Hildaland to take the stage in New Salem
The musical duo Hildaland, featuring Scottish fiddler Louise Bichan and Indiana mandolinist Ethan Setiawan, will perform a concert blending traditional Scottish roots, progressive bluegrass and jazz at the 1794 Meetinghouse in New Salem on Saturday, Sept. 5 at 7:30 p.m. Now based in New England, the pair draws inspiration from their frequent travels between the United States and Scotland to showcase instrumental pieces from their debut album “Sule Skerry” and their new EP “Fiddle Tunes.” Tickets are $25 for adults, $15 for ages 13 to 17, and admission is free for children 12 and under. To purchase tickets, visit 1794meetinghouse.org/product/hildaland.
Orange library to host Yarn Exchange and Craft Session
The Wheeler Memorial Library in Orange will host a Yarn and Supplies Exchange on Monday, Aug. 24, from 2:30 p.m. to 3:30 p.m. in the Community Room. Crafters are invited to bring unwanted yarn or knitting and crocheting supplies to swap, followed by a casual crafting session to work on current projects together. The event features a fully accessible parking lot entrance via a ramp.
Greenfield Library offers multiple programs for youth
The Greenfield Public Library is hosting several youth programs. The lineup begins with a Keychain Making workshop on Wednesday, Aug. 26 at 3 p.m. in the activity room, where children ages 5 to 12 can create beaded and paracord keychains with provided materials and guidance. For questions about this session, contact Ellen Lavoie at ellen.lavoie@greenfield-ma.gov or 413-772-1544 x5104. Following this, the library will host an Adopt a Plant: Mosaic Planters event in the Teen Room on Monday, Aug. 31, from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m., inviting teens to decorate terracotta pots with mosaics and adopt propagated plant cuttings. Participants will need to return later in the week to finish their projects. Finally, a Trinket Trading, Backpack Blinging and Key Chain Making event will take place in the Teen Room on Tuesday, Sept. 1 at 1 p.m. Teens can drop by to swap trinkets, craft custom bag decorations using perler beads, shrinky dinks and button-making supplies, and enter a raffle to win door prizes like a pin bag and custom ribbons.
North Hall Arts Festival continues
The North Hall Association’s 2026 Historic North Hall Arts Festival continues on Aug. 23 at 2 p.m. with “The Composer’s Voice.” It will feature original songs by Jerry Noble and Tania Coletta, including poems set to music by Mary Oliver, Emily Dickinson and Rumi, along with other original works. The program will include solo and ensemble performances by Emily Baker, Kate Saik, Liam Shannon and Marc Winer, accompanied by Noble on piano. Doors open at 1:30 p.m., and upstairs seating is limited to 75 people. Donations are welcome. North Hall is located at 40 Searle Road in Huntington, and is wheelchair accessible and air conditioned. For updates, visit northhallhuntington.org.
Springfield Museums hosts free Latino Arts Festival
The Springfield Museums, in partnership with the Mi Museo Committee, invites the community to celebrate the richness and diversity of Latino arts and culture at the fourth annual Latino Arts Festival on Friday, Aug. 28. The free festival features a special afternoon lecture followed by an evening celebration with live music, art, family activities and gallery experiences.
The Festival begins at 3:30 p.m. with a featured lecture by Ariana A. Curtis, Ph.D., curator of Latinx Studies at the Smithsonian National Museum of African American History and Culture. Born and raised in western Massachusetts, Curtis returns home for her first public lecture in the region, “From 413 to DC: Springfield’s Influence on Latinx Stories at the Smithsonian.” She will discuss how growing up in the Springfield area shaped her curatorial work and continues to influence Latinx representation at the Smithsonian and beyond. For more information about the festival, visit springfieldmuseums.org/latino-arts.
The LAVA Center is accepting submissions to art show, film festival
The LAVA Center is now accepting submissions for its seventh annual Community Art Show, themed “Home and Resilience.” Local artists have until Friday, Sept. 18, to submit up to three wall-hanging pieces via an online Google Form at docs.google.com/forms/d/1ciOdIMoe1Or3H-985W5hk08Slm6Wsd6KNGgpwto4NQU/edit . Accepted artists will be charged a $20 fee, and the final exhibition will be on display throughout November and December. An opening reception is scheduled for Saturday, Nov. 7, from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. at the center’s downtown gallery space at 324 Main St. For more information, visit thelavacenter.org.
The center is also accepting submissions for its sixth annual LAVA Film Festival, which spotlights local filmmaking talent and community-engaged projects. Open to all current Massachusetts residents, the festival accepts creative films and videos of any length, style or subject matter. Submissions must be submitted via FilmFreeway by Friday, Sept. 11, with a standard entry fee of $10, though entry is free for youth filmmakers under 18 and Valley residents. The three-day festival will take place from Nov. 12 to Nov. 14 at the center. For more details, visit filmfreeway.com/LAVAFilmFestival.
‘Sleeping Giant’ exhibit opens Sept. 4 at Waterway Arts
The “Sleeping Giant” visual arts exhibition by Jae Southerland runs from Sept. 3 to Sept. 27 at Waterway Arts in Turners Falls with an opening reception on Friday, Sept. 4, from 5 to 8 p.m. This mixed-media showcase features a central papier-mâché, tulle and chain installation alongside paintings and sculptural wall pieces that channel personal grief and societal injustice into a message of resurrection and hope. For more information, email waterwayarts24@gmail.com.
Satirical immersive art experience comes to Wendell Meetinghouse on Sept. 5
As part of his Community Arts & Conversations artist residency at the Wendell Meetinghouse, Chris Joseph will be turning the Wendell Meetinghouse into the world headquarters of his pretend company WeMailCoconuts.com on Saturday, Sept. 5.
This free, interactive, immersive art experience features zany presentations, yard games, a live YouTube taping, and absurd activities for all ages alongside fake vendors selling real refreshments — including beer and wine from noon to 6 p.m. Sponsored by the Friends of the Wendell Meetinghouse, the Community Arts & Conversations series is supported in part by grant funding from the Community Foundation of North Central Massachusetts and its Community Enrichment grant program. Additional information on the Wendell Meetinghouse and its series are available at wendellmeetinghouse.org/events.