Northampton Dems to hold annual meeting

NORTHAMPTON — The Northampton Democratic City Committee will hold its annual meeting on Saturday, April 6, at 3:30 p.m. at Elks Lodge #997, 17 Spring St. in Florence.

The agenda includes the election of officers, reports from state legislators, and planning for work on campaigns for the November election. The meeting is open to all. Refreshments will be served.

For more information contact NDCC Chair Catherine Kay at NDCC.Chair@gmail.com, or 413-563-1318.

Easter hours for Hampshire, Holyoke malls

HADLEY — Hampshire Mall will be closed on Easter Sunday, March 31, however select stores and entertainment venues will be open during the following hours, including Cinemark (first showing at 10:15 a.m., last showing at 10:45 p.m.); FunHub (10 a.m. to 8 p.m.); PetSmart (11 a.m. to 6 p.m.); Planet Fitness (7 a.m.-1 p.m.); and Trader Joe’s 8 a.m. to 9 p.m.).

The Easter Bunny will be in the cafe on Friday and Saturday from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. Reservations may be made at whereisbunny.com.

Holyoke Mall, meanwhile, will be closed as a shopping center on Sunday in observance of Easter and reopen on Monday. There are a handful of mall businesses accessible through their own dedicated entrances that will be open on Sunday.

They include: 110 Grill (10 a.m.- 3 p.m.); Round1 Bowling & Amusement (10 a.m.-2 a.m.); Sumo Japanese Steakhouse & Sushi Bar (11 a.m.-8:45 p.m.) and Planet Fitness (7 a.m. to 1 p.m.)

Dan Kane’s Rising Stars will have a special spring performance on Saturday from 12-3 p.m. on the lower level near Macy’s. And the Easter bunny will be available for pictures daily through Saturday on the Lower Level in JCPenney Court.

Holyoke to host flag-raising for Sikh community

HOLYOKE — A flag-raising ceremony recognizing Sikh Declaration of Independence Day will be held at City Hall on Tuesday at 4 p.m.

The ceremony will include the reading of a proclamation signed by Holyoke Mayor Joshua A. Garcia. Members of the Sikh community will offer prayers.

Sikhism originated in the Punjab region of South Asia. It is the fifth largest independent ethnic religion in the world. More than 500,000 Sikhs reside in the United States.

MHC to hold Trailblazers of Color conference

SOUTH HADLEY — Mount Holyoke College’s Trailblazers of Color Leadership Conference is celebrating its 10th anniversary in 2024, and to celebrate, Ilyasha Shabazz will be the conference’s keynote speaker.

The conference theme is “Looking Back to Look Forward,” marking a decade of commitment to empowering gender-diverse individuals of color across western Massachusetts and beyond. This year’s conference works to honor the legacy of those who laid the foundation and actively worked toward the advancement and betterment of the community.

The conference will be held on Saturday, April 6, from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. There will be workshops as well as a people of color networking business expo, where attendees will have the opportunity to connect with each other as well as with businesses owned by people of color or organizations that serve people of color. Additionally, a Mount Holyoke College student of color who has exemplified leadership will be the recipient of the Quanita Hailey ‘14 Leadership Fund award.

The conference is free for all Mount Holyoke and Five College Consortium students, faculty and staff. For all other attendees, the conference is $15 which includes breakfast and lunch. For more information, information about group rates and to register, visit events.mtholyoke.edu/toclc-2024.

Keynote speaker Ilyasha Shabazz is an author, producer, educator and public speaker. Shabazz is the third daughter of Malcolm X and Betty Shabazz and the author of the memoir “Growing Up X.” The keynote will be held at 4:30 p.m. in Chapin Auditorium on the Mount Holyoke College campus. Doors will open at 4 p.m. The event is free and open to the public and does not require registration for the conference.

The conference is sponsored by the Student Government Association Students of Color Committee (SOCC) and the Office of Community and Belonging in the Division of Student Life.