Downtown Art Gallery, Concert Series Anchor Amherst's Weekend
Amherst heads into the last weekend of July with a trio of community gatherings on tap Friday, while the water use restrictions imposed earlier this month remain in effect amid ongoing heat.
TOWN HALL
The town's Level 2 water use restrictions, announced amid the summer heat wave, remain active, and officials continue to point residents to cooling centers and outdoor facilities available for anyone needing relief from the heat, according to the town's website. An update on Puffer's Pond swimming conditions is also posted for residents planning to visit this weekend.
The town also continues to seek public input through its cable television survey, open through Friday, August 7, inviting all residents — subscribers and non-subscribers alike — to weigh in on their service experience.
SCHOOLS
The district is preparing for a Substitute & Jobs Expo on August 12, open to applicants across all grades and buildings, with applications due by August 5. The Board of Education is scheduled to meet August 4 and again August 18, both at 6 or 7 p.m. in the District Board Room.
Kindergarten registration is open for children turning five before December 1, 2026, with information and sign-up available through the district's central registration portal.
COMMUNITY & ARTS
Amherst's downtown will see a busy Friday, July 31, with a Summer Art Gallery Opening and the latest installment of the Downtown Summer Concert Series both on the calendar, alongside a welcome reception for new Senior Services Director Daniel Garcia.
At the library, families can catch Andy's Playhouse Kids Performance Friday at 10 a.m. The library's "Plant a Seed, Read!" summer reading program continues through its Friday, August 7 finish, building toward the Summer Reading Program Finale Ice Cream Social scheduled for that date at 2 p.m. Additional early-August library programming includes Let's Play Mahjong! on August 6 and a Friends of the Library Artist Reception on August 8.
ELSEWHERE IN THE NEWS
"Bonnie Prindle Obituary (1952 - 2026) - Belchertown, MA - westernmassnews - Legacy" — Legacy.com published an obituary for Bonnie Prindle, a Belchertown-area resident with University of Massachusetts and Amherst ties, per a Google Alerts item from Legacy.com (read it at https://www.legacy.com/us/obituaries/westernmassnews/name/bonnie-prindle-obituary?id=62078811).
COMING UP
Friday, July 31: Welcome Reception for new Senior Services Director Daniel Garcia; Downtown Summer Concert Series; Summer Art Gallery Opening; Andy's Playhouse Kids Performance at the library, 10 a.m.
Monday, August 3: Little Art Makers at the library, 3:30 p.m.
Tuesday, August 4: Board of Education meeting, 6 p.m.; Sprinkler Storytime at the library, 10 a.m.
Wednesday, August 5: Little Listeners, 10 a.m., and Story Makers Studio, 3 p.m., both at the library. Substitute Jobs Expo applications due.
Thursday, August 6: Tots & Tunes, 10 a.m.; Creative Corner, 4 p.m.; Let's Play Mahjong!, 1 p.m. — all at the library.
Friday, August 7: Summer Reading Program Finale Ice Cream Social, 2 p.m., at the library. Deadline for the town's cable television survey and for Electrify Amherst public art submissions.
Compiled from official town feeds, community organizations, and local press. Outside reporting is attributed inline.