AMHERST — Various street performers, from aerialists and acrobats to stilt walkers and jugglers, and booths featuring food, merchandise and information from local restaurants, retailers and organizations, will line the main street through downtown on the evening of Sept. 18.
The Amherst Business Improvement District is putting together the annual Block Party, being held for the 12th time and running on a stretch of North Pleasant Street from Hallock to Amity streets from 5 to 9 p.m.
Live music and other performances will be part of the Block Party.
“This event is a celebration of our community’s spirit and Amherst’s vibrant culture,” says Sarah Barr, vice president of the BID Board. “It’s an opportunity for everyone to come together, celebrate and support our local businesses.”
BID Executive Director John Page calls the evening one of joy and community. “Our local businesses are the heart of this event, and we’re excited to see the community come out in full force to support them,” Page said.
The event is expected to draw thousands of people of all ages to downtown.
“The Block Party is more than just a celebration, it’s an investment in the heart of our community,” said Tony Maroulis, secretary of the BID Board.
North Pleasant will be closed that day starting at noon, with no parking allowed there as the event is set up. Support for the Block Party comes from the town, Amherst College and the University of Massachusetts.
Pickleball tournament
The Friends of the Jones Libraries group is holding its second annual pickleball tournament Nov. 9, at the Bay Road Tennis Club and Multi-Sport Center on the
Hampshire College campus.
Competition is open for players intermediate through advanced and ages 18 and older.
Refreshments will be provided throughout the day, with free raffle prizes and gifts, as well as prizes for first and second prize winners in each division, said Kelly Erwin, a board member of the Friends.
Martin Miller, the tournament’s organizer, said that with support of various sponsors, the library can continue to offer computers, access to digital resources and programs like Sing with Your Baby and 50+ Jobseekers Networking Group.
To register by Oct. 11, go to www.joneslibrary.org/pickleball
Electrify Amherst
Electrify Amherst, which began in 2018 as a program devised by the Amherst Public Art Commission and funded by the Amherst Cultural Council, is returning, with artists invited to create unique and imaginative paintings on utility boxes.
This fall, three artists will be selected to paint their designs onto designated utility boxes, joining 12 existing boxes already painted. Each selected artist will receive a $500 stipend and the cost of painting supplies.
Artists can submit proposals for Electrify Amherst through Sept. 22 by going to amherstma.gov/call-for-artists.
Handle with Care
The Amherst, Pelham and Amherst-Pelham Regional school districts recently completed training in Handle With Care, a national program to help educators provide immediate, compassionate support to students who may have been exposed to trauma.
The training was led by the Family Center in partnership with the Children’s Advocacy Center of Hampshire County. The goal is to give educators a discreet signal that the child may need additional patience, understanding or support during the school day.
Marta Guevara, executive director of Family Advocacy and Student Well-Being for the district, said the care and well being of students is a priority.
“By knowing a student has been exposed to a traumatic event, staff can provide the necessary first steps to support them,” Guevara said. “We learned how a simple, confidential ‘heads up’ to our schools can help mitigate the negative effects of trauma on a child’s well-being and learning.”
Leverett sawmill art
“Art & Crafts Inspired by the 1774 North Leverett Sawmill” is the title of a display, featuring the works of numerous professional and aspiring artists throughout the region, at the Leverett Library, 75 Montague Road.
A public reception for the exhibit that will remain up throughout September and October, hosted by Friends of the North Leverett Sawmill, is set for Saturday from 12:30 to 1:30 p.m. Paintings, etchings, photographs and sculpture will be on view, along with fabric art, collage, sketchbook drawings and digital art.
Cynthia Baldwin, who co-curated the show with fellow board member Steven Stroud, said the show will include 1930s etchings by Frank Waugh, the founder of the University of Massachusetts school of landscape architecture, a 1947 oil painting by Stephen George Maniatty, and sculptures by Lloyd Kirley, the mill’s last private owner.
“The historic mill, its working components and environs have been inspiring artists for at least a century,” Baldwin said.
Many of the exhibit’s works were displayed inside the sawmill in June, as part of a one-day launch event for the adjacent 4.6-acre heritage park and nature trail, along the Sawmill River. For more information, go to leverettsawmill.org.
Meetings
MONDAY: Design Review Board, 5 p.m., and Public Art Commission, 6 p.m.; Town Council, 6:30 p.m., Town Room, Town Hall.
WEDNESDAY: Personnel Board, 11 a.m., First Floor Meeting Room, Town Hall.