Weekend Outlook: Carnival & Free Fishing Weekend

Check out the events happening this weekend including free fishing this weekend courtesy of the state, First Fridays, carnival, and more.

Editor's Pick

Lego Flag Build
Berkshire Athenaeum, Pittsfield
Time: 10:30 a.m.

Help the library build a giant Lego American flag to be showcased at the Boston Pops Fireworks Spectacular to celebrate the nation's 250th anniversary. All ages are welcome to participate and there will be snacks included.

More information here.

First Fridays

First Friday at Five
Downtown Pittsfield
Time: 5 p.m.

Downtown Pittsfield will be alive with activities, including a maker's market and family fun zone on North Street, live music at Persip Park, a dance zone at Dunham Mall, an art walk, and more. 

More information here.

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

Music, art, and games will fill downtown North Adams for its First Friday event, themed "Celebrate Pride!" 

There will be games, art, special events, and downtown and businesses will have extended hours.

More information here.

Multiple Days

Dalton Carnival
June 3 through 7
Behind the American Legion on Route 9

Enjoy rides, games, food and more. Fireworks will be held Friday and Saturday at dusk.

More information here.

Friday

Switch and Snacks: Teen Programming
Berkshire Athenaeum, Pittsfield
Time: 2:30 to 3:30 p.m.

The Nintendo Switch at the library will be available to play a variety of games for kids to enjoy with free snacks.

More information here.

Common Craft Night
165 East Main St., North Adams
Time: 6 to 8 p.m.

Bring a craft you have been working on and join others to socialize.

More information here.

Friday Karaoke
Dalton American Legion
Time: 6 p.m.

More information here.

Saturday 

National Trails Day
Greylock Glen, Adams
Time: 11 to 1:30

Parade Fundraiser: Music Bingo
Elks Lodge 272, Pittsfield
Time: 6:30 to 9:30 p.m.

Have fun with a game of bingo that will benefit Pittsfield Parade Committee.

Cost is $25 entrance fee with two cards and $10 per new card.

More information here.

RiverFest
Beaver Mill, North Adams
Time: 11 a.m.

Learning about the species in the Hoosic River, try hands-on fly casting, learn to fish and more. 

More information here.

34th Annual Bateman Memorial Fishing Derby
Onota Lake, Pittsfield
Time: 6 a.m. to noon

Fishing is free as it is license-free weekend in Massachusetts. Derby fee is $10 for those 14 and older; $5 for children with a paying adult.Cost is $10 for adults, $5 for kids.

More information here.

Sunday

Harvey Granat Sings: The Genius of Gershwin
Stationary Factory, Dalton

Hear some of composer George Gershwin classic hits and behind the music stories told by Granat.

Tickets are $25.

More information and tickets here.

Nutshell Playhouse: 'Spy Jinks!'
Adams Theater
Time: 3 p.m.

Enjoy a show of three intrepid spies and Taco the parrot as they rescue intrepid Jolandalinda who has been kidnapped. Follow along their silly adventures and see if they rescue her.

More information and tickets here.

Farmer's Markets 

Great Barrington Farmers Market
18 Church St.
Saturday: 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. 

The market is open every Saturday. Every week, locally grown food, flowers, and plants will be available, along with other local vendors. The market accepts and offers doubling SNAP, HIP, WIC, and Senior market coupons. 

More information is here. 

Lee Farmers Market
The Town Park
Saturday: 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.  

The market offers locally grown produce, prepared foods, locally created arts and crafts, and herbal products. YogaLee offers free community yoga from 9:30 to 10:30 on the first Saturday of each month.

The market accepts SNAP, HIP, Senior Coupons, and WIC Coupons and also offers Market Match. 

More information here. 

Lenox Farmers Market
St. Ann's Church
Fridays: 11 to 3. 

This market is open every Friday through Sept. 12 and features fresh produce, pastries, cheeses, and more.

More information here. 

New Marlborough Farmers Market 

Village Green

Sunday: 10 a.m. to 1 p.m.  

Opens June 7 through Oct. 1. The market has local vendors that offer a variety of goods from produce, eggs, baked goods, jams, hand-knit items, maple syrup, and more. More information here. 

North Adams Farmers Market  
Main Street
Saturday: 9 a.m. to 1 p.m.

The south side of Main Street from American Legion Drive will be closed to make room for the city's weekly farmers market, which will kick off this Saturday. Explore downtown North Adams and discover local businesses and fresh produce from local farms. 

More information here.  

Otis Farmers Market
Papa's Healthy Food & Fuel
Saturdays: 3 to 6 p.m., 9 to 1.

Located at 2000 East Otis Road and runs through Oct. 8.  Eggs, baked goods and desserts, micro greens, maple products, honey, pasture-raised pork, grass-fed beef, bison, elk, canned goods, jams, jellies & fruit butters and more. 

More information here. 

Pittsfield Farmers Market
Pittsfield Common
Saturday: 9 a.m. until 1 p.m. 

Roots Rising, the region's first teen-run market, will hold an indoor farmers market this Saturday. The event will feature live music, chef demos, workshops, children's activities, and more. 

More information is available here. 

West Stockbridge Farmers Market
Foundry Green
Thursdays: 3 to 6 p.m., through Oct. 1.

Wide range of local producers and fare including vegetables, breads, teas, herbs, dairy, sweets, jams and crafts. Runs through Oct. 1; more information here. 

Williamstown Farmers Market 
Spring Street
Saturday: 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. 

The market focuses on a wide range of local food and artisan vendors, as well as local services and music. 

More information here. 

Remembering the 'Forgotten War' in Pittsfield

By Breanna SteeleiBerkshires Staff
01:17PM / Sunday, July 26, 2026

The bell is rung as the name of each local casualty of the war is read.

PITTSFIELD, Mass. — A small group gathered at City Hall's "Forgotten War" monument on Saturday to honor those who had served.

Veterans of Foreign Wars Post 448 held its annual ceremony at the Korean War Monument to mark the 73rd anniversary of the armistice that saw the fighting end in Korea. The 2002 monument names 20 Pittsfield residents who were killed in action. 

"Today, on behalf of the brave men to which their names appear on this monument, and to 36,516 that lost their lives in the Korean conflict, and the 1,243 that lost their lives thereafter, often referred to as the Second Forgotten War, or the DMZ Wars, and to many others that have served their countries without recognition, and to those still serving, we wish to honor them all in appreciation of their sacrifice and contributions towards the preservation of our freedoms and values of the United States of America and its allies," said post Cmdr. Arnie Perras, saying there are still many people unaware of what happened in that overseas war. 

The Korean War began on June 25, 1950, when North Korea invaded South Korea after border conflicts and insurrections in the south. Hostile action ended unofficially on July 27, 1953, in a truce. During the war, more than 23,000 American troops were killed in action, and 100,000 were injured. South Korea lost more than 200,000 soldiers, more than 13,000 other allied troops were killed, and nearly 3 million civilian and military lives were lost on both sides. 

A peace treaty was never signed and a demilitarized zone has separated the two nations since.

An armistice was signed, but Perras reminded attendees that this didn't end the war, relaying thousands of reported military engagements inside the Korean Demilitarized Zone between 1954 and 1999. 

Perras outlined actions that occurred during the ceasefire, such as the DMZ Wars, especially active in the 1960s, when many U.S. and Korean soldiers were killed in ambushes, firefights, and minefields. In 2010, North Korea torpedoed a South Korean corvette submarine, killing 46 people.

Today, the United States has about 28,500 troops deployed in South Korea, mostly at the Army station at Camp Humphreys. 

"Although it has been decades since major hostilities, U.S. troops remain as a deterrent to the nuclear-armed and often belligerent North Korea."

The monument — dedicated on Veterans Day in 2002 — honors the 20 servicemen who were killed during the war with a time capsule buried beneath, including dog tags, a small P38 military can opener, military patches, and a DVD from a one-hour fundraiser televised on Pittsfield Community Television.

A bell was sounded after each name was read aloud.

Perras is the last living member of the Korean War Monument Committee and closed the event with a wish for new members to continue the veteran organizations' charge.

"I'm the last man standing, and I can barely do that. We really need our younger veterans to help us out by joining soon to carry our torch forward. As a huge incentive, the VFW Post 448 is still offering a five-year free membership to new members. Otherwise, you'll no longer be seeing these type of ceremonies, unfortunately," he said.

Mayor Peter MArchetti along with City Councilor Pete White were also in attendance to honor the fallen. 

"I think it's important to be here today. We remember the brave men and women who served in the war, and every service member that sacrificed their life for this It's our job to make sure that they're not forgotten and that they're honored for defending our nation and protecting our freedoms, they went to war, protecting people that they never met and never knew. It's important for us to remember them, not just for that war, but for all wars," Marchetti said. 

The names of Pittsfield residents who were killed in the war:

• Francis R. Abbott
• Bryceland C. Ames
• Arthur A. Boland
• Edward J. Callahan
• James C. Costello
• James C. Couch
• Raymond L. Di Maleo
• Bernard A. Greenleaf
• Hubert C. Harrison
• Joseph A. Mc Cue
• Eugene H. McGovern
• James M. O'Boyle
• Hugh A. Olsen
• Clifford C. Pye
• Jack H. Roberts
• Robert A. Skowron
• Roger B. Smith
• William J. Smith Jr.
• John E. Stammel
• Antonio C. Stracuzzi