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Berkshire Community College Welcomes Community to 65th Anniversary Fest

PITTSFIELD, Mass. — Berkshire Community College is turning 65, and the entire Berkshires community is invited to join the festivities at Community Fest, happening Saturday, Aug. 16, from 10 to 4 on the main campus.

Admission is free, but registration is recommended. More than 60 activities are planned, ranging from live music and food trucks to workshops, exhibits, athletic tournaments and family-friendly events.

Community Fest offers a wide range of interactive experiences and exhibits:

• Food trucks all day, featuring food for purchase from local favorites like BB's Hot Spot, Copsicle, KJ Nosh, Krispy Kone and La Chalupa y La Enchilada

• Beer & wine garden opens at noon, showcasing products for sale from Balderdash Wine Cellars, Big Elm Brewing and Hot Plate Brewery

• Free live performances at the amphitheater: Brian Hailes (10–11 a.m.), Ron Ramsay (11 a.m.–noon) and Laura Cabrera with Gael Berthelly and Liberty Ortiz (noon–1 p.m.), followed by DJ Seth P. from 1–3 p.m.

• "Gene Expression: Choose Your Own Adventure," a scavenger hunt at the library

• Archive open house, a tour of BCC's history through years of memorabilia

• Robotics demos in the Berkshire Science Commons

• Fire safety showcase and tours aboard fire trucks with the Fire Science program

• Drone flights

• Tarot readings

For younger visitors:

• Build-a-Bird workshops, where the first 200 children make a stuffed Burke the Falcon mascot

• SGA lawn games

• "Meet the Critters" at Hoffmann Environmental Center

• Hands-on crafts, art mural project, face painting and more

Athletics and Wellness

• Soccer tournament culminating in a championship at 2:20?p.m.

• Pickleball competitions

• Volleyball jamboree in the gymnasium

• Free access to the Paterson pool and fitness center, a Pilates class, and chair massages offered by BCC massage therapy students

• "Free Community College" info sessions, FAFSA support and admissions guidance

• One-stop tours, highlighting student success at BCC

Discover new horizons with Osher Lifelong Learning Institute (OLLI) at BCC, a member-led organization providing exciting educational, social and volunteer opportunities for people over 50 years old:

• Mini-classes starting at 10:30 a.m. on subjects like "The Language of Film," "Thomas Paine's Writing," "Milestones in Medicine" and "African Rooted Dance."

• Social meet-up with light refreshments at noon for an opportunity to mingle and learn more about OLLI's programs

BCC has served as the pioneering public community college in Massachusetts since 1960. Over the decades, it has expanded educational access, built state-of-the-art facilities, and innovated in areas like modern labs, science commons and the One Stop Enrollment Center. Community Fest honors these milestones and welcomes everyone to see how far the institution and its vision have come, including the introduction of free college for eligible students.

For accessibility arrangements or disability accommodations, contact foundation@berkshirecc.edu or call 413-236-3071.

Suspect Arraigned in 'Horrific' Dragging Case

By Brittany PolitoiBerkshires Staff
12:56PM / Wednesday, February 18, 2026

Complete write-thru 3 p.m., Feb. 18.

District Attorney TimothyShugrue says the community has been 'really upset' by this case. 

PITTSFIELD, Mass. — A Hancock man has been charged in last week's gruesome dragging that killed 69-year-old William Colbert. 

 

William Gross, 65, was arraigned in Central Berkshire District Court on Wednesday for negligent motor vehicle homicide and leaving the scene. He was arrested Monday after police investigators narrowed down the type of car seen on video at the accident scene. 

 

Police say Colbert had fallen in the road at the Francis Avenue and Linden Street intersection on Feb. 10 before he was struck and dragged nearly four miles. His body was found on West Housatonic Street.

 

Gross is being held on $250,000 cash bail in the Berkshire County House of Corrections. District Attorney Timothy Shugrue said the case will go to a grand jury and foresees additional charges being placed. 

 

"I think this community was really upset by this case," Shugrue said while being interviewed by the press after the morning arraignment.  

 

"It's a horrific case, and the fact that someone was fleeing, and there was someone that was stuck there that could have been treated, and potentially in the initial stages, could have been potentially saved." 

 

Colbert was coming from a house on Francis Avenue about 11:30 on Feb. 10 when fell in the road and had trouble getting up, according to Shugrue.