Berkshire Museum Presents Winter Festival: Solstice Celebration

Print Story | Email Story
PITTSFIELD, Mass. — After two years without an in-house holiday season celebration, Berkshire Museum brings to life its second-floor gallery spaces with a celebration of winter that is unique to the area.  
 
Opening Saturday, Nov. 12 with a celebration featuring a performance by award-winning musical artist Paul Winter, in Berkshire Museum's Little Cinema. Doors open at 5 pm, with the concert beginning at 5:30 pm, exhibition opening celebration immediately follows. Tickets to the celebration are $75 for Premium Concert Seating and $50 for General Admission Concert Seating. All tickets include holiday cheer, drinks, and hors d'oeuvres! Tickets can be purchased at berkshiremuseum.org/event/winterfestival.  
 
Winter Festival exhibitions include "Santa Classics," by Philadelphia-based artist Ed Wheeler, where visitors get to see Kris Kringle in classical works of art. As well as "Hoot's Holiday: A Solstice Tale," written by Berkshire Museum's Exhibitions Research and Content Editor Charlie Catacalos. Hoot's Holiday follows a journey through time with an Owl living atop the roof of Berkshire Museum as they find objects historic to the Berkshires. 
 
"Hoot's Holiday is a reimagined celebration of winter in the Berkshires. I look forward to visitors getting to experience the history of the Berkshires through this tale of wonder and exploration," said Catacalos.  
 
Winter Festival is sponsored by The Feigenbaum Foundation, with additional support from Mill Town Capital, and Pittsfield Cooperative Bank. 
 
Additional Winter Festival events include:  
 
Book Talk: Twas the Night – The Art and History of the Classic Christmas Poem 
Nov. 27, 12:30 pm to 1:30 pm – Meet Pamela McColl, the writer of new book "Twas the Night: The Art and History of the Classic Christmas Poem." Included with Museum admission.  
 
Wingmasters' World of Owls 
Dec. 3, 11:30 am to 12:15 pm and 1:30 pm to 2:15 pm.
Meet live owls in the Berkshire Museum's Little Cinema. $17 adult, $10 child (includes Museum admission); Museum members $7 adult, $5 child 
     
Carols of the Bell
Dec. 4, 2:00 pm to 2:45 pm
Celebrate the holiday season with the First Congregational Church of Lee Handbell Choir. Included with Museum admission. 
        
Magic By George 
Dec. 31, 11 am and 1 pm – Join award-winning, Boston-based magician George Saterial as he performs amazing magic and astonishing illusions. $17 adult, $10 child (includes Museum admission); Museum members $7 adult, $5 child 
 
All information about upcoming events can be found at berkshiremuseum.org.  

Tags: Berkshire Museum,   

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

DA Shugrue: One Kilo of Heroin, Guns Removed from Pittsfield Streets

By Brittany PolitoiBerkshires Staff

PITTSFIELD, Mass.— Local law enforcement agencies seized almost a kilo of heroin, along with guns and other substances, during raids in October. 

On Thursday, Berkshire District Attorney Timothy Shugrue said this interrupted a "large-scale" drug trafficking operation. In total, about 542 grams of cocaine and 1,083 grams of heroin, firearms, and other paraphernalia were seized.

Nine people, including a juvenile, were charged with drug trafficking and/or illegal firearms.

"We're catching drugs and not a lot of cash, so it's not sold. That means that we're getting the drugs before it's sold. Here, almost a full kilo. That tells me it's not in the streets. I see a direct correlation with that. During those months, I'll see the overdose deaths go down, and that's significant to me," he said in a press conference at the Berkshire DA's office. 

"But we have to keep fighting it because we have to deal with the addiction issue as well, which we're dealing with in a different light, but we have to get rid of the supply that's coming in, and we see that supply go down. I know that you've got $250,000 worth of heroin that's not on the streets today, and I'm happy with that."

After a lengthy investigation, search warrants were executed on Oct. 15 and Oct. 22. 

During the Oct. 15 operation, 542 grams of cocaine (with a street value of $54,000) and 83 grams of heroin (with a street value of $20,000) were seized. 

Police also confiscated three guns: a 9 mm handgun with nine rounds, a Glock 19, a .45 caliber semi-automatic handgun with six rounds, four loose rounds of ammunition, a 10-round feeding device, two boxes of 9mm ammunition, and a rifle scope. 

Seven individuals were arrested on charges of drug trafficking and possession of illegal firearms. 

View Full Story

More Pittsfield Stories