Valley Advocate

Dancing with yourself: Madelyn Farr’s class empowers sensuality, self-expression in older adults

By CAROLYN BROWN For the Advocate When daily life seems to be speeding up, who wouldn’t love to learn “how to embrace the ...
Valley Advocate

Earth Matters: What, who lies beneath the dog park: Exploring Northampton’s Cemetery Hill, its legacy

By Allie Martineau and Brianna McCormickFor the Valley Advocate At the unofficial Northampton dog park on Burts Pit Road, ...
Valley Advocate

Magical gatherings: Welcome to The Realms, a medieval live action role-playing game held throughout New England

By EMILEE KLEIN For the Valley Advocate Ken Crowley, Kaitlin Haslam and Ally Crowley are just like any other Granby family.
Valley Advocate

New dispensary brings unique outlet model: Oz Club is Easthampton’s fifth cannabis shop

Club is the newest cannabis dispensary in Easthampton, a new branch from two owners who are already familiar with the ...
Valley Advocate

Brutalism’s legacy looms large: With Trump calling for return to classical federal architecture, concrete campus landmarks highlight beauty, function

By Samuel Gelinas For the Valley Advocate Love him or hate him, Donald Trump has a point: brutalism is “unpopular.” Last ...
Valley Advocate

Monte Belmonte Wines: Everything you ever wanted to know about cork taint: To wine snobs, cork taint smells like wet newspaper

By Monte Belmonte For the Valley Advocate Cork taint! It’s just fun to say. But when it comes to drinking wine, it is a less ...
Valley Advocate

Theater Matters with Jarice Hanson: Berkshires close an outstanding theatrical season: Signs of rich regional productions ahead

By Jarice Hanson For the Valley Advocate While the Berkshire Theatre Critics’ Association will be doling out the “Berkies” ...
Valley Advocate

Mixtape: ‘Let the Good Times Roll’: Eddie Japan with Greg Hawkes, playing the music of The Cars

By Jennifer Levesque For the Valley Advocate There are some bands whose music stand the test of time. Whether it’s their ...
Valley Advocate

Painting into the depths of motherhood: ‘How to Bear the Unbearable Body: The Artwork of Emily Orling’ is at the A.P.E. Gallery through Nov. 1

A colorful exhibition of surrealist artworks layered with personal and cultural symbolism, “How to Bear the Unbearable Body: The Artwork of Emily Orling,” is up at the A.P.E. Gallery in Northampton ...
Valley Advocate

A feeling you can’t replace: Body slams and feisty feuds, Pioneer Valley wrestling has it all

All hope seems lost. The hero, the crowd favorite, Pedro “The Shot-Caller” Dones, lies defeated in the center of a wrestling ring. The crowd lining the walls of the upstairs room of the Pulaski Club ...
Valley Advocate

Theater Matters with Jarice Hanson: Breathing fresh life into ‘old chestnuts’: Classics made new (but not too new)

One of the most common terms in theater parlance is the “old chestnut.” This is a type of show that has been around a long time and often has themes, music, or values that are guaranteed to encourage ...
Valley Advocate

Monte Belmonte Wines: Ruminating over wine knickknacks: How far we have fallen culturally when we have replaced Syrah with schwag

The somewhat suspect science that has told us for many years that “a little wine is good for you” seems to be going the way of leeching. When it comes to reliable medical advice, there has been some ...