Half-Price Kittens, Italian Feast, and PYO Blueberries
By Neal Quesnel ·
Easthampton's Proposition 2½ override survived a July 2 recount and is now settled at the ballot. Springfield's Italian Feast fills the South End from Friday July 10 through Sunday July 12, with the Downtown Summer Concert Series on Boltwood Ave in Amherst running Friday from 5 to 8pm. The 30-year fixed sits at 6.43%, down a hair from last week. And the Foundation for TJO Animals cleared its Reese Fund goals with over $11,000 and nearly 900 pounds of pet food. Here's the week.
This Weekend
§ 01- № 01
Downtown Summer Concert Series on Boltwood
Fri Jul 10 · 5pm to 8pm · Boltwood Ave, AmherstThe Downtown Summer Concert Series takes over Boltwood Ave in Amherst on Friday from 5 to 8pm. Free and outdoors, run by the town.
- № 02
Arts in the Park with the Hard Knox Band
Fri Jul 10 · 6:30pm to 8pm · Daley Field, EasthamptonThe Hard Knox Band brings a classic rock set to Daley Field in Easthampton, at the corner of Williston Avenue and Lownds Avenue, Friday 6:30 to 8pm. Free outdoor concert.
- № 03
The O-Tones at Downtown Live, Westfield
Fri Jul 10 · 7pm to 9pm · 48 Elm Street, WestfieldThe O-Tones headline Westfield's Downtown Live Friday concert at 48 Elm Street, 7 to 9pm. Free and outdoors on the Green.
- № 04
Lisa Bastoni and Hazel Basil at the Annex
Fri Jul 10 · 7pm · Library Annex, EasthamptonLisa Bastoni and Hazel Basil play a free folk double bill at the Emily Williston Library Annex, 52 Main Street in Easthampton. Doors at 6:30, music at 7.
- № 05
Holyoke Garden Tour
Sat Jul 11 · 10am to 3pm · Self-guided throughout HolyokeThe Holyoke Historical Society's self-guided walking tour of six home gardens plus Laurel Park's new pollinator bed, La Finca urban farm, the Cubit Garden, Beyond Armour Yard, and honey-bee talks with Dr. Kim Skyrm, chief apiary inspector at the Massachusetts Department of Agricultural Resources. Check-in at Paper City Fabrics, 330 High St. $20, kids under 10 free, rain or shine.
- № 06
Free soccer watch party at The Landing
Sat Jul 11 · 5pm · The Landing at MassMutual Center, SpringfieldA free outdoor watch party for Norway vs England in the FIFA World Cup 2026 Quarter Finals plays on the big screen at The Landing at MassMutual Center, 1277 Main Street in downtown Springfield. See if Haaland can take the lead in the race for the Golden Boot. Food trucks on site, coverage starts at 5pm.
- № 07
Rick Kostanski at the Boathouse
Sun Jul 12 · 3pm · The Boathouse, South HadleyRick Kostanski plays the Boathouse in South Hadley on Sunday at 3pm, part of the venue's Just One Moor summer series on the water.
Kids Corner
§ 02- № 01
Don't Let the Pigeon Drive the Bus, The Musical
Wed Jul 8 · 10am and 1pm · Majestic Theater, West SpringfieldAges · Ages 3 and upCost · $12Mo Willems' persistent Pigeon tries every trick in the book to score the driver's seat, with catchy songs and audience shout-backs built in. Two showtimes on a Wednesday means lunch on Elm Street after the show instead of fighting weekend crowds.
- № 02
Say it with Potatoes: Summer Family Program
Thu Jul 9 · 9am · River Valley Co-op patio, EasthamptonAges · All agesCost · FreeNature preschool educator Mariah Freemole runs a one-hour outdoor workshop on the co-op patio, this week themed around potatoes. Unstructured, hands-in-the-dirt morning for toddlers, plus coffee for grown ups.
- № 03
Toe Jam Puppet Band at Springfield Museums
Fri Jul 10 · 1pm · Springfield Museums, SpringfieldAges · Ages 2 to 8Cost · Free with museum admissionLocal kids' band trio built around original songs, hand puppets, and audience participation, with a ten-second dance party the kids will remember. Included with regular admission, so Spark Lab and the Cat's Corner are open the same visit.
- № 04
Explore and Create at the Arcadia Art House
Sat Jul 11 · 10am · Mass Audubon Arcadia, EasthamptonAges · Ages 0 to 17 with adultCost · $10 to $12 per personGuided nature art session in Arcadia's Art House, then loose time on the sanctuary trails with paper and pencils. Good pick for a family that wants to make something together in nature.
- № 05
Special Storytime with Bob Shea
Sat Jul 11 · 11am · Eric Carle Museum, AmherstAges · All agesCost · Free with museum admissionThe author of the Dinosaur vs. series and Buddy and the Bunnies reads a few of his books and then teaches kids his own drawing shortcuts, with a book signing after. Named-author storytimes at the Carle sell out on the floor, so arrive early.
- № 06
Sensory Friendly Sunday
Sun Jul 12 · 9am · Springfield Museums, SpringfieldAges · All agesCost · Free with museum admissionThe Dr. Seuss and Science museums open two hours early with modified lighting, quiet spaces, and sensory crafts in the Cat's Corner. Built for kids who need a calmer first look at a big museum before the crowd arrives.
Real Estate Pulse
§ 03The 30-year is at its lowest since spring, and a buyer working a $500K purchase saves about $20 a month versus last week. If you've been sitting on a preapproval waiting for a break, this is a reasonable week to run new numbers.
Monthly payment · 20% down
| $300k home | $1,506/mo | −$38/mo vs last May |
| $500k home | $2,510/mo | −$63/mo vs last May |
| $750k home | $3,765/mo | −$95/mo vs last May |
* Estimated principal & interest only. Excludes property tax and homeowner's insurance.
The 15-year keeps drifting down alongside the 30-year, which matters mostly to Valley owners looking at a refinance or a shorter term on a move-up purchase. The gap between the two is holding near 0.65, so the math on paying down faster hasn't shifted much.
Monthly payment · 20% down
| $300k home | $1,998/mo | −$1/mo vs last May |
| $500k home | $3,330/mo | −$2/mo vs last May |
| $750k home | $4,995/mo | −$4/mo vs last May |
* Estimated principal & interest only. Excludes property tax and homeowner's insurance.
The 10-year moved the other direction this week, which usually pulls mortgage rates up behind it. If next Thursday's Freddie print ticks back up a few hundredths, this is why.
Around Town
§ 04- · Festival
Springfield's Italian Feast fills the streets around the Italian Club and Our Lady of Mt. Carmel Church in the historic South End from Friday July 10 through Sunday July 12. Saturday brings the inaugural Holy Cannoli 5K and a first-annual cannoli eating contest hosted by La Fiorentina Pastry Shop (which is turning 80). Sunday closes with the grease pole competition on a fresh 40-foot pole, a tradition that dates to 1897.
- · Pets
Dakin Humane Society is running kittens at half price at its Springfield shelter July 7 to 11, 12:30 to 3pm.
- · Advisory
Thomas J. O'Connor Animal Control closed to the public Sunday night after outbreaks of canine parvovirus (8 cases since mid-April) and feline panleukopenia (2 cases) at the Springfield shelter. If your pet is there, do not come in; call 413-781-1484 ext. 2 for pickup. Executive director Heather Cahillane says the team is reuniting owned animals with families directly from the field where possible.
- · Town
Easthampton's Proposition 2½ override survived a recount, with the Thursday, July 2 count confirming the earlier vote to pass. The measure is now settled at the ballot level.
- · Notice
Massachusetts picked 125 Liberty Street in Springfield for the new Roderick Ireland Regional Justice Center on Thursday. Occupancy is projected for 2030 on a 40-year lease with two 10-year extensions.
- · Town
Amherst schools Superintendent E. Xiomara Herman told the Amherst, Pelham, and Amherst Regional committees on June 28 that she will not seek contract renewal. Her three-year contract ends June 30, 2027.
- · Pick Your Own
Blueberry pick-your-own is open across the Valley. Fifteen Pioneer Valley farms are picking blueberries this week. Sobieski's River Valley Farm in Whately picks daily 8am to 5pm (cash or Venmo, no dogs on the field), and Quonquont Farm in Whately picks 9am to 4pm every day except Monday. The full directory has every farm with hours, addresses, and payment rules verified against each farm's own site.
Local Wins
§ 05The Foundation for TJO Animals blew past both of its targets at this year's Reese Fund Day of Compassion, pulling in over $11,000 and nearly 900 pounds of pet food for the shelter. Two numbers, one afternoon, a lot of people showing up with a bag of kibble in the trunk.
That money and food goes straight back into medical care, feeding, and adoptions at the Springfield shelter, which is the regional intake point for Springfield, Chicopee, and Holyoke. If you missed the day itself, TJO still takes donations year-round at the shelter on Cottage Street. See Around Town for the current parvo and panleukopenia advisory; the adoption floor is closed to walk-ins this week.
Valley Fact
Greenfield, Massachusetts
On July 13, 2023, the Greenfield Public Library opened its new building next door to the Leavitt-Hovey House, the 1797 structure that had housed the library for many years. The move kept the library on the same block while giving it a purpose-built space for the first time in its history.