( 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)
