LAVA Center offering Spooky Open Stage in time for Halloween
As Halloween draws near, The LAVA Center at 324 Main St. in Greenfield will host a Spooky Open Stage with host Clara Witty.
The Open Stage — similar to an open mic, but more inclusive to all types of performing arts — is a performance series that takes place every third Thursday of the month. Sign-ups start at 6:30 p.m. and the show starts at 7 p.m.
The Spooky Open Stage on Oct. 15 will consist of costumes, candy and spooky performances. Attendees are advised to show up in their best costumes and perform a spooky song or skit, read scary stories or poetry, or sit back and watch the other performers. Artists are encouraged to sign up to perform theater, dance, music, literature, spoken word, magic, puppetry, circus, sideshow, comedy, improv or any other form of art or entertainment that can be staged, in any stage of development.
There will be a five-minute limit for each act. There is a $1 to $5 suggested donation. With questions, email info@thelavacenter.org.
Garden Cinemas hosting A24 Dusk Until Dawn Horror Fest
The Garden Cinemas in Greenfield, in partnership with A24 Studios, will screen six horror movies starting at 6 p.m. on Saturday, Oct. 24, and continuing through Sunday, Oct. 25, at 5 a.m. All-night passes to the A24 Dusk Until Dawn Horror Fest are $24.25.
The films that will be available include recent releases like “Undertone” (2025) and “Backrooms” (2026); two Ari Aster films, “Hereditary” (2018) starring Toni Collette and “Midsommar” (2019) starring Florence Pugh; the Robert Eggers New England folktale “The Witch” (2015) starring Anya Taylor-Joy; and the first film of the Ti West trilogy “X” starring Mia Goth, Jenna Ortega and Brittany Snow.
“Horror is one of the most popular genres at the Garden, but modern audiences are looking for something more sophisticated than the slashers of the 1980s,” Garden Cinemas co-owner Isaac Mass said in a statement.
The event is sponsored by Franklin First Federal Credit Union, a division of Greylock Federal Credit Union, with support from the Massachusetts Cultural Council.
Tickets are available at gardencinemas.net and at the box office.
Next Writers Read set for Oct. 14
The LAVA Center’s next installment of its Writers Read series will feature Amy Gordan, Cheryl Dukes and JuPong Lin on Wednesday, Oct. 14, at 7 p.m.
Writers Read is a monthly opportunity for an audience to listen to local writers in an intimate environment. Each second Wednesday of the month, three writers read from their work, followed by a discussion facilitated by Lindy Whiton.
There is a $1 to $5 suggested donation.
Professor to discuss Chinese ceramics
The Greenfield Public Library and Artspace Community Arts Center will welcome Grace (Mingli) Zhu, scholar of Chinese classical aesthetics, author and adjunct professor at the University of South China, for a talk on Chinese ceramics in the library’s Community Meeting Room on Friday, Oct. 9, at 2:30 p.m.
Porcelain begins with the simplest materials — earth, water and fire — but its history crosses centuries, oceans and cultures. First developed in China, it was once a mystery that European makers struggled for generations to understand. It later traveled around the world, inspiring new designs and becoming part of European and American tables, celebrations and family memories.
The program, which is intended for ages 18 and up, will end with a piece performed on the guqin, a traditional seven-string Chinese instrument. Representatives from Greenfield’s community arts school, Artspace, will also be on hand promoting and answering questions about their ceramics classes.
Zhu has developed courses in Chinese porcelain, Song dynasty aesthetics and Chinese architectural aesthetics, and has participated in cultural heritage and community education projects. She now lives in Amherst and works to make Chinese culture accessible to audiences from different cultural backgrounds.
Oct. 10: Learn the history of Greenfield’s stagecoach
Join Sarah Bolduc of the Greenfield Historical Commission in the Greenfield Public Library’s Community Meeting Room on Saturday, Oct. 10, at 11 a.m. for a brief telling of the story of Greenfield’s 1867 stagecoach, from the mystery of its origins to the modern restoration efforts being undertaken today.
