgow Lands Scottish Festival will celebrated its 30th anniversary on Saturday, July 19, at Look Park in Northampton.
The Glasgow Lands Scottish Festival is the only Scottish festival in the state and the second-largest in New England. Showcasing Scottish culture and arts to the Pioneer Valley for three decades, the festival has become a popular celebration.
“I think it’s marvelous that we’ve reached 30 years. We have a little tiny committee, about 10 people attend every meeting once a month. It’s a very small group that are extremely actively involved,” said Laurie Flechsig, member of the festival’s committee.
The 2025 festival promises to be extra special according to Flechsig, as incredible pipe bands, entertainment, food and more will be coming to Northampton, along with a few other additional surprises in what is gearing up to be one of the most jam-packed days in the festival’s history.
The day will begin at 9 a.m. and go until 8:30 p.m., with closing ceremonies beginning at 5:30 p.m. Entertainment in the Celtic Pub will follow until 8:30 p.m. The event is rain or shine and dogs on leashes are allowed in attendance. Parking is free on the Look Park grounds.
Admission and Whisky Tasting tickets are available now or attendees can pay at the gate. For tickets and more information on this year’s festival, visit glasgowlands.org.
The public is encouraged to
come out and celebrate your Scottish heritage — real or coveted — with kilt-wearing, tree-tossing Scotsmen at the Highland athletic games and delight in plates piled high with scones, shortbread, birdies or meat pies. The festival also includes world class Celtic music in the Ceilidh tent all day, featuring artists The Devil’s Brigade, Albannach and Waking Finnegan.
The event started in 1994 planned to be a one-time event to fundraise for the historic White Church in Blandford. After success in year one, the event continued on, eventually moving locations from Blandford to Stanley Park in Westfield, before finding its permanent home at Look Park for the last 20 years.
“Blandford itself was originally known as Glasgow Land, which is where we get our name. They had
a bunch of Scottish settlers,” said Flechsig. “It’s a celebration of the culture at large.” She added the original founding committee of the event featured members with backgrounds in the Scottish arts as there were multiple pipers and dancers involved. The spirit of the founders wanting to celebrate their culture has last three decades later now, with many still returning each year for festivities within the Scottish culture. Organizers expect to have close to 40 pipe bands competing this year with 700-800 pipers and drummers on the field at opening and closing ceremonies. As a result, organizers expect there could be a delay for those entering the park in time for the 11:30 a.m. opening ceremonies. Because of this, orga-
Photos from previous years of the Glasgow Lands Scottish Festival.
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Hilltown 6 Pottery Tour returns for 19th year
By Trent Levakis tlevakis@thereminder.com
The Hilltown 6 Pottery Tour is returning for its 19th year later this month, offering another unique art experience.
On the last weekend of every July, the Hilltown 6 potters and their guest artists invite the Western Mass. community into their studios to witness ancient art in action during the Hilltown 6 Pottery Tour.
This year’s tour will be on Saturday and Sunday, July 26 and 27, from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. each day. The tour is free and open to the public.
Potters will welcome attendees to watch as they showcase various techniques and materials with scheduled demonstrations and participatory events throughout both days. The artists will share how they shape earth into beautiful and distinct objects.
“The tour allows our guests to see the variety of functional ceramics being made right here in this community, in the fascinating settings where potters work,” said the Hilltown 6 in a joint statement about their history available on their website. “The itinerary offers an invitation to get out into some lovely backcountry — potters tend to thrive in secret hollows and on quirky hilltops.”
One of the original Hilltown 6 members, Mark Shapiro, told Reminder Publishing the tour was born almost two decades ago after he and other potters came together to brainstorm how they could recreate a local version of a popular pottery tour they learned of in Minnesota.
“We had been guest potters on that tour,” said Shapiro. “So, we saw that, and we saw how successful the tour was in Minnesota and we were kind of like well, what are we waiting for. Let’s take control of how our pots are seen and how the process of acquiring them happens. I think what’s really significant to me about that is people get the chance to experience the work where it’s made and meet the person who made it.”
During the tour, visitors will
nizers ask attendees to plan accordingly and allow for extra time.
New at the festival in 2025 is the Inaugural Northeast Branch Amateur Drumming Championships. The event will be hosted by Glasgow Lands as part of their Pipe and Drum Competition, featuring all grade levels of amateur snare, tenor and bass drumming.
“It’s a pretty cool thing to tie it in with the Scottish arts angle,” Flechsig said. “We hear from people that they love our festival. We’re not the highest paid as far as the bands and the compe-
watch as clay artists craft teapots, vases, pitchers and more from start to finish. They will also see artists throw pots on a foot-powered treadle wheel, walk inside a giant wood-burning kiln and taste fresh bread baked in a ceramic flame-proof cloche.
“It’s a very different sense of consuming something whereas when you buy something that can be made anywhere — do you know where your T-shirt is made, or who made it? So, it’s a fairly unique experience to use and acquire something that you actually go to the place where its made and you meet the person who actually made it with their own hands,” added Shapiro. “So that struck us all as a very powerful and a different model for how we could go forward in our careers and our lives.”
The Hilltown 6 Pottery Tour makes for a family-friendly weekend spent traversing the scenic hills that rise out of the Pioneer Valley and taking in all that the hilltowns have to offer. Happening during the peak of New England’s picturesque summer, visitors will also encounter farmstands and small businesses supplying the locally grown bounty of the season, from fresh eggs to homemade preserves, to artisanal brews.
The event has only grown over the years, added Shapiro, and they continue to work entirely as a cooperative organization. As popularity has grown, so have efforts to improve on the event and add
titions in general go, but people love to come here because of the setting, the committee and the fact that we’ve done such a good job over the years.”
Also new this year is mead and wine at Celtic Pub. For the first time, the festival will be selling a selection of wine and mead from Four Phantoms Brewing Company from Greenfield.
There will also be a new event called “Saving Scottish Wildcats,” where attendees can learn about the project in the clan/vendor area of the festival. This is a project of the Royal Zoological Society of Scotland.
One returning act this year is the Massachusetts Historical
to it. One example of a successful addition to the experience is the rolling demonstrations at each studio during the tour where people can see firsthand demonstrations on a pot or theme the artist is interested in.
“It’s another way of deepening the experience. You buy a pot, end up using it a few times. You remember, ‘Oh, I know how that was made. I saw how that was made.’ That changes the experience of owning and using and so that’s been really great and I’m really happy that we’ve done that and it works really well,” said Shapiro.
This year, the Hilltown 6 is celebrating the event’s community spirit by donating a portion of each artist’s proceeds to the Food Bank of Western Massachusetts. Visitors to the 2025 pottery tour will not only get to experience the close-knit feel of the hilltowns and support local artists, but they will also help put food on the tables of those most in need.
Shapiro added that with the rise of food insecurity being felt in communities everywhere, raising funds in support of the Food Bank was a no brainer for the Hilltown 6.
“I feel like it’s a very positive response to the cuts that we’re seeing. We want to stand with people who are less fortunate than we are who might not have access to the kind of food security that we enjoy,” said Shapiro. “There’s also a natural thing about pots and food. We’re potters, we make pots
Swordsmanship event, hosted by Northampton’s local Historical European Martial Arts group. The group practices forms including stick, two-handed sword and rapier, many of which have a Scottish connection.
Another returning act will be the Doug Flutie Jr. Foundation for Autism, which will sing the national anthem at opening ceremonies. The honored guest of this year’s festival is state Rep. Lindsay Sabadosa.
Funds raised during the event will go to support River Valley Counseling and the Forum House, a service of ViAbility, Inc. River Valley Counseling has become a partner of the festival as they are a source for volunteers each year for the event.
The mission of Forum House, the other local organization supported by funds raised at Glasgow Lands, is to promote the recovery, resiliency and self-determination of the individuals they serve and empower them to become self-sufficient and engaged citizens. Through the use of evidence-based practices, members help gain access to competitive employment,
for people to put their food on. It’s kind of natural association I think to want to support something like that because so much of our thinking is around how people eat and making that a positive cultural experience. Having a sense of abundance. So, anything we can do to support those institutions is very timely right now.”
With the combined beauty of handcrafted art and the Western Mass. landscape, the tour has become a nationally recognized event. In past years, the event has drawn company from all corners of the state, as well as New York, Boston, Hartford, Albany and beyond.
The Hilltown 6 is a group of now eight nationally renowned potters based in the Hilltowns all within 45 minutes of Northampton. The group features Shapiro, Robbie Heidinger, Christy Knox, Maya Machin, Michael McCarthy, Hiroshi Nakayama, Constance Talbot and Sam Taylor. This year’s tour will also feature 18 guests from around the country.
For a complete demonstrations schedule, a map of studios, information on artists and more, visit hilltown6.com.
“What we do is we kind of make something from nothing. We take earth, or dirt, and we turn it into these useful and potentially beautiful things and that strikes me as a very if not noble, a certainly worthy endeavor at this moment,” said Shapiro.
educational opportunities and community resources.
“We love being able to give them funding like we have in the past,” said Flechsig. “Forum House has received $131,000 from us over the 15-20 years they’ve been helping us now.”
Flechsig added this partnership is another example of the festival’s growth within the Western Mass. community over the years, as without community partners and sponsors to support the festival like this, it might not exist anymore. The festival also has a highland dance, piper and drummer scholarship application that they use to support local students in the region.
Flechsig said she hopes for another great day of celebrating Scottish culture and arts in a year with added significance with the events history.
“It’s definitely great to be able to still be here after 30 years because it’s kind of a wishy-washy business. It’s great to be able to say we’re still here after 30 years and we haven’t lost our shirts yet. We’re still hanging in there and still being able to donate money elsewhere,” Flechsig concluded.
Photo credit: Hilltown 6, the Hilltown 6 Pottery Tour.
Nourish Wellness Cafe expands to Eastworks building
By Trent Levakis tlevakis@thereminder.com
EASTHAMPTON — Nourish
Wellness Organic Cafe has expanded operations from its home base in Northampton to the Eastworks building in Easthampton, with the official opening of a second location last month.
Nourish Wellness Cafe is owned and operated by Casey Flaherty and Kyle Steinberg, partners who took over the business in 2022 and have since been motivated to reorganize and set the business on a new path forward as the demand of organic foods and product continue to rise. The new Easthampton location is Suite #137 inside the Eastworks building, 116 Pleasant St.
Flaherty spoke with Reminder Publishing to speak about this next chapter for Nourish Wellness Cafe and said this new journey for Nourish Wellness made sense as more people continue to learn about the offerings and benefits of the healthy and nutritional food the cafe offers.
“We’ve been getting more and more people learning about us and wanting to eat healthier and organic food. And so, we’ve slowly been getting busier and busier, and the Northampton location is more of a smaller operation and kitchen, so we were kind of outgrowing a little bit to be honest,” said Flaherty.
The new space in the Eastworks building contains a similarly sized cafe area for diners to enjoy their meals, but what is new for Flaherty on the day-to-day end is the large and new kitchen space included. She explained the kitchen at the Easthampton location offers more refrigeration options for food storage as well as more space
for food preparation.
“It’s nice that we are able to expand more, produce more and there are more things we want to start doing and adding to the menu,” said Flaherty, who added they are brainstorming new item ideas and offerings that are possible with the newfound space.
Flaherty was a Nourish Wellness employee for a couple years prior to becoming the owner and said since taking over, she has always wanted to expand, but first had to become more familiar with ownership duties.
Expansion came somewhat naturally for Flaherty and Steinberg as after a couple years of getting experience as owners under their belts, they began trying to more seriously pursue a space for expansion. One reason the two took the chance on expanding was seeing the way their services have grown as a need for the public. With the rise in popularity for people seeking organic and fresh foods, they felt there was more room to expand their offerings and their mission of providing healthy and fresh foods to the public.
Along with the growth in popularity and demand of the organic products Nourish Wellness offers, also came the want for spaces like Eastworks to feature a business like them as complementary to the other businesses and services that have found their homes in the multipurpose building. Flaherty said eventually while seeking a potential home for expansion, she was approached by Eastworks for a potential partnership that is now a living reality.
Flaherty shared that the team at Eastworks was aligned in vision with Nourish Wellness and offered the business an investment to help them remodel their
new space and create a bigger, more capable kitchen space once they committed to expanding to the building. After fundraising on their end, Eastworks matched the money raised and the renovation of the new Nourish Wellness Cafe space in the Easthampton building was under way.
“We were able to divide and conquer, which has been really amazing, and our team is just so great in both locations, so it took us a couple weeks longer to open, but it was best for it in the end,” said Flaherty, on the process of securing the new expanded space. “It’s been a journey. All the days and weeks are kind of blending together at this point, but it feels so good to be open.”
She noted that the new space complements great with the other health and wellness services available inside Eastworks, and she hopes Nourish can be another great addition to the wellness hub that is within the building.
Located right by the Registry of Motor Vehicles, Flaherty also added she hopes they can figure out some sort of service where those in line can scan a QR code and make an order through Nourish that can be dropped off to them while they wait. This is just one of the handful of ideas Flaherty and Steinberg are continuing to brainstorm as they become acclimated to their new space.
Eastworks’ interest in bringing Nourish Wellness into the building made the decision to move to the city that much easier, Flaherty said.
The Northampton location will continue operations as is and Flaherty hopes this is just the beginning of Nourish Wellness Cafe deepening its roots in the Hampshire County community.
“Without that we probably would have realized we would have to downsize everything about the space. We actually took over the government post office room — that was part of the space knocked out and opened up to create bigger kitchen space. That was all them [Eastworks] being like, ‘we can do this if you need it. We have this opportunity,’” said Flaherty. “It makes it so we can fit everything perfectly. It all came together really nicely. I’m so grateful for their support and that they just know the building, and Easthampton in general just kind of needs
something like this. Something healthier, and that caters to the other spots of the building.” Currently, the new Easthampton location is open daily from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. Hours may be slightly adjusted as new ownership becomes more familiar with the day-to-day flow of business. Flaherty said the menu will also be tinkered with as they continue to adjust to the new space. Now with the new space opened, Flaherty said it has been a great experience to go though
Nourish Wellness Cafe owners Casey Flaherty (right) and Kyle Steinberg (left) stand at the front door of their new Eastworks location, below a sign that was in part created by Flaherty’s father and Steinberg.
Photo credit: Casey Flaherty, Nourish Wellness
NORTHAMPTON
Sidewalk Sales to return to Northampton streets
By Trent Levakis tlevakis@thereminder.com
NORTHAMPTON
— One of the city’s most beloved traditions, Sidewalk Sales, returns Thursday, July 24 through Sunday, July 27, to fill the Northampton streets with energy, connection and some of the best local shopping opportunities of the season.
For over four decades, this event has become a highlight of the summer, inviting residents and visitors alike to experience downtown Northampton and what makes it unique in full bloom. Businesses extend their storefronts onto the city’s sidewalks with rare finds, seasonal discounts and signature pieces that reflect the originality and craft behind each small business.
“Northampton’s downtown is something rare — nearly every business is independently owned and you can feel the difference,” said Andrea Monson, executive director of the Downtown Northampton Association.
“During Sidewalk Sales, that energy becomes visible. Where else can you browse vintage fashion, explore shelves of esoteric books, pick up ethically sourced crystals and find locally embroidered
wildlife-inspired apparel, all in a single walkable afternoon?”
Visitors are encouraged to make a day or a weekend out of Sidewalk Sales. Not only will downtown be filled with extended shopping opportunities, the city’s downtown also invites opportunities for visitors to grab a bite to eat at Summer on Strong, take in a show at the Iron Horse, or spend an hour exploring the city’s growing network of murals or public art.
Monson added, whether it’s discovering a hidden gem or reconnecting with a longtime favorite, the Sidewalk Sales are a chance to see downtown Northampton at its most welcoming and alive.
“It’s really important for the retail community because they’re able to clear out a lot of their merchandise that they’ve been holding onto for the last year or so. It’s really nice merchandise, it’s just something that hasn’t moved,” said Monson. “So, in order for them to purchase products for the following year and the holidays, this event is also important because it allows them to clear some of their inventory and gives them the income to purchase new inventory for the holidays and the
following year.”
The vibrancy of the event is echoed by the business owners who help shape it, as testified by Jena Sujat, owner of Pinch. Pinch is a curated crafted goods shop and boutique that sells local and national artists handmade pottery, jewelry and other home goods.
“Here at Pinch, we eagerly anticipate the Northampton Sidewalk Sales every year,” said Sujat. “The Sidewalk Sales have a certain magic about them. Retailers and customers alike are both out in the streets of Northampton, where we are all able to experience the collective heart and vibrancy of downtown as a community. Honestly, here at Pinch, we look at most of the transactions that happen during Sidewalk Sales as little exchanges of joy. Customers experience the joy of landing a great deal, and we experience the joy of interacting with a great crowd of customers out in the heart of town.”
Monson said Northampton is already a supportive community of its businesses and downtown that make it unique, which makes an event like this “imperative” for the public to show its support during Sidewalk Sales.
“All of your favorite shops,
and they’re selling all the things that you love at a really good price as a way to really have more purchasing power for the end of the year,” Monson said. “It’s not anything romantic or anything, but it is really important. And the cool thing is, Northampton feels like a little festival during that time.”
Monson noted that more than just retailers make their way through the downtown happenings during the four-day stretch, as local restaurants, coffee shops and vendors who are featured at the city’s farmers market and other city events, will be able to participate in Sidewalk Sales.
“You’ll actually also be able to find new things that maybe you haven’t seen in Northampton but still add to that same landscape,” said Monson. “It has that festival feel and the downtown feels alive too which I think everyone loves to see.”
Monson credited the city of Northampton for its partnership in an event like this with the DNA, adding without city support, an event of this scale would not be possible.
“It’s a whole city event. A lot of the big lift is done by the city of Northampton,” said Monson. “It’s not just the DNA and
Nourish
Continued from page 3
that process and has made her and Steinberg more comfortable about any future plans to expand further, if they one day decide to.
The expansion of a local favorite like Nourish Wellness also gave Flaherty a moment of reflection as someone who has been a part of the business since 2019. Through the last six plus years, Flaherty said she has remained passionate about sharing organic offerings in the community and creating a better system for the business.
“We were our busiest we ever were in 2019 and then the pandemic cut us in half. We completely slowed down. Staffing wise, we worked with smaller teams. I would work by myself a lot of days for most of the days until other people could check in. It was a lot. We’ve been putting in crazy hours honestly for years now, just to kind of get things more on its feet and create a better system for things,” said Flaherty.
Now having expanded her business into her hometown of Easthampton, Flaherty said it has been a great feeling to accomplish
the retailers, but a lot of credit needs to go to the city. Because they are allowing us to do this. They’re flexible with us. I’ve worked in different cities and not all of them are this hip with it. Genuinely, they want to see the downtown thriving, so I really appreciate that.”
There is still time for outside vendors and local artisans to take part. For details or to reserve a space, contact andrea@nohodna. org. Additional information and a list of participating businesses can be found at nohodna.org or on Instagram and Facebook at @ northamptondna.
“This is all being permitted by the city so that the downtown does have this thriving feel. I don’t think you get that kind of feeling in any of the neighboring towns as much because of the way the downtown is condensed and feels like you’re in this little magical Gilmore Girls episode,” said Monson with a laugh. “It’s what makes or breaks a downtown. If the city’s not in the mix of it all, then you have downtown’s that are dying because of that.”
For more information on this year’s Northampton Sidewalk Sales visit northamptonsidewalksales.com.
the expansion and to further her career around her passions for promoting and offering healthy eating and lifestyles.
“I grew up in Easthampton, so to be able to open something up in my hometown is pretty amazing and I never really thought I would do that either. I actually always wanted a bakery and café. Growing up, I did culinary arts in school. But then working at the Northampton location, I just realized there’s so many people who feel so good when they get a delicious healthy meal and it makes a huge difference,” she said. She continued, “Not to mention the fact that we’re 100% organic. I always like to throw that out because our food system these days just has lots of chemicals in it. It’s getting sprayed by all kinds of bad stuff, and the more we can support our local farmers, to us that’s kind of our ultimate mission here. We put the blood sweat and tears into this for a long time now. I took over this when I was 25 and it’s been nearly all of my 20s just dedicated to making the system and restaurant better. So, I am definitely proud of that, but always trying to brainstorm new ways that we can give people more opportunity to have more healthy food.”
Judi LeBel
Continuing A Family And Community Legacy
Big E’s Supermarket co-owner Judi LeBel continues to run the Easthampton business founded by her father in the 1970s.
Big E’s has served the greater Easthampton community since 1977 when LeBel’s father Ed Corbeil founded the location. LeBel said she remembers learning many valuable life lessons from her father, both in the house and in the supermarket, as she often saw firsthand his work in the community.
LeBel said while her dad ran a local business, being a grocer offered many overlaps in making bonds with the community and being an active leader within it. Not only was the operations of running a business a valuable education for LeBel, being a community partner and connecting with the public served showed community connection people are not always aware of.
“We’re very close to the people. Easthampton is great,” said LeBel.
Through the examples set by her father, LeBel learned what it means to not only be a business partner in the community, but also how to grow ties and relationships within. Since the business was turned over to her and now retired co-owner Michael Superson, LeBel said she has remembered these lessons and has maintained Big E’s role in being a community partner through and through.
Whether it is the straight operations of the grocery store or experience of what is required to also be present in your communtiy, LeBel said her father helped shaped her approach in it all.
“We try and support as much as we can whether it’s little league, sports, community events, churches, schools,” LeBel said.
Running the store just naturally leads to more face-to-face interaction and relationship building with customers, LeBel added, and said over time those connections only strengthen.
“I think being independent to a smaller store lets you cater more to customers, know who they are at a personal level and really try to fill that niche. Even with employees it’s not this strict rigor. We’re like a family,” LeBel said of the family business atmosphere.
Prior to getting in the family business, LeBel’s passion was teaching. She was a first grade teacher for a handful of years prior to her father purchasing another grocery store location in Westfield and looking to her if she would be interested in helping.
“I had to make a decision, go teach my little first graders or come help dad. So, I came to help dad,” LeBel shared. “It wasn’t easy because I loved teaching, but it was to help the family and get the front end going [at the new location] so I felt a responsibility.”
After the career change, LeBel was back with her father gaining the firsthand work and life experience that she would need when eventually taking over operations in 1997 and now alone for the past several years.
A core staple of the Easthampton community as a grocer and community leader, LeBel added she is thankful to be surrounded by the community she is in and to feel the connection she has with them through the services provided by Big E’s.
“It’s a great partnership. We would not be here without them so we try to do the best we can for them,” said LeBel of the Easthampton community.
In celebration of Independent Retailer Month, Reminder Publishing is highlighting independent business owners in the Pioneer Valley who have made a positive impact and contributions to the community. For more, visit thereminder.com.
So That Reminds Me: Springfield Jazz & Roots Festival
By Tyler Garnet tgarnet@thereminder.com
On the latest episode of “So That Reminds Me” Kristen Neville, Blues to Green executive director, sat down with hosts Dennis Hackett and Lauren LeBel to talk all about the upcoming Springfield Jazz & Roots Festival that takes place on July 11 and 12.
This year marks the 12th annual Springfield Jazz & Roots Festival, which Neville described as an event that “draws people from diverse cultural and socioeconomic background together for performances of jazz, blues, Afro-Caribbean, funk and global roots artists.”
Some of this year’s headliners include Endea Owens and the Cookout, El Laberinto del Coco and Merging Roots.
There is a recommended ticket donation for the indoor performances. The proceeds help support the festival and organization.
“We try to have this be as accessible as possible so people of all walks of life can attend and have access to incredible music and arts experiences, so those who have the means to make a
donation helps just keep it accessible and keep it going and enable us to do it year after year,” Neville stated.
There will also be local performers, arts vendors, local food vendors and family art activities in downtown Springfield centered around Stearns Square.
The festival will also feature an indoor venue with programming at the new Hope Center for the Arts, formerly CityStage, at 150 Bridge St.
“So, we’ll have programming indoors at that center throughout the day so people can move throughout the area from Stearns Square through Tower Square Park and over to the Hope Arts Center,” Neville said.
Neville explained that the creation of this event was due to being married into a musical family from New Orleans who toured around the country and the world for many years. Neville is the wife of the late Charles Neville, who performed with his siblings as the famed R&B group, the Neville Brothers.
After returning to her native Western Massachusetts, Neville said she wanted to start an organi-
zation that uses music and the arts to bring people together and help promote positive environmental and social change.
She connected with other people in the Springfield area already working in the arts who were interested in bringing a festival back to the downtown area.
The nonprofit Blues to Green was created and was inspired by the life and music of Charles Neville.
The first Springfield Jazz & Roots Festival was hosted in 2014 and Neville said it has been going “strong” ever since.
She also talked about how the festival has grown and said the festival was hosted at Court Square through 2019 and was virtual in 2020.
When the festival took place again in-person, it was relocated to the Stearns Square area.
Over the years, the festival has evolved from one stage to two stages and now has an indoor venue as well for programming and nighttime performances.
Neville said The Hope Center for the Arts will provide differ
See JAZZ & ROOTS on page 8
Nomination papers available for 2025 Amherst town election
AMHERST — Nomination papers for Amherst town elected positions are available at the Town Clerk’s office for the upcoming Amherst Town Election. Nomination papers will remain available through the deadline of 5 p.m. on Tuesday, Sept. 16. Positions open for candidacy include:
Councilor-at-Large (three)
• District Councilor (10)
• School Committee (five)
• Library Board of Trustees (six)
• Housing Authority (three) Oliver Smith Will Elector (one)
All registered voters in Amherst are eligible to run for these offices, with the exception of Dis-
trict Councilor, where the candidate must be a registered voter in the district from which the nomination is sought. Elected town office positions serve two years.
Signature requirements
Nomination papers for Councilor-at-Large, School Committee, Library Board of Trustees, Housing Authority, and Oliver Smith Will Elector require signatures from at least 50 registered voters in Amherst. Nomination papers for District Councilor require signatures from at least 25 registered voters in Amherst, all of which shall be from the district in which the nomination is sought.
Candidates are advised to collect more than the required number of signatures to ensure they meet the number of certified signatures required to be placed on the ballot.
All registered voters in Amherst can sign nomination papers. Voters may sign for as many different candidates as they wish, even for the same office. If voters sign multiple times for the same candidate, only one signature will be certified.
Town Clerk’s Office
Nomination papers must be picked up in person from the Town Clerk’s Office. The office
Dawn Berard
Margaret M. Breault
SOUTHAMPTON
Leona Beach Hendrick
Aaron O. Patrick Jr.
WHATELY
Thomas Breen
is open Monday through Friday from 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., excluding state and federal holidays. The office is located on the first floor of Town Hall at 4 Boltwood Ave., Amherst. The Town Clerk’s office can also be contacted by emailing townclerk@amherstma.gov or calling 413-259-3035. Additional information and guidance can be found on the Town Clerk’s website about Running for Elected Office.
Important dates
Tuesday, July 1 — Nomination papers become available at the Town Clerk’s office.
• Tuesday, Sept. 16 — Nomination papers for all offices must be filed at the Town Clerk’s office by 5 p.m.
• Friday, Oct. 25 — Deadline to register to vote in the Amherst Town Election. Tuesday, Nov. 4 — Election Day for the Amherst Town Election. View the full 2025 Amherst Town Election information and calendar at amherstma.gov.
Blues to Green Executive Director Kristen Neville (middle) joined “So That Reminds Me” hosts Lauren LeBel (left) and Dennis Hackett (right) on the latest episode.
Reminder Publishing photo by Tyler Garnet
SOUTHAMPTON VS WESTFIELD
BASEBALL
Southampton faced Westfield in the 10u All Star game on July 2. They were outmatched and Westfield took the game with a 15-0 victory.
REMINDER SPORTS PHO TOS TAKEN BY SAM BLAKE
Outfielder #18 Caleb Labrie fields the ball and throws it to the cutoff man.
#11 Levi Johnson tags the runner and gets the third out of the inning.
#1 Theodore Mawdsley throws the ball to first base.
#71 Andre Kalmakis watches the ball while he leads down the third base line.
#7 Grant Woods picks the ball up and throws it to first base. #11 Levi Johnson gets ready to pitch.
#7 Grant Woods slides into second base safely.
Centerfielder #71 Andre Kalmakis picks up the ball and throws it to the second basemen.
#71 Andre Kalmakis makes it safely to first base and high fives his coach.
#6 Sawyer Carpenter gets ready to field the ball.
#11 Levi Johnson
After getting the last out of the inning shortstop #24 Nathan Harrison tosses the ball to the pitcher’s mound.
DINING ENTERTAINMENT
Summer offers myriad events in music, arts more
After their sold-out May 31 show “Dissecting the Beatles” at the Academy of Music, Bombyx resident company Young@Heart will take over the Sanctuary at Look Park on Tuesday, July 22, at 7 p.m., performing songs by artists ranging from Blur to The Beatles, and from Mavis Staples to Marianne Faithfull, taking you on a magical tour of some of their best music. All performers in Young@Heart range in age from 75 to 102.
For this performance, Y@H will be joined by Norma Dream, a band fronted by Norma Jean Haynes, the daughter of the late Chris Haynes, Y@H’s longtime accordion player.
Tickets to the July 22 Young@
Heart show can be purchased at tinyurl.com/24bex55k. Tickets are $20 in advance and $25 dayof. Discounted Card to Culture and student rates are available.
Art of Brewing Festival
The Norman Rockwell Museum in Stockbridge recently announce the return of its Art of Brewing Festival for the seventh consecutive year on Saturday, Aug. 16, from 1-4 p.m., at the museum’s 36-acre campus.
The event will feature an exciting lineup of breweries, cideries, distilleries, wineries, and coffee purveyors from across the Northeast. Attendees, 21 and older, will receive 10 tasting tickets to sample a wide array of bev-
erages — from crisp ciders to bold stouts — along with a free commemorative beer glass while supplies last. Tickets are $45 for non-members and $30 for museum members. For more information, visit tinyurl.com/358yp3s9.
52 Sumner adds shows
In addition to the dynamic performances already announced for this summer, two brand new shows have been added to the August lineup at 52 Sumner, Springfield’s live performance venue from Springfield Performing Arts Ventures, Inc. located at 52 Sumner Ave.
The new shows are:
• “It’s the Wildest,” a musical tribute to Louis Prima and
Jazz & Roots
ent opportunities and called it a “state-of-the-art facility.”
The center installed a new sound system, a large screen behind the stage and various stu-
Keely Smith, on Friday, Aug. 8. Celebrate the high-energy, swingin’ sounds of in this spirited musical tribute. “It’s the Wildest” recreates the charisma, chemistry and musical genius of the famed duo with timeless songs and an unforgettable performance.
• Blood Brothers: Mike Zito and Albert Castiglia, a bluesrock performance with special guests Peter Newland of FAT and Scott Murawski of Max Creek on Friday, Aug. 15. For tickets and showtimes, visit the Event Listing page on the 52 Sumner website. Follow 52 Sumner on Facebook and Instagram for the latest updates and announcements.
dio spaces for arts and video production.
QAA Summer Exhibit
The Quabbin Art Association’s summer exhibit is now on display at the Hitchcock Center for the Environment at Hampshire College, 845 West St., Amherst. The exhibit will be on display through Aug. 28.
Writers Reading Writers Reading, a new author series, debuts on Thursday, July 10, at 7 p.m., presented by UMass Downtown in partnership with the Amherst Business Improvement District. Curated by poet Nathan McClain, this free event will feature readings from McClain and fellow writers Jen Jabaily-Blackburn, Matt Donovan, and Rebecca Hart Olander.
“We’re trying to spotlight what that center has to offer so we have an immersive, art, tech, experience with this band coming from New Orleans so that should be pretty cool with the music and visuals and some other things that we have brewing for that space.”
Neville also talked about how the new location benefits not only her organization but also the city. She said, “We were able to integrate the festival more with the surrounding businesses and support them by drawing visitors right to their front door.”
Blues to Green also recently started a new program called the Legacy Education Project which was inspired by Charles Neville, who died in 2018.
“The idea for this program was to bring various artists whom have performed at the festival into the public schools for residencies — which are usually three days — and they’re artists of African and Caribbean descent who shared their life stories and lived experiences and their cultures and music and they’re sort of role models for these young people whose own families and communities reflect these artists or vice versa and be able to see themselves reflected in these artists that they can do this,” Neville explained.
For more information about the upcoming festival or about the organization, readers can visit bluestogreen.org.
To hear the full conversation, head to thereminder.com/ our-podcast or search for “So That Reminds Me” on your favorite podcasting platform.
From left to right: Peter Newland, seen here in this undated photo, will join Mike Zito and Albert Castiglia as a special guest during their August performance at 52 Sumner.
Norman Rockwell Museum will host its Art of Brewing Festival on Saturday, Aug. 16. Beda Polanco, 83, from Florence (on the left) and Graciela Cabrera, 82, from Easthampton (on the right) practice a duet during a past Young@Heart rehearsal at LightHouse Holyoke.
Republican file photo/Reminder Publishing submitted photo/Republican file photo
-Michael Beck
