Northern Berkshire Food Festival Slated Sunday

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NORTH ADAMS — The area's finest food purveyors return to Main Street this Sunday with the 7th annual Northern Berkshire Food Festival.

The city's main drag will closed to traffic from noon to 4 as top restaurateurs, caterers, food and beverage vendors set up tables under the party tents for the thousands of hungry attendees expected to taste their fare. The festival has drawn upwards of 20 establishments from the city, Williamstown and the surrounding area.

The event also features a selection of microbrew beers and a wine tasting, courtesy of Girardi Distributors, West Fine Liquors and Berkshire Brewing Co., an eclectic mix of live music from Tom Corrigan and his band and drawings for gift certificates from participating eateries.

Food tickets are 50 cents each and will be sold from two kiosks located at the entrances of the festival tents. Each restaurant will prepare up to three entree samples with prices ranging generally from $1 to $4. The day's fare will try to satisfy the traditional as well as the adventurous palate.

Participating restaurants will be provided two banquet tables and linens and are free to decorate their area as elaborately as possible and encouraged to promote their establishment to the public. There will also be a food demonstration and representatives from the North Adams SteepleCats will have a table.

 
The Cafe Latino table at last year's Food Festival.
To add to the celebration, a 30-car contingent is planning a fun run, with the food festival as its destination, beginning at 7:30 a.m. in Rhode Island. The caravan of classic Mustangs and Cougars will pick up autos in Charlton along the Massachusetts Turnpike and in Northampton, arriving on Main Street at approximately noon.

The public is invited to come and view the automobiles that will be on display for the duration of the feast.
 
The Northern Berkshire Food Festival is designed to provide a pleasant environment for visitors and residents to sample a variety of different entree samples, socialize, relax and enjoy the atmosphere.

For more information, contact the Mayor's Office of Tourism at 413-664-6180 or go to www.northadams-ma.gov.
If you would like to contribute information on this article, contact us at info@iberkshires.com.

Companion Corner Grey Boy at No Paws Left Behind

By Breanna SteeleiBerkshires Staff

NORTH ADAMS, Mass. — There's a cat No Paws Left Behind still waiting for his forever home.

iBerkshire's Companion Corner is a weekly series spotlighting an animal in our local shelters that is ready to find a home. He was previously highlighted but he now has new information.

Grey Boy is 10 years old and is a gray and white domestic shorthair and was previously highlighted on Companion Corner.

The shelter's Executive Director Noelle Howland introduced us to him and his long journey to be ready for adoption.

"He's been here a couple months. He was a transfer from a rescue in Bennington. They were out of space, so we had taken him in with a few other cats. So he's been here a couple months. He came in with what we believed was a respiratory infection," she said. "So it took us a little bit to get him ready, and then he also needed a dental. So he has nice, clean teeth. He had some teeth removed, and then he has to go back in and have one more dental. So he'll be all ready to go."

It was previously thought that he has feline herpes but he was recently diagnosed with a palette fracture because of how bad his dental disease was, which is what is causing his sneezing. He can now go home with cats, a cat-savvy dog and children.

"He has had two dentals since being with us. Due to the palate fracture he will be sneezy for the rest of his life, not contagious sneezing, but that doesn’t stop him from living a perfectly happy life. He should be on wet food with chunks due to this and since he has had many teeth removed," Howland said.

Grey Boy loves to play with toys and enjoy treats. He would also love to have a window to lounge or bird-watch in.

"He is not afraid of anything. He's very curious, so I'm sure he'd love if you have windows for him to look out of. He still plays, even though he's 10 it does not stop him. So any home would be a good fit for him."

Now that he is ready to be adopted, he is excited. When you walk into the room with him he will rub up against your leg introducing himself and asking to be pet.

"Usually, I would say, when you're walking, he'll bonk into you so he might catch you off guard a little bit. He constantly is rubbing against you," Howland said. "He really, I would say he's lazy when you want him to be, and he's active when you want him to be. He'll play with toys. He's usually lounging away. And then when he comes out he'll play. He loves it. So, very friendly, easy going cat."

He is now perfectly healthy with his dentals all done and veterinary care up to date and is ready to find his forever family.

"I would say the friendliest, easiest cat you could have. He's just, he's just gonna be a little sneezy sometimes, but that doesn't stop him from doing anything," she said.

Grey Boy's adoption fee is sponsored by Rooted in Balance Counseling LLC.

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