35th Adams Agricultural Fair

ADAMS, Mass. - This is the 35th annual Fair and the committee will have a formal celebration on Friday, July 31 at 5:30 PM. Adams Selectmen and Town Administrator have been invited along with local representatives. Cake will be served to those helping to celebrate. This is the only major 3 day fair in Berkshire County.

We begin Friday night with an antique tractor pull in memory of Al and Rita Pierce. There also is the annual Cruise in with classic cars, street rods and custom vehicles along with the Children’s Pedal Tractor contest, a favorite for everyone. The evening rounds out with music by popular "Shut up and Dance".

The Prince and Princess contest will be on Saturday at 10:30 with the new royalty ruling over the fair. The adult sheep and goats will be judged along with the youth cattle starting at 10.

The pulling area is ready for the pony pulls followed by horse pulls at 11. People are encouraged to bring chairs or sit in the bleachers under the shade trees for this day long event.

Noontime on Saturday will bring the Pioneer Valley Fiddlers back from the Springfield area. They will enter everyone with their show featuring youth from 5 to 20 years old showing casing their talent and music. There is something for the whole family to enjoy the rest of the day with Bowe the Clown, Illusionist David Garrity performing his special magic and of course the Great Grossini throwing knives at his brave wife and including audience participants in his show.

New this year at 4 is a Professional BMX bike show which will be repeated at 7 in the evening, just before the Exteme Quad Challenge for thrills in the demo area with a mini van demolition. Local people are encouraged to enter the mini van demo just for fun.

The evening rounds out with music by "Shut up and Dance".

The Fair is very pleased to announce that the Demolition Derby on Sunday will begin at 2, rain or shine with seating in the bleachers. New is a shuttle bus to Bowe Field from the North Adams Plaza on Sunday beginning at 11 AM ending at 6 PM. This will be very helpful with additional parking and the shuttle.

Sunday also has judging of Adult cattle, judging of youth sheep and goats plus the ox pull at 11:00. Wendy Warner at 1 will demonstrate the skills of her sheep dogs and at 1:30 the Berkshire Highland bagpipe band will provide a great concert.

There are so many things to see at the 35th fair, amusement rides with many wrist band specials, the Adams Lions eye mobile with free testing available, miniature donkeys, pony rides, antique tractors and traditional timber framing by Shaun Garvey.

Entries will be accepted until July 26, anyone with flowers, canning, beer or wine, baking or hand goods are encouraged to check the fair web site www.adamsfair.com for entry forms.

Cheshire Town Meeting Oks Budgets, Debates Potential Prop 2 1/2 Override

By Sabrina DammsiBerkshires Staff
10:12PM / Monday, June 08, 2026

Moderator Carol Francesconi, left, and Anne Marie Furey were presented flowers in memory of the Rev. William Furey, their brother and husband, respectively. The town report was dedicated to him. 

CHESHIRE, Mass. — Town meeting on Monday approved all 35 articles on the annual meeting warrant, including a total spending for fiscal 2027 of more than $8.5 million. 

 

Some 77 of the town's more than 2,500 registered voters filled the Cheshire Community House meeting room, debating on a number of articles during the meeting that lasted nearly three hours

 

The town dedicated its annual report to the Rev. William David Furey, longtime pastor of First Baptist Church and more recently Berkshire Union Chapel in Lanesborough. Furey died last year at age 77.

 

His wife, Anne Marie Furey, and his sister, Town Moderator Carol Francesconi, were presented with a bouquet of flowers in tribute to him. 

 

He was an exemplary member of the community who left a lasting impression in each and every life that he touched, said Town Clerk Whitney Flynn. 

 

Voters approved several warrant articles that make up an operating budget of $3,840,314 for fiscal 2027. Of this amount, $1,642,481 is allocated for the general government budget, which was approved after clarification of a few questions.

 

One item was the administrative assistant's salary. Prior to the annual meeting, the town eliminated the executive assistant salary of $54,309 in favor of a part-time administrative assistant salary of $27,155, to reduce costs considering the financial constraint the town is in.