Nancy & Wai Kue
Things To Do
Cottage Street Cultural District
Located between the base of Mt. Tom and the Nashawannuk Pond Park & Promenade, the Cottage Street Cultural is known for its grassroots charm and eclectic variety of shops, galleries and restaurants.
Mill 180 Park
Designed to emulate great urban parks throughout the world, including Central Park in New York City, Hyde Park in London and Ueno Park in Tokyo, this reimagined indoor space uses hydroponics, computerized sound and HVAC systems to bring the outside in. Located on Pleasant Street, the park features games like cornhole, art installations, free wifi and Refrectory — a cafe that sells smoothies, coffee, muffins, cookies, yogurt, beer, wine and more. Its menu, updated often, is based on food grown fresh on-site.
Forthill Brewery
Located in a former hay field at the base of Mount Tom, Fort Hill Brewery offers tastings, tours and growlers. The company says that many of its beers conform to the “Reinheitsgebot,” or German beer purity law that states that beer can only be brewed with four main ingredients: water, malt, hops and yeast.
Luthier's Co-Op
An instrument repair shop by day, this downtown store turns into a bar and live music venue at night. At first glance, the storefront looks like any other business. But once you step inside, you’ll find an eclectic and colorful space with guitars, fiddles and various other string instruments covering the walls. Most nights, with the exception of Sundays, you can find free live music there. An open mic night takes place every Wednesday from 7 to 10 p.m. The space features a full bar, tables and an intimate stage area. In addition to wine and cocktails, the co-op also has local beer on tap. Food can be purchased from neighboring Ray Ray’s Cafe.
Abandoned Building Brewery
Abandoned Building occupies a 2,700-square-foot former mill building named “The Brickyard.” The previous tenant was a plastic bag manufacturer and the brewery has kept much of the space’s former charm. Today, it has been transformed into a 15-barrel brewhouse with two 30-barrel fermenters and one 30-barrel bright tank. Owner Matt Tarlecki performed limited renovations to maintain the ambiance of the original mill building.
New City Brewery
New City churns out fine ales and lagers with a focus on pre-prohibition style alcoholic ginger beer. In addition to its flagship ginger brew, must-try beers at New City include the award-winning Pioneer Valley Porter and the local favorite Microburst Imperial IPA. With 10 rotating taps, there are a lot of choices.
Walk the boardwalk along Nashawannuck Pond
Filled with benches and flowerbeds overlooking the water, the Nashawannuck Pond Promenade Park opened in 2015 as part of an effort to revitalize downtown Easthampton. The 9.5-acre pond in the center of town is stocked with game fish. Canoes, kayaks, rowboats and small fishing boats with electric motors are allowed on the pond. The promenade extends from the shops on Cottage Street to the lower entrance of Brookside Cemetery on Williston Avenue. Nashawannuck Pond was created in 1847 by the Williston-Knight Button Company to answer the need for a steady water source to power local industrial mills. Throughout the late 19th and early 20th century, the pond became a hub of activity for families who grew up fishing, ice skating, boating and swimming there. The pond was eventually purchased by the town of Easthampton and a steering committee was created to oversee its future.
Take a hike up Mount Tom
Located on the west bank of the Connecticut River, Mount Tom offers great hiking and birdwatching. The 1,202-foot rugged traprock mountain straddles Easthampton and Holyoke and is the southernmost and highest peak of the Mt. Tom Range. The state reservation offers 22 miles of hiking trails for all experience levels, with beautiful panoramic views of the Pioneer Valley. In the winter, Mt. Tom is also a great spot for cross-country skiing. One of the reservation’s signature hikes is Goat Peak Loop, a moderate 3.4-mile roundtrip that begins at the Mt. Tom Visitor Center and continues up to the Goat Peak Observation Tower, which offers the best view on the Mt. Tom Range. You can explore more trails here: https://www.mass.gov/files/documents/2018/05/07/mt-tom-suggested-hikes-2018.pdf
Manhan Rail Trail
The Manhan Rail Trail runs six miles within Easthampton and continues for several more miles into neighboring Northampton where it connects with a system of trails. This paved route is relatively flat and provides a scenic path for biking, running and other non-motorized activities. The trail, named after the Manhan River it parallels, is built upon the bed of the former Pioneer Valley Railroad, which served industrial towns in the lower Pioneer Valley from mid-1800s until the early 1990s. It begins at the Northampton/Easthampton line and ends at Coleman Road just over the Southampton town line.
Explore the outdoor sculpture installation at Art In the Orchard
Each summer, Park Hill Orchard transforms into an outdoor sculpture garden with a trail set on the bucolic grounds of this Easthampton farm. Art in the Orchard takes place between mid-August and Thanksgiving every other year, showcasing the work of local and regional artists. The biennial show features 30 works of art and is expected to draw more than 30,000 visitors this season. Sculptures are installed alongside a walking trail that meanders around the working orchard, offering wide open spaces for large-scale works and more intimate settings for others. Each year, Art in the Orchard brings in works that are whimsical, absurd and surreal.