Berkshire Grown Indoor Winter Farmers Market Season Begins

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GREAT BARRINGTON, Mass. — In Great Barrington, the first in the season of six indoor Winter Farmers Markets will take place on Saturday, Nov. 23 from 10:00am to 2:00pm at the Housy Dome (Housatonic Community Center).
 
Starting in December the five remaining indoor markets will run every third Saturday through April 19, 2025. The Housy Dome is located at 1064 Main Street in Housatonic and is included on the Berkshire Regional Transit Authority BRTA route #21.
 
In North County, the Winter Farmers Market will take place at Greylock WORKS in North Adams on Sunday, Nov. 24 and Sunday, Dec. 22, from 10:00am to 2:00pm. Berkshire Grown is once again partnering with host Greylock WORKS to offer a mini maker market within the Winter Farmers Market, featuring a carefully curated gathering of local artisans.
 
Local musicians will play live original music at both market locations.
 
"We look forward to bringing back some of the extras that add sparkle to these wonderful winter farmers markets, including live music and the local artisan crafts at both markets," said Executive Director Margaret Moulton. "Raising our SNAP match to $30, thanks to BAV's Market Match program, is another highlight of the upcoming season."
 
Berkshire Grown's Winter Farmers Markets host farmers and producers from Berkshire County and the surrounding region, proving that the season to buy locally-grown food never ends for farmers and food producers in the Berkshires. Shop for locally-grown food, including fresh greens, winter squash, root crops, apples, meats, cheeses, honey, maple syrup, baked goods, prepared foods, and more. Meet the artisans whose creativity, craftsmanship, and traditions are inspired by the Berkshire landscapes and farms.
 
Admission to the Winter Farmers Markets is free and food access is an integral part of the markets. Shoppers using SNAP will receive a match up to $30, and the HIP incentive reimburses shoppers who spend SNAP funds on fresh fruits and vegetables. SNAP and HIP can be processed at the market manager's station, as well as at several farmers' booths.
 
Berkshire Grown abides by current local health regulations regarding COVID-19. Masks are welcomed but not required, and shoppers are encouraged to stay home if they feel ill.
 
The market is made possible through sponsors: Berkshire Money Management, Pittsfield Cooperative Bank, Berkshire Food Co-op, Ed Herrington, Inc., Fairview Hospital, Rolling Rock Salt, Vitality Chiropractic, 1Berkshire Strategic Alliance, Inc., 328North: Farm + Flower + Food, Adams Community Bank, Blue Spark Capital Advisors, Fiber Connect, Guido's Fresh Marketplace, Lee Bank, Marty's Local, State Food +Drink, Blue Q, Housatonic Real Estate, Mercantile One / Sett, Mungy, Prairie Whale, Ward's, Wheeler & Taylor, Wild Oats Market and Williams College Zilkha Center for the Environment.
 
SNAP matching at the Winter Farmers Markets is funded by Berkshire Agricultural Ventures' Market Match program. Berkshire Grown also thanks the Town of Great Barrington and Greylock WORKS for hosting the Winter Farmers Markets, and the Massachusetts Department of Agricultural Resources for their ongoing support.
 

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Berkshire Art Center Announces Fall 2026 Classes & Workshops

STOCKBRIDGE, Mass. — Berkshire Art Center (BAC) invites artists of all ages and experience levels to participate in  lineup of Fall 2026 classes and workshops.

With programs offered at Citizens' Hall in Stockbridge as well as partner locations including Berkshire Music School, WANDER Berkshires, and the Mass Audubon's Canoe Meadows Wildlife Sanctuary, BAC's fall season celebrates creativity through ceramics, painting, drawing, printmaking, mixed media, photography, and more.

Ceramics students will find opportunities to develop their skills this fall. Faculty Artist Paula Shalan returns with Tableware: Creating with Soft Slabs, where students create functional pottery such as mugs, tumblers, and bowls, as well as Cut, Add, and Stretch: Creating with Soft Slabs, which explores more contemporary approaches to handbuilding. Jess Cropper-Alt teaches Timeless & Tactile: Handbuilding Traditions, while Donna Bernstein leads Wheel Throwing for All, an all-levels course featuring demonstrations, individualized instruction, and ample studio time.

For those looking to try clay for the first time, Lorimer Burns offers Try Your Hand at the Pottery Wheel, a welcoming two-hour introduction to wheel throwing. BAC also offers fun, social workshops including Wall Pocket Party, perfect for beginners, friends, couples, and families with children ages 10 and up, and Pottery Night: Beer Stein Social, an evening of creativity and community where participants craft their own handmade ceramic beer stein.

Mixed media and printmaking enthusiasts will find an inspiring variety of offerings throughout the season. Jody King Camarra teaches Color Theory Through Collage, Print Lab: Collagraph, Drypoint & Relief, Working in a Series: Creating Cohesive Collages, Monoprint Magic, and concludes the season with the festive workshop Handmade Holidays: Winter Layers in Gel Plate Printmaking.

Additional printmaking opportunities include Eco-Printing: Basics and Beyond with Mallorey Caron, where students create beautiful botanical prints using real flowers and leaves, Gelatin Plate Printmaking with Johanna Merfeld, an introduction to playful experimentation with layering, texture, stencils, and image transfers, and Image Transfers & Mixed Media, where Diane Firtell shares versatile techniques that can stand alone or enhance existing artwork.

Photographers can celebrate autumn alongside Thad Kubis, whose seasonal workshops include Photography of Daniel Chester French's Studio at Chesterwood in Stockbridge and Photographing Fall Colors in the Berkshires at Canoe Meadows Wildlife Sanctuary in Pittsfield.

Painters and drawing enthusiasts will discover classes ranging from foundational techniques to expressive exploration. Jill McLean returns with Watercolor Foundations and Watercolor Landscapes at Berkshire Music School, along with shorter, 1-day workshops including Berkshire Polaroids in Watercolor and Handmade Holidays: Watercolor Bookmarks.

Wednesday Nelena Sorokin offers Creative Writing & Abstraction, where students use stream-of-consciousness writing to inspire expressive abstract paintings, along with Painting Basics, Two-Dimensional Composition Workshop, and the popular Abstract Painting: Color, Design and Spirit. Artists looking for a relaxed, supportive studio environment can also enjoy the return of Friday Painting Studio, featuring a new and more accessible tuition rate and experienced facilitators who provide encouragement, feedback, and creative community while participants work on independent projects.

BAC's monthly workshop series at WANDER Berkshires in Pittsfield also continues this fall. Held on the second Saturday of each month, these welcoming two-hour sessions invite participants to sketch, paint, journal, and experiment in a relaxed community setting—no long-term commitment required. The series begins September 12 with Commonplace Visual Journaling led by Kaily Ritz, followed by Mini Nature Assemblage Boxes with Johanna Merfeld on October 10, Indoor Urban Sketching with Jill McLean on November 14, and concludes December 12 with Watercolor Reset for the New Year, led by BAC Executive Director Laura Thompson.

For a complete schedule of classes and workshops or to register, visit www.berkshireartcenter.org/classes.

 

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