r/Springfield

The Forest Park Zen Sangha has found their new home in Holyoke, MA. We are a small, radically-open and engaged sangha, welcoming any and all, just as you are and for the benefit of all beings. We believe that Zen practice is for the relief of suffering here and now for all beings. This means that we not only engage ourselves in practice, but take our engagement off the cushion into the world, into the community.

Our new home will house our weekly sittings and dharma talks, family dharma practice, half/full day retreats, and any wedding, shower, or funeral services as needed.

Currently we gather for a Family Service (Sundays 10:30a) and a regular Sitting and Talk (Sundays 11a). We also host a “Spiritual Care for Activists” meeting once a month specifically for those involved in activism or simply feeling the weight of current events. That is on the second Sunday of each month at 1p.

Bows to All!

🙏🙏🙏

P.S. “New” because the sangha had met for several years in Springfield, but went on hiatus after Covid. We are happy to now reconvene in Holyoke!

Since the Apple Stomp in NYC, I have been making 90s style flyers for the festivals I help promote. I find it gives a new perspective to an event being promoted and also makes people more nostalgic and stop to read it.

July 24 & 25 in Springfield, MA. 30 bands for $35! Ticket price gets you in BOTH days. Kids 12 and under get in FREE.

Grab your tickets at https://linktr.ee/413ska

(copied from the Spirit of Springfield newsletter)

https://www.spiritofspringfield.org/events/star-spangled-springfield

Star Spangled Springfield, sponsored by MassMutual, will be an evening filled with musical performances, pyrotechnics, patriotism, and anniversaries! The crowds are expected to fill Riverfront Park and overflow to wherever the fireworks can be seen. Blankets and lawn chairs recommended!

On Saturday, July 4, 2026, the Independence Day festivities will be held from 6pm to 10pm in Riverfront Park. They will begin with activities for children and food vendors offering a variety of items from steak and cheese grinders and fried dough to ice cream and other sweet treats.

At 7pm, guests will be greeted by Springfield Mayor Domenic Sarno; U. S. Congressman Richard Neal; Colonel Steven Reynolds, Deputy Commander of the 104th Fighter Wing at Barnes Air National Guard Base; Dennis Duquette, Head of Community Responsibility at MassMutual and President and CEO of the MassMutual Foundation; Spirit of Springfield Board Chair John Sjoberg and President Judy Matt; and Springfield Symphony Orchestra President Heather Caisse-Roberts and with Areta Odiah, WWLP-22NEWS reporter/anchor, serving as the emcee.

The Springfield Symphony Orchestra, conducted by Thomas Bergeron, will then present “The American Canon.” The program of American symphonic music will span over 200 years of memorable selections. Joining the orchestra will be Springfield songstress Vanessa Ford performing “Star Spangled Banner,” “Lift Every Voice,” and “America the Beautiful.” The concert includes music by Aaron Copland, Duke Ellington, Jessie Montgomery, Florence Price, John Philip Sousa, Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky, and John Williams, among others. There will be “Bukaroo Holiday,” “Liberty Bell March,” “Ellington Fantasy,” John Williams’ “Star Wars Main Theme” and “Hymn to the Fallen,” and of course, the “1812 Overture,” and more.

At 9:30pm, chairs will shift from facing south for the Springfield Symphony Orchestra, to the Memorial Bridge to the north for an incredible fireworks display. The audience, both in Riverfront Park and from vantage points all around, will be dazzled by the “rockets’ red glare” of Fireworks by Grucci’s pyrotechnic wizardry. There will be chrysanthemums, comets, snakes, willows, waterfalls, and more that will burst with brilliant colors and sonic booms. They will dance to songs selected just for the show, which will be broadcast in the park and on Mix 93.1 FM. There will be 250s in the sky for America and 175s for MassMutual.

Children will enjoy free face painting and balloon artists, and the Springfield Armory National Historic Site will have tricorn hat making and more from 6pm to 8pm. The first 1,000 will receive a free American Flag. Riverfront Park also features a splash pad that will keep the kids cool.

Star Spangled Traffic Alert

To manage traffic, the Springfield Police Department will be working with the Springfield Department of Public Works on street closures and detours on July 3rd and 4th for Star Spangled Springfield.

Beginning Thursday, July 3rd at 11pm, the Memorial Bridge will be closed to all traffic, vehicular and pedestrian, to allow for the setup of the fireworks. The bridge will reopen after it has been cleaned and cleared of all debris on Friday, July 4th around 11pm.

On Friday, July 4th, streets around Riverfront Park will close as needed as the time gets closer to the fireworks. The Massachusetts State Police will block exit ramps into Springfield’s Downtown around 7pm. These include I-91 Northbound Exit 5 (Union Street), and I-91 Southbound Exits 5A (Union Street) and 5B (Memorial Bridge).

The Springfield Parking Authority is offering $10 parking in the I-91 North and South Garages, Columbus Center Garage, and Union Station Garage.

When leaving, please be patient. The Springfield Police Department has a full complement of officers directing traffic.

Star Spangled Menu

Food vendors in Riverfront Park will offer a variety of delicious items to enjoy. From 6pm to 9:30pm, they will be served by Batch Ice Cream, Mathis Munchies, Riga Bella’s Fried Dough, Sweetera & Co., and Elegant Affairs.

They will be cooking up and serving up hamburgers, hot dogs, pulled pork, sausage and pepper grinders, walking tacos, kabobs, Philly cheese fries, milkshakes, sundaes, smoothies, lemonade, water, soda, beer, wine, and more.

The Springfield Water Department will dispense refreshing Springfield water until 8pm.