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Share Your Colorful Side of Massachusetts on Instagram
Leaves at Quabbin | Photo by Bruce Chambers
We we want to see your best fall photos photos from around Western Massachusetts. Read more about how to submit!
5 Reasons to Visit Western Mass. Any Day of the Week this Fall
We can’t deny that fall is truly one of our best seasons in Hampshire County of Western Massachusetts, but that also means it's one of our busiest! Between signature events like the Paradise City Arts Festival and Family Weekends at our schools, thousands of visitors flock to our region every October. But we don’t want that to discourage you! This year we’re inviting you to think about a different kind of getaway. Go ahead—extend your weekend and include a Thursday or Sunday night, or celebrate a little Mountain Day of your own with a midweek getaway!
22 New Things to Check Out in Western Massachusetts
Hitchcock Center for the Environment | Photo by Jessica Schultz
With the return of the school year and the changing of seasons among us, we’re heading into one of the best times of the year in Western Massachusetts. As you plan your fall visits to Hampshire County, be sure to consider adding some of these new places to eat, learn, shop and explore as well as events to your itinerary!
Let Valley Wed Help You Say ‘I Do’ in Western Massachusetts
Love & Perry Photography and Films
Wedding planning can be a fun and fulfilling experience, especially when you have the right people on your team. Valley Wed will help you find everything you need to have an amazing wedding day, with the best vendors to help you plan one of the most important days of your life. Register today for a chance to win some fantastic prizes from western Massachusetts businesses!
How to Spend a Weekend in the Hilltowns of Western MA
William Cullen Bryant Homestead, Cummington | Photo by the Trustees of Reservations
When you visit Hampshire County of Western Massachusetts, the bustling downtown destinations only make up half the equation. There’s so much to discover beyond our city lines, particularly in the Hilltowns of western Hampshire County—Chesterfield, Cummington, Goshen, Huntington, Middlefield, Planfield, Westhampton, Williamsburg and Worthington. This part of Hampshire County is home to Snow Farm: The New England Craft Program and countless other artists finding inspiration…
8 Unique Drop-In Fitness Classes to Try this Summer in Western MA
Vortex Dance & Fitness Metal Yoga | Photo by Shaina Mishkin on MassLive.com
If you’re looking to shake up your fitness routine this summer and try something new even while you're traveling, there’s plenty of unique options in Hampshire County in western Massachusetts! There are weekly drop-in group cycling rides, hooping classes, and certainly no shortage of daily classes at our yoga studios and even a handful of unique classes in famous gardens, breweries, and more. For the more adventurous and experienced, there’s even aerial yoga at the local circus training studio!
Share Your Best of Western MA
This summer on your Instagram, share awesome pictures of the the places you've been (or want to go!) in Western Massachusetts. Tag your photos #gowestMA for a chance to be featured on the @VisitMA Instagram and massvacation.com blog. Additionally if you're sharing any pictures of destinations and places in Hampshire County, tag #othersidema and you'll be entered into a contest for a $100 Downtown Northampton giftcard!
6 More Five College Alums Who Call Western MA Home
During commencement and reunion season at the five colleges in western Massachusetts, we’re reminded just how many students have called our region home for even a few years. We know that those few years at school in western Massachusetts are special for many, but our local alums confirm that getting to stay or return is something else entirely. Last year we reflected on some of the alums who shape our local food scene but here’s a few more who are running creative businesses from body modification shops to homemade ice cream parlors.
3 Recipes to Prepare You for Asparagus Season in Western MA
Hadley Grass for sale at Atkins | Photo by Lynne Graves
"Best in the World" is a claim that the farmers and chefs in western Massachusetts are ready to stand by when it comes to our asparagus, or "Hadley Grass." Hampshire County, home to New England’s most productive farmland, has been called the “Asparagus Capital of the World” for its prolific abundance of the crop. This celebrated spear is honored and enjoyed throughout the season at festivals, farmers markets, farm stands, and on restaurant menus where chefs do everything from grilling or pickling it to making crisp salads or mouthwatering soups. In anticipation of the season, some of our local chefs have shared their favorite asparagus recipes below for you to make at home.
Book Lover’s Guide to Western MA
White Square Books, Easthampton | Photo by Lynne Graves
The New York Times once wrote that our region is “arguably the most author-saturated, book-cherishing, literature-celebrating place in the nation.” And while that might have been said years ago, we’re proud to claim that not much has changed. When they visit western Massachusetts, book lovers will enjoy our wealth of appreciation for antiquarian and rare books and the variety of bookstores and places to browse such volumes; museums like the Eric Carle Museum of Picture Book Art or Emily Dickinson Museum; and Easthampton's annual BookFest every April.