Area briefs: Halloween activities, graveyard tour, drive-thru vaccine clinic – GazetteNET

Graveyard tour in Florence

NORTHAMPTON — The annual graveyard tour of Florence’s Park Street Cemetery, with a walk to former homes of the hallowed dead, will take place Sunday, Oct. 29, from 10 a.m. to noon, beginning at 44 Park St. in Florence.

Tour guide Steve Strimer will lead a walk among the grave sites and past the homes of several of the progressive heroes of Florence history. At each site, participants will learn about the occupant from the final draft narrative for the proposed Florence Abolition & Reform National Historic District.

The event, sponsored by the David Ruggles Center, is free and open to the public.

HCC to host annual ‘Trunk or Treat’ event Oct. 27

HOLYOKE — Visitors to Holyoke Community College on Friday, Oct. 27, can expect to see ghosts, witches, and ghouls, along with an assortment of characters from their favorite children’s movies, games, and TV shows as the college celebrates Halloween with its annual Trunk or Treat event.

Dozens of HCC departments, programs, and student clubs, as well as community groups and area businesses decorate vehicles every year for this event.

Trunk or Treat runs from 5 to 7 p.m. in Parking Lot M by the Bartley Center for Athletics and Recreation on the main HCC campus, 303 Homestead Ave.

Trunk or Treat at HCC started in 2017 as a safe, fun, and early alternative to traditional trick-or-treating on Halloween night. Rather than going door to door seeking Halloween treats, children go “trunk to trunk” to collect their candy, visiting cars decorated with seasonal themes and familiar stories and characters.

The event is free and open to the public and will be held outdoors, rain or shine. Children must be accompanied by an adult.

Walking tour of Holyoke Historic District

HOLYOKE — Two members of the city’s Historic District Commission will lead a walking tour of Holyoke’s Fairfield Avenue Historic District, Saturday at 10 a.m..

The tour, part of Holyoke’s 150th anniversary celebration, is free and open to the public.

Commissioners Stephen Fay and Marco Crescentini will lead the outing, providing historic and architectural commentary on the houses in the district.

The excursion, which will take about two hours, will begin at the Historic District sign at the corner of Pleasant Street and Fairfield Avenue.

Information: Stephen Fay, 413-561-1600.

Spooktacular Halloween in Amherst

AMHERST — Amherst Recreation, in collaboration with the Jones Library, will host this year’s Halloween Spooktacular on Sunday, Oct. 29.

Trick or treating will take place downtown in collaboration with the Business Improvement District and the and Amherst Area Chamber of Commerce from 12-1 p.m. Trick or treat bags with participating locations can be picked up at the BID/Amherst Area Chamber of Commerce Office or the Bangs Community Center, 70 Boltwood Walk.

Then from 1-3:30 p.m. at the Bangs Community Center, the event will feature a new interactive haunted house experience, Halloween crafts, a haunted kiddie carnival and story time and monster mash dance with the Jones Library.

Cash admission for the event at the Bangs is $5 for children 5 and older and free for an accompanying adult. Solo attendees 18 and over pay $5.

Contact the Recreation Department at [email protected] with questions.

Drive thru flu clinic in Northampton on Sunday

The Northampton Department of Health and Human Services will hold a flu vaccine drive through clinic on Sunday from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. at Smith Vocational and Agricultural High School, 80 Locust St..

Pre-registration is encouraged at tinyurl.com/northamptonvaccine or call 413-587-1314 for assistance. Those planning to attend the clinic should bring their insurance card, though no one will be turned away for lack of insurance.