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 and recreational events that caught our eye.

Department of Public Works Building Committee — Tuesday 

The committee will welcome new members, conduct designer interviews at 10 AM, 11 AM, and noon, rank the RFQ candidates, and make a recommendation to the Town Manager. Tuesday, 9:30–11:30 AM, in person at Town Hall, Town Room, and via Zoom. MORE

Governance, Organization, and Legislation Committee of the Town Council — Tuesday 

The committee will discuss the Resident Oversight Board, Charter Review Committee beyond-the-charter recommendations, and Town Council Rules of Procedure including president and vice president term limits and remote/hybrid meeting policies. Tuesday, 6:30–8:30 PM, via Zoom. MORE

Who Keeps History Alive? Black Grassroots Museums and the Fight to Preserve Memory – Wednesday

The Summer Seminar Series at UMass Downtown presents UMass graduate student presenters who share their research, ideas, and work in an engaging and approachable format designed to spark conversation, curiosity, and connection. This week, Marcus Smith presents “Who Keeps History Alive?” Have you ever wondered what happens to history when communities are left to preserve it on their own? Who bears the responsibility of preserving memory and history when those histories are absent from, or excluded by, formal archives and institutions?

Join us in exploring This Proud Home, a dissertation that traces how Black grassroots museums—often built in living rooms, historical structures, and contested landscapes—sustain and contribute to the long struggle for Black freedom. Wednesday, 6:00-7:30 PM at UMass Downtown. MORE

Amherst Conservation Commission — Wednesday 

The commission will hold hearings of an abbreviated Notice of Intent for conversion of parking lot landscape islands to pervious pavement at 40 University Drive and a Request for Determination for soil boring and sampling at the former Manufactured Gas Plant on Pelham Road on behalf of Eversource Energy. After the hearings, the commission will discuss the final draft of a Conservation Land Management Policy and Regulation on hunting, as well as the commission’s correspondence protocol and budget. Wednesday, 7:00–10:00 PM, via Zoom. MORE

Zoning Board of Appeals — Thursday 

The board will hold a public meeting to review and vote on a request to extend the time limit to open a public hearing on an appeal regarding construction of an ADU at 27 Newell Court. Thursday, 6:00–9:00 PM, via Zoom. MORE

Opening Reception: Amherst in the Revolution – Thursday

The Amherst History Center will host an opening reception for its exhibition In Defense of our Just Rights & Liberties: Amherst in the Revolution on Thursday. 

This exhibit gives guests an opportunity to learn how the Revolutionary War played out in Amherst – directly from the voices of the residents who lived through it. Through primary source documents, the exhibit brings visitors on a journey from the declaration of independence in Amherst to the stirrings of revolution and eventual outbreak of war. Thursday, 5:00-7:00 PM at the Amherst History Center (45 Boltwood Walk). MORE

“Grief and Love are Sisters:” Processing the Closure of Hampshire College – Thursday

Join the Town of Amherst for this session of our Community Wellness and Resiliency Conversation series focusing on topics that have impacted our community. This session will focus on the community impacts of Hampshire College’s closure, facilitated by Dr. Pat Romney, higher education consultant and former Associate Professor of Psychology at Hampshire College. Thursday, 5:30-7:00 PM in Bangs Community Center. MORE

Victor Wooten & The Wooten Brothers Band – Friday

Connecting a musically deep past to musical future, the Wooten Brothers explode genres and build bridges across genres. Bar by bar, in live performances and on recordings, they provide an exhilarating ‘connects-you-to-the-center-of-the-universe’ sound.
As a family band, they are second to none. The Brothers’ music bends and defines genres; amplifies centuries, and spans continents. 
The Wooten Brothers began in R&B before evolving as teens into Jazz, Jazz Fusion, Classical and Country. Then, they emerged in 1985 on Arista records with an album called, “The Wootens”, that combined Electronic, Funk, Soul, Disco, and Boogie—and offered only a sliver of the Wooten whole. 
The Wooten whole is all of that…and classical, and jazz, and country, and Rock-and-Roll. Friday, 8:00 PM at The Drake. MORE

Amherst Community Band Concert – Saturday

The Amherst Community Band will present a free public concert featuring beloved standards of American music in celebration of the 250th Anniversary of the Declaration of Independence. Saturday, 6:00-7:00 PM in Sweetser Park. MORE

Amherst Pride Parade & Celebration – Sunday

Amherst Pride aims to celebrate the diversity and resilience of the LGBTQ+ community, promote visibility, and provide valuable resources and support. It’s a day for everyone to come together, celebrate love and identity, and strengthen the bonds of our community. This exciting event will feature a festive parade, an empowering rally, and a community resource fair.

Beginning at 12:00 PM at the high school, the parade will wind its way through downtown ending at the Amherst Town Common. Parade participants are invited to a sign making session at 11:00 AM. Supplies will be provided.

Following the parade, a celebration including live performances and a resource fair will take place from 1:00 PM to 3:00 PM on the Amherst Town Common. Inspiring speakers, community leaders, and performances will honor LGBTQ+ voices and experiences. Sunday, 12:00-3:00 PM at the high school and town common. MORE

Save the Date

July 4: The Amherst Historical Society will be presenting a communal reading of the Declaration of Independence at noon on Saturday, July 4th from the steps of the Amherst Town Hall. The event will be marked by the ringing of church bells throughout the town at noon, followed by a summoning of the community to Town Hall by the blowing of a conch shell. Historically, a conch shell was used to call the residents of Amherst to gather to conduct town business. The Historical Society has several examples of conchs used by town officials over the years, including the original dating back to the 18th century. The conch to be used was purchased for the event and is not historic.   

Members of the Town Council will present a proclamation and after that, Representative Mindy Domb will begin the reading with the Preamble. The public is invited to join in following the opening statements. Anyone wishing to participate as a reader, please contact the Amherst Historical Society at info@amhersthistory.org. MORE

July 5: In what has become an annual tradition, South Congregational Church, in partnership with the Town of Amherst Department of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion, will host Reading Frederick Douglass Together, a public recitation of Douglass’s “What to the Slave is the Fourth of July?” speech.

In addition to the reading, the program will also include a performance by the Amherst Area Gospel Choir and a discussion of the speech by youth, mid-career, and elder panelists. Sign up to be a reader! The community-based planning committee is actively seeking area residents of all ages to read portions of Douglass’s “What to the Slave is the Fourth of July?” speech. Read more and sign up HERE.

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Have an event you’d like us to spotlight? Email us TheAmherstCurrent@gmail.com. We publish the Amherst Week Ahead on Mondays; events that are submitted by Friday at midnight will be considered for the following Monday’s post. If your event is on a weekend, please submit it at least 10 days before the event.