Community Calendar

Come to an after-hours, forts & flashlights celebration of the newest book by local author Christina Uss!

On Thursday, May 21, 5:45-7pm at the Easthampton Public Library, sing along with Christina (and her ukulele!), try to guess some made-up sleep facts, and more! Then we'll build blanket forts to read in between the shelves after the Library closes for the night!

Christina's new book Midnight Mayhem is geared for ages 8-12, but all ages are welcome at the event! High Five Books will have books for sale.

Join us and local author Heidi E.Y. Stemple for a celebratory launch of her springy new picture book, LYDIA LOVE BUGS, illustrated by Yuliya Pankratova, on Saturday, May 23, from 10-10:30am. Storytime is free and no registration is required to attend.

ABOUT ‘LYDIA LOVES BUGS: A CHILDREN’S BOOK ABOUT INSECTS'

Discover the wonderful world of insects as Lydia collects bugs for show-and-tell in this picture book perfect for little entomologists

Lydia loves bugs. She loves big, bouncing bugs and small, squiggly bugs. You know who doesn't love bugs?

Lydia loves bugs but her father and brother do not! Scared of all things creepy crawly, they often run away or set her bugs free. But you know who else loves bugs? Lydia's mom. She's an entomologist, and she helps Lydia collect bugs for a very special day at school, when Lydia gets to show and tell her classmates all about her bugs. And now everybody loves bugs!

Packed full of adorable insects, Lydia Loves Bugs is the perfect picture book for any little nature lover or aspiring bug collector. It has singing bugs and silent bugs, slightly stinky bugs and fly-away bugs, with an underlying message about being seen and understood. Every page comes with fun wordplay from Heidi Stemple and cute illustrations from Yuliya Pankratova that make creepy-crawly insects seem not so scary, and young readers can discover facts about their favorite bugs at the end of the book. Who knows? After reading this story, even your child might develop a love for STEM and all things creepy-crawly.

Portland Bach Experience is a 10-day festival from May 28 - June 7, 2026. We tear down barriers and challenge preconceived notions about classical music by offering immersive events, interactive educational programs, and intimate concerts at our annual festival. Committed to creating programs that are distinct, deep, and connective experiences, we bring award-winning artists to Maine to share musical productions that cultivate resilience, nurture individual growth, and feed our collective hunger for connection.

Schedule:
May 28: OLLI Lecture, Penelope Performance (Portland)
May 29: Move to the Music and Bach & Beer (TBD)
May 30: Penelope Performance (Yarmouth)
June 1: Cantata Sing Along
June 2: Brandenburg Concerto No. 5 - Open Rehearsal
June 5: Move to the Music and Bach & Beer (Rising Tide Brewing, Portland)
June 6: Brandenburg No 5 (Brunswick)
June 7: Brandenburg No 5 (Falmouth)

Portland Bach Experience is a 10-day festival from May 28 - June 7, 2026. We tear down barriers and challenge preconceived notions about classical music by offering immersive events, interactive educational programs, and intimate concerts at our annual festival. Committed to creating programs that are distinct, deep, and connective experiences, we bring award-winning artists to Maine to share musical productions that cultivate resilience, nurture individual growth, and feed our collective hunger for connection.

Schedule:
May 28: OLLI Lecture, Penelope Performance (Portland)
May 29: Move to the Music and Bach & Beer (TBD)
May 30: Penelope Performance (Yarmouth)
June 1: Cantata Sing Along
June 2: Brandenburg Concerto No. 5 - Open Rehearsal
June 5: Move to the Music and Bach & Beer (Rising Tide Brewing, Portland)
June 6: Brandenburg No 5 (Brunswick)
June 7: Brandenburg No 5 (Falmouth)

Join us and local author Lesléa Newman for a celebratory launch of her inclusive new picture book, RAINBOW COOKIES, illustrated by Z.B. Asterplume, on Saturday, May 30, from 10-10:30am. Storytime is free and no registration is required to attend.

ABOUT 'RAINBOW COOKIES'
Every month Ms. Madeleine creates a special cookie of the month for her bakery. And her best customer, a little girl named Cookie, is always the first to try it. Ms. Madeleine's sweet treats never disappoint.
When June arrives, Cookie and her two moms stop in and taste the best cookie yet: a heart-shaped, rainbow-striped, crunchy, frosted confection that Ms. Madeleine baked especially for Pride.

But Rainbow Cookies make some people in the neighborhood angry. They write harsh notes. They cancel orders. Ms. Madeleine is afraid her Rainbow Cookie might be her last.

But Cookie is not about to let that happen. With great determination and a fabulous idea, she gathers friends and neighbors to support Ms. Madeleine. Together they show the whole town how colorful and fun and celebratory and delicious the combination of love, Pride, and cookies can be!

Portland Bach Experience is a 10-day festival from May 28 - June 7, 2026. We tear down barriers and challenge preconceived notions about classical music by offering immersive events, interactive educational programs, and intimate concerts at our annual festival. Committed to creating programs that are distinct, deep, and connective experiences, we bring award-winning artists to Maine to share musical productions that cultivate resilience, nurture individual growth, and feed our collective hunger for connection.

Schedule:
May 28: OLLI Lecture, Penelope Performance (Portland)
May 29: Move to the Music and Bach & Beer (TBD)
May 30: Penelope Performance (Yarmouth)
June 1: Cantata Sing Along
June 2: Brandenburg Concerto No. 5 - Open Rehearsal
June 5: Move to the Music and Bach & Beer (Rising Tide Brewing, Portland)
June 6: Brandenburg No 5 (Brunswick)
June 7: Brandenburg No 5 (Falmouth)

An Asparagus-themed Celebration and Culinary Extravaganza!
Event Hours: Saturday 5/30 from 10am-6pm / Sunday 5/31 from 10am-4pm
Crafter Vendors ▪ Farmers ▪ Music ▪ Food Trucks ▪ Beer & Wine ▪ Farm Animals ▪ Face Painting & More!
Event takes place on the farm grounds of the North Hadley Sugar Shack in North Hadley.
ALL PUBLIC PARKING is at 300 Venture Way in Hadley, with continuous shuttle service to/from event.
More details and parking map is at https://www.northhadleysugarshack.com/asparagus-days.html

Portland Bach Experience is a 10-day festival from May 28 - June 7, 2026. We tear down barriers and challenge preconceived notions about classical music by offering immersive events, interactive educational programs, and intimate concerts at our annual festival. Committed to creating programs that are distinct, deep, and connective experiences, we bring award-winning artists to Maine to share musical productions that cultivate resilience, nurture individual growth, and feed our collective hunger for connection.

Schedule:
May 28: OLLI Lecture, Penelope Performance (Portland)
May 29: Move to the Music and Bach & Beer (TBD)
May 30: Penelope Performance (Yarmouth)
June 1: Cantata Sing Along
June 2: Brandenburg Concerto No. 5 - Open Rehearsal
June 5: Move to the Music and Bach & Beer (Rising Tide Brewing, Portland)
June 6: Brandenburg No 5 (Brunswick)
June 7: Brandenburg No 5 (Falmouth)

An Asparagus-themed Celebration and Culinary Extravaganza!
Event Hours: Saturday 5/30 from 10am-6pm / Sunday 5/31 from 10am-4pm
Crafter Vendors ▪ Farmers ▪ Music ▪ Food Trucks ▪ Beer & Wine ▪ Farm Animals ▪ Face Painting & More!
Event takes place on the farm grounds of the North Hadley Sugar Shack in North Hadley.
ALL PUBLIC PARKING is at 300 Venture Way in Hadley, with continuous shuttle service to/from event.
More details and parking map is at https://www.northhadleysugarshack.com/asparagus-days.html

Instructor: Jackie Decker
Sunday, May 31 from 12-2pm
Held in: Windsor Art Center gallery

Connect with your family and friends over art! Artists ages 5–100 are invited to paint fluid, colorful watercolor creations on squares which will then be connected into one giant quilt by We Are More artist Jackie Decker. This project is designed to show that individually we are great, but together we are more. No art is experience required–a short demo will be given on how to use the medium! All participants must be over the age of 5, and must be accompanied by an adult who is also participating. Individual adults of all ages are encouraged to participate, too!

This is not a drop-in event, as everyone will be creating multiple squares based on prompts from Jackie for the duration of the workshop. However, participants are welcome to work at their own speed and experience level, focusing on creating alongside their family and friends!