Williams College invites the community to experience the wonders of our universe at the Milham Planetarium, located inside the Old Hopkins Observatory at Williams College. Astronomy students at the college will host free shows for the public on Friday evenings at 8 p.m. from Sept. 13 through Dec. 6. Audiences will be treated to shows from the high-precision Zeiss Skymaster ZKP3/B opto-mechanical planetarium projector. Shows will be hosted by Williams College students Peter Knowlton ’21, Christian Lockwood ’20, Duncan McCarthy ’21, and Patrick Postec ‘21. Field Memorial Professor of Astronomy Jay Pasachoff is director of the Hopkins Observatory. For reservations (required), contact Michele Rech at 413-597-2188 or by email. Others will be admitted as space permits. Large groups should call for special appointments.

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The Williams Jazz Ensemble (WJE) is the cornerstone of a large and vibrant community of faculty members and students. Kris Allen leads the Williams Jazz Ensemble.   WJE offers music by a trio of musicians who were closely linked during their time, and by their extensive work together and mutual influence: Mary Lou Willams, Duke Ellington, and Billy Strayhorn. This program, titled New Musical Express places special emphasis on programmatic works that depict and draw inspiration from disparate sources, from trains, to theatrical characters, to health care equipment!   https://events.williams.edu/event/williams-jazz-ensemble-4/   Free Chapin Hall Bernhard Music Center, 54 Chapin Drive, Williams College, Williamstown, MA @ 7:30 p.m.

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The acclaimed Cassatt String Quartet performs a special concert at the Clark Art Institute as the kick-off event for Williamstown’s Holiday Walk Weekend. The group presents world premieres by composers Ileana Perez-Velazquez, Zachary Wadsworth, and Dylan Schneider, each of whom is a member of the Williams College faculty. The concert takes place in the Clark’s auditorium, located in the Manton Research Center. Tickets are $25; sudents are free with valid ID. Call 413-458-0524 to reserve tickets.

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A youth-led climate strike will be held in front of the First Congregational Church at 906 Main St. The local chapter of Fridays For Future USA, a coalition of students from Buxton School and Mt. Greylock Regional School, is leading the strike to demand meaningful action on climate change on the occasion of the UN's COP25 climate talks. The Williamstown event builds on the momentum of Sept. 20th's national climate strike, the largest youth-led climate mobilization in U.S. history. Rain or snow do not cancel.

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The 36th annual Williamstown Holiday Walk weekend kicks off with a concert by the Cassatt Quartet at the Clark Art Institute. In addition to premiering new works that are inspired by objects in our collection, they will be performing selections from Tchaikovsky’s The Nutcracker and Vivaldi’s Winter from The Four Seasons. Find the complete schedule online.

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The annual "Christmas Service of Lessons and Carols" at Williams College will be held in Thompson Memorial Chapel. The identical services feature choral music by the College’s Concert and Chamber Choirs, congregational singing of familiar carols, and the traditional reading of the biblical Christmas story. There is no admission charge for either service, but all are encouraged to bring an item of non-perishable canned or packaged food for local emergency food pantries. The service offers a rich array of seasonal music. The repertoire of the Williams Concert and Chamber Choirs includes both traditional arrangements as well as fresh new settings of Christmas texts under the direction of Lindsay Pope, director of Choral/Vocal Activities. Chaplain to the college, the Rev. Valerie Bailey Fischer, will give the meditation. The Williams Handbell Choir will play a festive Postlude after each service.

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The 36th annual Williamstown Holiday Walk weekend continues, starting at 9 a.m. with the  Reindeer 5K Fun Run, a free screening of "Elf" at 11 a.m. at Images Cinema, the Habitat for Humanity Christmas Tree Showcase from 1 to 6 p.m. at the First Congregational Church, the Williamstown Community Chest Penny Social from 2 to 5 p.m. at the Lasell Gym, the Reindog Parade at 3 p.m., a visit with Santa at 3:30 p.m. at the Williams Bookstore, a reading of "A Christmas Carol" at the Log at 4 p.m., a Christmas Service of Lessons & Carols at Thompson Memorial Chapel at 4 p.m., caroling and the tree lighting on the Williams Inn front lawn at 5:15 p.m., and activities and entertainment all day in locations along Spring Street. Find the complete schedule online.

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The annual "Christmas Service of Lessons and Carols" at Williams College will be held in Thompson Memorial Chapel. The identical services feature choral music by the College’s Concert and Chamber Choirs, congregational singing of familiar carols, and the traditional reading of the biblical Christmas story. There is no admission charge for either service, but all are encouraged to bring an item of non-perishable canned or packaged food for local emergency food pantries. The service offers a rich array of seasonal music. The repertoire of the Williams Concert and Chamber Choirs includes both traditional arrangements as well as fresh new settings of Christmas texts under the direction of Lindsay Pope, director of Choral/Vocal Activities. Chaplain to the college, the Rev. Valerie Bailey Fischer, will give the meditation. The Williams Handbell Choir will play a festive Postlude after each service.

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The 36th annual Williamstown Holiday Walk weekend concludes with a pancake breakfast benefiting the sixth-grade class at the Williamstown Elementary School Cafeteria from 9 a.m. to noon, the annual Williamstown Elementary School Craft Show at the Williamstown Elementary School Gymnasium from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. and a Christmas Service of Lessons & Carols, Thompson Memorial Chapel at 4 p.m. Find the complete schedule online.

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The Clark Art Institute’s Art and Politics Film Series begins this fall with free screenings of two documentaries in the Clark’s auditorium, located in the Manton Research Center. The Art and Politics Film Series is organized by Robert Wiesenberger, the Clark’s associate curator of contemporary projects, and Horace Ballard, curator of American art at the Williams College Museum of Art. Each film begins with a brief introduction and is followed by light refreshments and conversation in the Manton Reading Room. On Dec. 11, view "Nightcleaners" (United Kingdom, 1975), directed by the Berwick Street Collective. Intending to make a straightforward documentary about the campaign to unionize the women who cleaned office buildings in central London at night, the filmmakers felt the need to turn—halfway through making the documentary—to experimental forms like confessionals and poetry to represent the tripartite relationship between the unions, the women, and established social orders. Run time is 90 minutes.

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Berkshire Grown's Holiday Farmers Markets are back in their traditional location at the Williams College Towne Field House, 82 Latham St. The winter markets feature fun activities for kids, food for lunch, and live music. Admission is free and SNAP/EBT is accepted at all markets. Berkshire Grown’s indoor farmers markets showcase the array of seasonal bounty of apples, potatoes, carrots, beets, winter squash, onions, garlic, mushrooms, and a variety of greens including kale, Brussels sprouts, and micro greens -- all grown on local farms. Plus there will be the freshest eggs, chicken, lamb, grass fed pork and beef, over a dozen different kinds of locally-produced cheeses, jams, pickles, kimchi, sauerkraut, honey, and delicious baked goods.

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