BerkChique! Returns for Tenth Year to Benefit Ventfort Hall

07:58AM / Friday, April 25, 2025Print Story | Email Story

LENOX, Mass. — BerkChique!, an annual pop-up clothing sale and fundraiser, will return for its tenth year from Friday, May 2, through Sunday, May 4, 2025.

The event will be held at Ventfort Hall Gilded Age Mansion & Museum, located at 104 Walker Street in Lenox.

Tickets for a First Dibs Shopping Party on Friday, May 2, are currently available for purchase on the Ventfort Hall website. The party will offer ticket holders an early opportunity to shop a selection of new and gently-used clothing and accessories. Benefactor ticket holders ($500) will have access from 5:30 to 8:30 p.m. and will be acknowledged in promotional materials. VIP ticket holders ($150) can enter from 5:30 to 8:30 p.m., and general admission ticket holders ($25) can attend from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m. The Friday event will include hors d'oeuvres, refreshments, wine provided by NeJaime's Wine Cellars, and shopping bags from Blue Q.

Admission to BerkChique! will be free for all shoppers on Saturday, May 3, from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., and on Sunday, May 4, from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.

The event features a variety of clothing items, including casual and formal wear, in multiple sizes, sourced from closets in the Berkshires. Designer pieces from Vicki Bonnington's collection will also be available.

Since its inception in 2012, BerkChique! has contributed over $285,000 to local non-profit organizations. This year's event is presented by and will benefit Ventfort Hall Gilded Age Mansion & Museum, with additional proceeds supporting the Berkshire Humane Society, Community Access to the Arts (CATA), WAM Theatre, and Berkshire Art Center.

BerkChique! is supported by in-kind sponsors Blue Q, Vicki Bonnington, Nejaime's Wine Cellars, and Your Color Connection.

Founded in 2012, BerkChique! provides an opportunity to purchase donated high-quality new and gently-used clothing and accessories to benefit local non-profits. Donations of clothing and accessories can be dropped off at Ventfort Hall on Mondays through Thursdays from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. or by appointment. Donation pickups can also be scheduled through the BerkChique.org website.

Ventfort Hall Gilded Age Mansion & Museum is a non-profit organization focused on historic preservation and community engagement. Built in 1893, the former summer cottage offers tours, exhibits, and event rentals.

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Puppeteer Carl Sprague to Present 'Hansel & Gretel' at Ventfort Hall

10:41AM / Monday, February 16, 2026

LENOX, Mass. — The popular puppeteer Carl Sprague will return to Ventfort Hall Gilded Age Mansion and Museum in Lenox with "Hansel & Gretel" for two school vacation week marionette performances.

The dates and times are Thursday, Feb. 19 and Friday, Feb. 20, both at 3:30 pm. The audiences will have the opportunity to meet Sprague, who knows how to pull strings.

"Hansel & Gretel" is a classic German fairy tale by the Brothers Grimm about two siblings abandoned in the woods who find a house made of sweets, owned by a witch intending to eat them. The clever children outsmart her by pushing her into her own oven, and escape with her treasures to find their way home. This fairy tale symbolizes themes of cleverness, survival, and greed vs. kindness, stated a press release.

Sprague, who has appeared annually at Ventfort Hall with his "behind the scenery" mastery, has been a puppeteer since childhood. He inherited a collection of 60 antique Czech marionettes, each about eight inches tall, that were assembled by his great-grandfather, Julius Hybler. Hybler's legacy also includes two marionette theaters.

Also, Sprague has been a set designer for such motion pictures as "The Royal Tenenbaums" and Scorcese's "The Age of Innocence," as well as for theater productions including those of Shakespeare & Company.

Admission to the show is $20 per person; $10 for children 4-17 and free for age 3 and under. Children must be accompanied by adults.

Reservations are required as seating is limited and can be made on line at https://gildedage.org/pages/calendar or by calling (413) 637-3206. Walk-ins will be accommodated as space allows. The historical mansion is located at 104 Walker Street in Lenox.

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