image description — Hula hooping on Eagle Street is a Downtown Celebration highlight.

Downtown Celebration Set For Wednesday, Aug. 15

01:34PM / Monday, August 13, 2018Print Story | Email Story

NORTH ADAMS, Mass. — The 22nd annual Downtown Celebration will fill downtown North Adams with more than 100 vendors and entertainers on Wednesday, Aug. 15, from 5:30 to 9 p.m.

This event is free. In the case of inclement weather, an announcement will be made on Wednesday morning and the rain date will be Thursday, Aug. 16.

The event will feature plenty of music: JP Murphy will be performing by the Bus Stop starting at 6; Champagne Jam will perform at the Berkshire Bank Plaza; the Berkshire Rhythm Keepers will be performing African drumming at the southwest side of Main Street starting around 7 p.m.; and the Bad Art Ensemble will hit the new Eagle Street Stage at 7 p.m.

There will be performances throughout the evening by local groups, including the Berkshire County Line Dancers, Studio North Dance, J Star Gymnastics, North Adams Youth Cheerleaders, and the Drury High School Cheerleaders.

Balloon creatures and creations will be offered by Balloon Ben, Linda Peck aka Mary Poppins, and Greylock Federal Credit Union. Also, Johnny Mystic will bring his magic back to Main Street while Serenity Circles will bring her hula hoops back to Eagle Street.

The First Baptist Church will have a bouncy house set up on Main Street near the CCB Kid Zone.

Eagle Street will see its own share of activities, including BikeFest, which will feature a bike rodeo, adaptive bikes, practice bike lane, bicycle education and safety tips, free bike maintenance, and bike decorating. Also, the NAMAzing Eagle Street Initiative will hold a ribbon cutting for the new street pillars at 6:30 p.m. Auxiliary VFW Post 996 and Kim’s Kuts will be holding fundraiser on the south end of the street by Main, and BAD ART Ensemble will be performing on the north end of the street near Village Pizza at 7 p.m.

The North Adams fire and police departments will be at the top of Main near Eagle with vehicles and demonstrations. An extra special treat this year, the Pittsfield PD Copsicle and Officer Friendly will be in attendance, as well. And the North Adams Ambulance Service will be offering free car seat safety checks in the Steeple City Plaza parking lot. (Use the Summer Street entrances.)

There also will be plenty to eat. Downtown restaurants and cafes will be open, and street food will be available from Marki's French Fries, M+J's Taste of Home, new food truck Tres Ninos, Ramunto's, Mr. Ding-a-ling, Christo's and Boston Seafood, which will be bringing a BBQ chicken dinner. There will be giveaways of water, popcorn, candy and sno-cones, and there will be plenty of bake sales by local nonprofits, plus one lemonade stand, as well.

As always, the Child Care of the Berkshires Kid Zone offers games, activities and free face painting. Berkshire Nursing Families offers a family area where families are welcome to rest, nurse, feed, or change their babies and relax.

And more than 100 vendors and entertainers this year will be offering information, giveaways, clothing, jewelry, handcrafted soaps, decor, and more. Restrooms will be available on the corner of Holden Street and Main Street thanks to A1's support.

There will be no parking allowed on Main Street, Eagle Street, or north Church Street after 1 p.m. on the day of the celebration and the streets will close by 3 p.m. Cars that remain parked on these streets will be towed at the owner's expense. For more information, call 413-664-6180.

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Lanesborough Looks to Dissolve Baker Hill Road District

By Breanna SteeleiBerkshires Staff
06:00PM / Friday, November 13, 2026

LANESBOROUGH, Mass. — The Select Board is looking to move forward with dissolving the Baker Hill Road District, which is hindering the Berkshire Mall sale.

On Friday, the Select Board heard from Vice Chair Juli Baker and Chair Deborah Maynard on how Tuesday negotiations went with Cypress Equities, JMJ Holdings, town counsel, the town administrator, and state Rep. John Barrett III.

Baker said that during Tuesday's meeting, everyone agreed the goal was to have a successful sale of the mall for redevelopment as it’s in the best interest of the town.

Baker said Barrett assured them the state is willing to take the Connector Road and that the state is willing to provide grants to the town to renovate the water and sewer infrastructure, with an estimated total of $4.5 million, to facilitate the property's redevelopment.

"We have received assurances from Representative Barrett that the Commonwealth will provide the monies and will take the Connector," Baker said.

While buyer Cypress Equities saw some benefit in keeping the district, it now doesn't since the state is willing to provide the funds and renovate the infrastructure, according to Baker.

Baker said that in the meeting, Cypress Equities prefers to enter into a tax increment financing (TIF) and will add to the agreement an amount of funding for public safety services, which would have come from the district. She said Cypress said it would rather enter into one agreement with the town than two agreements with the town and the district.

Mall owner JMJ Holdings is willing to pay $350,000 to the town upon closing, Baker said.

The meeting Friday was to consider moving forward with a dissolution of the district.

"But the decision that it hinges on tonight is whether to move forward to the dissolution of the Baker Hill Road District in some manner," she said.

Baker said she has worked long and hard to see if there was another alternative to this, working closely with the district which has been "very cooperative and very helpful" in making changes.

The district had agreed to make changes to its governance and taxation; agreeing to have a cap for Cypress as well as agreeing to work to have the state take over the road, sending letters of support.

"What changed this for me is that I've always said it's important to have the special district because we get the public safety funding, and it's also important for the economic district to bring the features that an economic district brings because of what we're up against with the infrastructure problems, and the change at this point is that we have a buyer who is willing to supply that public safety money and commit to it over time, along with the TIF that the town would do, which is essential," she said.

"At this point, I feel like it's in the best interest of the town and protects the town the best in terms of a future where we can develop a mall and bring that economic benefit in. You definitely need to reduce taxes, and you cannot do that without a fully developed retail operation right there. So it's been, you know, deeply difficult decision making," Baker said.

Board members Jason Breault and Jeffery Walters agreed it was the best decision to move forward.

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