FEATURED CONTENT & SPOTLIGHTS
Featured Content Spotlights Sponsored Content
North Adams Happenings June 19-25
Beginning on Thursday, June 27, Massachusetts College of Liberal Arts’ (MCLA) DownStreet Art’s 2019 (DSA) season will feature new artists, new events, and new collaborations.
Cultural Pittsfield This Week: June 21-27
June's 3rd Thursday celebrates health and fitness with the running of the 10th annual Green Mile Road Race to benefit the Pittsfield Parade Fund at 5:30 p.m.
Tanglewood's New Learning Institute Is A Bold New Chapter
This bold initiative by the BSO represents a dramatic new chapter in the life of Tanglewood and a major investment in the festival's future.
Gotta Dance, Gotta Sing: There's Both This Week on Local Stages
Featured June 20 at 6 p.m. in the Dance Zone at the north end of the street festival is TL Collective, the athletic, family-friendly contemporary and hip-hop moves of Micaela Taylor's company.
Berkshires Beat: BNRC Upgrades Popular Trails for 2019 Summer Season
Similar upgrades have also been completed at 16 other BNRC trail sites across Berkshire County. All 54 BNRC reserves are open to the public year-round from dawn to dusk, free of charge.
Cultural Pittsfield This Week: June 14-19
June's 3rd Thursday celebrates health and fitness with the running of the 10th annual Green Mile Road Race to benefit the Pittsfield Parade Fund at 5:30 p.m
Summer Music Festival Season is About to Begin
These are the music festivals that make our locality a cultural capital, drawing thousands to hear great music – popular, classical chamber, symphony, choral, opera, musical theater, contemporary classical, et al – to experience legendary artists perform masterworks within the verdant hills and dales of the Berkshires and southwestern Vermont we call home.
BBBBBzzz: Bombino, Berkshire Jazz Start the Pop Season with a Bang
Hopefully, I'll encourage you to attend a performance of music you know you love, or even music you don't know but that you might love. A great, varied season awaits from Great Barrington to North Adams.
Hinds Sets Community Outreach Events for June
The senator's staff will be available to meet with constituents in the communities of Cummington and Peru for this month's staff office hours on Wednesday, June 19, from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m.
Berkshires Beat: South Church Raising Money for Solar Panels
The church is seeking to raise funds to pay for the cost of this energy-saving solar project.
Cultural Pittsfield This Week: June 7-13
Enjoy 16 different art shows featuring work by more than two dozen accomplished regional and student artists in Pittsfield's bustling Upstreet Cultural District during the First Friday Artswalk and all month long!
Berkshires Beat: CATA to Break Ground on Future Home
The two-story, 6,400-square-foot facility will double the organization's existing studio space, with two new art studios— one for visual arts and writing, the other for dance and performing arts.
Biz Briefs: Carr Hardware Opens 'Store of the Future'
The new store, Carr Paint, is a state-of-the-art "Store of the Future" collaboration with Benjamin Moore and will exclusively carry an expanded line of premium and professional grade Benjamin Moore products.
Volunteers Needed For Pittsfield Fourth of July Parade
First and foremost, the parade committee is looking for banner carriers. The banners promote our leading sponsors, area businesses contributing a minimum of $750 to the parade committee making the event possible.
Free Fun Fridays Returns June 28 for 11th Year
Free Fun Fridays 2019 will take place for 10 consecutive Fridays — beginning June 28 and continuing through Aug. 30 — with 100 venues welcoming visitors in a free-of-charge public celebration of culture and history that is unprecedented outside of the national museums in Washington, D.C.
Berkshires Beat: Berkshire Hillsmen Take Home Awards
The Berkshire Hillsmen were awarded the 2019 Mountain Division Small Chorus Championship Trophy as a result of their performance. Berkshire Blend, the chapter’s quartet entry, won the 2019 Mountain Division Novice Quartet Championship.
Cultural Pittsfield This Week: May 24-30
The 3rd annual Food Truck Feastival returns to Wahconah Park from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. This is a public event featuring food trucks and vendors from all around Berkshire County! Free admission. $3 for parking.
Biz Briefs: MountainOne Bringing All Services Together in Downtown North Adams
The significant investment of creating this new and improved working space in downtown North Adams enables MountainOne to bring all of its financial service offerings of banking, insurance and investments together.
North Adams Happenings: May 22-28
WEDNESDAY JUNE 5TH - Concerts at Windsor Lake KICK-OFF with Common Folk Jam! - Mark your calendars! Join us for the first Concert at Windsor Lake of the season. Concerts run every Wednesday evening at 6:30 p.m. through the end of August. More information: 413-664-6180 | tourism@northadams-ma.gov
Berkshires Beat: Berkshire Museum Extends 'Leonardo da Vinci: Machines in Motion'
Since opening on Feb. 9, the exhibit as driven increased visitor volume, drawing nearly 50 percent more visits this winter and spring than during the same period in 2018.
Cultural Pittsfield This Week: May 17-23
The first 3rd Thursday of 2019 will celebrate youth, with performances by the Berkshire Pulse youth drummers led by Aimee Gelinas w/guest dancers,the Breffny Irish Dancers, Youth Alive, the Reid Middle School Orchestra, the Taconic Guitar Ensemble, Kids 4 Harmony, Berkshire Theatre Group and Rock On!
North Adams Happenings: May 15-21
Memorial Day Parade and Ceremony - Parade begins from the American Legion at 9:30 A.M. and concludes at the Veterans Memorial Park where the ceremony will follow.
Preschool, Kindergarten Registrations Scheduled Around County
All students, regardless of race, religion, color, sex, gender identity, religion, national origin, sexual orientation, disability or homelessness, have equal access to the general education program and the full range of any occupational, vocational programs offered by public school districts.
Biz Briefs: BerkChique Fashion Fundraiser Returns to West Stockbridge
This year the sale is being presented by and in support of WAM Theatre and its programs, with additional donations going to the Berkshire Humane Society, Community Access to the Arts, and IS183 Art School of the Berkshires.
Berkshires Beat: 'Pleiades' Now on Permanent Loan to Ventfort Hall
DeVries sees this donation of the two Pleiades as a fitting way to thank Ventfort Hall, and everyone else, who helped in the rebuilding efforts of his Middlefield studio, as well as mark his 40th year as a sculptor.
Cultural Pittsfield This Week: May 10-16
The first 3rd Thursday of 2019 will celebrate youth, with performances by the Berkshire Pulse youth drummers led by Aimee Gelinas w/guest dancers, the Breffny Irish Dancers, Youth Alive, the Reid Middle School Orchestra, the Taconic Guitar Ensemble, Kids 4 Harmony, Berkshire Theatre Group and Rock On!
North Adams Happenings: May 8-14
SATURDAY JUNE 8TH - Opening Day for the North Adams Farmers Market Outdoor Season!
Biz Briefs: Lenox Fit Owner Named Woman Small Business Owner of the Year
Lenox Fit is a multi-dimensional fitness and wellness facility that serves Berkshire County region. The customers range from rehab/post rehab from physical therapy, to advanced athletes and fitness enthusiasts of every level.
Cultural Pittsfield This Week: May 3-9
Enjoy 17 art exhibits, opening receptions and special activities throughout downtown during the First 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.
Berkshires Beat: Children's Artwork Comes to SVMC
The exhibit is open 7 a.m. to 8 p.m. daily through June 6.
Cultural Pittsfield This Week: April 26-May 2
Artscape invites artists to apply to a juried art auction to benefit public art in Pittsfield.
Biz Briefs: Two Local Businesswomen Being Honored for Achievements
Two local organizations are honoring two women for their business and community achievements.
North Adams Happenings: April 24-30
Brought to you by:the North Adams Office of Tourism & Community Events
Cultural Pittsfield This Week: April 19-25
Bob Heck Entertainment will host a Music Bingo Fundraiser at Berkshire Hills Country Club, with all proceeds benefiting the Pittsfield Fourth of July Parade.
Easter Events in the Berkshires
Hippity, hoppity, Easter's on its way ... and so are lots of fun family events in the Berkshires. If you have one you want included on this list, just email us at info@iberkshires.com.
Berkshires Beat: Humane Society Hosts Annual Humane Race
BHS Humane Heroes will volunteer at the event, hosting a canine snack station with homemade pupsicles and doggy ice cream. The Humane Hero program teaches children about animals and organizes group volunteer activities at the shelter and shelter events.
North Adams Happenings: April 17-23
Brought to you by:the North Adams Office of Tourism & Community Events
Biz Briefs: Couple Returns to Berkshires to Buy Catherine's Chocolates
Catherine's Chocolate owner Kathy Sinico is retiring after more than 40 years of hand crafting chocolates from the same location on Route 7 in Great Barrington. The chocolatier has been a pillar of the South Berkshires, well known for its homey atmosphere and the scent of chocolate. Patrons return year after year for life celebrations in which Catherine’s Chocolate are an essential tradition.
Holiday Hours: Patriots Day
Monday, April 15, is Patriots Day, a state holiday marking the anniversary of the Battle of Lexington and Concord that began the American Revolution. The day is celebrated on the third Monday in April.
Cultural Pittsfield This Week: April 12-18
Baby Animals Fest kicks off on Saturday at Hancock Shaker Village and runs through May 5. It's your chance to visit with the farm's piglets, lambs, calves, chicks and kids! Plus, enjoy special events throughout festival, like pony rides, face painting, games, music and more. This Saturday, the Village will hold a non-denominational Blessing of the Animals at 10:30 a.m.
North Adams Happenings: April 10-16
Brought to you by:the North Adams Office of Tourism & Community Events
Berkshires Beat: Berkshire Grown Hosts Spring Supper
This year's event is at the Country Club of Pittsfield and benefits Berkshire Grown and its win-win project, Share the Bounty.
Cultural Pittsfield This Week: April 5-11
Enjoy 14 different art shows featuring work by more than two dozen accomplished regional and student artists in Pittsfield's bustling Upstreet Cultural District during the First Friday Artswalk, and all month long
MassDOT Announces Enhanced Teen Driver Initiative
The Parent's Supervised Driving Program is used in more than 24 states nationwide and focuses on the critical role that parents play in the teen driver education process.
Biz Briefs: Wild Oats Launches New Catering Website
Wild Oats has been offering catering services for over ten years in their Main Street location, which includes a full-service kitchen and bakery. The ingredients are organic, in-season and locally sourced whenever possible and they use humanely raised, hormone- and antibiotic-free meat and sustainable seafood.
North Adams Happenings: April 3-9
Brought to you by: MCLA's Berkshire Cultural Resource Center and the North Adams Office of Tourism & Community Events
Downtown Pittsfield Inc. to Present Blue Art Show in Honor of Autism Awareness Month
An opening reception for Blue Art Show will be held on Friday, April 5, from 5 to 8 p.m. during First Fridays Artswalk, and the show will remain on view through April 26.
Cultural Pittsfield This Week: March 29-April 4
Lichtenstein Center for the Arts will host a FREE event with a panel of local artists who will speak about their experiences as artists in the Berkshires and beyond. They'll answer questions about navigating the arts scene, networking in the artist community, marketing, how to prepare for an exhibition and more.
Biz Briefs: North Adams Restaurants to 'Go Green' for the Month of April
The goal of "Go Green Month" is to reduce waste and practice behavior changes that are more environmentally friendly, with hopes that these changes will have a lasting impact on both the restaurants and the city.
North Adams Happenings: March 27-April 2
Brought to you by: MCLA's Berkshire Cultural Resource Center and the North Adams Office of Tourism & Community Events
Berkshires Beat: Corpse Flower in Bloom at Darrow School
The flower gets its name from its distinctive odor, which many liken to the smell of rotting meat.
North Adams Residents Invited to Meet Police Chief Finalists
Following a national search and preliminary screening of candidates, a police chief search committee convened by the mayor extended invitations to three candidates to interview for the police chief position.
Cultural Pittsfield This Week: March 22-28
Berkshire Art Association will honor and celebrate Marty Rentz, an extraordinary volunteer leader of BAA and many other cultural initiatives in the Berkshires. The evening begins with a community reception at The Lichtenstein Center for the Arts at 5 p.m. FREE. Donations accepted.
Berkshire Beat: Herberg Team Wins 20th Annual Berkshire Robotics Challenge
The competition involved 16 Berkshire County teams comprising more than 130 students ages 8 to 14 using programmable robots built from LEGO kits to complete a variety of hypothetical missions that focused on space-themed missions – such as growing food in space, fighting muscle atrophy in orbit, and collecting samples – on a table-top "playing field."
Biz Briefs: Stop & Shop Workers Still Without Contract
UFCW Local 1459, representing about 2,000 workers in the Berkshires and Western Mass, voted a week ago to authorize a strike if the contract talks continue to bog down. Local 1459's vote is in accord with four other UFCW locals that together represent some 30,000 workers in the grocery chain's New England stores.
Cultural Pittsfield This Week: March 15-21
Known across the globe as "the ultimate-feel good show," The Choir of Man offers up 90 minutes of indisputable joy.
North Adams Happenings: March 13-19
Brought to you by: MCLA's Berkshire Cultural Resource Center and the North Adams Office of Tourism & Community Events
March 16-17 is Maple Weekend in Massachusetts
To celebrate the state’s earliest and sweetest crop, more than 40 sugarhouses are highlighting this wonderful food. A list of participating sugarhouses are available on the website.
Turn Your Clock, Test Your Smoke Alarm
This weekend is also a good time for everyone to take lifesaving steps to help prepare households for home fires, the nation's most frequent disaster.
North Adams Happenings: March 6-12
Brought to you by: MCLA's Berkshire Cultural Resource Center and the North Adams Office of Tourism & Community Events
Cultural Pittsfield This Week: March 8-14
Join ZipStohr for a night of comedy at The Crowne Plaza and part of the proceeds will benefit Berkshire Humane Society!
Biz Briefs: Dinner Raises Money to Support WTBR in Pittsfield
The money will be used to help with the costs of moving the station from Taconic High School to the PCTV studios, and rebuilding the studio and transmitter facilities.
Berkshires Beat: SVMC Kicks Off Colorectal Cancer Screening Awareness Month
Colorectal cancer is the second-leading cause of cancer death among men and women in the United States. Americans of average risk and age 50 and older should be screened every 10 years.
Cultural Pittsfield This Week: March 1-7
Enjoy 14 different art shows featuring work by more than two dozen accomplished regional and student artists in Pittsfield's bustling Upstreet Cultural District during the First Friday Artswalk.
Biz Briefs: Tunnel City Coffee Hosts Art Show
Tunnel City Coffee in Mass MoCA hosts artists Sarah Sutro and Dorothea Osborn for a winter show of ink drawings and large scale paintings through March.
Norman Rockwell Museum Presents 'The Art and Wit of Rube Goldberg'
On view at the museum from March 2 through June 9, the exhibit will offer a revealing look at Goldberg's creativity through original comic strips from the 1930s, where the artist created his complicated machines, as well as later political cartoons and instructional materials from the Famous Artists School, which are now part of the permanent collection of Norman Rockwell Museum.
March is Red Cross Month
The Massachusetts Region asks people to be a hero for families in the Commonwealth by becoming a volunteer, learning lifesaving skills, giving blood or donating to #help1family on Red Cross Giving Day, March 27.
North Adams Happenings: Feb. 27-March 5
Brought to you by: MCLA's Berkshire Cultural Resource Center and the North Adams Office of Tourism & Community Events
Berkshires Beat: Williams College Highlights Sustainability with New Interactive Map, Audio Tour
Over the course of the fall 2018 semester, Williams senior Korinna Garfield and alumna Caroline Bruno, sustainability coordinator at the college's Zilkha Center, incorporated sustainability features into the new map to help raise visibility about how sustainability is integrated into the Williams College campus.
Cultural Pittsfield This Week: Feb. 22-28
The 10x10 Upstreet Arts Festival runs until Sunday, Feb. 24 and features music, art, theater, dance and more. There is something for the entire family, from Barrington Stage's 10x10 New Play Festival and live jazz at The Whitney, to 10 Days of Play at the Berkshire Museum and a fireworks extravaganza on the Pittsfield Common.
Berkshires Beat: CATA Artists 'Making Waves' at Good Purpose Gallery
The exhibit opens Feb. 27 and features paintings by CATA artists who use the innovative Artistic Realization Technologies (A.R.T.) technique to create their work.
Biz Briefs: Two Former Prosecutors Open Local Law Firm
The law firm was founded on Feb. 4, 2019, by Gregory M. Barry and Robert W. Kinzer, two former assistant district attorneys in the Berkshire District Attorney's Office.
North Adams Happenings: Feb. 20-26
Brought to you by: MCLA's Berkshire Cultural Resource Center and the North Adams Office of Tourism & Community Events
Holiday Hours: Presidents Day
Washington's Birthday will be celebrated on Monday, Feb. 18.
North Adams Happenings: Feb. 13-19
Brought to you by: MCLA's Berkshire Cultural Resource Center and the North Adams Office of Tourism & Community Events
Berkshires Beat: Rockwell Museum, Collective Arts Brewing Host Student Art Contest
Eight winning entries — selected by a jury of representatives from Collective Arts Brewing, Norman Rockwell Museum and contemporary illustrators — will be showcased on a Collective Arts Brewing can series, distributed across North America.
10x10 Upstreet Arts Festival Celebrates Eighth Anniversary
Organized by the City of Pittsfield's Office of Cultural Development and Barrington Stage Company, the festival features 62 events in 14 different venues, highlighting dozens of artists, actors, musicians, playwrights and performers.
Edgerton, Jackson Receive 'Black Excellence on the Hill' Award
Ty Allan Jackson, local author, literacy advocate, publisher and motivational speaker, and Shirley Edgerton, founder and director of the Rites of Passage and Empowerment Program, director of Youth Alive and cultural proficiency coach for the Pittsfield Public Schools, were honored by the Massachusetts Black and Latino Legislative Caucus.
North Adams Happenings: Feb. 6-12
Brought to you by: MCLA's Berkshire Cultural Resource Center and the North Adams Office of Tourism & Community Events
Cultural Pittsfield This Week: Feb. 8-14
The 10x10 Upstreet Arts Festival takes place Thursday, Feb. 14 - Sunday, Feb. 24 and features music, art, theater, dance, film and more. There is something for the entire family, from Barrington Stage's 10x10 New Play Festival and live jazz at The Whitney, to 10 Days of Play at the Berkshire Museum and a fireworks extravaganza on the Pittsfield Common.
Biz Briefs: SVHC Named One of Vermont's Best Places to Work Again
SVHC received the honor for the first time in 2015. It remains the only hospital in the state of Vermont to be recognized by the awards program
Spring 2019 ArtWeek Applications Now Available
In the Berkshires, the Downtown Great Barrington Cultural District, North Adams Cultural District, Cultural Pittsfield's Upstreet Cultural District, the Williamstown Chamber of Commerce, as well as Art Lenox and the Lenox Chamber of Commerce have all signed on as Community Partners. 1Berkshire and Berkshire Young Professionals are serving as Regional Collaborators in Western Massachusetts.
Berkshires Beat: Williams College to Host 'Equity Drafting Table'
The EDT provides visitors an opportunity to engage with thought-provoking questions on topics of privilege and sustainable communities.
Cultural Pittsfield This Week: Feb. 1-7
Enjoy 11 different art shows featuring work by more than a dozen accomplished regional artists in Pittsfield's bustling Upstreet Cultural District during the First Friday Artswalk, and all month long!
Biz Briefs: Big Y Bag Program Now Benefitting Hillcrest Educational Centers, BCARC
The Big Y Community Bag and Giving Tag Program, which launched in January 2019, is a reusable bag program that facilitates community support with the goal to make a difference in the communities where shoppers live and work.
North Adams Happenings: Jan. 29-Feb. 5
Brought to you by: MCLA's Berkshire Cultural Resource Center and the North Adams Office of Tourism & Community Events
Berkshires Beat: North Adams Winterfest Seeking Participants
The office seeks more restaurants, businesses, organizations or individuals to participate in the chowder cook-off, sponsor blocks of ice, and compete in the ice sculpture competition and Bright Ideas Brewing Homebrew Competition.
Cultural Pittsfield This Week: Jan. 25-31
The Four Freedoms Coalition's 3rd annual gathering, Celebrating Freedom: Democracy in Action, will take place on Sunday, Jan. 27 from 1-3 p.m. at Berkshire Community College.
Biz Briefs: Berkshire Gas, Avangrid Foundation Supports Girls Inc. STEM Program
Eureka! brings girls in the Berkshires a unique opportunity to explore STEM-related subjects through intensive, hands-on programming over five years.
North Adams Happenings: Jan. 23-29
Brought to you by: MCLA's Berkshire Cultural Resource Center and the North Adams Office of Tourism & Community Events
Berkshires Beat: Clark Art Institute Launches Free Snowshoe Program
Project Snowshoe provides visitors with the chance to borrow a pair of snowshoes from the Clark to trek the 140-acre campus during snow season.
SNAP Clients to Receive February Benefits Early
Clients are encouraged to budget this early February payment accordingly, as future benefits may not be reloaded until after the partial government shutdown comes to an end.
Cultural Pittsfield This Week: Jan. 18-24
On Sunday from 3-6 p.m. at Second Congregational Church, join Multicultural Bridge and the Berkshire County NAACP for Dreaming Beyond Borders, the annual community celebration of the life of the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. The speaker will be the Rev. Da Vita D. McCallister, Lead Pastor of First Church in Somerville, Mass.
Biz Briefs: Balance Rock Investment Group Celebrates 20 Years With Move
Balance Rock Investment Group closed out 2018 with after celebrating the firm's 20th anniversary and move to its new office space on South Street in Pittsfield.
North Adams Happenings: Jan. 16-22
Brought to you by: MCLA's Berkshire Cultural Resource Center and the North Adams Office of Tourism & Community Events
