6 More Ways to Make the Most of Your Williston Family Weekend Visit
We’re so glad that your student is calling Hampshire County home for a few years while attending The Williston Northampton School. And we’re thrilled that you’re here for Williston Family Weekend! If you’re looking for more things to do now or even later, Visit Hampshire County’s got you covered.
Be ready to eat, eat, and eat some more! Did you know the Northampton area is a foodie’s paradise? There’s a handful of James Beard Award winners and nominees, including Unmi Abkin from Easthampton’s Coco & The Cellar Bar, and no shortage of national recognition like when The Huffington Post highlighted 15 Reasons Western Massachusetts Deserves Some Serious Food Cred. Browse our complete list of over 200 places to eat and discover the next place you'll take your student out, or perhaps send them a gift card for during finals!
Support a Williston alum or fellow parent. Whether a student comes from near or far, they tend to fall in love with Western MA while they’re in secondary school or college here, and sometimes the parents do, too! It'll come as no surprise that that love inspires some to build their career here or start a business. Check out Williston alum- and parent-owned businesses with your student, and maybe they'll connect with a kindred alum spirit: Tandem Bagel Company in Easthampton; Opa Opa Steakhouse and Brewery and Paisano's Pizza in Southampton; and Provisions, Bistro Les Gras, Roberto's, Sylvester's, Filos Greek Taverna, Joe's Pizza, and GoBerry in Northampton.
Take in some mountaintop views. Lucky for you, Williston’s Family Weekend aligns with our foliage season, which is truly the most spectacular time of the year to be in Western MA. We'd recommend checking out the views from Easthampton’s iconic in-town mountain, Mount Tom. And guess what? You don't have to scramble up any trails if you don't want to either—the road to summit views is open on weekends throughout the fall.
Visit one-of-a-kind places. Sometimes it seems that every charming New England college town is the same, with its fair share of coffee shops and art galleries. But have you ever been to an indoor hydroponic park, one of Easthampton’s latest claims to fame? How about a pie bar? Our cities and towns are filled with unique destinations and there's always something new each year to explore, too.
Get your culture on. Did you know that there are 10 museums within 20 miles of The Williston Northampton School? These world-class museums collectively hold over 1.3 million objects, host over 500 programs and produce over 100 exhibitions every year—that’s like having the Lourvre, Met, and MFA Boston combined in one place! It’s also easy to find a local artist molding pottery or blowing glass at a working studio, snag tickets to a play, musical or dance performance, or catch a flick at one of our independent theaters.
Get a head start on your holiday shopping. In Hampshire County you'll find no shortage of quirky, independent and locally-owned stores featuring plenty of locally made gifts. Not to mention, we’re famous for our book stores, too, like White Square Books in Easthampton! The New York Times once wrote that we are “arguably the most author-saturated, book-cherishing, literature-celebrating place in the nation.” Browse our complete list of over 200 specialty shops in the region.
Enough ideas to get you started? Believe us, we know it seems like there’s never enough time to fit it all in. But perhaps you can come visit your student another time, or just explore on your own—they’re pretty busy after all!