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Weekend Outlook: Winterfest & the Big Chill

By Sabrina DammsiBerkshires Staff
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There are several events this weekend to help you recharge from your week, including festivals, live music, and more. 
 
Editor's Pick 
 
The Big Chill
Hancock Shaker Village, Pittsfield
Time: 11 a.m. until 4 p.m. 
 
The village will have a range of activities, including walking tours, ice harvesting talks, maple tree tapping demonstrations, crafts, farm animals, and more. 
 
The event is part of the Pittsfield's Office of Cultural Development 10×10 Upstreet Arts Festival, during which several organizations and businesses will hold events from Feb. 13 through 23. 
 
All activities are included with the $15 admission ticket, free for members and children 12 and under. More information here. 
 
Multiple Days
 
The 14th Annual 10x10 Upstreet Arts Festival
Throughout Pittsfield
February 13 through 23
 
The 10x10 Festival returns with theater, music, visual arts, dance, outdoor activities, and more. 
 
Highlights include the 10x10 New Play Festival at Barrington Stage Company, A Taste of Downtown by Downtown Pittsfield, Inc., a mural exhibition, a winter festival, and more. 
 
More information here. 
 
Ten Days of Play
Berkshire Community College, Pittsfield 
Feb. 18 to 23, from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. 
 
This event is not this weekend but we thought it was worth the mention given next week is school break. 
 
The museum is traveling to BCC for this offsite event which will give your kids the opportunity to learn about a range of topics from nature, animals, dinosaurs, and more. 
 
Schedule here.
 
Friday
 
A Berkshire Pride Valentine
The Stationery Factory, Dalton
Time: 8 to 11 p.m. 
 
Berkshire Pride is celebrating love, passion, and community this Valentine's Day with a party. The event features tunes by DJ BFG, drag performances, and a costume contest.
 
Tickets range from $20 to $50. More information here. 
 
Children's Valentine's Day Dance 
Berkshire Dream Center, Pittsfield
Time: 6:30 to 8:30 p.m.
 
Dress in your best party clothes and bring your family for an evening of dancing, karaoke, games, and sweet treats. 
 
This free event is open to all children up to age 12; children under five must have an adult present.
 
More information here. 
 
Valentine's Day Dance Party 
Methuselah Bar and Lounge, Pittsfield 
Time: 9 p.m. to midnight
 
Valentine's Day falls on a Friday this year, and Methuselah is hosting a special Valentine's Dance Party featuring DJ Pup Daddy.
 
The event features dinner and club hits from various decades and some slow jams to celebrate love, friendship, and romance. 
 
More information here. 
 
Glow and Grow Together
Future Labs Gallery, North Adams
Time: 7 to 10 p.m. 
 
Future Labs Gallery is partnering with Plant Connector to help visitors create glow-in-the-dark terrariums. 
 
The event focuses on building community and strengthening bonds rather than romance. There is a suggested donation of $10 to $20 to help cover supplies. More information here. 
 
Goodnight Moonshine
Studio 9, Porches, North Adams
Time: 7:30 p.m.
 
Railway Concerts hosts Goodnight Moonshine, the husband and wife duo of Eben Pariser and Molly Venter, with their signature and jazz and folk rhythms. 
 
Tickets are $30 at studio9porches.com.
 
 
Saturday
 
WinterFest
Downtown North Adams
Time: 9 a.m. to 3 p.m.
 
The city will close roads on Main Street until American Legion Drive, Holden, and Eagle from 7 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. to make room for its annual Winterfest.
 
The event will feature horse and carriage rides, an artisan craft fair, children's games, a chowder cook-off, and more. 
 
More information here. 
 

Waffle Truck
Bousquet, Pittsfield
Time: 10 a.m. 
 
There will be a waffle truck parked at Tube Town to help visitors  fueling up for a day on the slopes or taking a break between adventures. More information here. 
 
Apres-Ski
Ski Butternut, Great Barrington 
Time: 2 p.m. 
 
Spend some time skiing and then take a break to warm up by listening to cover songs by popular artists spun by DJ Pup Daddy via 45 RPM records. The event will take place at Channing's Upstairs Bar at the resort's Upper Lodge. 
 
More information here. 
 
Aging in Community: Dancing our Joys and Challenges
Zion Lutheran Church, Pittsfield 
Time: 11 to 12:30 p.m.
 
The church's Common Room will be taken over by Jacob's Pillow for a free dance and movement workshop about aging and community, led by artists Michael Richter and Liv Schaffer. More information here. 
 
Paint Your Partner 
Dottie's Coffee Lounge, Pittsfield
Time: 6 to 8 p.m. 
 
Grab your partner and bring them to Dottie's for this super fun night where you paint a portrait of your partner with the help and guidance of local artist, Mike Carty. Tickets are $55 per couple. 
 
Information here. 
 
Sticky Sweet: A Def Leppard Tribute
The Stationery Factory, Dalton
Time: 7:30 to 10:30 p.m. 
 
There will be a performance by Def Leppard tribute band, “Sticky Sweet,” who will be performing their classic rock and roll.  
 
Tickets are $27.38. More information here. 
 
Open Mic Night 
South County Recovery Center, Great Barrington
Time: 5:30 to 7 p.m. 
 
The recovery center will have an open mic night to give people the chance to share their music, poetry, comedy and and more. More information here.  
 
 
 
 
Sunday
 
The Jake Hescock Win the Day Foundation Fundraiser
The Stationery Factory, Dalton
Time: 1 to 8 p.m. 
 
Dance while supporting the Jake Hescock Win the Day Foundation. The event features five bands and light appetizers. 
 
The foundation aims to spread awareness about the importance of cardiopulmonary resuscitation and automated external defibrillator training and encourages testing for cardiac anomalies in children in honor of the late Jake Adam Hescock. 
 
Tickets cost $32.64. More information here. 
 
Galentines Celebration
Lanesborough Local Country Store
Time: 1 to 3 p.m. 
 
Bring your gal pals and enjoy a mimosa bar, snacks, tunes, and vendor popups by some local women run businesses. More information here. 
 
28th Annual Winter Lecture: Jacqueline van der Kloet
Lenox Middle High School
Time: 
 
Jacqueline van der Kloet, the internationally acclaimed garden designer, author and one of Holland's best-known gardening authorities, will be the featured speaker at Berkshire Botanical Garden's 28th Annual Winter Lecture.
 
The lecture will include a talk on bulb basics, color combinations, seasonal care for bulbs, layering bulbs, growing bulbs on a larger scale, and integration for constant blooms in the garden. The event will include a book signing and a coffee and cookie reception.
 
The garden will decide by decide by Saturday morning regarding whether reschedule for the snow date, which is currently scheduled for Sunday, Feb. 23, at 2 p.m.
 
More information here. 
 
Tyler Ramsey Performance
Tourists Welcome, North Adams 
Time: 8 p.m. 
 
There will be a performance by Tyler Ramsey, formerly of Band of Horses. His new album "New Lost Ages," produced by Phil Ek, features 10 songs that blend indie, rock, and folk. 
 
The Sing for your Slumber series, which hosts free shows with artist donations encouraged, is supported by Bose. 
 
More information here. 

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Pittsfield Man Pleads Guilty to 2025 Assault, Firearm Charges

Staff ReportsiBerkshires

PITTSFIELD, Mass. — A city man is facing up to nine years in prison after pleading guilty to multiple assault and firearm charges from last year. 

The Berkshire District Attorney's Office has reported that on Thursday, Oct. 15, Jarvis L. Chadwell Jr., 20, pleaded guilty to 10 charges and was sentenced to 7 to 9 years in state prison following an incident on Oct. 18, 2025.

Police say that he fired a gun multiple times in a vehicle over an argument, striking the car and nearby home.  

"This incident was not just alarming because there was gun violence, but also because it occurred in such close proximity to a school. I will not waver on my stance towards gun violence in our community — gun violence must be prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law," District Attorney Timothy Shugrue said. 

"While I am committed to supporting those who need our help with recovery options and courts of hope, we must also protect our children and communities from the threat of violence that can claim lives in an instant. I commend the Pittsfield Police for their response and dedication to quickly solving this crime."

This occurred near Morningside Community School, which was retired at the end of the last academic year. 

Charges: 

  • armed assault with intent to murder
  • attempted assault & battery by discharging a firearm
  • witness intimidation
  • malicious destruction of property
  • resisting arrest
  • assault and battery on a police officer
  • illegal possession of a firearm
  • illegal possession of a large capacity feeding device
  • possession of ammunition without a firearm identification card 
  • possession of a firearm during the commission of a felony

Probation conditions include a mental health evaluation and aftercare; sign any releases required by probation; and refrain from abuse of the named victim, including threats of violence.

Pittsfield Police responded to a ShotSpotter activation at 65 Cherry St. just before 1 a.m. on that day in 2025. Upon arrival, police say witnesses confirmed hearing a gunshot and observing a man fleeing the area.

"While outside the 65 Cherry Street residence, officers observed a vehicle parked near the neighboring residence with a bullet hole in the windshield and an additional bullet hole in the side of 67 Cherry Street. Based on witness descriptions at the scene, law enforcement was able to quickly locate the Defendant within 30 minutes of the incident," a press release from the DA reads. 

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