Tourism

When everyone gathered on Main Street that hot August day back in 2018 to mark the opening of MGM Springfield, no one really knew what to expect or what the future would bring. Certainly, no one could have predicted what the scene would be like two and half years later. Indeed, the COVID-19 pandemic took…

Magic Wings Butterfly Conservatory & Gardens boasts more than 4,000 colorful insect residents, representing 50 species from around the world. And soon, the roadside attraction may have a new owner. Current owners George E. Miller III of Bernardston and Kathleen A. Fiore of Northfield started looking last week for a buyer at the business their…

ValleyBike Share is the All-Electric Assist Bike Share program of the Pioneer Valley that includes the cities and towns of Amherst, Easthampton, Holyoke, Northampton, South Hadley, Springfield, and the UMass Amherst Campus.  Great News for our ValleyBikers!  ValleyBike will be staying open in a slightly limited capacity for the winter!   We want our riders to have access to affordable transportation year-round and this…

In a continued effort to help support our restaurants, the Springfield Business Improvement District has teamed up with Bright Nights and MGM Springfield to try to add some extra holiday cheer. For a limited time only, the Springfield Regional Visitor Center will be selling gift cards to participating downtown restaurants. For every purchase, customers will…

Local organizations are urging the public to rally in support of Springfield restaurants by purchasing meals over the next 10 days. The citywide promotion, named Springfield’s Restaurant Rally, starts Friday and continues through Dec. 13. It’s intended to help the businesses as they cope with the coronavirus pandemic. The event is presented by the Springfield…

The Eastern States Exposition in West Springfield is being transformed into the spirit of Christmas for a family-friendly show this holiday season. The Winter Wonder Drive-Thru offers “a unique lighting experience, special effects and a 3-D hologram show.” The show is “where the spirit of Christmas comes alive,” the website states. Tickets are $15 per…

Judy Matt says the Spirit of Springfield (SOS) exists for one reason — to entertain residents across the region and create some memories. It hasn’t been able to do any of that to this point in 2020, obviously, and Matt, the long-time executive director of the nonprofit agency, has been frustrated and disappointed by this…

When the Big E recently announced the sale of 100 ‘golden tickets’ — lifetime passes for the holder and a guest, plus parking and other perks — for $1,000 each, it was an exciting promotion for fans of the annual fair and a way to keep the event top of mind during a year when…

While most of the business world slowed gradually in March, or even ground to an eventual halt, the story was more dire for the events industry.  It just … stopped. “When the whole country shut down, we were impacted immediately. We were one of the first business sectors to really feel the effects,” said Andrew…

The National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) announced today that the MassMutual Center, in conjunction with American International College and the University of Massachusetts, has been selected to host a 2024 NCAA Division I Men’s Ice Hockey Regional, marking the first time the event has been held at the MassMutual Center.  “We are extremely excited to…