Williamstown Harvest Supper Cancelled

Second Congregational Church in Williamstown Harvest Supper Cancelled

Second Congregational Church in Williamstown will not be holding its annual Harvest Supper this year. The mid-October event is the latest activity the congregation has been forced to cancel because of the pandemic, including the strawberry festival and the church auction and pot-luck supper fundraiser. The church has, however, resumed worship services outside, weather permitting, and indoors if necessary.

North Adams Public Library Storywalk

The Dot Storywalk will be on display on the grounds of the North Adams Public Library on Thursday, Oct. 1 from 3:30 to 5:30 PM.  

StoryWalk is an interactive way for people to enjoy reading while being outside at the same time. Participants follow a designated path around the library where laminated 2-spread pages from the children's book "The Dot" by Peter Reynolds will be displayed in intervals. 

Children who participate in the Storywalk will receive a bag of books and an opportunity to sign up for a library card.  Families interested in registering for a library card are asked to please bring a photo ID and a piece of mail with a current address.

Registration is required as space is limited. Call 413-662-3133 or email naplyouth@northadams-ma.gov with questions.

October First Fridays Artswalk

The First Friday Artwalk continues through October with a mural unveiling Oct. 2 ay 5 pm.  

Pittsfield’s Artscape will unveil the mural "THE SUN WILL RISE" at 443 North Street. "THE SUN WILL RISE" is a 20 x 16 foot mural created by Jesse Tobin McCauley along with Jay Tobin and Stephanie Quetti.

The Artswalk starts at 2 pm and ends at 5 pm.

Be sure to maintain a physical distance of 6 feet from other individuals and wear your mask.

Click here for a map of all indoor and outdoor locations, including hours for the indoor shows.

Sharing Stories: The Importance of Oral Histories and Listening in These Unprecedented Times

Join the Berkshire Museum online on Friday, Oct. 2 at 5:30 pm for a live panel discussion to open an updated, virtual version of the 2019 exhibition Their Stories: Oral Histories from the NAACP.

Judith Monachina will lead a conversation about the Housatonic Heritage Oral History Center as featured in the exhibit and the ways oral histories and sharing and listening to each other can help communities meet the unique challenges of today including the COVID-19 pandemic and the ongoing fight for social justice.

Panelists for the evening will include community activist, educator, and Founder of the Rites of Passage and Empowerment Program, Shirley Edgerton, and NAACP Berkshires President, Dennis Powell.

Learn more and register at explore.berkshiremuseum.org.

Andrew Erdman To Lecture For Ventfort Hall On "Eva Tanguay, The I Don’t Care Girl."

Historian and author Andrew Erdman will present for Ventfort Hall Mansion and Gilded Age Museum a visual presentation via Zoom on "Eva Tanguay, the I Don’t Care Girl or Lady Gaga of the Gilded Age." He will give his talk from his home in New York City on Saturday, Oct. 3 at 3:30 pm.  He originally gave this talk before an audience at the museum on July 28 without Zoom.  

Erdman’s latest book "Queen of Vaudeville:  The Story of Eva Tanguay," is the first-ever biography of the performer. Showbiz circles of her day nicknamed her the "I Don’t Care Girl" after her trademark song "I Don’t Care," which she first introduced as part of a vaudeville act in 1905. 

Erdman served as a staff reporter at Fortune magazine where he wrote a weekly human-interest column and profiles of the world’s billionaires. He also has written for National Lampoon, Diversions, Women.com and LifetimeTV.com.

Tickets for the Erdman lecture are $20 per person. To view him on Zoom register at https://ventfort10032020.eventbrite.com

Reservations for viewing him at Ventfort Hall on Zoom are strongly recommended as seating will be strictly limited. For reservations to attend at the mansion call us at (413) 637-3206. Tea cannot be served until further notice due to the coronavirus.

Pittsfield Holds Second Master Plan Workshop

By Brittany PolitoiBerkshires Staff
05:43PM / Wednesday, April 01, 2026

Participants added notes to the sectors — such as transportation, open space and neighborhoods — being reviewed by the Master Plan Steering Committee. 

PITTSFIELD, Mass.— The city is about halfway through developing its new master plan, and held a second community workshop this past Thursday. 

"Basically, we're talking to people from Pittsfield and trying to figure out, among a broad sector of issues that affect us, what is our goal and vision for the next 10 years, where we want Pittsfield to be in 10 years, and what changes do we want to see?" Director of Community Development Justine Dodds explained to about 20 community members and city staff at Conte Community School. 

"That will be broken down into some goals and objectives and then some measurable action items that we can all take as a community to move that forward."  

The Pittsfield Master Plan is the policy guide for future physical development, covering land use, infrastructure, sustainability, and more. The plan was last updated in 2009, and Pittsfield has engaged the VHB engineering firm and CommunityScale consultants to bring it through 2036. 

There have been two public listening sessions, a Master Plan Advisory Committee guiding the work, and small focus groups for each section. On poster boards, residents were able to see and mark the draft goals and actions under six themes: economic development, housing opportunities, transportation and infrastructure, environment and open space, neighborhoods and community, and governance and collaboration. 

In November 2025, community members participated in a similar exercise at City Hall. 

Transportation and infrastructure had several notes on them. Suggestions included using infrastructure to address the urban heat island effect, a light rail system, and continuing to implement Complete Streets standards for roadway construction projects. 

"I want to ride my bike to my friend's house safely," one respondent wrote. 

Under economic development, people suggested digital business infrastructure for the downtown, food hall opportunities, and nightlife opportunities.