Brian Cruey and his team at Naumkeag have turned the historic mansion and grounds into an fantastical Halloween-themed garden. See more photos here.
STOCKBRIDGE, Mass. — Naumkeag is shining a light during these dark pandemic times wiith a spooktacular pumpkin show.
The historic home and gardens made an extra effort this year to provide a haunting outdoor experience, nearly doubling its jack-o'-lantern count to 1,500.
Brian Cruey, director for the eight Southern Berkshire properties of the Trustees of Reservations, said Naumkeag takes up a majority of his time because of the large acreage of historic land that it offers.
COVID-19 has not affected the show too much, he said, as it has always been an outdoor event. Even though it hasn't changed, it is a quieter experience because of social distancing guidelines.
"We have about 200 people a night instead of 1,500 people a night," Cruey said. "Which is a big change but still we are happy to do it."
There was something for everyone carved into these pumpkins: Disney and Pokemon characters, a ghost Zoom meeting, and even a sobering pumpkin that read "RIP 2020."
The mixture of plastic pumpkins, real pumpkins, and gourds were all carved by Naumkeag staff. They began carving back in August to meet the Oct. 1 deadline. It was clear that each pumpkin was carved with a great deal of skill and thought. A majority of pumpkins and gourds in the show were also grown on site.
Naumkeag has instituted state guidelines for extra safety: requiring masks be worn on the property at all times, enforcing 6-foot social distancing, making the pumpkin trail one way, limiting the number of people admitted to the show per night, and eliminating the shuttle from nearby parking areas.
To accommodate the smaller capacity rules, Naumkeag expanded the Incredible Pumpkin Show schedule to be open Wednesday through Sunday.
With these added protocols, Cruey said he and his team can deliver showgoers an enchanting time in a very safe manor.
"When you get to manage and work in these outdoor places we feel a real responsibility to make them available and open and keep doing these things," he said. "Because it is one of the few things that we can do safely."
Naumkeag has been hosting Halloween events for five years. These events have included the Incredible Pumpkin Show, a haunted house, a live action Clue game, and a "creepy crawly animal show."
The 1884 estate sits on 48 acres, eight of which are the gardens designed by Mabel Choate and landscaper Fletcher Steele. Naumkeag was built by Mabel Choate's father, Joseph Choate, a New York attorney and ambassador to Great Britain, and designed by famed architectural firm McKim, Mead, and White of New York. Mabel Choate bequeathed it to the Trustees of Reservations in 1958.
Naumkeag is also offering fall-themed concessions that can be enjoyed while touring the pumpkin show. At what used to be the Whiskey Shack, Cruey is serving up hot cider, whoopie pies, cider doughnuts, and popcorn. Light-up necklace and head piece are also available for if you're felling festive.
But don't worry about any real spooks at this event. When asked if Naumkeag is haunted, Cruey responded: "All of the ghosts are fake or friendly at the very least."
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The company uses digital printing to create the upholstery fabric, saving water and saving vintage furniture from ending up in landfills.
STOCKBRIDGE, Mass. — A unique furniture store has popped up on Elm Street this month.
Mom-and-daughter store Pryor & Peacock is hosting the pop-up storefront from Aug. 13 to Aug. 25 at 6 Elm. The New Marlborough business is co-founded by Rosalina Wright and Luca Shapiro, who is also the creative director.
Their online shop was created in 2024 but they wanted people to see the pieces in person, so they're renting the space for a limited time before a long-term tenant moves in.
The store sources prints to create unique fabrics and reimagines vintage and antique furniture acquired at auctions, local shops, and online.
"We source prints from all over the world that date from the late 1600s up through mid-20th century, and Luca turns those prints into fabric by manipulating them, scanning them, oftentimes has to add or subtract things, and then we manufacture the fabric using only digital printing, which is very environmentally friendly, unlike traditional textile printing," Wright said.
Upholstering the furniture can take weeks of work. Shapiro looks for the perfect design for each piece and, if need be, uses Adobe Photoshop to extend the art work to fit or enhance the print.
"One of the most difficult parts comes in marrying the fabric to a piece of furniture because we only use antique and vintage frames also to be earth friendly, and they're also more beautiful and durable than new furniture," Wright said. "So the image has to go with the furniture, so that takes a lot of work."
One of Pryor & Peacock's missions is to be environmentally friendly. Digital printing doesn't use the same amount of water as traditional textile productions do nor does it contaminate water with ink according to their website.
Not only are they saving water, but they are saving furniture from going into the landfill while also using more durable furniture that doesn't break as easily as current pieces. They started their business to create something unique and to help the environment together.
"It's creating something nobody else is doing. People can't continue to buy throwaway furniture. Six percent of American landfills is furniture, and digital printing not only opens up the possibility of being able to put unique images on a piece of furniture, but it also is, as I said, environmentally friendly. So, for us, the excitement is to take an old East Lake settee that somebody's going to store in their barn and forget about, and make it something completely new and surprising," Wright said.
They hope their furniture helps bring a pop of fun to someone's home.
"We think our furniture is very whimsical and surprising, and most furniture today is oatmeal colored couches and gray neutral chairs, and it's boring," she said.
The two named their business after their mothers' maiden names to honor them and believe the name reflects their pieces.
Shapiro works in interior design outside of the business and the two liked working together and thought it would be great to start a business together. Shapiro says they can work well together and that her and her mother, Wright, has flipped houses before and have the same eye for design.
"So it's very easy for us to work together. When we see something, generally we agree on whether it works or doesn't work on a piece. We agree on the color schemes and that sort of thing. So it's very fun and fulfilling to work together," Shapiro said.
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