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

Town Council – Monday

The Town Council will hear the annual State of the Town presentation, along with the annual reports from the School Committee and the Jones Library Board of Trustees, at its regular meeting on Monday evening. The Council also will review and vote on their FY24 evaluation of Town Manager Paul Bockelman; discuss draft FY25 Town Manager goals; and review draft FY25 budget guidelines for the town, library, and schools. Monday 6:30-8:30 pm, in Town Hall and on Zoom. MORE

Community Resources Committee of the Town Council Public Hearing and Meeting – Tuesday

The Town Council’s Community Resources Committee will hold a public hearing on Tuesday on the proposed zoning overlay district to encourage significant new housing, including affordable housing, and economic development on University Drive. 

Read about why the Planning Board recommended this proposal to the Town Council in this brief memo and see a map, here. Some community members have expressed concern about the possible impacts of this overlay district to the commercial area where Big Y and CVS are located. A zoning overlay like what’s being considered wouldn’t change those businesses and any decision to change would continue to be in the hands of the property owners. The Amherst Municipal Affordable Housing Trust at its meeting last month expressed its support for the proposal because it encourages apartment housing that will be affordable and will help meet the demand for housing in Amherst. 

The Town Council is expected to consider a vote on the proposal this month.

Following the public hearing, the Committee will discuss the proposed zoning amendment. Tuesday, 6:00-8:00 pm on Zoom. MORE

Encore Screening: Hundreds of Beavers – Tuesday

After a sold-out Late Nights screening last month, Hundreds of Beavers returns to Amherst Cinema for a primetime encore! This slapstick epic is about a frostbitten battle between Jean Kayak and diabolical beavers—hundreds of them—who stand between him and survival. Tuesday, 7:00 pm at Amherst Cinema. $ MORE

Planning Board Public Hearing and Meeting – Wednesday

The Planning Board will hold three (3) public hearings before its meeting on Wednesday evening. The first public hearing is about a proposed 3-lot preliminary subdivision plan at University Drive and Amity Street. The other public hearings are about the site review plan for the track and field project at the high school, and about the proposed zoning overlay district on University Drive. 

Following the public hearings, the Board will review and consider voting on changes to the zoning bylaws to reflect the recent changes in state law regarding accessory dwelling units (ADUs), and will discuss a definition for “student home” as well as a potential zoning overlay for existing apartment complexes. Wednesday, 6:30-9:30 pm on Zoom. MORE

Yaa Samar! Dance Theatre – Wednesday

On Wednesday, the UMass Asian and Asian American Arts & Culture Program presents Yaa Samar! Dance Theatre at Bowker Auditorium. Hedy Weiss of the Chicago Sun Times wrote that Founder and Artistic Director Samar Haddad King “deftly melds styles from hip-hop and ballet to social dance and acrobatics.” Led by King, the New York- and Palestine-based Yaa Samar! Dance Theatre seeks to create invigorating education and performance programs that expand access to, and promote understanding through, the arts.

At UMass, the company will perform Losing It, an exploration of generational trauma through solo dance of a female Palestinian living in a war zone, and Noah, which presents themes of love, courage, and regret through one man’s personal history. Wednesday, 7:30 pm at Bowker Auditorium at UMass. $ MORE

Annual Lighting of the Merry Maple – Friday

The Amherst Area Chamber of Commerce and the Amherst Business Improvement District invite the community to  the annual Lighting of the Merry Maple on the newly renovated North Common. Enjoy festive music, an open house at the fire station, horse-drawn carriage rides, performances from the Amherst Regional Middle School Chorus and the UMass Minuteman Marching Band, and more! The event runs 3:00-6:00 pm, ARMS Chorus performs at 4:30 pm, the lighting of the Merry Maple is at 5:00 pm, and the UMass Marching Band arrives with Santa at 5:30 pm. Friday, 3:00-6:00 pm on the North Common. Free. MORE

Holiday Shopping Extravaganza with Free Parking Saturdays – Friday & Saturday

Every day is a good day to shop Amherst’s central business district, but Friday and Saturday are great days to get your holiday shopping done at the variety of boutique and unique retailers downtown. Get discounts of up to 20% at participating retailers, salons, and on restaurant gift cards this Friday and Saturday. MORE

Plus, the Town is offering free parking in all metered spots and public lots throughout downtown on Saturdays in December! MORE

Electric Root Presents: The Sound of (Black) Music – Sunday

On Sunday, the UMass Fine Arts Center brings its fall season to a close with a family matinee presentation of a show that has delighted audiences and critics alike.

The Sound of (Black) Music is a vibrant one-act concert reimagining the songs from Rodgers and Hammerstein’s beloved musical The Sound of Music through a utopian, Afrofuturistic lens full of love. Cherished songs including “Edelweiss,” “I Have Confidence,” and “Climb Ev’ry Mountain” are recast through a soulful music kaleidoscope of jazz, gospel, blues, soul, funk, and Afrobeat. Vocalists C. Anthony Bryant, Brianna Thomas, Charenee Wade, and Zhanna Reed are supported by an electrifying band to bring to life the most joyous and loving presentation.

The Sound of (Black) Music is the brainchild of Electric Root, a dynamic and vibrant collective of artists with a powerful mission: to heal, uplift, and bring joy to communities across the United States through the soul-stirring magic of Black music. Sunday, 3:00 pm in Bowker Auditorium at UMass. $ 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.