Free Community Day at Hancock Shaker Village

Print Story | Email Story
PITTSFIELD, Mass. — Hancock Shaker Village announced its annual Community Day will take place on Saturday, Nov. 9, 2024 from 11 am to 4 pm. 
 
Admission is free all day for all ages.
 
Activities at the museum on Community Day craft demonstrations of woodworking, blacksmithing, and weaving; interpreter-led tours and Shaker talks; and visits with the barnyard animals. All buildings in the historic village are open for exploration as well as several special exhibitions like Sisters Harvest featuring artists Alyssa Sakina Mumtaz and Maggie Pate, and Bright Passage: An Illuminated Interior by artists Melissa Thorne. 
 
This year the Village will partner with Berkshire Museum in hosting "Muh-he-con-ne-ok: the People of the Water That Are Never Still," one of Berkshire Museum’s Mobile Museum Units. The unit will be on display and staffed by Berkshire Museum staff throughout the day.
 
The accessible, one-mile Farm and Forest Trail, is also open for everyone to explore. A specialized slate of food and beverage offerings will be available in our Café and the Mercantile Store will be open for a curated shopping experience.
 
In addition to free admission for all, Hancock Shaker Village is pleased to make our programs accessible to the Spanish-speaking members of the community with a Spanish language audio tour available through a smartphone app.
 
In support of Community Day, Hancock Shaker Village is collaborating with Mill Town Foundation.
 
"We are excited to partner with Hancock Shaker Village to help open up this cultural site to our local community, free of charge," noted Mill Town Foundation Program Manager, Andy Wrba. 
 
"The Village blends an enriching combination of arts, history, education, and outdoor access that tells a unique part of our region’s history, and we are happy to help share that experience with more members of our community," he added.

Tags: Hancock Shaker Village,   

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

Show-Cause Hearing for Pittsfield Bar Continued Again

By Brittany PolitoiBerkshires Staff

PITTSFIELD, Mass. — Bei Tempi will have a show-cause hearing for its liquor license in May after police brought forward pictures that appear to show underage patrons drinking.  

On Monday, the Licensing Board continued a hearing for Zuke's Soups and Variety LLC, doing business as Bei Tempi, to May 18. This is the second month it was continued. In the last year, the bar has been accused of underage service by two different parents.  

Earlier this year, Police Capt. Matthew Hill received a call from an upset parent about her 19-year-old daughter patronizing Iztac Mexican Restaurant at night and being served. 

Those photos resulted in a two-week liquor license suspension for Iztac, and the same mother submitted an almost identical complaint about Bei Tempi with photos, one of them with the owner "clearly visible" in the background, Hill said. 

The owners, Richard and Elizabeth Zucco, did not show up in March, and the hearing was continued again this month. 

"This show-cause hearing was scheduled for March 23 of 2026 and the licensee did not appear at that hearing, although I understand that notice went out by way of email," Chair Thomas Campoli reported after the bar's second no-show, adding that the Zuccos' lawyer communicated they had a "planned prepaid trip" that conflicted with the meeting. 

Last year, a different mother approached the Licensing Board asking for accountability after her underage child was allegedly served at Bei Tempi. After drinking at a graduation party, she said her 18-year-old son became further intoxicated at the establishment before returning home late and becoming combative, resulting in an arrest by police. 

In March, the pictures of alleged underage drinking at Iztac were printed and presented to the Licensing Board with faces blurred; the reporting party wished to remain anonymous along with her daughter and friend, and she was unable to attend the hearing. 

Hill ran the patrons' names through police records to confirm they were not 21. This is the same underage daughter who is said to have drunk at Bei Tempi, and her mother has provided photos. 

The Health Department ordered Iztac to close on March 13 after finding "pests" in the establishment.  On Monday, a notice stating that it was closed to the public to protect public health and safety was no longer on the door but the Health Department confirmed that the closure was still in effect. 

View Full Story

More Pittsfield Stories