Enjoy 17 art exhibits, opening receptions and special activities throughout downtown during theFirst Friday Artswalk, including interactive art-making and other events to celebrate Artweek! There will also be an Artswalk Scavenger Hunt throughout downtown, and prizes will be awarded to youth ages 19 and younger.
In most venues, artists will be present from 5-8 p.m. A free guided tour begins at 5 p.m. at the Intermodal Center @ BRTA, 1 Columbus Ave.
The Lichtenstein Center for the Arts will be hosting its annual Art in Our Schools exhibit, a 30-plus-year tradition held each spring honoring art education and local creative young people. Art from grade 6 through grade 12 students in the Pittsfield Public Schools will be on display throughout the month of May. There will be art making during the opening reception on Friday, May 3 from 5-8 p.m. during Artswalk. Some artists from the studios housed within the Lichtenstein will also have open studios during that time and some will have live art demonstrations.
Join master jazz/klezmer clarinetist Paul Green and his band Two Worlds at Berkshire Music School for the release of their new album, A Bissel Rhythm. Two Worlds band members include pianist Ben Kohn, bassist Dan Broad, drummer Pete Sweeney, Charlie Tokarz on saxophone and Jason Ennis on guitar. A wine and cheese reception will follow the concert. CDs will be available for purchase. 4 p.m.
The Colonial Theatre will host Encore! A Celebration of High School Musicals, Comedy, Dance & More, featuring highlights from some of this year's Berkshire County high school musicals. This event will also showcase the talents of local students through songs, dance, improv, poetry, scenes and more in a cabaret-style format. 2 p.m. $15.
Join Cate at Berkshire Yoga Dance & Fitness every Friday for an 8-week Easy Does It Yoga class.This series is ideal for those who want to gently increase flexibility and strength, improve balance and reconnect with the body following inactivity, a chronic condition, recovery from an injury or illness, or any of life's challenges. 12-1 p.m.
Township Four will help you create a lush, beautiful 12" wreath using a variety of succulent plants. All materials are included and no experience is necessary. The wreath will need to be laid flat for 6 to 8 weeks as the roots grow, so it can be hung just in time for summer! 2-4p.m.
The Berkshire Museum will celebrate Holocaust Remembrance Day with a screening of the documentary Who Will Write Our History, followed by a candle lighting. Film synopsis: In November 1940, days after the Nazis sealed 450,000 Jews in the Warsaw ghetto, a secret band of journalists, scholars and community leaders decided to fight back. Led by historian Emanuel Ringelblum, this clandestine group vowed to defeat Nazi lies and propaganda.FREE. 2 p.m.
To celebrate Small Business Month, the City of Pittsfield will hold an informative panel discussion with local business owners at Framework.Hear from Scott Kirchner of Mad Macs, Al and Auric Enchill of Elegant Stitches; Steve and Evan Valenti of Steven Valenti's Clothing, and Jessica Rufo of Dottie's Coffee Lounge. The discussion will be followed by a question and answer session. 7:30 a.m.
In 1969 the police raided the Stonewall Inn, a gay bar in NYC's Greenwich Village, leading to three nights of rioting by the city's gay community. With this, the gay liberation movement had begun. Before Stonewall pries open the closet door, setting free the story of the sometimes horrifying public and private existences experienced by LGBT Americans since the early 1900s. Revealing and often humorous, this widely acclaimed film relives the sparking of today's gay rights movement through historical footage and interviews with those who lived through it. Narrated by author Rita Mae Brown, the film includes interviews with Ann Bannon, Martin Duberman, Allen Ginsberg, Barbara Gittings, Harry Hay, Mabel Hampton, Dr. Evelyn Hooker, Frank Kameny, Audre Lorde, Richard Bruce Nugent, Jose Sarria and many more. The film has been newly restored for the 50th anniversary of the Stonewall riots.
The Tyler Street Lab @ 730is a pop-up that creates a community space out of an underutilized storefront. The city's Office of Cultural Development, in collaboration with the Transformative Development Initiative, is putting out two calls for art: a storefront configuration challenge and a community art installation challenge. For both, they are looking for ideas that reflect the eclectic nature of Tyler Street and the surrounding Morningside neighborhood. There will be a stipend of up to $850 to the award-winning designs - one from each challenge. For more information, contacttylerstreetlabpitt@gmail.com.
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Tickets On Sale for Berkshire Flyer
PITTSFIELD, Mass. — Amtrak, in conjunction with the Massachusetts Department of Transportation (MassDOT) and New York State Department of Transportation (NYSDOT), announced tickets are now on sale for the Berkshire Flyer.
The Berkshire Flyer is a seasonal summer passenger rail service that operates between New York City from Moynihan Train Hall and Pittsfield. The service, which began as a successful pilot in 2022, is scheduled to resume on Friday, June 21 through Monday, Sept. 2 for Labor Day weekend. Trains depart New York City Friday nights and return at the end of the weekend, leaving Pittsfield Sunday afternoon.
In addition, for the first time this year, the Berkshire Flyer service now includes a train from New York City to Pittsfield on Sunday mornings.
"We're thrilled to announce this season's Berkshire Flyer service," said Transportation Secretary and CEO Monica Tibbits-Nutt. "The Berkshire Flyer makes visiting Western Massachusetts on weekends convenient, relaxing, and easy. We are pleased to continue our successful partnership with Amtrak, the New York State Department of Transportation and CSX."
The Berkshire Flyer departs from Moynihan Train Hall at 3:16 p.m. on Fridays and arrives at Joseph Scelsi Intermodal Transportation Center in Pittsfield at 7:27 p.m. The train will make all intermediate station stops as the scheduled Amtrak Empire Service train does in New York State on Fridays, which include Yonkers, Croton-Harmon, Poughkeepsie, Rhinecliff, Hudson, and Albany-Rensselaer Station.
The Sunday return trip, making all the same station stops, will depart Pittsfield at 3:35 p.m. and arrive in New York at 7:55 p.m. The new Sunday Berkshire Flyer train from New York City to Pittsfield will depart Moynihan Train Hall at 10:50 a.m. and arrive in Pittsfield at 3:15 p.m.
The Berkshire Flyer is building upon two successful seasons where some of the Pittsfield-bound trains were sold out well in advance. Based on that experience, passengers planning a trip are encouraged to purchase tickets early by visiting Amtrak.com, the Amtrak app or by calling 1-800-USA-RAIL.
Albert Ingegni III was applauded for four decades of service on the Zoning Board of Appeals during City Council. Mayor Peter Marchetti presented him with a certificate of thanks for his commitment to the community.
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Between disagreements about site design and a formal funding process not yet established, more time is needed before a decision can be made.
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The Ordinances and Rules subcommittee on Monday unanimously supported a pay raise for election workers, free downtown parking for veterans, and safeguards to better protect wetlands.
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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
