ADAMS, Mass. — This year's RambleFest celebration will be held Sunday, Oct. 13 from 12-5 p.m. at the Adams Visitor Center (3 Hoosac St. in Adams). 

 

The 56th annual Greylock Ramble hike, along the Cheshire Harbor Trail to the summit of Mount Greylock, will take place the following day, Monday, Oct. 14. 

 

Sunday's free RambleFest community event will feature three  musical acts: Jack Waldheim will kick off the festival at noon, followed by drumming from Tamarack Hollow at 1:30 p.m. and closing with Even It Up from 2:45-5 p.m. Food will be available from Bezzle's BBQ, Tres Ninos, Pizza House, and the Adams Lion Club, with libations on tap from Two Roads, Antimony Brewing, Shipyard Brewing Co., Sam Adams, and Truly, plus wine options. Alcohol-free beverages (smoothies) will be offered by Berkshire Blends.

 

Additional vendors will include outdoor apparel purveyors, jewelers, crafters, artisans, and more. Activities for children will feature an assortment of games, as well as pumpkin painting. Berkshire Scenic Railway will offer sight-seeing train rides leaving from the Adams Station throughout the day. Visit their website early to get your ticket to ride, as they often sell out.

 

"Adams is the place to be for RambleFest weekend," said ProAdams Board Co-Chair Dave Bissillion. "The town is bursting with activities for family and friends to enjoy together. Everyone is welcome! We love to see folks discovering and enjoying Adams and Mount Greylock."

 

On Friday, Oct. 11, the town will hold the grand opening of the Greylock Glen Outdoor Center beginning at 11 a.m. Additional events spread throughout the long weekend include music, dance, comedy, and film performances at the Adams Theater, fall foliage walks led by Mass Audubon, the Hoosac Valley Coal and Grain Fall Fest, a bazaar and kids' fair at St. John Paul II Parish, and a tour of Maple Street Cemetery led by the Adams Historical Society.

 

Monday's Ramble is a 6.6-mile, round-trip hike that is moderately strenuous and can take 4-5 hours. The first 2,000 hikers will receive certificates of accomplishment. Recognition is given to the first, the youngest, and the oldest hiker to reach the summit, and to the hiker who has traveled the greatest distance to participate.

 

Leashed pets are permitted on the mountain, but not on the shuttles that bring hikers to the trailhead. A free shuttle from the Adams Visitor Center to the trailhead runs from 8 a.m.-1 p.m. with return shuttles until 4 p.m. Very limited parking will be available near the trailhead, so use of the shuttle is strongly encouraged.

 

Both the Greylock Ramble and RambleFest are hosted by ProAdams, an all-volunteer group whose mission includes creating vibrancy in Adams. These events are sponsored by Adams Community Bank, ALADCO, Berkshire Gas, Chee's Chinese Cuisine, Smith Bros.-McAndrews Insurance, and the Town of Adams.

 

"ProAdams would also like to thank the Massachusetts DCR and the Adams Fire Wardens for their continued support of the Ramble," said ProAdams Board Member Andrea Berti Stump. "We couldn't do it without them and our generous sponsors."