Registration

11 a.m.–5 p.m. in the R.W. Kern Center

Stop by the registration table when you arrive on campus to receive registration materials and updates. Official name tags may be required at some gatherings, so make sure you stop here first.

Open Classes

Chemistry 1

9–10:20 a.m. in the Cole Science Center, 2nd floor open lab

With Associate Professor of Organic Chemistry Rayane Moreira

Bicycle Frame Design and Fabrication: Designing a Building a Custom Bicycle Frame

9:30 a.m.–noon in the Lemelson Building, Center for Design

With Facility Manager Glenn Armitage 81F P14

Environmental Engineering Principles Laboratory

10:30–11:50 a.m. in Cole Science Center, 2nd floor open lab

With Assistant Professor of Environmental Microbiology and Bioremediation Juliet Johnston

Hampshire Zine Library: Practicum and Research Seminar

10:30-11:50 a.m. on the first floor of the Harold F. Johnson Library

With Associate Professor of U.S. Literatures and Cultural Studies Michele Hardesty, and Teaching Assistants Gwenevere Moriarity F21 and Atalanta Bella-Rogol F22

Join in the audit of the Hampshire College zine collection, and learn how to catalog a zine! Bring a laptop if you have one.

Experiments in Plant Ecology Laboratory

2–4 p.m.  in the CSA Barn, near Thorpe House on the Hampshire College Farm

With Assistant Professor of Ecology and Global Change Jennifer VanWyk

This class normally has a lab during this time, but today everyone is invited to join us at the Fall Farm Fest where we will be tie-dyeing bandanas with dyes made from plants grown on our farm. 

Lunch

11:30 a.m.–2:30 p.m. in the Dining Commons

Go out to eat or join your student in the dining commons. Guests can pay at the door; students can use Dining Dollars. Guest tokens and credit/debit cards are accepted.

Tours and Open Houses

Fall Farm Fest

Noon–6 p.m. in Thorpe House on the Hampshire College Farm

Join our awesome farm crew for old-fashioned farm fun! There will be wagon ride tours every half hour, a possible bonfire (weather permitting), old time music, cow pie bingo, and more! 

Food & Forage Tour

1 p.m. leaves from outside the R.W. Kern Center

Join Sustainable Hampshire for a walk around campus to visit free food and foraging sites. We'll visit the Community Garden, Greenwich Food Forest, and check out the many apple trees offering delicious local fruit in October.

Dance Repertory Open Rehearsal

2 p.m. in the Main Dance Studio, Music and Dance Building

In this new, collaboratively devised work, choreographer Visiting Assistant Professor of Dance Lailye Weidman and composer Jesse Olsen Bay work with student collaborators to investigate dance as a practice of listening. Utilizing the writings of composer Pauline Oliveros as a starting point, the work explores sound as a field that affects consciousness and the body. While inquiring into the anatomical wonder and metaphorical power of ears, we also ask how listening functions beyond auditory perception. How do our identities and experiences inform how we listen and what we listen for?   

Hitchcock Center Living Building Tour

2–3 p.m. at the Hitchcock Center for the Environment

What if every single act of design and construction made the world a better place? Like our R.W. Kern Center, the Hitchcock Center is a Certified Living Building. Join us to explore systems and features of the building and to learn about how the Hitchcock Center was designed to model systems in nature. Find out what makes the building a special teaching tool empowering visitors to ask what sustainability looks like in the built environment.

C4D Open House

2–4 p.m. in the Center for Design

Drop in to learn more about our Center for Design. See current and past projects created in this dynamic space. Staff and students will talk about the facility’s history, demonstrate equipment, and answer questions.  

Mocktails and Special Collections

2–4 p.m.  in the Harold F. Johnson Library, first floor

Join library staff for a mocktail while you learn about library resources and view a small selection from our special collections. 

Greenhouse Open House & Souvenir Plants

2–4 p.m. in the Cole Science Center Greenhouse 

Drop in to warm up and enjoy our communal greenhouse! Mingle with each other and Cole Science Center staff, explore our diverse collection, and take home a small souvenir plant propagated from one of ours while supplies last. 

Community Welcome Reception with the Board of Trustees

4–6 p.m. under the Charles and Polly Longsworth Solar Canopy

President Ed Wingenbach and the Board of Trustees welcome you to Hampshire for this special weekend with drinks and appetizers. 

Dinner

5–8 p.m. at the Dining Commons

Go out to eat or join your student in the dining commons. Guests can pay at the door; students can use Dining Dollars. Guest tokens and credit/debit cards are accepted.

Trivia Night

8 p.m. in the Prescott Tavern 

Hosted by the Office of Student Engagement, join your student for classic pub trivia with snacks and non-alcoholic beverages. 

Registration

8:30 a.m.–noon in the R.W. Kern Center lobby

Stop by the registration table when you arrive on campus to receive registration materials and updates. Official name tags may be required at some gatherings, so make sure you stop here first.

Change in the Making  Campaign Breakfast

8:30–10 a.m. in the R.W. Kern Center lobby

Family involvement is integral to Hampshire's continued independence and sustainability. Join us for breakfast, hear how our $60,000,000 fundraising campaign is having an impact on campus today, and learn about volunteer opportunities.

Student-Led Trail Walk

10 a.m. Meet outside the Multisport Center

Join Outdoor Programs, Recreation, and Athletics (OPRA) for a walk through the woods next to campus! We'll walk a two mile loop through rolling terrain. Everyone is welcome! In case of rain, please bring rain gear. Thunder cancels.

Brunch

10 a.m.–2 p.m. in the Dining Commons

Go out to eat or join your student in the dining commons. Guests can pay at the door; students can use Dining Dollars. Guest tokens and credit/debit cards are accepted.

Study Abroad, Career Preparation, and Internships

11 a.m.–noon in the West Lecture Hall, Franklin Patterson Hall

A student panel and discussion led by Kate McConnell, assistant director of SPARC (Supporting Purpose through Action, Resources, and Connections). Learn about study abroad, preparing for work, and internship possibilities.

Soulful Saturday Brunch and Cultural Center Open House: Celebrating 35 Years of the BIPOC Community at Hampshire

Noon–2:30 p.m. in the Lebrón-Wiggins-Pran Cultural Center 

We invite all BIPOC students, friends, and family to celebrate the Cultural Center’s anniversary! Network with faculty, staff, and student leaders while enjoying a student-organized brunch. Join us to learn more about the Cultural Center, its services, and how we care for our BIPOC students at Hampshire.

All are welcome. We ask that guests who do not identify as BIPOC understand the significance and important history that this space holds for the BIPOC community when visiting. We thank you for your cooperation. 

Student-run craft fair

Noon–4 p.m. on the Library Lawn

Mixed Nuts Co-op will be collaborating with Tyler Clupny F21 and featuring art from Hampshire's many talented student artists.

Art Gallery Exhibition Tours & Communal Weaving Project

1–3 p.m. in the Harold F. Johnson Library Gallery

Stop by the Art Gallery to explore Sarah Stefana Smith: Thresholds of Accumulation and Imperceptibility. While you’re with us, participate in a communal weaving project with recycled and reclaimed materials using a loom from the artist's studio. The gallery director will also lead guided tours at the top of the hour, offering insight into Smith’s artistic process and Hampshire's Gallery program.

Transfer Student Reception

2–4 p.m. in the R.W. Kern Center lobby

Tomorrow kicks off National Transfer Student Week and New College of Florida alums are joining us on campus to celebrate you! All transfer students and their families and allies are invited to a casual reception. We recognize the incredible impact transfer students have on our community, and it’s time to celebrate them and their stories!

Visit The Eric Carle Museum

3–4:30 p.m. at The Eric Carle Museum of Picture Book Art

Open to all students and registered guests! This stunning 40,000 square-foot museum neighboring our campus is loved by families, art aficionados, and book lovers alike. Families, please wear your name tag for admittance; students will need their Hampshire ID. 

How to Spot a Gerrymander

4–5 p.m. in the West Lecture Hall, Franklin Patterson Hall

Professor of Mathematics Jeff Barton loves working with students of all levels and abilities, and has a particular fondness for sharing mathematics with students who have not had great experiences in the subject. With the upcoming election on our minds, Jeff will highlight some of the many ways we can measure partisan gerrymandering in district maps, and demonstrate why it is such a difficult issue. Jeff’s research lies at the intersection of math and political science, and the talk will conclude with an introduction to current research on gerrymandering. President Ed Wingenbach will give an introduction.

Dinner

5–8 p.m. at the Dining Commons

Go out to eat or join your student in the dining commons. Guests can pay at the door; students can use Dining Dollars. Guest tokens and credit/debit cards are accepted.

Rocky Horror Picture Show 

7 p.m. on the Library Lawn

Join Student Engagement for this fun outdoor screening of the 1975 cult classic! Snacks will be provided. Weather permitting.

Continental Breakfast & Crafting

9–10:30 a.m. in the R.W. Kern Center lobby

Join Alumni & Family Relations for coffee, tea, and pastries, and leave with a flower arrangement to enjoy later. 

Brunch

10 a.m.–2 p.m.  in the Dining Commons

Join your student for brunch. Guests can pay at the door; students can use Dining Dollars. Guest tokens and credit/debit cards are accepted.

Gentle Pine Forest Hike

10:30–12:30 p.m. Meet in front of the Robert Crown Center

Join host Davis Bates 73F P15 for a lovely walk in the Hampshire Pine Forest. We encourage you to bring water and a light snack for a break in the woods together.  In case of rain, please bring rain gear. Thunder cancels.

Book Center Tour

11 a.m. or 1 p.m. at the Yiddish Book Center

Join Yiddish Book Center staff for guided tours of Yiddish: A Global Culture, their groundbreaking permanent exhibition. Tours are free and open to the public, no reservation is required. Tours begin at the docent desk in the main lobby and last about 45 minutes.

Screening of The Last New Yorker

2 p.m. at the National Yiddish Book Center

Directed by Harvey Wang, this heartfelt film captures the nostalgia of a rapidly changing New York City through the lens of lifelong friends Lenny Sugarman (Dominic Chianese, best known for his role as Junior Soprano) and Ruben Liebner (Tony award winner Dick Latessa).

This poignant tale of friendship, love, and the world’s greatest city serves as a heartfelt love letter to New York, resonating with anyone who cherishes its vibrant spirit and rich history.

Following the screening, Harvey Wang will join us for a talkback, providing insights into his inspiration and experiences as both a filmmaker and photographer. His iconic photographs of men and women performing New York’s vanishing jobs are currently on display at the Yiddish Book Center.

Get Tickets

Pesca de la Fortuna

11 a.m.-2 p.m. under the Linda Mollison Pavillion

Pesca de la Fortuna (lucky fishing) is an Italian tradition where you can fish for useful things you don't want and silly things you don't need! Donate $1-5 and draw a number for a chance to win from a stock of eclectic accouterments. Donations go to the student effort to increase native diversity through the lawn alternative installation project.