Alchemy Initiative to Present Crispina and Friends Handmade Holiday Festival

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PITTSFIELD, Mass. – After the huge success of last year’s Handmade Holiday Festival, Berkshire-maker Crispina ffrench will once again bring the regions most interesting artisans together for a one-stop holiday shopping experience in the Berkshires.  

Presented this year in partnership with Alchemy Initiative, Crispina and Friends Handmade Holiday Festival will double in size, filling two floors of the former Notre Dame church at 40 Melville Street with artisans from both near and far. “Joined by some wonderful friends from all across our region wait until you see the unusual, handmade treasures we will be showcasing!  From handmade knives to tins of the Berkshire’s tastiest artisan made holiday cookies and of course my recycled sweater concoctions will be available for purchase in a setting designed to bring honest to goodness cheer to the season,” says ffrench.

Festivities will kick off with a fundraiser preview party on Friday, December 4, from 5 to 8 p.m. The preview party will benefit Alchemy Initiative (www.AlchemyInitiative.org) and allow shoppers pre- shopping before the weekend sale begins. Tickets are $25 and lavish goody bags await the first fifty paying guests. The preview will have the ambience of a Holiday Festival, with tasty local delights, mulled wine, hot chocolate, and live music.

Saturday, December 5, from 10 to 6 p.m. and Sunday, December 6, from 12 to 4 p.m., Crispina and Friends Handmade Holiday Festival will officially open its doors with a $2 admission price. In addition to the special artisan wares, shoppers will also be able to purchase Christmas trees, decorative wreaths, roping, gourmet food items and more. Custom wrapping of gifts purchased will also be available. ffrench: “The Handmade Holiday Festival encourages people to support their neighbors by buying locally and enjoying our community. And there might even be horse drawn, jingle belled wagon rides all weekend!”  

For more information, email Diane Firtell at D.Firtell@Gmail.com or call 413-236-9600. Visit www.AlchemyInitiative.org.
If you would like to contribute information on this article, contact us at info@iberkshires.com.

Pittsfield Resident Victim of Alleged Murder in Greenfield

By Sabrina DammsiBerkshires Staff
PITTSFIELD, Mass. — A man found dismembered in a barrel in Greenfield on Monday has been identified as Pittsfield resident.
 
The Northwestern District Attorney's Office identified victim as Christopher Hairston, 35, and subsequently arrested a suspect, Taaniel Herberger-Brown, 42, at Albany (N.Y.) International Airport on Tuesday.
 
The Daily Hampshire Gazette reported that Herberger-Brown told investigators he planned on visiting his mother outside the country. 
 
Herberger-Brown was detained overnight, and the State Police obtained an arrest warrant on a single count of murder on Tuesday morning, the Greenfield Police Department said in a press release.
 
According to a report written by State Police Trooper Blakeley Pottinger, the body was discovered after Greenfield police received reports of a foul odor emitting from the apartment along with a black hatchet to the left of the barrel, the Greenfield Recorder reported. 
 
Investigators discovered Hairston's hand and part of a human torso at Herberger-Brown’s former apartment, located at 92 Chapman St, the news outlet said. 
 
According to the Daily Hampshire Gazette, Herberger-Brown originally told investigators that he had not been to the apartment in months because he had been in and out of hospitals. 
 
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