Check out the events in the Berkshires this weekend, including a school musical, Memorial Day events, live music, a car show, and more. Farmers' markets are open for the season and can be found here.
Editor's Picks
Shakespeare & Company Community Day
70 Kemble St, Lenox
Time: 11 a.m. to 4 p.m.
The theater company is hosting a free community day. The event features live demonstrations and performances, scavenger hunts, film screenings, food trucks, and dozens of other local nonprofits sharing the ways they serve the Berkshires — and beyond.
Several towns and organizations are holding events throughout the weekend and Monday in recognition of Memorial Day. A list of ceremonies and parades can be found here.
Mass MoCA Celebration
Marshall Street, North Adams
The Massachusetts Museum of Contemporary Art is holding events over the weekend to cap off the museum's 25th anniversary.
Sing your heart out to your favorite tunes and have a drink. More information here.
Ghost Funk Orchestra Concert
Park Street, Adams
Time: 7:30 p.m.
The Ghost Funk Orchestra, known for its blending of soul, psych rock, salsa, and more, takes the state at the Adams Theater.
Tickets range from $27.99 to $35, including fees. More information here.
Foundations of Drawing for Teens and Tweens
Lee Congregational Church
Time: 4 p.m.
There will be a class focusing on drawing from observation, starting with still life and progressing to figure drawing from a live model.
Students will construct three-dimensional objects, understand proportion and perspective, and explore dramatic shading techniques using both pencils and charcoal.
The event sponsored by the Lee Youth Commission is open to students in Grades 5 through 12 who live in Lee or go to school in Lee.
There will be a benefit concert with a performance by the soul, rock, funk, hip hop, and pop band Beast Mode.
The performance is in honor of Susan Lockwood, a member of the Richmond community who passed away in 2023.
A group of her lifelong friends, known as "The Richmond Girls," is partnering with Pleasant Valley Wildlife Sanctuary to establish a lasting endowment in her name.
The endowment will support trail maintenance, conserve the natural beauty of the area, and provide scholarships for educational programs. A bench with a view will be placed at Yokun Seat on Lenox Mountain as a tribute to her legacy.
The Legion is hosting its annual remembrance run. Grab your motorcycle and register starting at 10 a.m. There will also be a Memorial Day ceremony starting at 11 a.m. with guest speaker Dan Sargent, Wahconah Regional High School class president.
The Gilded Age manage hosts a tour with "Ghosts of the Berkshires" author Robert Oakes.
Oakes will lead guests through the rooms and halls of the estate, sharing tales of its hauntings.
"Stand in the places where the encounters occurred, listen to the first-hand accounts of those who experienced them, and maybe even experience something unusual yourself. This is not an active investigation," according to the press release.
Admission is $30 and the minimum age to attend is age 12. Reservations are required. Purchase tickets here.
Please note that all tickets are non-refundable and non-exchangeable.
Hoosac Valley Explorer
3 Hoosac St., Adams
Departure: 1:30 and 3 p.m.
The Berkshire Scenic Railway opens for the season this weekend, offering a 60-minute round-trip train excursion to North Adams and back. Riders will listen to a narrated history of the rail line and local area on board while honoring fallen heroes.
There will be a workshop and bird walk to explore bird vocalizations. Participants will learn about the differences between songs and calls, and focus on recognizing key local bird sounds.
The outdoor portion involves less than 0.5 miles of largely stationary listening, with a wide, level gravel trail.
Tickets are $20 for adult members and $25 for adult nonmembers. Registration is recommended. More information here.
Shafi Hossain Comedy
Adams Theater, Park Street
Time: 7:30 p.m.
Comedian and writer Shafi Hossain brings his standup to the Adams Theater. Note comedy shows often contain adult themes, so audience discretion is advised.
Tickets range from $26.99 to $35.00, including fees. More information here.
Hoosac Harvest Annual Seedling Swap
Main Street, North Adams
Time: 9 a.m. to 1 p.m.
The Seedling Swap is happening in downtown North Adams, offering free vegetable and flower seedlings to help kickstart your garden.
You can take seedlings without bringing any, but donations of extras are welcome. More information here.
Rees Shad and The Conversations
Studio 9, North Adams
Time: 7 p.m.
There will be a performance by the swinging quartet Rees Shad and the Conversations.
The band relies on the narrative songwriting of singer/guitarist Shad, while maintaining a foundation of collaborative improvisation.
There will be a preview of the carousel before opening day. The event features light appetizers by Zucchini's and a cash bar, along with a silent auction.
Tickets are $20 each and those interested in attending should contact coordinator Janet Crawford at equineartwork2@gmail.com.
A Tower of Remembrance
Mount Greylock State Reservation, Lanesborough Time: 1 p.m.
This Memorial Day Weekend, visit Mount Greylock's Veterans War Memorial Tower to honor those who served.
Explore the 93-foot monument, featuring a beacon light. The tour also highlights previously completed $2 million restoration efforts, featuring upgrades, energy conservation, and new visitor amenities.
The free tour is suitable for all ages, wheelchair accessible, and takes about 30 minutes. Meet at the summit by the War Memorial Tower.
Bascom Lodge at the summit also opens for the season this weekend.
Anthony Trecek-King will lead the 140-voice festival chorus in music of love songs for piano 4-hands, including Brahms' Neue Liebeslieder Waltzes and Copland's "The Promise of Living" in Seiji Ozawa Hall.
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 Farmer's Market
The Town Park
Time: 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.
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 Farmer's Market
Main Street
Time: 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.
Pittsfield Farmer's Market
Pittsfield Common
Time: 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.
Sheffield Farmer's Market
125 Main St.
Time: Fridays, 3 to 6 p.m.
The market features healthy food and products from a variety of local vendors in an attempt to nourish the community by protecting "local small farms, land, bees, and economy."
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North Adams Council Looks to AG for Assurances on Federal Grant
By Tammy DanielsiBerkshires Staff
NORTH ADAMS, Mass. — City officials want to know if the attorney general will defend them if they refuse to abide by certain provisions in a federal grant for the Police Department.
The City Council on Tuesday voted to postpone action until Nov. 10 on a fiscal year 2025 Edward Bernard Memorial Justice Assistant Grant after an hour of debate and hearing from more than a half-dozen audience members in opposition.
"Let's take all the time that we have. Let's wait for them to actually do their due diligence and fight these provisions and, hopefully, win, and then it's not a problem at all, and everybody's happy, and we take care of it," said Council President Ashley Shade. "And if they don't get the provisions out, let's make sure that they're willing to defend us if we accept it. And if they are, let's fight them. Let's fight them on this."
The U.S. Department of Justice grant for $14,231 is to update the department's overstuffed evidence room to aid its accreditation process. But new requirements within the contract about active or passive cooperation with federal agencies, including U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, have raised fears within the council and community.
Mayor Jennifer Macksey and Police Chief Mark Bailey had explained the need for an evidence room two weeks ago and assured that Police Department didn't deal with civil matters like immigration, but the council rejected the grant. Shade motioned for it be reconsidered for discussion, which passed.
Audience members spoke out in opposition to accepting the grant, often to applause.
"We cannot trust that they aren't attaching strings that we think, in good faith, could not happen," said Sarah Farnsworth from North Adams. "That they could not make us do things that we are protected from in the Constitution. And we have seen over and over that somehow that manages to happen."
City officials want to know if the attorney general will defend them if they refuse to abide by certain provisions in a federal grant for the Police Department. click for more
Gabe Thomas carded an even par round of 71 at Stockbridge Golf Club Monday to finish two shots clear of the field and claim the first county individual championship for the McCann Tech golf team. click for more
The McCann School Committee got a first look at the final stretch of a $17 million overhaul aimed at making the 64-year-old vocational school safer, quieter and more energy-efficient. click for more
History unfolds in real time, and a new exhibit at Massachusetts College of Liberal Arts' Gallery 51 reflects on the political issues and emotions shaping the country and the power of collective action. click for more
After four decades of serving meals out of First Congregational Church, the Berkshire Food Project is officially putting down permanent roots — and giving its longtime dining space a major overhaul. click for more