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Mayor Peter Marchetti helps with the formal ribbon cutting at the new inclusive community hub Wander Berkshires on Tuesday.
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Rebecca Brien of Downtown Inc. welcomes founder Jay Santangelo.
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Santangelo and wife, Kate Payne, wanted to create a safe and welcoming space. Wander hosts events like creative arts, sober dances and drag shows.
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The Berkshire Trans Exchange, a clothing boutique that is free for people who are queer or gender-non-conforming and anyone in need.
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Wander Berkshires Cuts Ribbon on Inclusive, Sober Space

By Brittany PolitoiBerkshires Staff
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Mayor Marchetti, left with owners Jay Santangelo and Kate Payne and their daughter, Frances, and Rebecca Brien of Downtown Inc. pose after the ribbon cutting on the cafe and event space.  

PITTSFIELD, Mass. — Community members Wander-ed downtown Tuesday morning to celebrate a new, inclusive cafe and event space.

Wander Berkshires is a queer and transgender-founded, recovery-focused cafe that has established itself as a community hub since opening in the fall. A ribbon cutting officially celebrated the Depot Street business.

While temperatures were below freezing outside, there was plenty of warmth inside.

"It's a community space, first and foremost," founder Jay Santangelo said.

"… This is like, magical, especially considering everything that's going on in the world right now. I wanted everybody to know that this is a safe place for all, no matter who you are, and everybody is welcome here."

Mayor Peter Marchetti said the city and Downtown Pittsfield Inc. are here to make sure that Wander shines, just as they did for the other 12 businesses that opened in the last year. He has been to two events and confirmed "Jay, you created a safe space here and a welcoming and warm space."

"As you said, today kind of is ironic that we are here and celebrating an opening but we need to stand strong and stand tall and continue to be ourselves and not let some government change who we are," the mayor said.

Wander is a cafe by day and an event space at night. This month it has hosted sober dance parties, workshops, drag shows, and opportunities to connect with fellow creatives and community members.

The menu features local coffee, non-alcoholic beverages, teas, freshly baked goods, and grab-and-go food options. Notably, Wander makes its own syrups for sodas including a coffee soda.


"It's a healing and nourishing space," said Kate Payne, Santangelo's wife. "The menu is crafted around nourishment."

The cafe will soon host a community darkroom with help from MassDevelopment funds. Wander is a part of the Transformative Development Initiative's Creative Catalyst Cohort that received $125,000 for a Downtown Pittsfield Creative Alliance.

The Collab, Katunemo Arts & Healing, Wander Berkshires, Rites of Passage and Empowerment (ROPE), Let It Shine, and Assets for Artists are projects that support leadership development for youth and young adults, community gathering spaces, neighborhood beautification, and partnership development.

"The back will be a darkroom that people can come and join, either rent by the hour, we'll develop memberships, and then also teach classes and workshops," Santangelo explained.

Also at Wander is the Berkshire Trans Exchange, a clothing boutique that is free for people who are queer or gender-non-conforming and anyone in need.

Santangelo said they soft opened in early November and have been getting the space up and running and spreading the word before a formal debut.

In 2022, Santangelo, Payne and their daughter, Frances, moved from Austin, Texas, to the Berkshires.  After a year and a half of growing the idea in their head, Santangelo found the space and said, "This checks all the boxes and more."

They were originally looking for a darkroom to rent. While an event space was not part of the original idea, they knew that a sober, community-focused third space was needed.

Wander is located at 34 Depot St. Suite 101, the entrance farther down the alley between Tito's Mexican Bar & Grill and Crawford Square. It is open from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Tuesday through Friday and from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. on Saturday.


Tags: cafe,   event venue,   ribbon cutting,   

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Berkshire Residents Snowed In For Long Weekend

By Brittany PolitoiBerkshires Staff

PITTSFIELD, Mass. — Many Berkshire County residents were snowed in for Presidents Day.  Instead of buying large appliances, the long weekend was spent shoveling.

Pittsfield's second annual Winter Festival at Clapp Park fell victim to the storm, which dumped up to 6 inches of snow or more on higher-elevation communities. On Monday, the area was under a wind advisory until 7 p.m. for winds of 25 to 35 mph with gusts up to 65 mph.

The winter fest was postponed to Friday, Feb. 21, from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. The outdoor family event includes hot cocoa and s’mores, cardboard sled races, a snow sculpture contest, snowshoeing, and more.

Trash and recycling collection was also canceled in Pittsfield on Monday. For the remainder of the week, a one-day delay is in effect for all routes.

On Monday morning, the Monterey Fire Department reported that there were 177 National Grid customers in the town without power.

"The outages include a large area of Main Road near Bidwell Road, all of Hupi Woods Circle, and various parts of New Marlborough Road," the department wrote on Facebook.

"Please treat ALL downed wires as being live. Seek alternative routes if trees and wires are blocking the roadways."

Dalton residents also reported power outages on several streets and trees and lines down on Route 8 near Cheshire Reservoir caused detours in the morning.

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