Week of Jul 28 - Aug 3
Glamping at Foxtrot Farm | Creating COA Artists at Wistariahurst | Community Acupuncture at Sanctuary | Flirt Local Entries | Summer Events in Western Mass | LGBTQ+ Community Resources & More
Glamping at Foxtrot Farm
Foxtrot Farm recently announced their debut on Hipcamp!
“Over the years, many people have noticed the bell tent that my partner and I sleep in over the summer and asked about a guest tent. At long, long last, we’ve made this wish a reality!
Our waterproof canvas tent, stunning view, smokeless fire pit, spacious composting toilet, and gorgeous fields of herbs are all you need to unplug and go off grid for a weekend in charming Western Massachusetts.
In Ashfield and surrounding towns, small cafes, lakes, rivers, swim spots, hiking trails, and local farm stands abound. World class gravel cycling awaits. Escape the heat of the city and valley and find respite up in the hills.
Book for August, and you’ll be here for elderberry season! We can’t wait to host you!”
- Abby at Foxtrot Farm
They’ve tried to structure the rental to be flexible and accessible for different folks with different needs, opting to make high quality (organic and hypo-allergenic) bedding an optional add-on and keep cleaning fees low. If you’re coming from afar and want to pick herbs while you’re at the farm, there’s an optional PYO add on, too. Or, book an hour long farm tour with Abby to learn more about Foxtrot’s practices, plants, and running a commercial herb farm.
Bloom Local subscribers can use the promo code MIBYVW2S for 15% off for August bookings!
Sanctuary’s Community Acupuncture Series
Join Maya and Melanie for a nourishing experience at their Community Acupuncture Series — a space where healing happens together.
Due to the strong response and attendance, the series has been extended! Their sliding-scale treatments ($50–$15) are offered in a peaceful group setting. Whether you're seeking relief from stress, pain, sleep issues, or just need a moment to reset, they are licensed acupuncturists here to support your well-being. Come as you are, rest for a time, and leave feeling more grounded, balanced, and connected. Book online to reserve your spot, walk-ins welcome based on availability.
Maya and Melanie are licensed acupuncturists trained at Acupuncture and Integrative Medicine College in Berkeley, CA. Their work is built on the principles of East Asian Medicine — honoring the body’s rhythms, the importance of interconnection, and the potential for healing on all levels. With a shared passion for community care, they enjoy creating inclusive acupuncture spaces that invite connection, restoration, and collective healing.
The series continues on Tuesday evenings (except July 29) through August 26 at Sanctuary, located on Level 3 of Thornes Marketplace in downtown Northampton.
Announcing Creating COA Artists at Wistariahurst Museum
Wistariahurst Museum recently announced a new gallery exhibition coming this August: Creating COA Artists is an exhibition featuring artists involved in Holyoke’s Council on Aging and Senior Center. Celebrating artists at all stages, those showing work have anywhere from months to decades of experience. A variety of mediums are featured in the exhibition, including watercolor, acrylic, ceramics, and textiles. This diverse selection shows a range of experience and mediums coming together to form a truly unique exhibit.
The Holyoke Council on Aging and Senior Center hosts a variety of art classes, encouraging visitors to continue or begin creating. Many members have embraced a passion for the visual arts through their participation, and some of the artwork on view has been created in these spaces.
The Opening Reception of Creating COA Artists will be held Thursday, August 21st from 5:00 PM - 7:00 PM.
Open Gallery Hours will be held from August 25 - September 23 on Mondays (10 AM - 2 PM) and Tuesdays (4:30 PM - 6:30 PM). There is no admission fee, and the exhibition is open to the public.
Wistariahurst is an artist-friendly space that encourages creativity and supports the growth of this region’s artists. To learn more, visit their website.
Signed, Strawberry Frosted
To the person at the Northampton Dunkin’ on the corner of King and Damon:
Wow, you were really pretty. You had a tattoo of Ellie’s switchblade from The Last of Us, and I felt there was no way you weren’t queer, but, y’know, assumptions. My mother was in the car with me, and cars were behind us. I wish I got the chance to compliment you on more than just your tattoo. You had a nice smile I would loved to have seen over drinks. Not coffee though, you probably smell that enough during the day.
Signed,
Strawberry Frosted
What is Flirt Local?
It’s a new space where you can share your missed connections anonymously with readers of the Dispatch.
Let's celebrate LGBTQIA+ moments of curiosity, chemistry, and connection—whether it was a spark at the maker's market, a glance at the cafe, or a shared laugh at a show. We're just here to have a little flirty fun and keep the local love growing.
Use the form below to send in your short + sweet submission. We reserve the right to edit for clarity and may not be able to publish every entry.
What happens if I want to get in touch with someone who made an entry I believe is describing me?
Email us and we will confirm whether or not the person who made the entry wishes to be contacted. If all parties consent to it, we will send a group email to connect you.
Questions? Email us (Hello@BloomLocal.live).
ICYMI
Quick Links to Rad Stuff + Stuff We Covered Last Week
Registration is Open for NCMC Classes, Lessons, and Ensembles
Rock, Roll & Gather: ADA 35th Anniversary Celebration August 2nd
Shop our Gift Guide featuring affirming items and experiences from the Bloom Local Partner Network
Explore new additions to our Community Guide and keep supporting LGBTQ+-owned businesses and orgs
Weekly Poll
Curious about the results of last week’s poll?
Thanks for your feedback!
Northampton Parents Center Free Summer Playgroup
Tuesday, July 29, 2025
9:30 AM - 11:30 AM
📍Jackson Street School, 120 Jackson St., Northampton, MA
FREE drop-in playgroups for kids 0-5 and their caregivers. Big siblings always welcome! ALL welcome!
Community Acupuncture Summer Series
Tuesday, July 29, 2025
7:15 PM - 9:00 PM
📍Sanctuary, Thornes Marketplace Level 3, 150 Main St., Northampton, MA
Join Maya and Melanie for a nourishing experience at their Community Acupuncture Series — a space where healing happens together. Their sliding-scale treatments ($50–$15) are offered in a peaceful group setting.
TORCH SONG
July 31 & August 1, 2, 8 PM
August 2, 3, 2 PM
📍Northampton Center for the Arts, 33 Hawley St., Northampton, MA
An independent collective of queer and trans artists is putting on a production of Harvey Fierstein’s TORCH SONG, a hilarious and moving play about a drag queen in NYC in the 70s and 80s. We plan to donate 15-20% of proceeds from the show to support the Trans Asylum Seekers Support Network and other groups supporting LGBTQIA+ people at this time.
* SLIDING SCALE TICKETS *
Reparations in Residence: Forum for Arts & Culture Workers + Admin
Thursday, July 31, 3:00 - 5:30 PM
📍 A.P.E. Gallery Ltd, 126 Main St., Northampton, MA
Join multidisciplinary artivist Indë in their installation Mirror, Mirror for a forum on implementing artist residencies as a form of reparations for Black and Indigenous peoples.
* FREE PROGRAM *
“…Expect a Circus”
Friday, August 1 & Saturday, August 2, 6:00 PM
📍Northampton Center for the Arts, 33 Hawley St., Northampton, MA
Audiences 14+ are invited to enjoy a captivating collection of contemporary circus works revolving around the power of the body. Inspired by Roxane Gay’s concept of the “unruly body,” through aerial, juggling, tightwire, and dance, these works subvert conventional circus aesthetics to interrogate the politicization of physical form. Rather than spectacle for spectacle’s sake, "...Expect a Circus" spotlights the dedication, activism, and discipline of circus arts while examining how bodies resist, provoke, and challenge the political sphere.
* SLIDING SCALE TICKETS *
Summer Bling & Beads Jewelry Workshop with Gem’s Creations
2 Sessions: 10:00 AM & 1:00 PM
Saturday, August 2, 2025
📍Wistariahurst Museum, 238 Cabot St., Holyoke, MA
Hosted by Trudy Monson of Gem's Creations. All skill levels are invited explore the art of jewelry with a fun, summer theme!
* $25 TICKETS *
Rock, Roll & Gather: Celebrate the 35th Anniversary of the ADA Signing
Saturday, August 2, 2025
12:00 PM - 4:00 PM
📍Look Park, 300 North Main St., Northampton, MA
Join Stavros CIL for a free, all-ages celebration marking the 35th Anniversary of the Americans with Disabilities Act. Expect live music, local vendors, and community connection—all in an accessible, joyful space where everyone belongs.
* FREE PROGRAM *
Echoes of Nature: Hampshire County - A Summer Evening of Story & Song
Saturday, August 2, 2025
6:00 PM - 7:00 PM
📍Ana Bandeira, 48 Main St., Northampton, MA
Experience a unique performance that blends poetry, song, and story inspired by the natural beauty of Hampshire County. Join artists Kim Hoff and Jess Martin for Echoes of Nature, a creative journey that celebrates our local landscapes and shared sense of place through moving words and melodies.
* FREE PROGRAM *
Mirror, Mirror at A.P.E.
Closing Reception: Friday, August 8, 5:00 - 8:00 PM
📍A.P.E. Gallery Ltd, 126 Main St., Northampton, MA
Mirror, Mirror is a multidisciplinary art installation by Indë, a queer Black artivist born/raised/residing in Northampton, MA. The exhibit, on display from July 18th to August 8th, explores intersectional solidarity through immersive multimedia compositions and audience participation. In addition to presenting large figurative paintings, an original soundtrack, mirror/glass-based sculptures, and a new system of music notation, Indë will premiere the music video for “COME ON HOME,” featuring choir vocals by the Queer Joy Chorus, at the opening and closing receptions!
* FREE PROGRAM *
🏳️⚧️ Trans Relocation Support (TRS) Western MA
TRS is committed to helping people move to Western Mass from states with anti-trans legislation. They aim to connect people with networks of mutual aid, resources, and community in this area. The process is a temporary support bridge that facilitates long-term local int(ter)dependence. TRS seeks to grow community care, mutual aid, and alternative systems of care for gender diverse people.
Connect with TRS: Learn & Volunteer | Give Support | Get Support
✍️ Access Free Notary Services
Forbes Library (Northampton): (413) 587-1011
Easthampton Public Library: (413) 527-1031
Chicopee Public Library: (413) 594-1800
You can also try (fees may apply): your local town hall, AAA, banks
🛟 Legal Aid for Immigrant Families
The Immigrant Defense Hotline (617-988-0606) is staffed by attorneys from Lawyers for Civil Rights’ pro bono network. Callers who leave a message will receive same-day response to questions about immigration enforcement and reports of immigration raids. Please reach out to Hotline@LawyersForCivilRights.org if you would like to get involved.
⚧️ Resources from Translate Gender
Read + Learn
Supreme Court rules to keep Tennessee’s gender-affirming care ban in place (The 19th)
Dear Trans Kids, You Don't Need the Government's Permission to Exist (Teen Vogue)
Know Your Rights (Trans Youth) (Transgender Law Center)
Information for LGBTQ+ People Under the Trump Administration (GLAD Law)
Connect
Join one of Translate Gender’s upcoming happenings, virtually or in-person
Reach out through our family listserv (please remember to be gentle, respectful, and to follow our community care practices)
If you or a loved one needs more urgent support, reach out to:
Trans Lifeline: (877) 565-8860
The Trevor Project: (866) 488-7386
Take Action
→ Share information about Translate Gender in your communities, especially our work educating schools, businesses, and workplaces on protecting and affirming trans and gender-expansive youth.
→ Support sanctuary city initiatives in your city or town (like this one in Pittsfield or this one in Northampton) to ensure that trans individuals and the people who support them are safe.
→ If you’re able, donate to Translate Gender (monthly giving especially makes a huge difference) to help us continue our work lifting up and empowering trans, nonbinary, and gender-expansive youth and families.
Seeking community? Join the network.
It’s’s a pivotal time to build and bolster local networks of care — and we remain dedicated to connecting LGBTQ+ and ally entrepreneurs in and beyond our region. If you are an LGBTQ+ creative, healer, educator, or entrepreneur of any focus or an ally business serving communities throughout Western MA, we invite you to join our queer-grown network of community partners.
What are the benefits? (1) an active listing in our Community Guide (2) visibility in our weekly newsletters (3) access to partners-only resources and opportunities including monthly network meet-ups.
No-Fee Network Membership for QTBIPOC Entrepreneurs
As one of our commitments to reparative justice, we offer one year of no-fee partnership to QTBIPOC (Queer, Trans, Black, Indigenous, and People of Color) small business owners. This initiative is one move we’re making to foster a more equitable entrepreneurial ecosystem in the River Valley.
If you are a QTBIPOC small business owner and you are interested in becoming a partner, we invite you to apply and check where indicated if you would like to access one year of no-fee membership.
Learn more about the program at: BloomLocal.Live/Partner-Program and contact us with questions anytime.
Hosting an upcoming event? Let us spread the word!
Calendar listings and event promotion in this newsletter are benefits of Bloom Local’s Partner Program, however, we welcome listings from non-partners. To submit an event listing without a partner network membership, email your event details to: Hello@BloomLocal.live. A sliding scale fee of $5-$30 (payable via Venmo) applies to each accepted submission.
Keep Connecting
Email Hello@BloomLocal.Live
Learn about the Partner Program