This is a lovely venue. I can't believe I've lived here over 20 years and never been. This year the…read moreFab Faux performed there instead of where we usually see them. I purchased first row mezzanine which is where we prefer to sit in most venues. I don't care for orchestra where I can not see over the person in front of me. So I was very surprised when we found our seats to see just how far back the mezzanine is, and that the orchestra seats are graduated upward so there is no one directly in front of you. The show that we saw is not big on visual, but the acoustics are phenomenal. The Fine Arts Center allowed this music to soar. For future shows though I would sit closer in the orchestra. Prior to the show there was a party on the plaza with desserts, live music, and a cash party. A fun way to start the evening, thank you.

A very nice theater in the middle of campus where they usually host UMass cultural shows and…read morenon-alcoholic parties here. Had some fun moments here while I attended Zoomass.

Amongst this beautiful celebration of people, places, music and art is a sense of 'you can't do…read morethat because somebody said something". It is ironic that while "responsibility" to our planet, to our global family and to human rights is the purpose of this event, The hot apple cider was a treat and the falafel was excellent! I have some reservations about the amount of industrially produced meat being sold there. I own an EV but I have a huge hatred of everything related to Elon Musk. It was disappointing to see the Tesla Cybertruck. The amount of harmful climate damaging fumes that the tens of thousands of rockets that he has sent up into space since 2010 would require 170,000 ev vehicles a year to offset the damage, each year. Overall, great event.

New to the area, I've been looking forward to the Garlic Festival for months, mostly because I…read moreneed some locally-evolved starter. I have fond memories of the Garlic Festival I once attended in upstate New York - garlic ice cream, garlic breads, and a world of other creative things to do with garlic, growing tips, etc. Alas, the Quabbin Garlic Festival should be called "Another excuse for a Craft Fair." The rows of food trucks were all selling their usual (not particularly garlicly) fare. The rows of booths were selling their usual Arts and Crafts, without even a hat tip to garlic. The only evidence of garlic was one garlic vendor (from upstate New York). I felt cheated - lots of traffic, $10 admission, long lines and wait to take a 15-minute bus from the parking lot, and essentially no garlic content once we got inside. With that said, it is a lovely Craft Fair, in a beautiful location, with plenty of activities and fair food for the kids. I'm sure it'd be a fine day in the sun for anyone not expecting a garlic festival.

Came across this place as two cyclists passing through. Karen, who was sitting at the front desk,…read morewas excited to tell us about the place and teach us something new about the region. Beautiful and informational education center that is fun and interesting for adults and children alike!

It's great for a quick visit with kids. Some of the displays are at little ones eye level and they…read morecan see under the water. Helpful park ranger type people who work there love to chat about the exhibits. Pretty views of the river. Interesting and informative information.

This is an annual apple festival (this year was year #21), without apples! No apples anywhere! And,…read morenot in any recipes...no apple cider, apple turnovers, apple dumplings, or apple pie. There were hot dogs, coffee from the local Pierce Bros. (pretty good), and Kettle Corn, but NO apples! What a shock! There were also, as promised in the title, local artisans selling reasonably-priced local honey in bars of soap and lotion, stained glass, goat's milk soap, and Emu oil soap (ick!), pottery, clothing, angora scarves (with the Angora Bunny right there in a big cage!), as well as kids activities. This was like a country fair, and really cute in the town green, but we were slightly disappointed because we wanted some apples or something delicious with apples. So, we went home and drank our apple cider. Sometimes what you want is what you have! ;)

Go to the fair! One…read morereason is that they have candy apples. Candy apples taste so good. Another reason is you can also go on rides. You can go on the rollercoaster. The fair is in Amherst. You can go in the spring. Little kids can get lost. Make sure to stay with your mom and dad!

A nice venue to enjoy a show! Extremely friendly and helpful staff to ensure that you enjoy…read moreyourself! This place enjoys local support to provide a positive experience! Apparently they've brought back to current standards with hardwork and dedication. 2 thumbs up for all involved!!

This is a decent enough venue and I realize in a small town, in a non thriving economy they are…read morestruggling to keep open yet some basic things might be nice. Let me start with the positives. The size of the venue is great for seeing a concert. Acoustics are really good. It's a terrific layout with very good seating. The downside? First, the overall feel of the place was there is a need for some cleaning. Second it's cold in the theater. (I was there in March 2013) It takes more than ticket sales to keep a venue like this open. Fundraising, grants, membership...it's a huge challenge and I hope they can make it.

Hometown Arcade is a small franchise of classic video arcades that opened in Norwood, Massachusetts…read morein May 2023. It was founded by Matt Snow, his wife Shelly Bansal-Snow, and longtime friend Chris "Crit" Crone. Matt has worked in technology for his entire career and has worked for various start up companies focused on ecommerce and analytics. He is also a huge fan of pinball and retro arcade games and had a longtime dream of opening his very own classic arcade. Matt and his partners set up their arcade at the Norwood Commerce Center: a 165-year-old historic mill complex that now operates as a multipurpose campus with multiple tenants. The arcade was a success and opened the door for franchising possibilities. A second location (owned and operated by Shelly's brother Aash Bansal) opened in Bloomfield (NJ) in November 2024, a third opened at Thornes Marketplace in Northampton the same month, and a fourth is scheduled to open soon in Suffield (CT). Each location features classic arcade cabinets, pinball machines, modern gaming consoles, racing games, rail shooter games, skee-ball, foosball, bubble hockey, air hockey, arcade basketball, Dance Dance Revolution, and even Guitar Hero Arcade. My sons and I recently visited Hometown's Northampton location while we were in town for the day. It is located in the lower level of the historic Thornes Marketplace. For $20, each customer can have unlimited play. My younger son is only 3 and was granted free admission, which is just as well because he is rather short and has trouble reaching the controls on most arcade games. The arcade has an excellent selection of classic arcade cabinets, pinball machines, and much more! I thought that it was pretty cool that they also have modern gaming consoles hooked up to TV sets: something that you don't see too often at arcades. Hometown also carries a small selection of snacks, bags of chips, cans of soda, and bottled water. While I wouldn't exactly call Hometown an "arcade bar" (something that owner Matt Snow hopes to change in the future), they do offer cans of "Hometown Arcade Ale" (American Pale Ale) which is brewed exclusively for the Northampton location by Progression Brewing Company who are right down the street. I enjoyed a can while playing some games; it was a nice, easy-drinking pale ale. We ended up staying at the arcade for two hours and had a blast the whole time. It's fun for the whole family. We look forward to returning to Hometown Arcade in Northampton (or perhaps one of their other locations) in the future!

The arcade and home console sections need some TLC. No reason they can't at least keep the CRT's…read moredusted / cleaned and make sure everything is running properly. Take some time to get some cool games running in attract mode, etc. Most of the classic arcade cabinets were in need of recapping and general maintenance. Pinball section was excellent. Great tables in excellent / new condition. Staff person was super friendly and helpful. Location is very cool. Again, some TLC would go a long way.

If you ever happen to find yourself in South Hadley any time between May and October, and the idea…read moreof wandering amongst scrimshaw trinkets, ruby glass, Americana of uncertain provenance, and assorted mineralia sounds appealing to you, make your way posthaste to this veritable cabinet of curiosities. Assembled in a deconsecrated church literally uprooted and brought to South Hadley during the displacement of five towns caused by the creation of the Quabbin Reservoir, this museum collection is amongst the quirkiest places Western Massachusetts, a distillation of the local ethos circa 1870. Did I mention that admission is free?

Spend an hour here and you'll feel like you've discovered something (rather than having it all…read morehanded to you in one church-shaped package by Mr. Skinner). Hunting around this museum is an adventure unto itself. Every nook or cranny has something worth looking at. The staff is super-nice, although they aren't going to know a lot more about every object than is written on the ID cards -- and most items don't have cards! It can get pretty hot on a sunny day without a/c in the building, so beware of that. I love oddball little museums, and this fits the profile perfectly. One guy who really liked collecting crap donated said crap, and here it is! Enjoy!

I used to volunteer here, and I had a wonderful time. Flywheel is a non-profit, collectively run…read morecommunity arts group. They offer live music, art exhibits, film & video screenings, poetry & spoken word, theater & performance art, and children's events. Local and national artists grace their stage, screen, and walls. Their emphasis is on emerging artists, independent musicians, and other non-mainstream creative types. A lot of local scenes have coalesced around this place. Admission is kept low making all events affordable for the local community. The venue is supported by door donations, fundraising, and grants. Periodically Flywheel puts on large scale shows featuring acts like Fugazi and Le Tigre. Flywheel is currently on hiatus due to the renovations being performed on their relocation space in the former town hall. Their previous site featured a cafe, zine library, art gallery, and performance space. Local scenester tip: Don't call it "The Flywheel". I look forward to visiting them in their new incarnation!

Updates on Flywheel: As of 2010, Flywheel has related in Easthampton's Old Town Hall, and it's as…read morecool as ever! Like the old space, Flywheel still puts on live music, art exhibits, film & video screenings, children's events, dance parties, record fairs poetry and spoken word, performance art pieces, and more. The cozy cafe area shares its space with the zine library, and leads out to the performance space. Flywheel has recently been the venue for Ladyfest and benefit shows for Pioneer Valley's Zine fest, and looks forward to showcasing more local bands. It's all volunteer-run, and people are free to donate some time to help out, either with shows or at "work parties" (like the bi-weekly party for cataloguing zines) as much or as little as they can.