The Fabulous 413

It’s the night before elections and all through the area everyone is stirring. In our continuing efforts to talk with each of the candidates in contested mayoral contests, we reach one last stop. City Councilor Delmarina Lope z seeks the seat for Chicopee and joins us in studio to explain her vision for the city, her insights from being the first woman on city council in 10 years (and the first BI...

There’s all sorts of festivities to get excited about today! We head to Lenox, where our Dare Bottleshop & Provisions is about to celebrate it’s 2nd anniversary . In addition to the many delights they have in store for folx this weekend, Mary and Ben Daire take us on a tour through the styles of a grape that is often highlighted around this time of year: Beaujolais. We’ll meet the latest addit...

In our very humble opinions, one of the best things about this time of year is the apples. Even a year of devastating frosts and floods couldn’t keep all of this years crop down. And that is to be celebrated for sure. And celebrate is exactly what Franklin County has done for this crop for nearly 30 years. Franklin County Cider Days happens each year on the first weekend of November, sharing all t...

As the temperatures dwindle down along with the sunlight, our minds turn to keeping warm. It’s the tail-end of harvest time, and we are thinking of those who for many reasons do not get to share the bounty of food we have here in western Massachusetts. One organization that is trying to tackle the problem of hunger across all four counties is The Food Bank of Western Massachusetts . The Food bank...

Happy last day of October everyone! This is a time both for things unseen, and for those unseen things to be respected. In the realm of discovery for this the last of the spooky days, we turn to folklorist and author Jeff Belanger . He’s the host of New England Legends, which is both an award winning tv show and a podcast , and the author of over a dozen books . Looking into the stories of New Eng...

Change is in the air. We’re helping people make room for loss. Out in the Berkshires, Latinas 413 have teamed up with both Hot Plate Brewing Company and the Berkshire Historical Society to bring Dia de los Muertos celebrations to Pittsfield. We speak with Liliana Atanacio, America Lopez, Tanya Romero, and Laura Cabrera of the newly minted non-profit, as well as head brewer at Hot Plate, Sarah Real...

So much to do today! We find ourselves in discovering the bounties being stored and picked at a women owned, women run farm as they transition their fall crops into their winter stores. Riverland Farm in Sunderland is exploring what the land can give us and we get to talk with owner Emily Landeck about the impact of the summer rains, shifting away from CSAs to wholesale, and some of the freedoms t...

Today, more than most, we’re looking at tiny things on a much larger scale. There is a geological structure that is unique to Franklin County and which currently is seeking state recognition. Jurassic armored mud balls are an incredibly rare sedimentary structure, only known of for about fifty years, and we sit with their discoverer, retired professor Richard Little, to talk about the House bill t...

The whole country is in the middle of a housing crisis. The commonwealth is feeling the brunt of this as well, but Gov. Maura Healey has just proposed the Affordable Housing Act , which seeks to address this issue across the 351 cities and towns of Massachusetts. But this bill is huge and is attempting to combat the housing problem on a wide variety of fronts. To help us understand how the bill co...

We’re still striving to speak with each of the mayoral candidates in contested races in western Mass. Our next stop is Springfield, where former city councilor Justin Hurst and his campaign are taking on 4 term incumbent, Dominic Sarno. At our studios we get to chat with him about ARPA funds, the housing crisis, policing, his plans for the city, and where the good pies in the city of firsts are. A...

What we need is something fluffy. So we head over to Dakin Humane Society’s Animal Shelter in Springfield. Over the past few years, the facility has broadened its offerings to include veterinary services, a thrift store, and more. We speak with director Meg Talbert and media relations and development specialist Lee Chambers about the many services the center provides as they continue to find thems...

Eggtooth Production's Linda McInerney and the band Cloudbelly talk about A Happening III , happening in Turners Falls. After two successful years, Cloudgaze and Eggtooth Productions return for a two-day multi-arts festival immersing participants in an intimate theatrical world of myth, magic and mystery inspired by Ovid's epic poem. A true interdisciplinary feat, this festival brings over 30 local...

We have our weekly chat with Congressman Jim McGovern, and speak with candidate for mayor of Greenfield Ginny Desorgher.

Word Nerd Emily Brewster celebrates Dictionary Day with us by exploring the spelling pursuits of our local dictionary's namesake, Noah Webster, we explore a possible future for Pittsfield with mayoral candidate Peter Marchetti, and Mr. Universe, Salman Hameed, talks with us about going to New Mexico to see the first Pakistani astronaut.

We find out all about mushroom growing with Julie Coffey of Mycoterra Farm, celebrate Kari Kastango's feat of swimming the entirety of the Connecticut River, and chat with New York Times bestselling author Holly Black, who just so happened to write a book with Fabulous 413 host, Kaliis Smith.

We speak to the director of community-based learning at Mt. Holyoke College, Maria Salgado-Catagena who has been chronicling the Puerto Rican history of Holyoke, hang out with Dean Cycon, formerly of Dean's Beans and who currently has just put out a new historical novel, and check in with Pittsfield Mayoral candidate John Krol

We have Live Music Friday with Ciarra Fragale, playing Hawks & Reed this and next weekend, explore our local and global eating options with Andy Cox and German Alvarado of Smith College Dining Services, hear the final product of what the NEPM Media Lab Fellows got up to this summer, and head into the wine thunderdome at Table & Vine in West Springfield with one extra Mike and a whole lot of tradit...

We discuss the future of the MCAS tests with Mary Tamer of Democrats for Education Reform, have our weekly check- in with Congressman Jim McGovern who has a lot on his proverbial plate this week, and explore the recent announcement about the Green River Festival with Jim Olsen of Signature Sounds and John Sanders of DSP Shows.

We find out about the Springfield Dragon Boat Festival, discover how the team behind Latinas 413 is building community in the Berkshires, and continue our conversation with Greenfield mayor Roxann Wedegartner

We hang out with the new generation of folx preserving their own futures in Youth Archivists for Social Change, speak with the current mayor seeking re-election in Greenfield Roxann Wedegartner, and get into the history and future of Nueva Esperanza in Holyoke with it's current Director Kayla Rodriguez

Double Live Music Friday with La Perla Bogota and Priya Darshini both playing in the area over the weekend, and we head to the thunderdome for a switch up where we make the folx at State Street Deli Wine & Spirits pair a wine on the fly with food that we've brought.

We head to HCC to check out the only Community College in the commonwealth with a Latinx Studies program, talk with some of the folx behind the "Transformed" series at Amherst Cinemas, and Rep. Jim McGovern addresses the ousting of Speaker McCarthy

We talk with the New England Repertoiry Orchestra's artistic director Cailin Marcel-Manson about their season opener this weekend, explore the outer reaches of global and local music with the folx behind the Peace & Rhythm record label, and Word Nerd Emily Brewster serves up a few culinary terms that just got entered into the dictionary

We hang out with the new manager of the Holyoke Farmers Market, Alexis Diaz De Jesus as well as the folx from La Arecibeña Torres Family Farm who have participated in the market, have a sit down with mayor Jennifer Macksey of North Adams, and untangle the recent changes surrounding Northampton's Calvin Theater and Pearl Street with NEPM reporter Jill Kaufman.

We hear the sounds and stories of pianist Carli Munoz, who plays at Smith College later this week, hear about the rebirth and new season of Pothole Pictures in Shelburne Falls, and hear about the possibilities of life on Jupiter's moon, Europa.