Wistariahurst Museum

This exhibit highlights Holyoke and tells the story of the Industrial Revolution's impact on the town. Books, maps, and photographs of one of the country's first planned industrial towns will be included in the display. This exhibit was produced in collaboration with the Holyoke Public Library, and photographs from their Milan P. Warner collection will be on display. Warner, a Holyoke photographer in the 1880s and 1890s, captured beautiful black and white images of the town during its first industrial boom. Admission $3

 See Wistariahurst with new eyes on a scavenger hunt throughout the elegant Skinner Mansion and Carriage House. Teams of up to six people will tackle tricky, humorous questions about the objects and places discovered inside the museum and then meet for prizes and a champagne finale. Bring a sharp mind and a good pair of shoes for an evening of enjoyment! Reservations necessary. Call the Museum to make reservations for your team or as an individual. Registration is $20 per team of 4 or $6 per individual (to be placed on a team)

Join us for a peak at the beautiful Holyoke images captured in the late 19^th century. Learn about the Industrial Revolution and its impact on the town. Admission $3

The harvesting is done and fall is here. Master Gardener Jacqueline Clark will talk about what needs to be done to prepare your garden for its winter sleep and how by taking these steps the garden will be healthier when it’s time for spring planting. Presented by Wistariahurst Museum Gardeners and Western Mass Master Gardeners. All talks are a $5 donation to benefit the garden restoration at Wistariahurst Museum

S.J. Wolfe, senior cataloguer at the American Antiquarian Society and an independent researcher in mummyology will give an illustrated presentation on her mummy research and will include such topics as mummy unwrappings and the making of paper from mummy cloth. Tickets $5

 Join City Historian Penni Martorell for a fascinating walking tour through Forestdale Cemetery, dedicated in 1862. Learn about the city’s history engraved in stone. Reservations necessary as space is limited. Please call (413) 322-5660. $7 admission

Holyoke offers an attractive balance of urban bustle and vibrant natural landscapes. Refresh yourself in the area’s historical richness, experience the beauty of the canals, explore a renovated mill building, have fun in the outdoors, visit historical sites. Take advantage of the abundant cultural, recreational and educational venues. Enjoy museums, take in the Volleyball Hall of Fame, give the kids a ride on the historic Merry-Go-Round and play at the Children’s Museum. Take pleasure in dance, theater and the arts with Holyoke’s exciting venues and talented performers. Participating visitors pay $1 to enjoy ongoing events throughout the city – shuttle transportation is included. For more information, visit www.PassportHolyoke.org

Ed & Libby Klekowski, producers of "Yanks Fight the Kaiser" will give an insider’s look at the making of the documentary "Yanks Fight the Kaiser: A National Guard Division in   WW1." A discussion how battlefield archaeology, 90 year-old archival war motion picture footage, historic still photographs and old memoirs were researched to develop a narrative telling the story of the Yankee Division in  WW1. Included will be sites and stories relevant to Holyoke's participation in the Great War. Admission $3

 Dr. Donald D’Amato, STCC adjunct professor, returns to Wistariahurst with a talk about one of his favorite subjects: witchcraft. Professor D’Amato has been teaching history in the Valley for over 40 years. He’ll discuss how people tend to misinterpret witchcraft by romanticizing its history and making it exciting, whereas in reality, thousands of people in Europe and the colonies were killed because of lack of defense and constitutional protections. Admission $5 Adults, $3 Students and Seniors

Follow the Thread is a multimedia exhibit and related fashion show event designed to engage the interest across generations through a timeline of Jewish culture and history. This vibrant portrayal of the spirit of the Jewish people created by Jacqueline Cooper, a multimedia artist and photographer, inspires all backgrounds to learn about their neighbors. Admission to gallery TBA

Baritone Steve Curylo, accompanied by Nikki Stoia, will present two popular and beloved song cycles: Schumann's Dichterliebe (Poet's Love) and Vaughan Williams' Songs of Travel. Born in Springfield MA, Steve Curylo studied opera at Hartt College of Music and was a student of New York City Opera baritone William Metcalf for 22 years. He is currently baritone soloist at South Congregational Church in Springfield. Nikki Stoia is the conductor of the Springfield Symphony Orchestra choral ensemble. A coach/accompanist, piano soloist, singer and conductor, she is known for her musical versatility, with repertoire that encompasses traditional and contemporary classical and popular music. Sponsored by the Friends of Wistariahurst and supported in part by a grant from the Holyoke Cultural Council, a local agency which is supported by the Massachusetts Cultural Council, a state agency. Admission $10

Master Gardener Martha Hamilton will give a talk about using what’s in the backyard to make beautiful arrangements for Thanksgiving, New Years and holidays in between. Martha will demonstrate how to make a lovely twig goose to complement the holiday table! Presented by Wistariahurst Museum Gardeners and Western Mass Master Gardeners. All talks are a $5 donation to benefit the garden restoration at Wistariahurst Museum.

Meet Jacqueline Cooper, the creator of Follow the Thread: Inspirational Seeds for Future Generations at the exhibit opening in the gallery. Admission to gallery TBA

Wistariahurst will host a wine tasting in the elegant atmosphere of the Skinner Mansion. Wines from around the world will be featured and light refreshments will be provided. The Ted Wirt Jazz Quintet will provide a musical backdrop for the evening with saxophone, trumpet, piano, bass and drums swinging with the beat and playing your favorite classics. The event is sponsored by Liquors44. All proceeds will benefit Wistariahurst Museum. Advance tickets are $25 each/$40 couple; Tickets at the door are $30 each/$50 couple.

The Chamber Music Society at Wistariahurst makes its sixth annual visit to a music room in early 19^th-century Vienna, and to the intimate and stirring music of Franz Schubert. Our program includes three of Schubert’s  magnificent masterpieces, all presented for the first time in this series: The Shepherd on the Rock (with soprano Junko Watanabe, clarinetist David Schneider, and pianist Monica Jakuc Leverett),  the Fantasie, for piano, four hands (played by Ms. Jakuc Leverett and Tanya Blaich), and, in the second half, the first three movements of the exquisite Octet, a rarely heard work for woodwinds and strings (with Sarah Briggs, violin, Amy Bateman, violin, Wayne Smith, cello, Hillary Tanaka, viola, Wayne Smith, ’cello, and Yasu Suzuki, double bass, David Schneider, clarinet, Will Safford, bassoon, and Jean Jeffries, French horn). Members of the Schubertians chorus will open with what has become a traditional work on these programs, the Schicksalslenker, a hymn of thanksgiving. Light refreshments will be served. Tickets $15

Join us for a multi-generational fashion show event tied to the Follow the Thread Exhibit created by Jackie Cooper. From hoop cage skirts and undergarments to blouse waist sets, suits and mini-dresses, ladies will be strutting their stuff in vintage looks narrated by Deborah Miller—fashion historian and independent appraiser specializing exclusively in textiles and clothing. Tickets TBA

Wistariahurst will be aglow as the museum celebrates the holiday season. Enjoy cocktails, hors d’oeuvres and live music in the elegant atmosphere of the historic Skinner family house. Reservations suggested. The Winter Soirée is sponsored by the Friends of Wistariahurst to benefit Wistariahurst Museum. Tickets are $30, $25 for members of Friends of Wistariahurst.

Master Gardener Toi Graham will talk about a survey of conservation techniques for use in the garden to reduce the need for water, chemicals and polluting equipment. Toi will discuss new types of low growing grasses that require less mowing, use of native plants, and construction of rain gardens. Presented by Wistariahurst Museum Gardeners and Western Mass Master Gardeners. All talks are a $5 donation to benefit the garden restoration at Wistariahurst Museum.

Wistariahurst welcomes back Massachusetts Academy of Ballet for a third year with a Skinner twist on a holiday classic! Through narration and dance, in the historic setting of the Wistariahurst Museum, students of the Massachusetts Academy of Ballet and members of the Ballet Educational Training Association, will perform this magical story as it may have been in Holyoke in the 1890's. A reception of delectable sweets will follow each performance. Advance reservations are recommended; seating is limited. Tickets are $10; children 12 and under are free.

The Boston String Quartet returns to Wistariahurst with songs celebrating the holiday season from their album On Christmas Eve, recorded with help  by students and faculty of School of Groove, where the quartet is currently Ensemble-in-Residence. Songs for the evening will feature selections from Tchaikovsky’s Nutcracker Suite to Mariah Carey’s “All I Want for Christmas is You,” the Carpenters “Merry Christmas Darling,” and more. Tickets $15, $12 seniors and students