image description

Weekend Outlook: Spring Cleaning, Baby Animals

By Breanna SteeleiBerkshires Staff
Print Story | Email Story

Check out the events happening in the Berkshires this weekend including clean ups, jazz night, and more.

Editor's Picks

Baby Animals
Hancock Shaker Village
Time: 11 to 4, through May 10

A sure sign of spring is the arrival of baby animals at Hanock Shaker Village in Pittsfied. See lambs, piglets, calves, chicks and kids and enjoy events and activities throughout the Village, from daily talks about the farm and the Shakers to craft demonstrations to walks along the Farm & Forest Trail.
 
Admission is $8 to $20, free for children 12 and younger. More information here.

Jazz Crawl
Pittsfield
Time: 5 to 10 p.m.

The annual Pittsfield Jazz Festival concludes with a jazz crawl atlocal establishments, including Methuselah, BB’s Hot Spot, Rare 297, Tito's Mexican Bar and Grill, and Wander Berkshires.

More information here.

Saturday Earth Day Cleanups

Clean Up with Hoosac River Revival
Noel Field, North Adams
Time: noon

Celebrate Earth Day by cleaning up and supporting the development of a community walking loop trail along the river atop the berms behind Noel Field. Supplies will be provided but bring your own if you have them.

More information here.

Springside Clean Up
Springside Park, Pittsfield
Time: 9 a.m. to noon

Join the Friends of Springside Park for the 45th year of cleaning up the park. Bring gloves, bags, and more to help keep the park clean.

More information here.

Adams Community Clean Up Day
Adams Visitor Center
Time: 9 a.m. to noon

Join the 4th annual clean up to help keep the neighborhoods clean and safe. If you can, bring your own gardening tools and enjoy pizza at the end of the cleanup. There will also be a friendly competition for a chance for prizes.

More information here.

Multiple Days

'James and the Giant Peach'
The Colonial Theatre, Pittsfield
Friday, Saturday, and Sunday

Roald Dahl's classic adapted as a musical adventure for all ages. 

More information and tickets here.

Friday

'By Association Of' Closing Reception
Future Labs Gallery, North Adams
Time: 6 to 8 p.m.

See the artwork of 20 local artists before the exhibit closes at 43 Eagle St.

More information here.

Bring your own Vinyl Night 
Hot Plate Brewing Co., Pittsfield
Time: 7 to 10 p.m.

Bring your favorite record for DJ Pup Daddy to spin or pick from his stack.

More information here.

Ghost Tours
Ventfort Hall, Lenox
Time: 8 to 10 p.m.  

The Gilded Age museum hosts a tour with "Ghosts of the Berkshires" author Robert Oakes, who will lead guests through the rooms and halls of the estate, sharing tales of its hauntings. All tickets are non-refundable and non-exchangeable.

Admission is $31 and the minimum age to attend is age 12. Reservations are required. Purchase tickets here.  

Saturday

Free Ride Day
Berkshire Carousel, Pittsfield
Time: noon to 5 p.m.

UCP of Western Massachusetts is sponsoring free rides on the carousel. UCP will also showcase assisted technologies with low vision, sensory integration, daily living skills, and more. Other department members will be there as well with information.

More information here.

Broad Brook Dam Community Walk
Broad Brook Trail, Pownal, Vt. 
Time: 1 p.m.
 
Join Trout Unlimited's Taconic Chapter, and the Hoosic River Watershed Association for a walk along Broad Brook to the dam that will be removed this July. Meet with TU reps who can answer questions about this dam removal.
 
Constituents who are concerned about native flora, especially spring ephemerals, will discuss tagging and where onsite to relocate plants who may be impacted by equipment used in the area during the dam removal process. This program will last approximately 1 hour.
 
More information: Zach Adams at zach.adams@tudot.org.
 
La Cocina 50th Anniversary Reunion
Bounti-Fare, Adams
Time: 2:30 p.m.
 
Friends, former employees and patrons of La Cocina are invited to enjoy a day of great food, music and a chance for old school social networking. The restaurant was a popular spot in Pittsfield starting in 1976 for both food and music, and operated a second location on State Road, where Stop & Shop is now, for about a decade. Both locations closed in 1990. 
 
The event benefits the Kids 4 Harmony program of 18 Degrees Family Services for Western MA. 
 
Buffet is $25, 12 and younger free; cash bar. Tickets available at the Bounti-Fare at 413-743-0193 or on the website. Weather permitting, the patio will be open.  
 
'Stockbridge-Munsee Community: Past, Present, Future'
Williamstown Historical Museum
Time: 11 a.m.
 
Williams College students from the Mohican Homelands Education Initiative will lead this program as part of the partnership between Williams College and the Stockbridge-Munsee Community. They will explore the community's history in the region, life on the present-day reservation, and ongoing cultural and political presence.
 
Free and open to the public at 32 New Ashford Road. More information here. 

Sunday

2 the Moon Card Show
North Adams American Legion
Time: 9 a.m. to 4 p.m.

Enjoy the first annual card collectors show with multiple vendors for cards and collectables. Buy sell or trade and enjoy a ton of giveaways.

More information here.

Mountain Mindfulness: Spring Walk
Greylock Glen Center, Adams
Time: 1 to 3 p.m.

Connect with nature and de-stress with meditation skills and more. Space is limited, register at 413-499-4262.

More information here.

Troy Ramey An Evening of Songs and Stories
Stationery Factory, Dalton
Time: 7 p.m.

"The Voice" singer Troy Ramey perform at the factory. Portions of the funds from the tickets will support nonprofit Sound Mind Live.

More information and tickets here.


Tags: weekend outlook,   

If you would like to contribute information on this article, contact us at info@iberkshires.com.

Pittsfield Subcommittee Considers E-Bike Safety

By Brittany PolitoiBerkshires Staff

PITTSFIELD, Mass. — Some city councilors want to explore ways to encourage safe e-bike use. 

On Monday, the Ordinances and Rules Subcommittee discussed the request by Councilor At Large Kathy Amuso and Ward 3 Councilor Matthew Wrinn to increase enforcement of bicycle and e-bike use on Pittsfield streets, install signage in high-traffic areas, and launch an educational program for kids. 

Amuso has received reports of kids riding motorized bikes at 15 to 20 mph on the sidewalk while people are trying to back out of their driveways, and she fears someone might get hurt.  

She said that if they could start with some basics, such as riding with traffic in bike lanes and requiring operators under 16 to wear helmets, it would address most of the calls. 

"Do I think we need to put 10 police on trying to find e-bikes throughout the city? I don't," she said. "But there are enough calls that I'm getting, and other councilors are getting, that we have to say, ‘OK, what can we do?’ And we have a lot of bike lanes in Pittsfield, and the e-bikes and all bikes should be in the bike lanes, not on the sidewalk."

The petition was tabled so that the Department of Public Works can study it and gather further information.  

In Massachusetts, an e-bike with a top speed of 20 mph and a motor of 750 watts or less is classified as a traditional bicycle. State law defines two e-bike classes: 

  • "Class 1 electric bicycle" is defined as having a motor of 750 watts or less that provides assistance only when the rider is pedaling and ceases to assist when the bicycle reaches 20 mph.
     
  • "Class 2 electric bicycle" is defined as having a motor of 750 watts or less that may be used exclusively to propel the bicycle and is not capable of assisting when the bicycle reaches 20 mph.

Riders 16 years or younger must wear a helmet by law.  

View Full Story

More Pittsfield Stories