Berkshire Museum: Ten Days of Play

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PITTSFIELD, Mass. — Ten Days of Play, Berkshire Museum's winter-break series, returns to Pittsfield in 2026 with a lineup of off-site activities hosted at community venues.
 
This year's programs will take place at the Berkshire Athenaeum, Berkshire Community College, and Hancock Shaker Village, offering families from the Berkshires and beyond programming during winter break. This year's series will run Feb. 14–21.
 
Berkshire Museum Programs Manager Sophia Holmes shared the following:

"Providing fun, educational experiences for young learners in our community is incredibly important to us while we're under renovation, and we're thrilled to collaborate with other amazing organizations this year in helping us bring them to the public", said Holmes. "There's a lot of variety in programming we're offering so there is something for everyone to get exited about."

This year's programs are as follows:

The Big Chill at Hancock Shaker Village
Saturday, Feb. 14 & Sunday, Feb. 15 | 11:00AM - 3:00PM Each Day
$15 for adults, Children 12 & under and HSV Members are free
Berkshire Museum is pleased to partner with Hancock Shaker Village for their annual winter celebration, The Big Chill. The Village will open its grounds for a weekend of engaging activities, including hands-on winter and wilderness explorations presented by the Berkshire Museum, complementing Hancock Shaker Village's outdoor programming.
Location: Hancock Shaker Village (34 Lebanon Mountain Rd., Hancock, MA)

President's Day Bubble Show at Berkshire Community College
Monday, Feb. 16 | Shows at 11:00AM and 1:30PM
Free to the Public (Pre-Registration Strongly Encouraged)
Sponsored by Greylock Federal Credit Union and Berkshire Community College
Experience a dazzling bubble spectacular featuring immersive bubble rainbows large enough to step inside, audience participation in creating volcano bubbles, and enormous bubbles that appear to generate bubbles of their own. Don't miss the newest, funniest, and most imaginative production from world-renowned, Guinness World Records–holding master bubble artist Jeff Boyer, who elevates bubble artistry to extraordinary heights. Blending comedy, music, and interactive bubble magic, Jeff captivates audiences of all ages. This sensory-friendly bubble extravaganza is perfect for the entire family.
Location: Berkshire Community College Boland Theater (1350 West Street, Pittsfield, MA)

Days of Play at Berkshire Community College
Tuesday, Feb. 17 - Friday, Feb. 20 | 10:30AM - 1:00PM Daily
Free to the Public (Pre-Registration Encouraged)
Sponsored by Greylock Federal Credit Union and Berkshire Community College

Tuesday, Feb. 17: Dino Day: Travel back to pre-history to the time of dinosaurs! Visitors will have the opportunity to examine the creatures of the past, play games, discuss fossils, and more.

Wednesday, Feb. 18: Plants and Bugs Galore!: When you go outside, what do you see? Nature is all around you! Come craft and create while investigating the creatures that crawl all around and the plants that grow, to help us grow!

Thursday, Feb. 19: Under the Sea: Dive into an under-the-sea adventure with the Berkshire Museum! While our aquarium is undergoing renovations, discover fascinating sea life and enjoy fun crafts and activities inspired by the ocean and its inhabitants.

Friday, Feb. 20: Creativity Chaos: Join us for a day of play focused on creativity—what can you make, draw, or paint? Come explore your own imagination with us!
Location: Berkshire Community College (1350 West Street, Pittsfield, MA)

Day of Play at the Berkshire Athenaeum
Saturday, Feb. 21 | 10:30AM - 3:30PM
Free to the Public
Celebrate the end of Feb. break with the Berkshire Museum and the Berkshire Athenaeum during the annual Ten Days of Play! Families will explore the Library's Big Blue Blocks and one of the museum's Mobile Museum Units, as well as several self-led STEAM stations. This drop-in event is free to families with children of all ages and will be held in the Library's Auditorium. 
Location: Berkshire Athenaeum (1 Wendell Avenue, Pittsfield, MA)

Those interested in learning more about this year's Ten Days of Play programs can visit berkshiremuseum.org or email info@berkshiremuseum.org for more information. The museum thanks Berkshire Community College and Greylock Federal Credit Union for sponsoring this year's programs at the college. 
If you would like to contribute information on this article, contact us at info@iberkshires.com.

Neal's Office Among Those Targeted by Suspicious Mailings

Staff Reports
PITTSFIELD, Mass. — U.S. Rep. Richard Neal was among congressmen apparently targeted by someone mailing suspicious envelopes. 
 
According to a report in The Berkshire Eagle, an envelope containing a powdery substance was discovered by postal inspectors before reaching Neal's Pittsfield office in the Silvio O. Conte Federal Building.
 
Nearly 40 members of Congress have received envelopes containing white powder, according to The Guardian. More than 100 letters are thought to be in the U.S. mail system and the FBI, Capitol Police and the U.S. Postal Inspection Service were investigating the mailings that have also been sent to elections officials in various states. 
 
The mailings have been sent to both Republican and Democrat officeholders and several congressional district offices had to be evacuated in the last week or so after envelopes were opened in them. 
 

Earlier today, my Bronx district office received an envelope delivered by mail that contained a suspicious substance. Local law enforcement responded swiftly and, after investigating, determined the substance to be non-hazardous.

— Rep. Ritchie Torres (@repritchie.bsky.social) October 16, 2026 at 3:10 PM
The Guardian reported that the FBI is warning officials to look for envelopes processed through a north Texas center and that carry a postmark or stamp stating "Thinking of You."
 
The Eagle states that Neal's office was alerted on Saturday that it might be getting a suspicious package; inspectors seized the envelope at the Fenn Street post office on Monday.
 
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