Western Massachusetts

While most of Massachusetts is still covered in snow as we begin the month of March, spring really is just around the corner—Daylight Savings Time begins Sunday, March 8 and the Spring Equinox is March 20! Despite all the snow and current cold temperatures, there’s a handful of good things happening in western Massachusetts this month that remind us spring is near.

1. Spring Flowers

At this point, it’s going to take a while for flowers to pop out of the ground, but every March the greenhouses at Smith and Mount Holyoke colleges are brimming with colorful buds and blooms for their annual spring flower shows. This is a great way to to escape the cold and be reminded of the warmth and color heading our way. Both the Spring Bulb Show at Smith College and Mount Holyoke’s Spring Flower Show, “Tropical Oasis,” are open March 7 through 22.

2. Very Hungry Caterpillar Day

There couldn’t be a more perfect icon of spring than Eric Carle’s famous Very Hungry Caterpillar. Every year just after the Spring Equinox, the Eric Carle Museum of Picture Book Art celebrates Very Hungry Caterpillar Day—this year it’s Sunday, March 22 from noon to 5 p.m. Guests can enjoy special story times, art activities and a chance to meet The Very Hungry Caterpillar itself, all free with museum admission. Plus all caterpillar-related books and toys are 15% off in the book shop!

3. Maple Sugaring Season

The sweetest sign of spring is surely maple sugaring season. March is Maple Month in Massachusetts; the sap starts to flow from the trees and sugar houses begin boiling it down to syrup. It also means that some of our sugar houses serve breakfast with fresh maple syrup. These restaurants are only open once a year usually through mid-April. Check out our latest blog by the folks at Valley Nibbler for tips and tricks for enjoying the season.

4. Reopening of The Emily Dickinson Museum

When the time comes for historic house museums in New England to reopen for the season, surely that means the temperatures are rising, too. The Emily Dickinson Museum reopens on Wednesday, March 4, 2015. Guests can look forward to catching a glimpse at the in-progress restoration of the poet’s bedroom to its original state.

5. Robert Frost's Birthday

On March 26th, 2015, famed New England poet, Robert Frost, would have been 141 years old. Frost taught English at Amherst College and during this time, he would often stay at The Lord Jeffery Inn and use it as his home base. In honor of a man who “took the [road] less traveled”, 30Boltwood at The Lord Jeffery Inn will host a bourbon dinner featuring Four Roses Distillery. Tickets available until March 23.

Let his birthday also be a reminder that our trails that will soon be clear enough to walk and hike. One of the more well-known trails in the Amherst area is the Robert Frost Trail, a 47-mile footpath that crosses through Hampshire County and includes a number of scenic features such as the Holyoke Range, Puffer's Pond, and Mount Toby.

6. Amherst’s Daffodil Fun Run

Now is the time to register for the annual Daffodil Fun Run in Amherst that benefits Big Brothers Big Sisters of Hampshire County. As one of the first major events in Amherst after winter’s thaw, participants race past many of the bright and sunny 50,000 daffodils that were planted in celebration of Amherst's 250th anniversary. The race happens April 26, 2015 when many of the flowers should be in bloom.

'Think Spring' on Nashawannuck Pond in Easthamtpon created and captured on Sunday, March 1, 2015 by Patrick Brough & our friends at Easthampton 01027 The Good News Page.