Weekend Outlook: Fresh Start

By Breanna SteeleiBerkshires Staff
12:04PM / Thursday, January 01, 2026Print Story | Email Story

Check out the events happening this weekend, including hiking, volunteering, fundraisers, and more.

Editor's Pick

First Friday
Downtown North Adams
Time: 5 to 9 p.m.

The new year is here so kick it off with music, art, and games that will fill downtown North Adams for its First Friday event, themed "Fresh Start."

Participating businesses will have extended hours and many galleries will host openings, closings, and other special events.

More information and event line-up here.

Friday

Discover Greylock Hike
Mount Greylock Visitor Center, Lanesborough
Time: 1 p.m.

Celebrate the great outdoors with a walk in the woods to explore seasonal changes the signs of wildlife along an easy-moderate trail.

This family-friendly 2-mile hike follows the Bradley Farm Trail with a gradual 440-ft elevation gain.

Hikes may include tree identification, local history and orienteering. Be aware that trail conditions may be snow-covered, icy or muddy.

More information here.

Future Labs Gallery All Members Reception
43 Eagle St., North Adams
Time: 6 to 8 p.m.

View artwork by more than 40 Future Labs Gallery member artists. More information here.

Collaged Coasters for Tweens and Teens
Milne Public Library Williamstown
Time: 10:30 a.m. and 1:30 p.m.

"Decompress and Decoupage." Decoupage is the art of applying a collage of paper onto a surface. Make collage wooden coasters whether it's a gift or a piece of art to hang on your wall. More information here.

Karaoke
Dalton American Legion
Time: 6 p.m.

Sing your heart out while supporting the local American Legion Post. More information here.

Joni Mitchell Tribute Band Performance
17 Main St., South Egremont
Time: 8 p.m.

Big Yellow Taxi, a Joni Mitchell tribute band, will perform many of Mitchell's popular songs.

Tickets are $20. More information here.

Saturday

Music Bingo
Wahconah Country Club
Time: 6 p.m.

Help raise money for the girls and boys basketball program by playing a game of musical bingo. More information here.

Lecture by Former Peace Corps Volunteers
Berkshire Athenaeum, Pittsfield
Time: 2 p.m.

Two former Peace Corps volunteers Eduardo and Edmundo tell their story of collecting used equipment from the Berkshires and shipping it to Honduras. More information here.

Tracking Winter Wildlife for Beginners
Pleasant Valley Wildlife Sanctuary, Lenox
Time: 11 a.m.

Take a beginner-friendly walk through fields and forests to search for tracks, scat, and signs of the delicate but exciting interactions between predators and their prey.

With any luck, you will find signs of coyotes, foxes, deer, rabbits, and more. Tickets are $15 for Mass Auburn members and $20 for non-members.

More information here.

'The Princess and the Frog' Screening
Milne Public Library, Williamstown
Time: 1 p.m.

Bring your family to the library for a free screening of the Disney classic, "The Princess and the Frog." Enjoy popcorn and to be more sustainable bring your own bowl.

More information here.

Volunteer to Build Lee's Rink
Lee Athletic Field
Time: 10 a.m.

Volunteers are needed to help build Lee's skating rink. Email the Youth Commission to let them know you can make it.

More information here.

Full Moon Winter Hike

Hilltop Orchards, Richmond

Time: 6:45 p.m.

There will be a guided hike by Holly Brouker, under the full moon. The event also features a bonfire ceremony and wine and cider tasting.

More information here.

Sunday

First Sunday Free

Clark Art Institute, Williamstown

Time: 1 to 4

The museum is opening its doors for free to provide people the chance to see its permanent and temporary collections.

For the 2025 to 2026 First Sunday Free season, its focus will be on the outdoor sculpture exhibition "Ground/work." This month's theme is "Force of Nature."

Visitors can view art by Yo Akiyama, who combined clay, fire, and water to create Oscillation: Vertical Garden, a sculpture that seems to erupt from the earth of the Clark’s campus.

The day will feature interactive activities including a clay art workshops with North Adams Clay, a collaborative sculpture exhibition, an exploration of elemental themes in the Print Room, self-guided nature walks, and borrow complimentary snowshoe rentals for outdoor activities.

More information here.

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Fenton: Governor's Council Must Deliver for the Berkshires

Community submissionGuest Column
10:22AM / Friday, August 28, 2026

I am a Springfield lawyer running for Governor's Council and I am asking for Berkshire County residents to support me over an incumbent from North Adams.

Here's why: Last year I learned about staffing issues in our regional courts that I could not ignore. In 2025, it was reported that four of Western Massachusetts' 11 Superior Court judgeships were vacant, all at the same time. A few weeks later, that grew to five vacancies. This meant there were only six Superior Court judges serving all of Western Mass at a time when Berkshire, Hampshire, Franklin, and Hampden counties had more than 100 pending homicide cases.

Those numbers were alarming to me, so I started to engage with leaders in the community who work most closely with the court system and I came to learn that these vacancies were only the tip of the iceberg here in Berkshire County.

I learned that no Superior Court or District Court judge had been appointed from the Berkshires since the current incumbent took office. As a result, there is not a single Superior Court judge who lives in the Berkshires today, and several of the District Court judges drive in from other counties to support Berkshire courts in Pittsfield, Great Barrington, and North Adams. Court staff also informed me about severe staffing shortages at the Berkshire Clerk of Courts office resulting in other counties needing to loan staff to the Berkshires just so hardworking employees can take a brief and planned summer vacation. This is not normal. These issues are a reflection of genuine problems with the Berkshire County court system and show a lack of proactive attention from our Governor's Councilor.

Instead of focusing on regional equity, I watched as the current incumbent celebrated that she has voted against the governor's nominees more than any other councilor, without much explanation as to why. Most recently, she voted against two extremely qualified former prosecutors for the Parole Board. This was despite an in-person plea from the governor and a letter of support from all the three of the district attorney's from Western Mass. Those votes do not show independence or standing up for principles, they demonstrate naivete, and an unwillingness to work with the key stakeholders.

I had seen and heard enough. I decided to jump in the race and challenge the incumbent to address these problems head-on.

I am a partner of a regional law firm. I understand our courts and the importance of having qualified, fair and hardworking judges. And I know how important it is to have judges from the Berkshires serving the Berkshires. To achieve that, you need strong relationships with the legal community and local stakeholders. You need to know how to use the power of the Governor's Council to fight forcefully for our region. And you need to be laser focused on identifying vacancies before they occur so that they can be filled quickly with local candidates.

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