Berkshire Community College Welcomes Community to 65th Anniversary Fest

02:04PM / Tuesday, August 05, 2025Print Story | Email Story

PITTSFIELD, Mass. — Berkshire Community College is turning 65, and the entire Berkshires community is invited to join the festivities at Community Fest, happening Saturday, Aug. 16, from 10 to 4 on the main campus.

Admission is free, but registration is recommended. More than 60 activities are planned, ranging from live music and food trucks to workshops, exhibits, athletic tournaments and family-friendly events.

Community Fest offers a wide range of interactive experiences and exhibits:

Food trucks all day, featuring food for purchase from local favorites like BB's Hot Spot, Copsicle, KJ Nosh, Krispy Kone and La Chalupa y La Enchilada
Beer & wine garden opens at noon, showcasing products for sale from Balderdash Wine Cellars, Big Elm Brewing and Hot Plate Brewery
Free live performances at the amphitheater: Brian Hailes (10–11 a.m.), Ron Ramsay (11 a.m.–noon) and Laura Cabrera with Gael Berthelly and Liberty Ortiz (noon–1 p.m.), followed by DJ Seth P. from 1–3 p.m.

"Gene Expression: Choose Your Own Adventure," a scavenger hunt at the library
Archive open house, a tour of BCC's history through years of memorabilia
Robotics demos in the Berkshire Science Commons
Fire safety showcase and tours aboard fire trucks with the Fire Science program
Drone flights
Tarot readings

For younger visitors:

Build-a-Bird workshops, where the first 200 children make a stuffed Burke the Falcon mascot
SGA lawn games
"Meet the Critters" at Hoffmann Environmental Center
Hands-on crafts, art mural project, face painting and more

Athletics and Wellness

Soccer tournament culminating in a championship at 2:20?p.m.
Pickleball competitions
Volleyball jamboree in the gymnasium

Free access to the Paterson pool and fitness center, a Pilates class, and chair massages offered by BCC massage therapy students
"Free Community College" info sessions, FAFSA support and admissions guidance
One-stop tours, highlighting student success at BCC

Discover new horizons with Osher Lifelong Learning Institute (OLLI) at BCC, a member-led organization providing exciting educational, social and volunteer opportunities for people over 50 years old:

Mini-classes starting at 10:30 a.m. on subjects like "The Language of Film," "Thomas Paine's Writing," "Milestones in Medicine" and "African Rooted Dance."
Social meet-up with light refreshments at noon for an opportunity to mingle and learn more about OLLI's programs

BCC has served as the pioneering public community college in Massachusetts since 1960. Over the decades, it has expanded educational access, built state-of-the-art facilities, and innovated in areas like modern labs, science commons and the One Stop Enrollment Center. Community Fest honors these milestones and welcomes everyone to see how far the institution and its vision have come, including the introduction of free college for eligible students.

For accessibility arrangements or disability accommodations, contact foundation@berkshirecc.edu or call 413-236-3071.

Tags: BCC,

Pittsfield Cleans Downtown Litter, Works on Outreach Program

By Brittany PolitoiBerkshires Staff
02:46PM / Thursday, April 30, 2026

PITTSFIELD, Mass. — As the city develops a peer support outreach program, workers are clearing the downtown of potentially hazardous litter from the wintertime.

Over the past three weeks, the Health Department has sent out inspectors to assess sanitary conditions in the downtown, beginning on North Street, moving to First Street, and to the McKay Street parking garage.

"We've identified a lot of needles, and mostly needle caps and then small drug paraphernalia, and while we're identifying them, we're noting where we're finding them, and we're also picking them up and disposing of them properly," Director of Public Health Andy Cambi said.

"… We have not found any human waste sanitation issues currently, again, not to say that there isn't any, but I think it also speaks to the fact that we do have a new facility that's open, that's being run, The First, which does offer bathroom facilities, laundry facilities."

On Monday, he updated the Public Health and Safety subcommittee on the progress of the upcoming peer support outreach program and cleanup efforts in the area it will serve.

The First housing resource center opened in February in the basement of the Zion Lutheran Church with bathrooms, lounge spaces, lockers, and more. In its early days, it averaged about 50 visitors daily; on Sundays, an average of 70 visitors.

Cambi said he is in constant communication with ServiceNet, which is operating The First.

"It has been used heavily, so I think that speaks to the relief of issues that we're seeing in the downtown area in regards to those sanitation issues," he added.

"It's a great resource that's available that is being constantly used, so again, what it was intended for."

When the department comes across human waste, they will connect with Department of Public Works staff to have it cleaned and sanitized. Workers can make a clear distinction between pet and human waste, Cambi reported.

View Full Story