image description
The second annual Dalton Day will feature more performances and activities.

Expanded Dalton Day Set for July 20

Print Story | Email Story
DALTON, Mass. — Dalton Day on Saturday is being expanded this year to include a car show, more local food, Irish dance troupe, children's activities, a town mascot, and plenty of music.
 
The festivities begin at 11 a.m. on the grounds of the Dalton Senior Center, located at 40 Field St Ext.
 
After the inaugural event's success last year, the Dalton Cultural Council worked all year to expand the festivities. 
 
More than 300 residents attended the event last year, which showed their pride in the area, council members said. 
 
The event gives residents the opportunity to get together and enjoy good music, food, and company, member Kellie Harris-Porter said. 
 
"People like to feel like they're a part of something," fellow member Linda Galok agreed. 
 
The council partnered with local organizations Berkshire Dream Home Real Estate, Kelly's Package Store, Northeast Home Inspections, and Zinky's Pub, and was approved for $3,200 from American Rescue Plan Act funds and $4,500 from the town's operating budget to help cover the cost of the event. 
 
This event is a good opportunity for residents to come together and see what organizations and businesses are in town, Select Board Chair Robert Bishop said. 
 
Bishop used the Stationery Factory as an example: people come in with no idea about the business and are amazed at what is going on there. 
 
"So we have a neat little community here. We want to show the community what we got," he said. 
 
The event will kick off at 11 a.m. with a trophied car show in memory of longtime town volunteer and Dalton Cultural Council lead Donald Harris Jr. Registration for the cars starts at 10 a.m. and costs $10. 
 
Harris was a devoted 20-year member of the council, serving as chair for much of that time, until his passing last year.
 
Harris' brother, James, recollected how he used to drive his brother nuts talking about cars when he was alive and smiled at the opportunity to share this interest with him again. 
 
Opening remarks from local dignitaries will be delivered on the main stage at 1 p.m., followed by musical guests Dan Gingras, Melissa Brinton, and the Pug and John Show. 
 
Local Irish dance school Scoil Rince Bréifne Ó Ruairc students will also take the stage at 3:30 for an Irish step dance performance. 
 
This year, the event will also feature Dalton-area crafters who will be alongside 50 "unique artistic and informational stations." 
 
For the first time, the event will offer residents the opportunity to show their community pride by purchasing a Dalton-centered T-shirt designed by Mark Weber of Superior Graphics and entering a 50/50 raffle with proceeds to benefit Dalton Day 2025. 
 
The shirts cost $20 for adults and $15 for children. Tickets for the 50/50 raffle are eight tickets for $5. Sales for the T-shirts and raffle tickets are cash only. 
 
Bring your little ones to meet Bowey the Clown and the Dalton Day mascot, Dalton Duck, who will have a special surprise for them from 1 to 5 p.m. 
 
Like last year, kids will also have an opportunity to Touch-A-Truck, get their faces painted, participate in games, and get free popcorn. 
 
The Berkshire County Sheriff's Office will be on hand with the agency's Child Identification Project. The sheriff's office sends deputies to community events and area schools to photograph children and perform retinal scans. Parents will receive a free ID card from the office containing the information, which is also added to a national database in case a child goes missing.
 
Bring a photo of your pet to Barkshire Dog Co.'s tent to get a digital pet caricature. Only service dogs will be allowed onsite.
 
Local food vendors are lined up from Zinky's, PortaVia, Dalton HD Pizza and Shire Donuts. Another Round Bar will serve adult beverages as well as ice cream.
 
Bring your lawn chairs or a blanket to the Community Recreation Association at 6:30 p.m. to end the day with a concert by Lady Di and the Dukes.
 
More information here.
 
Check out last year's event: 

 


Tags: block party,   

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

Guest Column: Romance Scams Are in the Air

By Berkshire BankGuest Column
BOSTON — She believed it when the man online proposed marriage after a short courtship and said they were going to move away together, even though she'd never met him in person.
 
He said he could make the wedding and travel arrangements with her help. He would send her checks totaling $120,000 — and she could keep half — if she'd deposit them in the bank and then send him his half via a cash app like Venmo.
 
It turned out the checks were counterfeit and, if a Berkshire Bank financial center manager hadn't recognized the signs of a romance scam and thwarted the plan, she could have been liable for the total amount he received.
 
"If a new online relationship with someone you haven't met in person seems too good to be true, it probably is," said Tina Martin, head of the Security and Fraud Investigations Unit at Berkshire Bank.
 
"Romance scammers target lonely individuals looking for companionship by first gaining their affection and trust," Martin said. "These scammers are very good at what they do. They will do their best to get victims to send them money in ways that it's impossible to get it back."
 
As Valentine's Day nears and love is in the air, it's important to remember that online romance scams cost consumers more than $1 billion annually, with median losses of $2,000 per individual, the highest of any form of imposter scam, according to Federal Trade Commission estimates. Incidents always involve a scammer using a fake identity to gain a victim's affection and trust to steal money.
 
What are the signs of an online romance scam? Martin explains:

?? They profess strong emotions quickly. It might take a week or a month before they profess their love, but they are experts at finding someone who is lonely and reeling them in.

?? They can't meet you in person. They'll always have a reason, usually that they're living or working outside the country.

?? They want to move the conversation off the social media platform or dating site. If they don't, security algorithms might later detect them asking you for money and alert you to a possible scam.

?? They ask for money with urgency in ways that seem legitimate. It might be for a ticket to visit you, medical bills, or an increasingly common promise to increase your nest egg through cryptocurrency or other investments. There's always an urgent deadline and dollar amounts will increase over time if you begin complying.

?? They'll tell you how to send the money, usually in ways that are impossible to get it back. Popular methods: Wiring money, sending gift cards with the PIN codes and sending funds through money transfer apps like Venmo or PayPal.

"If you think you've fallen victim to a romance scam, contact your financial institution as quickly as possible," Martin said. "Do not delay because you're embarrassed or ashamed. The faster you report it, the more likely it is your financial institution can help reduce your losses."
View Full Story

More Pittsfield Stories