South Hadley, Massachusetts
Don’t miss the Mother’s Day hanging flower basket sale hosted by the Friends of the South Hadley Seniors! The sale will be held:
Friday, May 9, 2025
8:30am to 3:00pm
South Hadley Senior Center
45 Dayton Street, South Hadley
Baskets are $25 each, payable by cash, check, or Venmo. Come early for the best selection.
Mark your calendars and plan to come to Buttery Brook Park at 5:00pm on Friday nights in June, July, and August!
The 2025 free concert series at the park will feature a different band every week throughout the summer (except for July 4). Food and beverages will be available, with food provided by the Madd Eatz Food Truck. Cash, credit and Venmo accepted.
Buttery Brook Park also hosts Cruise Nights on Fridays, so plan to take a stroll around the grounds to enjoy the fabulous vintage cars brought to display by their owners.
The concert series is sponsored by the Friends of Buttery Brook Park.
For event details and weather announcements, see:
www.facebook.com/butterybrookpark
Buttery Brook Park is located at 123 Willimansett Street (Rt 33) in South Hadley, just south of the Big Y near the Chicopee line.
For more information about the park, see:
www.southhadley.org/1200/Buttery-Brook-Park
Please join us for our Flower-y May Wine Down!
Enjoy this lovely spring weather with some great wine tastes and fabulous nibbles.
Meet new people and catch up with old friends!
–Thanks to our hosts, Susan Newton and Nate Therien!
Friday, May 9, 2025 from 5:30 to 7:00pm
Gaylord Library
47 College Street, South Hadley
$10 entry (21+ only) includes beverages and snacks; no-alcoholic drinks also available
Proceeds support the Friends of the Gaylord Memorial Library
gaylordlibrary.org
Can’t come to this one?
Save the date and plan to join us in June for our biggest fundraiser:
Wine, Cheese & Chocolate, on Friday, June 13th!
Showcase South Hadley 2025 will host a free, two-day celebration across the town to highlight local music, arts and culture on Saturday and Sunday, April 26 and 27. The festival takes place across multiple venues throughout the weekend and will feature live music, dance, art exhibitions, presentations and workshops. Event sponsors include Republic Services, PFD-Private Financial Design, Arrivability Car Service, Mount Holyoke College, Peoples Bank, Greenfield Cooperative Bank, Gerry’s Music Shop, and SHELD/Fiberspring.
Events on Saturday, April 26 run from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. and feature yoga, an instrument petting zoo, puppetry shows, as well as musical, dance and theatrical performances. The day’s events will end with a performance by 2025 Grammy-award winner Ruthie Foster with Aisha Burns on April 26 at Mt. Holyoke College’s Abbey Chapel, 50 College St. The concert, which is free, begins at 7pm with Aisha Burns, followed after a short break by Ruthie Foster, but organizers recommend that people reserve general admission seats in advance through the event website. Doors open at 6:00pm.
On Sunday, April 27, activities will begin at 10 a.m. with a South Hadley Canal History Tour. A Gospel Brunch at Morningstar Baptist Church on Main Street featuring the Kevin Sharpe Group will be a highlight of the day; tickets, which include a buffet brunch by Chef Sara Barnes are available through the event website. The day’s schedule includes an artisan/craft fair near the historic Firehouse Museum in South Hadley Falls, face painting, and more performances throughout the day from multiple artists.
For the full schedule with times and locations, visit southhadleyarts.org.
Guided Bird Walk at River-to-Range Trail with Ornithologist Bill DeLuca
SATURDAY, May 3, 2025 at 10:00am
Bachelor Brook-Stony Brook Conservation Area
Meet at 9:45am: Parking lot/trailhead, 240 Ferry St, South Hadley
Bachelor Brook-Stony Brook_River-to-Range_Trail Network Map (PDF)
The South Hadley Bike/Walk Committee will host a free, guided Bird Walk at River-to-Range Trail led by ornithologist Bill DeLuca, a senior Migration Ecologist with the National Audubon Society. It is spring migration season and the Connecticut River is an important route for many species; while some birds are here to nest, others are just stopping by during their migration further north. The accessible River-to-Range Trail, located along the Connecticut River at the Bachelor Brook-Stony Brook Conservation Area, has a hard pack surface covering a relatively flat 1-mile loop with seating benches at regular intervals. No prior birding experience is needed. Participants of all ages and new Trekkers are welcomed. No dogs, please.
We will meet at 9:45am at the trailhead by the parking lot located at 240 Ferry Street in South Hadley, just down the road from Brunelle’s Marina. We’ll leave from the trailhead at 10:00am. Wear weather-appropriate clothing and safe footwear, and bring binoculars if you have them, along with water and walking poles, if desired. Please keep in mind that some areas of the trail may be wet, so hiking footwear is preferable to sneakers.
All events are subject to change or cancellation due to weather or ground conditions. Any decision to cancel the Bird Walk will be made and posted by 6:00pm on Friday, May 2, 2025. For more information or to check for a weather notification, visit: www.southhadley.org/bikewalk.
Friday, May 2, 2025, 5:30 to 7:00pm (Rain Date May 3)
Save the date for the return of margaritas, free chips and salsa, and local favorite A-Ray of Elvis for a 2025 Cinco de Mayo celebration at the Park. You’ll also be able to grab a bit to eat from the Madd Eatz food truck. The free event, which is co-sponsored by the Friends of Buttery Brook Park and Friends of South Hadley Seniors will include a Senior Pickleball Tournament before the concert.
For more details, see: www.facebook.com/butterybrookpark
Saturday, April 19, 2025 at 10:00am
(NOTE LOCATION CHANGE due to park renovations)
The South Hadley Recreation Department Easter Egg Hunt, which is usually scheduled at 10am on the Saturday before Easter at Buttery Brook Park will move this year to Mosier Elementary School, at 101 Mosier Street, while the park undergoes renovations. The event, which is free of charge, features an egg hunt with over 2,000 eggs and a visit from the Easter Bunny. There is also a hat parade where the children show off their finest Easter hats, and winning hats are awarded a prize ribbon. The hat parade will start the event at 10am with the egg hunt immediately following.
Saturday, April 19, 2025, 10:00am to 2:00pm
Plan to redeemable bottles and cans to drop off in the parking lot at South Hadley High School, 153 Newton Street (Rt. 116). Proceeds will benefit Buttery Brook Park improvements. While you’re there, you can also support the SHHS Car Wash to benefit Make-A-Wish Foundation, and leave with a clean car, too! Hope to see you there!
Monday Evening Social Bike Rides at 5:30pm
Starting Monday, April 28, 2025 (runs through fall)
Meetup and leave from Rocky’s parking lot, 487 Newton St
Bike/Walk committee member Jake Woodruff will be leading a social bike ride on Monday evenings at 5:30pm, leaving from the parking lot of Rocky’s Ace Hardware (487 Newton St). All people and bikes are welcome-rides will be 3-6 miles at an easy pace. Email SHsocialride@gmail.com with any questions. See you there!
Hosted by South Hadley Bike/Walk (www.southhadley.org/bikewalk)
On Sunday, April 13, 2025 from 10am-12pm South Hadley’s Conservation Commission and Bike/Walk Committee will host a free,guided Trek at Lithia Springs Reservoir, a beautiful spot that once provided water to the town. The free, family-friendly Trek will be led by Brad Timm, wildlife ecologist and founder of the Northeast Wildlife Team. Come explore with Brad on this leisurely guided hike as we stop at several vernal pools along the trek and look and listen for frogs, toads, salamanders, and much more! For example, did you know that some frogs produce their own anti-freeze, lots of salamanders can regenerate their tail and entire limbs, and that Blue Jay and Bluebird feathers aren’t actually blue (they’re brown!).
Participants of all ages and new Trekkers are welcomed. Attendees will be able to take home a free copy of “A Field Guide to the Animals of Vernal Pools” and do some hands on exploring of vernal pools of the Holyoke Range. Wear clothing and footwear suitable for hiking in wet and muddy areas. Signed copies of Brad’s book, Wildlife Out Your Window: Fascinating Facts About 100 Animals Commonly Seen in the Northeastern U.S. will also be available for purchase ($20) at the event.
Please register in advance. To access the online registration form, which includes additional details about the Trek, parking, and the shuttle, go to: bit.ly/LithiaSpringsVernalPoolTrek.
Please arrive no later than 9:30am due to parking and shuttle service constraints. Trek organizers plan to leave at 10am from the Gate at 8 Lithia Springs Road (located at the end of the road). Please try to carpool as there is limited parking on Lithia Springs Road, and in the Hiker Parking Lot on Amherst Road (next door to 502 Amherst Road), which is about a half-mile from the Lithia Springs Road Gate. A 10-person school van will be available to shuttle participants from the Hiker Lot to the Gate, and back again at the end of the Trek.
Treks are subject to change or cancellation due to weather or ground conditions. Please be sure to check the Bike/Walk page on the Town website for any cancellation notices or other information: www.southhadley.org/bikewalk. Should there be a cancellation decision, information will be posted online by 8:00pm the night before the hike.
Save the date for a Guided Bird Walk with Bill DeLuca!
Saturday, May 3, 2025 at 11am at River-to-Range Trail