Historic Northampton Events
October 2022
Fish Scales, Pearlware, and More: Stories from the Soils around the Shepherd Barn and Parsons House

A Zoom Presentation by Dr. Greg Walwer of Archaeological Consulting Services

Thursday, October 13, 2022 | 7 pm
Last spring, archaeologist Greg Walwer and his team surveyed the soils in and around the 1805 Shepherd Barn and 1719 Parsons House. Their investigation was in anticipation of the restoration of the barn and regrading around the Parsons House, and it was done to make sure no significant archaeological features were hidden below the soil surface.
 
Walwer will tell the stories revealed by 1,000 unearthed fragments—clay pipes, ceramic pieces, coal lumps, metal hinges, shoe buckles, and more.
 
Registration is required.
Suggested donation: $5-20.
Eagles, Owls and Hawks with Tom Ricardi:
A Presentation with Live Birds of Prey

Friday, October 14, 2022 | 5 pm
On the Grounds of Historic Northampton
(Rain date: Friday, October 21, 2022 at 5 pm)
Tom Ricardi is one of the nation’s most respected bird of prey rehabilitators and educators. He will bring some of the permanently injured owls, hawks, and eagles from his Birds of Prey Rehabilitation Center in Conway, Massachusetts, to Historic Northampton and describe each bird’s natural history and why their populations have changed over time.
 
A retired Fish and Wildlife game warden and licensed wildlife rehabilitator, Ricardi has spent the last 50 years nurturing thousands of injured birds of prey back to health at his rehabilitation center. He was the first person in the United States to successfully breed permanently injured bald eagles in captivity and he has released dozens of eaglets into the wild. His goal is to help people appreciate, respect, and assist in the conservation of these important raptors and their habitats. 
 
A special area on the lawn closest to Ricardi will be reserved for children.

Please bring a blanket or chair. The event is free and open to all. 
 
All donations collected will benefit Tom’s Birds of Prey Rehabilitation Center in Conway.
 
Sponsored by Greenfield Savings Bank.
Eekappella! A Halloween A Cappella Concert
Saturday, October 22, 2022 | 4 pm
On the Grounds of Historic Northampton
Come to a festive musical celebration on the grounds of Historic Northampton. The concert lineup features the Smith College Chamber Singers, Groove, Smiffenpoofs, Smithereens, Vibes, Noteables, special guests the Mount Holyoke Nice Shoes and more!

Donations will be accepted to support the Friends of Hampshire County Homeless Individuals.

There will be a raffle for gourmet candy and gift certificates. Please bring a chair or blanket.

Sponsored by Cornucopia, Boho Chocolate, the Downtown Northampton Association, Heavenly Chocolate, State Street Fruit Store, and Sweeties.
Behind-the-Scenes at the Mineral Hills Winery
Sunday, October 23, 2022 | 4:30 pm
Commercial-scale winemaking began in America in the mid-19th century, and nearly two centuries later, Northampton’s Larry and Sue Godard began their own commercial winemaking venture in Northampton. 
 
In 2010, the couple produced their first 50 cases. Today their Mineral Hills Winery produces more than 1,400 cases of wine a year. These include award-winning varieties: Cayuga White (Double Gold medal 2020) and Seyval Blanc (Gold medal) from American Wine Society Commercial Competition, and a Cabernet Sauvignon (Silver Medal 2018).
 
In this special behind-the-scenes tour, the Godards will describe their wine-making process and offer tastings at their family farm in the Mineral Hills.
 
Registration is required. Limited to 20.
$15-25 and includes a glass of wine, a flight of five wines (1-ounce samples) or a sample of apples and honey. (Age 21 and over for wine tastings).
A Walking Tour of Bridge Street Cemetery
with Emma Winter Zeig of Historic Northampton

Friday, October 21, 2022 | 10 am
Saturday, October 29, 2022 | 10 am
Get to know your historical neighbors in a walking tour of Bridge Street Cemetery. We will "meet" some Northampton residents - like Revolutionary War patriot Joseph Hawley, Samuel Bartlett of witchcraft accusation fame, Indigenous spinner and weaver Sally Maminash, Sylvia Church, a woman who was enslaved in Northampton, and a family who were all killed in the Mill River Flood. Along the way, we will examine changing artisanry and symbolism of gravestone design.
Registration is required.
Each walk is limited to 20 participants.
Sliding scale admission: $10-20.
Bridge Street Cemetery: Voices from the Archives
with Emma Winter Zeig of Historic Northampton

Saturday, October 22, 2022 | 10 am
Sunday, October 30, 2022 | 10 am
Learn about the people buried at Bridge Street Cemetery who have a special connection to Historic Northampton and hear the words they wrote in their letters, poems, and diaries that are archived in our collections: hear from parents sending their child off to college, a girl witnessing the dawn of moviemaking, and a soldier seeing battle for the first time.

Registration is required.
Each walk is limited to 20 participants.
Sliding scale admission: $10-20.
Now and Then: Lisa Thompson and the Arts on Main Street (and Beyond)
Thursday, November 3, 2022 | 7 pm
During the past four decades, Lisa Thompson has played a key role in the arts and art spaces in Northampton—as a dancer, mentor, curator, and active agent in the creation of the City’s vibrant arts scene. 
 
During this special zoom conversation marking Thompson's retirement as A.P.E.’s Associate Director, she will share stories from the past as well as her thoughts on the future of Northampton’s arts and culture.
 
Followed by a Q & A session. 
 
Registration is required. Sliding scale admission: $5-25.
Proceeds benefit A.P.E.'s Creative Coaching Fund and Historic Northampton. 
HISTORIC NORTHAMPTON
46 Bridge Street
Northampton, MA 01060