The Student presents these three suggestions for your daytime merriment in the Valley-the evenings are left to you as an exercise. If you're tired of seeing movies at Cinemark or playing paintball at the mall, try giving one of these a shot. These are some of the more unusual and more offbeat local offerings. None of these activities is too expensive or much farther away than the nearest PVTA stop.
Long Hollow Bison Farm
If you are sick of the food in Valentine, and squirrels are just not enough "wildlife" for you, stop by Long Hollow Bison Farm, just down Route 9 in Hadley. Down the road from your Amherst home, buffalo really do roam. Where else can you see american buffalo, or bison, wandering the plains as they did hundreds of years ago?
If you're free for the evening any time this weekend, the Bison Farm hosts "Crazy Al's Haunted Halloween Hayride" any time after dusk.
Yankee Candle Company
You know that store at the mall-any mall except the Hampshire Mall-that smells so strongly you can sense the fragrance from across the hall? That's the Yankee Candle Company store. Their flagship store is pretty close by, up Route 116 in South Deerfield.
Originally based as a small shop in South Hadley, the Yankee Candle Company has grown into a multimillion dollar corporation. Located next to the corporate head offices, the South Deerfield store features over 200 scents of candles, tours, a restaurant and a demonstration station where you can make your own candles and bring them home with you, just don't burn them in your dorm room.
Man-O-Rama 2002
Even though the big annual show has ended, the site's season is far from over. If Comedy Central's "The Man Show" were a place, this would be it. Do you like the New England Patriots cheerleaders? Motorcycles? Eating contests? Other random acts of manliness? Well head down to this all-day celebration of all that is male at the Big E fairgrounds in Springfield this Saturday. From 10 a.m. till 4 p.m., you can enjoy everything from football pools to a rock-climbing wall, all with a sufficiently large dose of testosterone.
While at the Big E fairgrounds, also be sure to visit the New England Regional Towing and Automotive Expo, the Octoberfest Horse Show and the good, old-fashioned Northeast Highland Cattle Sale.