It’s Monday and we’re back with our roundup of the week’s events. Here are the town government meetings, and cultural, recreational, and athletics events that caught our eye.

“Our Voices, Our Vote: How Women Will Save Democracy in 2024” – Monday

Members of the community are invited to attend “Our Voices, Our Vote: How Women Will Save Democracy in 2024” with The Seneca Project’s Tara Setmayer on Monday at UMass. Setmayer, co-founder of The Seneca Project, a bipartisan superPAC led by women, will be in conversation with Kathy Roberts Forde, professor of journalism, about women’s issues in the 2024 presidential election, including healthcare access, women’s rights, and the preservation of democracy. 

Setmayer is resident scholar at the University of Virginia’s Center for Politics and is a regular commentator on MSNBC and other news outlets. She worked for 27 years in political communications with the Republican Party, leaving in November 2020 after Donald Trump refused to accept that Joe Biden had won the presidential election. An audience Q&A will follow Forde’s conversation with Setmayer. Monday, 11:15am – 12:45pm in the Great Hall of the Old Chapel at UMass. Free. MORE

Community Meeting on Housing – Tuesday

The Town of Amherst is updating its Housing Production Plan (HPP) which will chart a path toward addressing the affordable housing needs of low- and moderate-income people in Amherst. The HPP, last updated in 2013, will include data about who needs housing and what options currently exist, identify goals for different housing types, and name strategies Amherst might pursue to strengthen affordable housing opportunities.

The Town is hosting the first Town-wide HPP Community Meetings on Tuesday. There are two sessions being offered which will each include a brief presentation about the HPP process and an opportunity for attendees to share their hopes and vision for the future of housing opportunities in Amherst. Everyone is welcome and encouraged to attend these events. Tuesday at 2:00-3:30pm and at 6:00-7:30pm in the Woodbury Room at the Jones Library. Read more and RSVP, here.

ARHS Varsity Athletics at Home – Tuesday-Friday

Catch ARHS Varsity teams at home this week. Girls Field Hockey, Tuesday at 5:15pm vs. Holyoke; Girls Soccer, Wednesday at 4:30pm vs. Southwick; Girls Volleyball, Wednesday at 6:00pm vs. Frontier and Friday at 6:00pm vs. Taconic; Boys Golf, Thursday at 3:30pm vs. Frontier; Boys Soccer, Friday at 4:30pm vs. Longmeadow. MORE

“Five on Film” at Amherst Cinema – Tuesday

Bring on the school spirit! Beginning Tuesday, and each week through the month of October, Amherst Cinema spotlights films written by, directed by, or starring a graduate from the region’s five colleges. The series, “Five on Film,” pays tribute to the artistic talents that have been cultivated, educated, and perhaps even inspired by the five colleges area. Tuesday’s screening is of The Incredibly True Adventure of Two Girls in Love, written and directed by Maria Maggenti, Smith College, Class of 1986. Introduction by Sarah Willie-LeBreton, President of Smith College. Tuesday, 7:00pm at Amherst Cinema. $  MORE

Virtual Workshop on Amherst Downtown Design Standards – Thursday

The Town of Amherst is working on updated Downtown Design Standards that will guide how our downtown streetscapes and private properties look and feel in the future. We want to ensure these standards reflect the needs and aspirations of everyone who lives, works, and spends time downtown.

If you were unable to participate in the in-person workshop in September, here’s another chance! The Virtual Visioning Workshop will be facilitated by the Town’s design and planning consultant for the project, Dodson & Flinker Landscape Architecture & Planning. After a brief presentation about the project and downtown Amherst, we will break out into small groups to discuss design preferences and your vision for downtown Amherst. Thursday, 6:30-8:30pm on Zoom. MORE

Open Mic Night with Tank Hood at The Drake – Thursday

The infamous Drake OPEN MIC is back! Doors open for sign-ups at 5:30pm, music begins by 6:00pm. Tank Hood serves as host and MC. Tank Hood plays mostly acoustic originals and American roots music. His originals are influenced by his deep appreciation of roots music, and he enjoys adding some modern/bent variations to standard folk structures (blues in 5/4?  jazz bridge?? loopy ostinato solo???). Thursday, 5:30pm at The Drake. Free. MORE

A.I.M. by Kyle Abraham at UMass FAC – Friday

Kyle Abraham is one of America’s leading contemporary choreographers working in concert dance. In addition to choreographing for A.I.M., which he founded in 2006, Abraham has created commissioned works for such prestigious companies as Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater, New York City Ballet, and The Royal Ballet. He was awarded a MacArthur Fellowship in 2013. He is a two-time Joyce Creative Residency Artist. And his awards include the Jacob’s Pillow Dance Award, the Creative Capital Award, and the Doris Duke Performing Artist Award.

A.I.M.’s mission is to create a body of dance-based work that is galvanized by Black culture and history and features the rich tapestry of Black and queer stories. A.I.M.’s work entwines a sensual and provocative vocabulary with a strong emphasis on music, text, video, and visual art. While grounded in choreographer Abraham’s artistic vision, A.I.M. draws inspiration from a multitude of sources and movement styles. Friday, 8:00pm in Frederick C. Tillis Performance Hall at UMass. $ MORE

Amherst Fire Department Annual Open House – Saturday

The Amherst Fire Department is hosting their Annual Open House on Saturday to celebrate National Fire Prevention Week. Since 1922, the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) has sponsored the public observance of Fire Prevention Week. In 1925, President Calvin Coolidge proclaimed Fire Prevention Week a national observance, making it the longest-running public health observance in our country. Activities will include fire safety demonstrations, vehicle extrication, display of new equipment, and Sparky the Fire Dog! Saturday, 10:00am-2:00pm at the Amherst Central Fire Station. Free. MORE

Amherst History Museum “Art on the Lawn” – Saturday

The Amherst Historical Society & Museum will be hosting Art on the Lawn, an art and craft show, on Saturday. Artists will be set up on the lawn of the museum selling their creations. The event honors the legacy of the Historical Society’s founder, Mabel Loomis Todd, who was herself an artist, specializing in painting, especially scenes of nature. Welcoming local artists to present their works at the Strong House speaks to the mission of the Historical Society to connect the people with the culture and history of the Town of Amherst. Saturday, 11:00am-3:00pm at the Amherst History Museum. Free. MORE

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Want more? We’ve gathered the event and program calendars from the many organizations and committees in Amherst onto Community Calendars. Check it out to find even more upcoming events.

Have an event you’d like us to spotlight? Email us TheAmherstCurrent@gmail.com.