Hancock Shaker Village Hosts Annual Winter Weekend

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PITTSFIELD, Mass. —  Hancock Shaker Village's annual Winter Weekend is filled with countless family activities that celebrate the season.

Slated this year for Valentine's Day weekend, Feb. 14 to 16, activities will include ice harvesting at the Shaker reservoir, horse-drawn sleigh rides and nature walks, in addition to a number of indoor offerings. Visitors will have a chance to participate in craft projects, cooking demonstrations, and tours of historic Shaker buildings, in addition to exploring the village on their own from 10 a.m to 4 p.m. daily.

Horse-drawn sleigh rides are included in the village admission price, and carry passengers along trails and through the woods toward the Shaker Reservoir, where ice harvesting is performed.

The Shakers cut, harvested and transported ice from the reservoir for cooling and refrigeration purposes in the 1800s and, during Winter Weekend, Dennis Picard will present ice-harvesting demonstrations that include narrative on the centuries-old art. Picard appeared last year in "Absolute Zero: The Conquest of Cold," a PBS "Nova" program.

Inside, cooking demonstrations will be held for adults and kids' craft sessions are planned for younger visitors. Displays of Shaker maple sugaring artifacts and how-to talks about starting a backyard sugaring operation will also be provided, as well as other hands-on programs in the Discovery Room.


Winter Weekend is an opportunity to try cross-country skiing or snowshoeing on the village grounds; ­ the "Farm and Forest" one-mile trail offers breathtaking views of the village grounds, as well as a great, low-impact cardio workout. Tickets are $7.50, and skiers and snowshoers receive discounts on guided tours.

Hancock Shaker Village is situated on 7,500 acres of farm, field and woodland. It includes 20 buildings, 22,000 examples of Shaker furniture, crafts, tools and clothes, as well as heritage farm animals and spectacular gardens.

For more information, call 800-817-1137 or visit www.hancockshakervillage.org.

If you would like to contribute information on this article, contact us at info@iberkshires.com.

Possible Measles Exposure at Boston, Logan

BOSTON — The Massachusetts Department of Public Health confirmed Wednesday that an out-of-state adult visitor who spent time in Boston and Westborough earlier this month was diagnosed with measles and was present in a number of locations.
 
This could have resulted in other people being exposed to measles virus.
 
The visitor arrived at Logan International Airport on American Airlines flight 2384 from Dallas-Fort Worth, Texas, on Dec. 11 at 2:39 p.m. They stayed at the DoubleTree by Hilton Hotel Boston-Westborough in Westborough and departed the state on Dec. 12 via Logan at 9:19 p.m. on JetBlue flight 117 to Las Vegas.
 
DPH is working with the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and local partners to identify and notify those who may have been exposed to measles from this individual.
 
"Measles is a highly contagious, airborne disease, which has increased significantly in the United States because of the unfortunate decrease in vaccination rates. It is also a preventable disease," said Public Health Commissioner Dr. Robbie Goldstein. "This current situation serves as an important reminder of the critical role vaccination plays in protecting our communities. While Massachusetts has not had a measles case this year, 2025 saw the highest number of nationwide cases in more than a decade — nearly 2,000 in 44 jurisdictions, and sadly, three deaths. 
 
"Fifteen years ago, measles had been considered eliminated in the United States, but that tremendous progress is at risk. Vaccines are one of the most important public health interventions ever — they are safe, effective, and lifesaving."
 
Measles is very contagious. However, the risk to most people in Massachusetts is low because the vaccination rate in the state is high. People who are not immune and visited any of the locations on the following dates and times may be at risk for developing measles.
 
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