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Hinds Sets Community Outreach Events for December
The senator's staff will be available to meet with constituents in the communities of West Stockbridge and Westhampton for this month's staff office hours on Wednesday, Dec. 18, from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m.
Cultural Pittsfield This Week: Dec. 13-19
The annual Holiday Shindy returns to the former Shire City Sanctuary, now the Al-Khalil Cultural Center. Forty accomplished artisan vendors will sell their unique and distinctive offerings. Enjoy hot drinks from Dottie's Coffee Lounge and lunch from Braise Worthy while you shop. Shindy hours are Saturday, Dec. 14 and Sunday, Dec. 15 from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Admission is $3 and children under the age of 12 are free.
Veteran Spotlight: PFC Giardina Runs Out of Luck on Day 13
On his 13th day in the Chorwon Valley, Giardina wasn't so lucky when a bomb exploded several yards from him while on patrol. The explosion was so powerful that it lifted him 3 feet off the ground. He took shrapnel in his shoulder and leg.
North Adams Happenings: Dec. 11-17
MASS MoCA celebrates the Berkshires this holiday season offering FREE admission to all Berkshire County residents from Friday, December 6, through Monday, December 23.
Holiday Events and Tree Lightings 2019
'Tis the season to be merry and bright. Planning a holiday event? Let us know at iberkshires.com. Visit our Holiday Bazaars and Craft Fairs list for holiday craft fairs.
Harvest Festivals and Craft Fairs 2019
Have an event to add? Email us at info@iberkshires.com.
North Adams Happenings: Dec. 4-10
DECEMBER 14th - Wreaths Across America Ceremony and Wreath Laying - North Adams Cemeteries Join us as we remember our veterans in North Adams. We will first have a ceremony at Veterans Memorial Park, followed by wreath laying at Southview Cemetery. If you have not already signed up with us to lay wreaths, please message us via this event.
Veteran Spotlight: Airman Woolfe Flew Bombing Missions in South Pacific
Woolfe enlisted in the Army Air Forces at 18 1/2 and served his country in World War II from 1942-1945 and is credited with an amazing 47 missions flown (his bomber group miraculously lost only one plane and that because of inclement weather).
Cultural Pittsfield This Week: Nov. 29-Dec. 5
Get a jump on your holiday shopping in Pittsfield on Small Business Saturday, and be part of a national effort to highlight locally owned small businesses each year on the Saturday after Thanksgiving.
North Adams Happenings: Nov. 27-Dec. 3
DECEMBER 7th - December Indoor Farmers Market Join us for the December indoor market. 9:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. Over a dozen vendors. HIP/SNAP/EBT/CC/Debit/Cash accepted. We double SNAP/EBT up to $15. For more updates on this market follow us on Facebook https://www.facebook.com/NorthAdamsFarmersMarket/
Red Cross Offers 10 Thanksgiving Cooking Safety Tips
Thanksgiving is the peak day for home cooking fires in the United States, and the American Red Cross of Massachusetts urges everyone to never leave cooking food unattended — which is the most common cause of kitchen fires.
Berkshires Beat: Berkshire Humance Society Hosts 100 Cats for Christmas
The program is the shelter’s largest and most successful low-cost spay/neuter effort for kittens and cats in the Berkshires and surrounding areas. Without the support of the license plate program, this invaluable service would not be possible.
Cultural Pittsfield This Week: Nov. 22-28
The Colonial presents Tramps Like Us, a high-energy band that delivers Bruce Springsteen's iconic rockers and ballads including "Dancing In the Dark," "Born in the U.S.A.," "Thunder Road," "Badlands" and more. Tramps Like Us is the only tribute band to be endorsed by members
Biz Briefs: Wild Oats Donates to Habitat for Humanity
The member-owners of Wild Oats Market have selected Northern Berkshire Habitat For Humanity as the recipient of this quarter's donation from its Pass It On Program.
North Adams Happenings:Nov. 20-26
NOVEMBER 27th - North Adams Annual Tree Lighting Join us as we celebrate the holiday season with the Annual Tree Lighting Ceremony in downtown North Adams on Wednesday, November 27, 2019 at 6:00PM! The rain date will be Friday, December 6, 2019. https://www.facebook.com/events/942141622814491/
Veteran Spotlight: Seaman Nichols Witness to History
Nichols was on duty on Sept. 2, 1945, and about 100 feet from the signing of the Japanese surrender document on the Missouri.
Cultural Pittsfield This Week: Nov. 15-21
Berkshire Museum will hold its annual Festival of Trees Preview Party on Friday, Nov. 15 from 5:30-7:30 p.m. Enjoy delicious appetizers and beverages, including a signature cocktail, as you explore more than 100 dazzling holiday displays. This year's Festival of Trees theme, "Heroes," is sure to inspire. Party guests are invited to incorporate their own hero(es) into their evening's attire!
North Adams Happenings: Nov. 13-19
NOVEMBER 20th - The Neighborlie Awards! Celebrate someone who has made a positive impact in your life or community. Nominate someone now here. Nomination deadline is November 4. For more information, call Glenda at the Northern Berkshire Community Coalition at (413) 663-7588. http://www.nbccoalition.org/the-neighborlies.html
North Adams Happenings: Nov. 6-12
NOVEMBER 20th - The Neighborlie Awards! Celebrate someone who has made a positive impact in your life or community. Nominate someone now here. Nomination deadline is November 4.
Trick-or-Treat, Halloween Events 2019
Below is a list of towns holding trick-or-treat hours and/or events on Halloween.
Berkshires Beat: Pine Cobble Ski and Skate Sale Set for Nov. 1
The sale offers a vast array of the finest in new and gently used winter sports equipment, including both adult and kids sizes.
North Adams Happenings: Oct. 30-Nov. 5
NOVEMBER 11th - Annual Veterans Day Parade More details TBA!
Biz Briefs: 'Binka Bear' Wins All-Ideas Pitch Contest
Entrepreneurship for All (EforAll) Berkshire County ran their first All-Ideas Pitch Contest at the Berkshire Museum, awarding a first prize of $1,000 to Kaitlyn Pierce of Binka Bear, a product that helps wean children off pacifiers. She also won the "Fan Favorite" award of $500.
North Adams Happenings: Oct. 23-29
NOVEMBER 2nd - Masquerade at Greylock WORKS On November 2nd, three weeks before FESTIVE, come to gWorks to dance in disguise at our MASQUERADE Halloween costume party! Doors open at 8pm !
Cultural Pittsfield This Week: Oct. 18-24
The 15th annual Pittsfield CityJazz Festival continues through Sunday, Oct. 20. The Dayramir Gonzalez Quartet will perform at Berkshire Museum on Friday, Oct. 18 at 7:30 p.m. The concert will be preceded by a wine bar that opens at 6:30 p.m. On Saturday, Oct. 19 at 7:30 p.m., The Colonial Theatre will host legendary vocalist Stephanie Nakasian and her daughter, Veronica Swift, in a rare pairing. The Berkshires Jazz Youth Ensemble will open.
Biz Briefs: North Adams Verizon Wireless Zone Gives $1,000 to Food Pantry
The donation came from the Wireless Zone Foundation of Giving, which is made up of Verizon Wireless Zone stores across the country who take small donations then sponsoring local charities.
North Adams Happenings: Oct. 16-22
On November 2nd, three weeks before FESTIVE, come to gWorks to dance in disguise at our MASQUERADE Halloween costume party! Doors open at 8pm !
Berkshires Beat: Tanglewood to Offer Year-Round Programming
This change is enabled by the the development of Tanglewood's new Linde Center for Music and Learning, which was launched in the summer of 2019.
North Adams Happenings: Oct. 9-15
OCTOBER 19th & 20th - 14th Annual North Adams Open Studios The Eclipse Mill will be opening its doors October 19-20 11-5 PM for its 14th Annual open studios. Come and see work created by the residents living in the Mill at 243 Union St. North Adams MA https://www.facebook.com/events/617942645397794/
Berkshires Beat: CATA, Mass Audubon Collaborate on Art Exhibit at Wildlife Sanctuary
The exhibit is the culmination of a year-long collaboration between CATA and Mass Audubon, where CATA artists worked with educators and naturalists from Berkshire Wildlife Sanctuaries to explore connections between art and nature.
North Adams Happenings: Sept. 25-Oct. 1
OCTOBER 4th - Fall Foliage Children's Parade: There's No Place Like Home! Join us for the Annual Fall Foliage Children's Parade!
Biz Briefs: Berkshire Food Co-op One of Three Finalists for MassEcon Award
Finalists compete on a regional basis in the West, Central, Southeast, Northeast and Great Boston areas. The winners from each of the five regions will be announced in October.
Cultural Pittsfield This Week: Sept. 20-26
The final 3rd Thursday of 2019 is 3rd Thursday: Walk a Mile, a fun annual fundraiser which raises money for the Elizabeth Freeman Center. Plus enjoy a live performance from Whiskey Treaty Roadshow, Barkha Dance Company in the Jacob's Pillow Dance Zone, food, vendors and other entertainment for the entire family. 5-8 p.m.
Hinds Seeks Designs for Annual Holiday Card Contest
Each December, Hinds sends almost 1,000 greeting cards by mail to friends, family, colleagues and constituents. The winning design will be used as the cover art for his 2019 holiday greeting card. The student artist will be identified on the card, featured in the senator's media and social media outreach, and win a pizza party for their classroom with Hinds.
Berkshires Beat: Final 3rd Thursday of Season Features Walk a Mile Event
The annual "Walk a Mile in Her Shoes" will be the main attraction at September's Third Thursday festivities.
North Adams Happenings: Sept. 18-24
SEPTEMBER 27th - Movies Under the Stars at Colegrove Park Join us in the park for our 3RD Annual Movies Under the Stars summer series in Colegrove Park, North Adams. This monthly free family movie night is made possible thanks to the generous sponsorship of Adams Community Bank.
Cultural Pittsfield This Week: Sept. 13-19
The final 3rd Thursday of 2019 is 3rd Thursday: Walk a Mile, a fun annual fundraiser which raises money for the Elizabeth Freeman Center. Plus enjoy a live performance from Whiskey Treaty Roadshow, Barkha Dance Company in the Jacob's Pillow Dance Zone, food, vendors and other entertainment for the entire family. 5-8 p.m.
Biz Briefs: Shakespeare & Company Seeks Property Proposals for Lenox Campus
Qualified entities are asked to provide an initial statement of interest to demonstrate how the campus, located within walking distance of the town of Lenox’s historic center, can be activated as a shared-use property.
North Adams Happenings: Sept. 11-17
SEPTEMBER 20th - 22nd - FreshGrass Festival 2019 An opportunity for enthusiasts to both appreciate and participate, FreshGrass is a family-friendly festival, brimming with bright talent on four stages, and also in our galleries, brick-lined courtyards, and grassy field, produced in partnership by MASS MoCA, the FreshGrass Foundation, and No Depression.
Cultural Pittsfield This Week: Sept. 6-12
Enjoy 18 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: Woofstock 2019 to be Held at The Common in Pittsfield
All participants are encouraged to collect pledges to benefit homeless animals, and registration includes a free online crowdfunding tool.
North Adams Happenings: Sept. 4-10
SEPTEMBER 20th - 22nd - FreshGrass Festival 2019 An opportunity for enthusiasts to both appreciate and participate, FreshGrass is a family-friendly festival, brimming with bright talent on four stages, and also in our galleries, brick-lined courtyards, and grassy field, produced in partnership by MASS MoCA, the FreshGrass Foundation, and No Depression.
Berkshires Beat: Berkshire County Youths Joined Amplify 2019 Program
Amplify is a two-week residential program in which musicians perform songs written by Music In Common youth from around the world.
North Adams Happenings: Aug. 21-27
AUGUST 29th - DownStreet Art DownStreet Art, the last-Thursday-of-the-month popup program of Massachusetts College of Liberal Arts’ Berkshire Cultural Resource Center (MCLA BCRC), returns to downtown North Adams from 5-8 p.m. on August 29, 2019. As always, DownStreet Art is free and open to the public.
Berkshires Beat: Horse Show Benefits Berkshire Humane Society
Through the support of the Hart Family and Overmeade Farm, the horse show has raised more than $250,000 during the lifetime of the event. Berkshire Humane Society is excited to begin a new partnership with Berkshire Equestrian Center.
Biz Briefs: Jacob's Pillow Founder’s Property on the Market
The property, nestled on a hilltop overlooking 73 acres, provides opportunity for swimming, tennis and hiking.
Cultural Pittsfield This Week: Aug. 16-22
The next Food for Thought Dinner at Hancock Shaker Village will feature local author Jim Shepard. The critically acclaimed fiction writer will discuss his first work of non-fiction, The Tunnel at the End of the Light, which explores the way the movies have shaped our understanding of ourselves as Americans, for better or for worse. 6 p.m.
Berkshires Beat: The Clark, Jacob's Pillow Team Up for Special Dance Performance
Dancers from the company will perform in dialogue with the Clark's landscape and galleries in various locations in and around the Clark’s reflecting pool. Three works choreographed by company founder Martha Graham highlight the afternoon:
Cultural Pittsfield This Week: Aug. 9-15
Beep beep! Honk honk! Join us for a fun 3rd Thursday celebration and touch a truck! Kids (and adults) will be able to see, touch, interact with and learn about dozens of cool vehicles, including fire trucks and police cars, construction vehicles, airport vehicles and more.
Biz Briefs: Catherine's Chocolates Changes Name to Mielke Confections
The Kinneys are continuing the tradition of a family-owned local business, creating handmade quality chocolates in the same location, as well as their choice of the new name, which is Trent Kinney’s family name.
Cultural Pittsfield This Week: Aug. 2-8
Enjoy 18 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: Pittsfield Library Given 'Literary Landmark' Status in Honor of Melville
The dedication ceremony will take place as part of The Berkshire County Historical Society's third annual Moby-Dick Marathon, a four-day event at Herman Melville's Arrowhead, 780 Holmes Road, Pittsfield, in the historic red barn where he often met with Nathanial Hawthorne.
North Adams Happenings July 31-Aug. 6
AUGUST 14th - 23rd Annual Downtown Celebration JOIN US! The 23rd Annual Downtown Celebration will take over downtown North Adams on Wednesday, August 14 from 5:30 – 9 PM.
Berkshires Beat: National Night Out to be Celebrated in North Adams, Williamstown
On Tuesday, August 6, North Adams and Williamstown residents are invited to join forces with thousands of communities nationwide for National Night Out (NNO), an annual community-building event that promotes police-community partnerships and neighborhood camaraderie to make our neighborhoods safer, more caring places to live.
Cultural Pittsfield This Week: July 26-Aug. 1
The Berkshires branch of the NAACP invites everyone to the 46th Annual Gather-In Festival at Durant Park (formerly Pitt Park) for a FREE, family friendly, fun, jam-packed day! Enjoy food, community vendors, kids' activities, music and more! 1-7 p.m.
Berkshires Beat: Clinton Church Restoration Awarded $75,000
As part of the second class of Action Fund grantees, Clinton Church Restoration was awarded $75,000 to continue its efforts to restore and repurpose the historic Clinton A.M.E. Zion Church in Great Barrington as an African American heritage site and cultural center.
Biz Briefs: Tourists Hotel to be Honored at Celebrate the Berkshires Event
This recognition will be presented at the 1Berkshires' ninth annual Celebrate the Berkshires event on Sept. 26 at Jiminy Peak.
Cultural Pittsfield This Week: July 12-18
The Boston Symphony Orchestra, in partnership with Mill Town Capital, the City of Pittsfield and local organizations, will present its first-ever free community event on the Pittsfield Common.
Cultural Pittsfield This Week: July 12-18
July's 3rd Thursday celebrates the city's cuisine, with more than a dozen food vendors popping up at the celebration, along with the two dozen brick-and-mortar restaurants that dot North Street. There will be almost 100 vendors in all!
Berkshires Beat: Kids 4 Harmony Celebrates Success With Summer Gala Concert
Kids 4 Harmony, a free after school program at Morningside Community School in Pittsfield and Brayton Elementary School in North Adams, is inspired by Venezuela's El Sistema, an ensemble-based musical approach with a social justice mission.
Cultural Pittsfield This Week: July 5-12
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!
North Adams Happenings: July 2-9
JULY 13 - Eagle Street Beach Party! The Annual Eagle Street Beach Party is Back! Saturday, July 13th - (3:30-6:30PM for family friendly sand fun/ 7-10PM for Grown-up Fiesta!) FREE. RAIN DATE: July 20th
Holiday Hours: Independence Day
Independence Day will be celebrated Wednesday, July 4. It is a federal holiday.
Berkshires Beat: Shakespeare & Co. Hosts Fourth of July Celebration
The event includes music, children's crafts and activities, and a public reading of one of the most stirring and influential documents in our country's history, The Declaration of Independence.
Biz Briefs: New Berkshire Food Co-op Opens in Great Barrington
A ribbon cutting ceremony was at 7:30 a.m. with remarks from Jonathan Butler, president and CEO of 1Berkshire, the Regional Economic Development Organization of Berkshire County.
Cultural Pittsfield This Week: June 28-July 4
This year's parade theme is The Berkshires: Past, Present, and Future!
North Adams Happenings June 26-July 2
End your Independence Day Celebrations in North Adams! Join us for the annual fourth of July fireworks display following SteepleCats game.
Tanglewood's Learning Institute Opens This Week
It's clear that this will be an especially exciting and brilliant festival season.
Gearing Up for Old and New Pop Idols
These are among the treats awaiting Berkshire pop and dance enthusiasts in the week before July 4.
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.
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.
