activities

( socializing ( year-round ( winter )  ( spring & summer )  ( fall )   top

 

socializing in
western mass

You don't say.

NEW! The Northampton Gay Men's Social Hour!
The first Northampton Gay Men's Social Hour on September 12 was a huge hit! We had over a hundred guys from all over the area, packed (quite nicely) into the Hotel Northampton bar. Planned to be an ongoing monthly event, don't miss the next one on October 17! Not only did the first event draw new guys in from the Western Mass area, but we also had guys from VT, NH, and CT (even as far as New Haven!) So, anyway, come come come to the next one. It's a great opportunity to mingle and meet all the gay men of the area, in real life for once (no logins required). Come on out and grab a drink ... or whatever (hey, be nice!) from 6 to 8. (more details here ...)

ALSO NEW! GLBT Disco Tea Dances!





Thank god people are out there, organizing events like this for us ... The folks at Pride Promotions have recently revived their monthly GLBT Disco Tea Dances at Union Station in downtown Northampton. The September kickoff event was a great success, with over 100 people attending! Didn't make it? Didn't know about it?? Well, come on out to next one! (more details here ...)

NEWLY "DISCOVERED"! Springfield Martini NIghts!
Well, what do you know, Springfield's Martini Nights have been going on for about a year now! Thanks, Michael, for tipping us off about this one. Every 2nd and 4th Wednesday of the month, this is a great after work stop-off to relax, unwind, and get to know some of the local guys who maybe don't always make it all the way up to Northampton. (more details here ...)

ONGOING: RockitQueer!

Drink, dance, mix, mingle. The third Saturday of every month, in a cool little hideaway up in Turner's Falls, you'll find an eclectic mix of straights and gays, young and old, hippie and prep, with just a lot of good music and good vibes. Really, it's just a great event, and it was started by a fellow Monoho-er!
(more details here ...)

SOUTH OF THE BORDER: Hartford Happy Hours
Sure, it's a little bit of a drive, but these monthly happy hours for gay men have been going on for over 5 years now and they continue to be a huge and growing success! Think 200+ well-dressed professional guys, Friday nights after work, strong cocktails. Plus, Connecticut just legalized gay marriage, so you put 2 and 2 together!
(more details here ...)

OUR SOCIAL "HQ": The Northampton Brewery
One of our favorite places in Northampton for the guys to gather is the outdoor roofdeck at the Northampton Brewery ("The Brew'ry"), for both dinner and drinks. Warm summer breezes, light music, friendly (and cute) bartenders, good lighting. While there are no set dates and times to meet, the guys are usually there on Tuesday nights around 8:30 (right after bowling). The guys are known to stop in as well on any given Thursday, Friday or Saturday night. (website) (map)

OUT & ABOUT: Other Popular, "Gay Friendly" Bars around Town ...
What makes Northampton unique is that there are no gay bars, per se (with the exception of Diva's). Northampton is a very gay-friendly town, and at all of the local establishments, people of all walks mix amicably. Below are some other popular restaurant/bars in town:
-- Tunnel Bar
-- Sierra Grille
-- The Dirty Truth
-- Mama Iguana's
-- Pizza Paradiso
-- Hotel Northampton
-- Packard's
-- Union Station
-- WWII Club

PLAY TIME: Gay-specific Clubs
OK, gay-friendly bars are great, but what if you want more of a club atmosphere? Well, we have several options in the area:
-- Diva's (gay, mixed), Northampton
-- Oz (gay), Springfield
-- The Pub (gay), Springfield
-- Hob Nob Cafe, and Daddy's (gay), Springfield
-- Chez Est (gay), Hartford, CT

 

 

 

( socializing ( year-round ( winter )  ( spring & summer )  ( fall )   top

 

year-round
activities

Round and round.

NEW SEASON! Pioneer Valley Gay Men's Chorus!
Rehearsals every Wednesday night at the Episcopal Church in Northampton. Feel free to come even if simply out of curiosity, to just sit in and observe or--best of all--to add your voice to a long-standing, viable group of singers. PVGMC has always contained a core group of guys who enjoy one another's company as much as they enjoy singing, and that will always remain a huge component of the chorus. But PVGMC has also historically proven its greater worth by making music for the public, building community pride, and bridging the gap between gay & non-gay folks! Come join us! (more info here ...)

 

 

 

( socializing( year-round ( winter )  ( spring & summer ( fall )   top

 

events for
the fall

All the leaves are brown ...
and the guys are gay.

STOP, DROP & ROLL: Gutterboys Bowling!
The fall season is now in full swing!
Gutterboys bowling began just three years ago at the Northampton Bowl. A few guys decided to pass the winter blues by forming a sort of ad hoc league and showing up every Tuesday night. What started with a few guys soon grew into 64+ every Tuesday night on 14 permanent teams of 4. We collect money (now $14 per night of bowling + $2 shoe rental) at the bowling alley to pay for the lane rental and to put into a general pot for a the end-of-season parties held in December and in June. We bowl over 2 seasons: Fall and Winter. (more details here ...)

 

 

 

( socializing( year-round ( winter ( spring & summer )  ( fall )   top

 

events for
the winter

Beating the winter blues.

SLIPPERY WHEN WHITE: Out of Doors with Winter Sports
Wintertime "kicks" in western Mass with skiing, skating, snowshoeing, and more. In the winter, the big ski mountains of Vermont are easy for just a daytrip, or for a fun weekend away with friends. Closer to home, there are several cross-country ski areas within an hour drive of Northampton, and plenty of trails to enjoy within the city as well. There are over 1,000 acres of conservation land in Northampton, with a fantastic network of ski and snowshoeing trails to explore.

GET YOUR MIND BACK IN THE GUTTER: Gutterboys Bowling
Don't forget that Gutterboys Bowling continues all through the winter, with a reasonable break of a few weeks over the holidays. (We all need time to collect family horror stories.) Then we start back up again in early January. Any, yeah, we're still waiting for Justin to show up ... no sign of him yet! (more details here ...)

 

 

 

 

 

( socializing( year-round ( winter ( spring & summer )  ( fall )   top

 

events for
spring & summer

Hot hot hot.

SWEATY, DIRTY, FUN: Dune Boys Volleyball.
The best thing going in the summertime. Every Tuesday night, 6:30 pm, the guys gather to spike it and slam it all summer long at Maines Field in Florence (a village of Northampton). Bring your bottle of water, your bare feet, and your desire to get down and dirty. But fear not, it's a friendly pick-up game, no pre-set teams: just show up. Look for Mark, or Patrick, or Chadley, or whoever looks like they should be carrying a clipboard. Oh, have I mentioned there is a $2 "donation"? C'mon, what else can you get for two dollars these days? That's right, not much at all. Speaking of "not much at all", don't worry: you don't have to take your shirt off ... unless you want to!  :-)

After the game we all gather at the Brewery, in downtown Northampton, for drinks up on the roofdeck, in the open summer air.

All skills levels are welcome. Come out and play!

Summary:
place:
  Maines Field, 550 Riverside, Florence, MA (map)
time:
Tuesday evenings, 6:30-8:30-ish pm
cost:
$2.00 per week
info:
contact Mark Carmien, 413-320-1162


WHERE THE GUYS ARE: Local Swimming Holes

Summer comes alive in Western Mass, and no place more so than at the local swimming holes. On the most gorgeous days of the year, the guys flock to the river(s) to have fun and to laze about in the sun. Click here for instructions on how to get there. All of the places listed below are clothing-optional, so once you are in the proper location, feel free to let it all hang out. (But, hey, shorts and tees are fine, too. Your life, your comfort level!)

The Most Popular Naturist Swimming Areas:

For a PDF of other swimming areas click here.


SWING HARD: Gay Softball

The softball league is a local branch of the national GLBT league, this one located out of Springfield MA. Their current season is under way, with regular games not only in Springfield, but also in Hartford CT, New Haven CT, New London CT, and even as far away as Philadelphia PA. Go, watch, cheer the boys on, and meet others too when the team goes out for drinks after the game! Why don't you think about playing softball next year?  Yes, you.
For more information, check out the following sites:
(local league website)
(national website)