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Weekend Outlook: Celebrating Pride Month

By Sabrina DammsiBerkshires Staff
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Berkshire County will be kicking off Pride month this warm sunny weekend with a variety of indoor and outdoor events including festivals, parades, crafts, art walks, and farmers markets. 
 
Berkshire Pride Festival and Parade!
The Common Park, Pittsfield
 
Pittsfield will be celebrating Pride Month this Saturday with a Berkshire Pride Festival and Parade from 11 a.m. until 4 p.m. 
 
Participants are encouraged to bring their friends and family, that includes pets, to watch Pittsfield’s first ever pride parade which will start at 11:30 on Eagle Street. 
 
This rain or shine event will be hosted by Boxxa Vine and will provide “live entertainment, vendors, resource fair, food, and more.”
 
To learn more about this rain or shine event visit the website.
 
 
First Fridays Artswalk
Downtown Pittsfield
 
The first Friday of June is here and art enthusiasts know what that means, Downtown Pittsfield’s First Fridays Artswalk is back. 
 
Participants will get a chance to see 9 brand new art shows and exhibits at various venues in Downtown Pittsfield. 
 
Participating venues include, Hotel on North, Berkshire Museum, Lichtenstein Center for the Arts, Brothership Building Window, and many more. For a complete list of participating venues and artist visit the Art Walk website. 
 
During the event, participants will have the opportunity to meet the artists. Participants can download the Downtown Pittsfield Inc. app from the Google Play or App Store to get a virtual walking tour. 
 
For more information visit First Fridays Artwalk’s website. 
 
Family Fun Day
Mass Audubon's Pleasant Valley Wildlife Sanctuary, Lenox 
 
Mass Audubon’s Pleasant Valley Wildlife Sanctuary will be having a Family Fun Day this Saturday from 10 until 3.
 
During this rain or shine event, families will get a chance to explore the ponds, forest, and meadows that the sanctuary has to offer guided by naturalists. 
 
Naturalist and field biologist, Tom Tyning will be having a live animal show about turtles from 11 until 11:45 a.m. It is requested that participants register in advance here.
tinyurl.com/ffd22liveanimalshow
 
Fore more information call 413-637-0320 or email at berkshires@massaudubon.org
 
Berkshire Pride Family Picnic
Naumkeag, Stockbridge
 
Naumkeag will be hosting its first Berkshire Pride Family Picnic this Sunday in the garden thanks to sponsorships with Berkshire Stonewall and BlueQ. 
 
There are two time slots participants can choose from: 10 a.m. until 12:30 or 12:30 until 3. 
 
Each of these time slots will have music, games, crafts, and performances for the whole family to enjoy in celebration of pride month.
 
Biggin's Diggins BBQ will be available on site and will be offering a breakfast option for the earlier time slot. A food ticket is available for purchase at checkout and will include a main dish and 2 sides and will cost $15. There will be a vegetarian and gluten free options available.
 
For more information of to register visit The Trustees of Reservations website.
 
LenoxLovesMusic
Lilac Park, Lenox
 
Lenox will be kicking of its weekly Lenox Loves Music series at the new location, Lilac Park, this Sunday at 3:30. 
 
Kicking off this music event will be Dave Bartley Duo who play improvisational jazz, blues, soul, and a touch of pop. 
 
They have performed in spots all around Massachusetts including  Shaker Farms Country Club, Gateways Inn in Lenox and more. They have also worked with artists such as Dan Broad, Fran Curley, and more. 
 
More information here. 
 
 
HYPROV: Improv Under Hypnosis
The Colonial Theatre, Pittsfield
 
Comedian Colin Mochrie from "Whose Line Is It Anyway?" and hypnotist Asad Mecci will be at The Colonial Theatre this Saturday at 7:30 bringing their comedy experience to Berkshire County. 
 
Twenty random volunteers from the audience will be selected to be put under hypnosis and Colin Mochrie will improvise with the top five volunteers. 
 
For more information visit the Berkshire Theatre Group website.
 
 
Farmers Markets:
 
Lenox Farmer's Market
80 Church St., Lenox
 
The market will be open in its new location 80 Church Street, formerly the Cafe Lucia, this Friday from 11 a.m. until 3 p.m.
 
Participants can persue local vendors while enjoying food and listening to music. 
 
For more information visit Lenox's Chamber of Commerce page.
 
Sheffield Farmers' Market
125 Main Street, Sheffield
 
The Sheffield Farmers' Market is open this Friday from 3 until 6 p.m. at First Congregational Church located at 125 Main St. 
 
The market will feature healthy food and products from a variety of local vendors in an attempt to nourish the community by protecting "local small farms, land, bees, and economy."
 
For more information visit the market's website.
 
Pittsfield Farmers Market
The Common, Pittsfield
 
Powered by Roots Rising, the market is open every Saturday rain or shine from 9 a.m. until 1 p.m. through Oct. 8.
 
Each week the market will have fresh locally grown fruits and vegetables, along with meat, eggs, cheese, baked goods by local vendors. Participants can shop for flowers, and artisan goods while listening to music and participate in family activities. 
 
For more information, visit the website. 
 
Great Barrington Farmers Market
18 Church St., Great Barrington 
 
The market is open every Saturday from 9 a.m. until 1 p.m. until the end of October.  
 
Every week there will be locally grown food, flowers, and plants along with other local vendors. 
 
For more information, visit their website. 
 
Williamstown Farmers Market
Spring Street, Williamstown
 
The market is open every Saturday from 9 a.m. until 1 p.m. into October in the parking lot at the bottom of Spring Street. 
 
This year the market will feature returning and new vendors, including a fish monger, knife sharpener, baker, chef, and much more. 
 
More information here. 
 
North Adams Farmers Market
St. Anthony Municipal Parking Lot
 
Market opens for the season on Saturday, June 4, and runs from 9 to 1. Saturday's market also includes a seedling exchange sponsored by Hoosac Harvest. You don't have to bring one to take one, and you don't have to take one to bring one. 

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Pittsfield Subcommittee Considers E-Bike Safety

By Brittany PolitoiBerkshires Staff

PITTSFIELD, Mass. — Some city councilors want to explore ways to encourage safe e-bike use. 

On Monday, the Ordinances and Rules Subcommittee discussed the request by Councilor At Large Kathy Amuso and Ward 3 Councilor Matthew Wrinn to increase enforcement of bicycle and e-bike use on Pittsfield streets, install signage in high-traffic areas, and launch an educational program for kids. 

Amuso has received reports of kids riding motorized bikes at 15 to 20 mph on the sidewalk while people are trying to back out of their driveways, and she fears someone might get hurt.  

She said that if they could start with some basics, such as riding with traffic in bike lanes and requiring operators under 16 to wear helmets, it would address most of the calls. 

"Do I think we need to put 10 police on trying to find e-bikes throughout the city? I don't," she said. "But there are enough calls that I'm getting, and other councilors are getting, that we have to say, ‘OK, what can we do?’ And we have a lot of bike lanes in Pittsfield, and the e-bikes and all bikes should be in the bike lanes, not on the sidewalk."

The petition was tabled so that the Department of Public Works can study it and gather further information.  

In Massachusetts, an e-bike with a top speed of 20 mph and a motor of 750 watts or less is classified as a traditional bicycle. State law defines two e-bike classes: 

  • "Class 1 electric bicycle" is defined as having a motor of 750 watts or less that provides assistance only when the rider is pedaling and ceases to assist when the bicycle reaches 20 mph.
     
  • "Class 2 electric bicycle" is defined as having a motor of 750 watts or less that may be used exclusively to propel the bicycle and is not capable of assisting when the bicycle reaches 20 mph.

Riders 16 years or younger must wear a helmet by law.  

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