Last Weekend Open!

Time is flying, and it is officially our last weekend open at the Children's Museum at Holyoke before our annual September Shutdown! We will be closed starting Monday, September 7th and will re-open on Wednesday, September 30th. The weather is beautiful, and the feeling in the air is one of anticipation and excitement. Please come and join us this weekend for some last minute fun and games! As another quick reminder, the Holyoke Merry-Go-Round (also located in Heritage State Park) has reverted to its winter hours. It is now open from 12:00pm until 4:00pm on weekends only. (photo source: holyokemerrygoround.org)

To continue with our "Introducing..." Series, I am excited to present you this month with a staff member who is not often seen by the general public. She is a seriously behind-the-scenes gal without whose hard work we would never be open today. She has worked with the museum for 8 years and is the go-to lady for need-to-know information on museum policy. Her name is Brenda Parent, and she is our Administrative Manager. If you have ever booked a birthday party, private event, or field trip, Brenda is in charge of our schedule and likely talked with you on the phone. She deals with all of our memberships and the general nitty gritty of daily operation. We love her dearly, and I hope you will all say hello if you see her around the museum!

Our first week of shutdown is sure to bring some dramatic changes to the look of the museum. On Friday, September 11th, the Mass Mutual Financial Group and Hamilton Sundstrand will be joining us for the United Day of Caring. Their generous employees will be donating their time to help some of our goals be realized! Think cleaning, new paint, and some exciting construction! As we progress, I will be adding photos and commentary to the blog, so stay tuned. Some of the magical week to look foward to (photo source: luckeyclimbers.com)...

• Death-defying cleaning... Can anyone guess how we might get to the top of the curvy climber?
  
• A disappearing act involving a certain dingy blue/grey carpet...
  
• Construction of a new exhibit.... Have you ever wanted to stand inside a bubble?

Finally, head on down tomorrow to Holyoke's first Block Party put on by Holyoke C.R.U.S.H. "C.R.U.S.H. (Citizens for the Revitalization and Urban Success of Holyoke) is a non-partisan group of residents and business owners focused on generating concrete and tangible plans that will contribute to the revitalization of Holyoke" (crushonholyoke.org). Check out their blog for more information on times and what to expect. Our own Dayna Abrazinski will be there facepainting and giving away informational packets and free passes on behalf of the museum!