image description

Weekend Outlook: Celebrating Pride Month

By Sabrina DammsiBerkshires Staff
Print Story | Email Story
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. 

Tags: weekend outlook,   

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

Lanesborough to Vote on 34 Articles at ATM

By Brittany PolitoiBerkshires Staff

LANESBOROUGH, Mass. — Voters will decide 34 warrant articles at the annual town meeting on June 11.

The Select Board endorsed a long list of articles during its regular meeting on Monday, most without discussion. 

A $11,846,607 spending plan has been proposed for fiscal year 2025, a 4.3 percent increase from the this year. The budget includes a net increase of $237,129 in education costs for the Mount Greylock Regional School District and McCann Technical School, less than the $271,478 increase in FY24. 

Three articles are related to short-term rentals, or Airbnbs: To impose a local excise tax of up to 6 percent of the total amount of rent for each occupancy, a 3 percent impact fee on "professionally managed" short-term rentals, and a 3 percent impact fee on short-term rentals in two- or three-family dwellings.

"These are the proposed language as provided by town counsel," Town Administrator Gina Dario explained.

Included in the 34 articles is one citizen's petition, which the board was not required to endorse. If passed, this petition would increase the Select Board from three to five members with an annual election of the chair. The candidate receiving the highest number of votes in that election would serve a three-year term, the candidate receiving the second highest number of votes would serve a two-year term, and the candidate receiving the third highest number of votes would serve a one-year term, with three-year terms to follow.

Two articles needed clearance from the Planning Board before coming to the Select Board, one being a request to amend the town's zoning bylaw to raise the cap on accessory dwelling units from 900 to 2,500 square feet.  

The proposal is in response to the lack of housing availability in the community and is the second go-around.

View Full Story

More Pittsfield Stories