Blog / Specialty Shops
4 Unique Holiday Shopping Experiences in Western MA
Snow Farm Seconds Sale | Photo by Lynne Graves
If you're searching for a handmade gift but you don't have the time to make something yourself, turn to our local artists in Western MA! Visit Open Studios in Florence and Easthampton and special artisan sales like Seconds Sales at Snow Farm: The New England Craft Program in Williamsburg or Makers Market at the Parlor Room in Northampton. Meet the artists themselves, buy unique gifts for the holidays, and most importantly, support a booming local creative economy.
10 Ways to Make the Most of Late Fall in Western MA
Northampton International Cyclocross | Photo by Cycle-Smart
The leaves are falling fast, daylight savings ends soon, and the holidays are fast-approaching, but that doesn’t mean the fun stops between now and Thanksgiving. Before you slip into a holiday craze, take some time for yourself and plan a visit to Western Massachusetts. There’s a lot of great things going on all throughout the fall for foodies, culture vultures and everything in between.
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…
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.
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.
ICYMI, 6 Pieces of Foodie News from Western Massachusetts
30Boltwood, Amherst | Photo by Lynne Graves
Let’s face it—there’s a lot of delicious things to keep up with in western Massachusetts so it’s easy to miss a few things here and there. There's been a lot of love for western Massachusetts culinary scene in the last week or so, from James Beard nominations featuring local chefs to some love from a Boston blogger. Plus Massachusetts maple sugarhouses open for the season and WGBY hosts its annual Wine Lovers' Weekend!
9 Ways to Cope with the Darkness in Western Massachusetts
Vortex Dance Fitness Studio, Easthampton | Photo by Paul Preston
Daylight savings has officially ended, it’s true. We know it can be hard to adjust and we could all used a little help making the best of the new long, dark nights. Here's a few ways you can cope with the darkness this time of year in western Massachusetts, from dance classes at Vortex Dance Fitness Studio in Easthampton to the Internet Cat Video Festival at Amherst Cinema.