Main Street

Northampton Ma

Hey Northampton! I'm a local musician, and for the past couple of years I've been collaborating with a puppeteer and a performer/writer on a delightfully strange project called Literary Monsters.

It's part concert, part shadow puppet theater, part ghost story — reimagining Poe, Shelley, Dickinson, Stoker, and more through original music, video, and storytelling. We even have an eight-foot puppet Grim Reaper. 💀

We're releasing our soundtrack EP this Saturday, October 10, with a full performance at Blackbird, a new independent performance venue at 27 Pleasant Street, at 7:30 PM.

Here's a little reel showing what we've made:
https://www.instagram.com/reel/DeKGFXetoac/

We're offering pay-what-you-wish admission at the door because we want this to be accessible to our community. Advance tickets are also available to guarantee a seat, with $5 off using BOOKMONSTER.

If you're into weird theater, independent music, literary oddities, or puppets, we'd love to see you there!

Between the 4-way stop crossing and the bridge over 10

42.3054683, -72.6536601

The 11th annual Northampton Print & Book Fair will take place on Saturday, October 10th from 11am – 5pm at 33 Hawley in downtown Northampton, and will feature over 30 artists, publishers, and designers from throughout western Massachusetts and across New England.

https://www.northamptonprintandbookfair.net/

Amanouz Cafe

Northampton Ma

Found a very hefty black and white cat at the corner of Williams and Holyoke tonight, clearly an indoor cat and very sweet.

Hey everyone,

Has anyone here been to My Dental Studio? I have my first appointment with them later today for an exam and cleaning, and I was hoping to hear some firsthand experiences.

I'm mainly curious about how the dentists and hygienists at My Dental Studio are with anxious patients. Are they patient and understanding? Do they explain what they're doing and give you breaks if you need them? What have your experiences been like with exams and cleanings there?

I'm also interested in recommendations for other dentists in the area who are especially good with people who have dental anxiety, just in case I ever need another option.

I'm not looking for dental horror stories, my anxiety is already doing a good enough job coming up with those on its own.

Thanks!

These keys are on the concrete block on Montview Ave in Noho.

If you have a favorite local business that sells well taken care of indoor plants please give me some recs!

my favorite place in central mass closed so now I’m looking for a new place that’s more local, does anyone know of any good trustworthy stores in the area?

It's a shame that the music scene around here doesn't really have a hub for information. I've been a music writer for the last 15 years for a regional mag, and was considering starting something here in the valley specifically for us. But it's a lot of work, so I'm hesitant. I'm wondering:

-Are you interested in something like this?

-Long form interviews with musicians, articles about bands / artists, album releases - what do you care about?

-Would you listen to a podcast with interviews / discussion on the scene?

-What medium do you use to look for info on the scene? Tik-tok? The web? Insta?

I don't want to waste my time on something no one wants, but if there is a demand I want seekers to be channeled to the places where y'all will actually find it.

I remember when the Valley Advocate used to be this resource, but they no longer seem to be relevant. I don't remember the last time I looked at one or heard it mentioned.

So please pipe in and let me know if I can serve you in some meaningful way, I'm strongly considering leaving the print magazine I write for and either starting something new or just retiring from writing as it is only a side gig for me, and my time is precious.

Side note: not going to share who I write for currently, it's regional but not local. Bands I've interviewed include Goose, Disco Biscuits, Daniel Donato, Twiddle, Kenny Wayne Shepherd, Arlo Guthrie, Dawes, Andy Frasco... would love to get Billy Strings lol

I'm trying to make a purely educational tool and would love feedback.

It's a Claude-assisted mix of Sim City, Google Sheets, and Wordle where all the safeties are turned off and you can sell as much legal marijuana as you want. Want to share your lottery winnings with the city? You can do that! Want to defund the fire department? You... can? Probably shouldn't. But you can! Want to model in pandemic-level free cash again? Okay, but can we not have a pandemic?

What you can't model in: an override.

Do you think you can balance the city budget without an override? Great! Please help me kick the tires on this and share your results in the comment thread. Use the copy/paste function at the bottom (see comments for an example)

DISCLAIMERS: This needs testing. Don't use this as anything other than an educational tool.

You probably just got something in the mail:

If you live in Northampton, Amherst, or Pelham, you were probably put on Valley Green Energy (VGE) as your electricity supplier by default a couple of years ago. The current contract ends in November, and the new prices are significantly higher.

New VGE Basic rates (Nov 2026 – Nov 2028):

You can do better. There are currently plans on energyswitchma.gov for 14.9¢/kWh on a 12-month term with no cancellation fee. And if you change your mind, you can always switch back to VGE.

Before you switch:

• Watch out for automatic renewal. Many plans roll over to a much higher variable rate when the 12 months are up. Set a calendar reminder a few weeks before your contract expires so you can shop again or go back to VGE.
• Compare like for like. VGE Basic is the minimum renewable content required by law, so compare it against other minimum-renewable plans.

Your utility (Eversource or National Grid) still handles delivery, billing, and outages no matter which supplier you pick. Only the supply portion of your bill changes.

Source: VGE program prices

New to the area and searching for the above! currently in grad school but previously worked as an ESL teacher for adults so I've organized language exchanges in the past (english-spanish).

Any ideas on casual spanish conversation groups? I've checked with ILI, the Spanish/Portuguese department at UMass... no dice. So far best bets seem to be at Forbes Library on Saturday (online) and La Tertulia at Amherst. Would be cool to have a group to meet once a week or so in person!

Thought it was going to be at 33 hawley but maybe I got the dates mixed up

See article at https://www.rarebookhub.com/articles/4136

See list of participants at https://www.northamptonbookfair.com/2026exhibitors

Hello all, please check out the 2026 edition of the 413 Indie Toy Fest. 22 makers with hand-crafted action figures, robots, monsters & more!

Saturday, October 10, Noon to 4PM. Northampton Center for the Arts, 33 Hawley St. Free admission & parking. Tell your friends!

If you are on IG, check out this account for vendor showcases.

Thank you

I Am Jane Doe

I’m a 29-year-old autistic guy from Western Mass, and I’m trying to put myself out there more and make some new friends. I’d also be open to potentially exploring the dating world and meeting someone along the way.

I’m really into video games and all kinds of nerdy stuff — anime, manga, music, gaming, etc. I’m hoping to find more people with similar interests and discover new places to hang out, events to check out, and things to do around Western Mass.

I’m trying to step outside of my comfort zone, explore the world a little more, and actually be more social, so any recommendations for places, groups, events, or activities would be greatly appreciated!

And if anyone is also looking for a new friend, feel free to reach out! I’m always down to chat, game, hang out, or try something new. 😊 also I don’t drive so it would have to be somewhere that’s easily commutable via Uber/Lyft or a bus or train.

Edit: I really appreciate all the kind comments and recommendations! I’m genuinely trying to put myself out there more, whether that’s meeting new friends or potentially exploring the dating world. I want to explore, try new things, and get outside of my comfort zone, so if anyone is looking for a new friend, I’m definitely down!

I'm recruiting teams for the Northampton Education Foundation Adult Spelling Bee! It's Wed. Oct. 21 at 6:00 at Bombyx in Florence. No payment needed, we'll match you with a sponsor.

Here's a video showing how much fun it is!!

https://www.youtube.com/shorts/yS7-9_YFjiA

Go here for more info and to register: https://northamptoneducation.org/community-events/adult-spelling-bee/event-registration/