JoinBerkshire Humane Societyfor this annual fundraiser celebrating you and your dog! Enjoy games, family-friendly activities, food, local vendors, and raffles from 10 a.m. - 2 p.m. on the Common, located at 100 First Street. Help BHS raise $25,000 for its 25th birthday by walking (by yourself or with a team) or taking part in the Virtual Dog Walk online!
Berkshire Salsa presents a fun night of Salsa, Bachata, Kizomba, Merengue, Cha-cha, Cumbia, and Latin dance music! A Beginners Bachata Lesson starts at 9 p.m., followed by an Intermediate Bachata Lesson at 9:30 p.m., and dancing until 1 a.m. Lessons are included in the $10 cover price ($8 for students). No partner or dance experience needed!
Berkshire Yoga Dance & Fitness presents a 6-week series for kids ages 7-11 with instructor Jessamy Scovil. These kid-friendly routines are based on Zumba choreography, and Jessamy will break down the steps, add games, activities and cultural awareness while kids build self esteem and body awareness. Thursdays from 4-4:45 p.m. from Sept. 14-Oct. 19.
Hancock Shaker Village continues its popular yoga with goats (and chickens) class on Saturday (rain date is Sunday) from 10-11 a.m. The $25 fee includes entry to the entire Village.
The Colonial Theatre will hostthe premiere staged reading of the highly anticipated play Shoeless Joe, based on the life of baseball legend Shoeless Joe Jackson. The evening begins with a meet & mingle with New England Baseball Hall of Fame honorees. Attendees will be able to vote for "All-Time Major League Team" and entered into a raffle. A ceremony in honor of Berkshire County baseball greats will be held at 6 p.m., followed by the 7 p.m. performance and a Q&A with cast. $35.
Plus...
FRI-SUNCompanyat Barrington Stage |WED+Kunstler at Barrington Stage
Shire City Sanctuary and Crispina ffrench will hold a two-day Sweater Chop Shop workshop.
Learn how to transform a pile of used wool, cashmere, alpaca, mohair and/or cotton sweaters or sweatshirts into a garment of your dreams! Students will learn all the ins and outs of collaging different textures and fabrics together to make a garment to take home.
The Pittsfield Figure Skating Club will host an open house for registration. Sign up for figure skating, learn-to-skate lessons, or the Introduction to Hockey program. Fun for ages 4-Adult and all levels. Friday from 5:30-7:30 p.m. or Saturday from 10:30 a.m.-12:30 p.m.
This Saturday, find out how you can win a $25 gift card to the market, learn about the health benefits of honey and beeswax with Peggy White and Richard Clapper of Luna Vista Honey, and enjoy live music with The Ukeville Stringband from 11 a.m. - 1 p.m.
Balkan Folk Dancing for Beginners: Learn thetraditional village dances of the Balkans - the Bulgarian pravo, the Macedonian lesnoto, The Romanian hora and the Greek syrtos. Enjoy the exotic instrumentation and savor the musical traditions. No previous experience or partner necessary. Whitney Center for the Arts, from 7-8:30 p.m. Class starts Sept. 12 and runs for 6 weeks. Suggested donation is $3 per class. Drop-ins welcome!
The Jewish Federation of the Berkshires, in collaboration with Jewish Family Service of Western Mass., presents a documentary about life in a Syrian refugee camp just inside the Jordanian border. As the first filmmakers allowed by the U.N. to set up a tent inside a refugee camp, Chris Temple and Zach Ingrasci uncover inspiring stories of individuals rallying, against all odds, to rebuild their lives and those of their neighbors. Maxine J. Stein, President and CEO of Jewish Family Service of Western Mass. and/or Deirdre Griffin, New American Program Director will participate in a Q&A after the screening.
Pittsfield's city-owned community arts center, the Lichtenstein Center for the Arts, features nine working artist studios, a ceramics studio, a community room and an art gallery with changing exhibitions, classes, performances and more!
28 Renne Ave. | Open Wednesday - Saturday from 11 a.m. - 4 p.m.
In this exhibition, at least 25 poets and artists have collaborated to create works of art that incorporate a variety of printing methods - letter press/offset/silkscreen/inkjet - to achieve an unusual but beautiful marriage of word and image.
INFORMATION ABOUT THE PARKING METER PLAN
Five things to remember about the new downtown parking system:
1. Always enter your license plate number - even for the FREE first 30 minutes.
2. On-street parking is $1 per hour; lot parking is 50 cents per hour. There are also nearly 400 free parking spaces on the city's side streets.
3. You can pay by coin, credit card, or by downloading the Passport parking app.
4. You do not need to display the parking receipt on your dashboard.
If you would like to contribute information on this article, contact us at info@iberkshires.com.
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North Street Parking Study Favors Parallel Parking
By Brittany PolitoiBerkshires Staff
PITTSFIELD, Mass. — A parking study of North Street will be presented at Tuesday's City Council meeting. The design maintains parallel parking while expanding pedestrian zones and adding protected bike lanes.
The city, by request, has studied parking and bike lane opportunities for North Street and come up with the proposal staged for implementation next year.
While the request was to evaluate angle parking configurations, it was determined that it would present too many trade-offs such as impacts on emergency services, bike lanes, and pedestrian spaces.
"The commissioner has been working with Downtown Pittsfield Inc. and my office to come up with this plan," Mayor Peter Marchetti said during his biweekly television show "One Pittsfield."
"We will probably take this plan on the road to have many public input sessions and hopefully break ground sometime in the summer of 2025."
Working with Kittleson & Associates, the city evaluated existing typical sections, potential parking
configurations, and a review of parking standards. It compared front-in and back-in angle parking and explored parking-space count alterations, emergency routing, and alternate routes for passing through traffic within the framework of current infrastructure constraints.
The chosen option is said to align with the commitment to safety, inclusivity, and aesthetic appeal and offer a solution that enhances the streetscape for pedestrians, businesses, cyclists, and drivers without compromising the functionality of the corridor.
"The potential for increasing parking space is considerable; however, the implications on safety and the overall streetscape call for a balanced approach," Commissioner of Public Services and Utilities Ricardo Morales wrote.
Bike lanes and parking have been a hot topic over the last few years since North Street was redesigned.
In September 2020, the city received around $239,000 in a state Shared Streets and Spaces grant to support new bike lanes, curb extensions, vehicle lane reductions, and outdoor seating areas, and enhanced intersections for better pedestrian safety and comfort.
A parking study of North Street will be presented at Tuesday's City Council meeting. The design maintains parallel parking while expanding pedestrian zones and adding protected bike lanes. click for more
Amy Schirmer was recognized as the Volunteer of the Year for creating a weekly therapeutic art class at the George B. Crane Center to help those in recovery from substance use. click for more