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Weekend Outlook: Last First Fridays of Summer

By Breanna SteeleiBerkshires Staff
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Check out the events happening this weekend, including the two cities' First Fridays, picnics, and more.

Editor's Picks

Ice Cream Social: Sweet Scoops and Live Tunes
320 Main St., Williamstown
Time: 1 to 4 p.m.

Celebrate the Williamstown Youth Center with live music from Vermont's TechnicalDUFFiculties and ice cream. Every scoop Saturday benefits the youth center's afterschool program for Grades 1 through 6.

More information here.

Franklin County Fair
Wisdom Way, Greenfield
Time: opens Thursday and Friday at 3 p.m., Saturday and Sunday at 8 a.m.
 
The 176th Franklin County Fair features a midway, demonstrations, truck and horse pulls, demolition derby, animals, agricultural competitions and exhibits, vendors and performers. 
 
Admission is $10 to $15; ticket purchases and more information here.

First Fridays

Downtown Pittsfield
Time: 5 p.m.

The city center 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.

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

Music, art, and games will fill the downtown for the event themed "Play Downtown." DJ Rebelbeat Soundsystem will perform at the Eagle Street Pocket Park for a dance party with the Hatchlings. 

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

Friday

Back to School Carnival
491 Berkshire School Road, Sheffield
Time: 5:30 to 8 p.m.

Celebrate back to school with live music, games, hayrides and more. Everyone is welcome to come and celebrate. Kick off the school year on a fun note.

More information here.

September Ghost Tours
The Mount, Lenox
Time: 8:30 p.m.
 
The spooky season begins with nighttime ghost tours at Edith Wharton's summer home each Friday. Tours last around two hours and include outside areas, uneven terrain and stairs. Not appropriate for young children. 
 
More information and tickets here

Saturday

Coffee Tasting Event
Adams Theater, Park Street
Time: 9 a.m.
 
Wake at the Adams Theater by going "Around the World in 80 Cups," a tasting event from 11 to noon featuring coffee and pairing from Oaxaca, Mexico. Theater opens at 9 for a la carte coffee and baked goods from Shire Cottage Bakery. 
 
Tickets are $12; more information and tickets here
 

Sheffield Fair
Frederic Lane, Sheffield
Time: 11 a.m. to 4 p.m

Enjoy a day at the fair with food, hayrides, vendors, cars, music, food and livestock competition.

More information here.

Sunday 

 
Puppet Workshop
Adams Theater, Park Street
Time: 11 a.m.
 
David Lane of New England Puppet Arts and collaborators host a family-friendly puppet exploration with craft paper and masks. Intended for ages 8 and up accompanied by an adult. 
 
Free admission but capacity is limited; RSVP at info@adamstheater.org.
 
Lane also brings a puppetry adaptation of Emile Zola's novel "The Belly of Paris" on Saturday night at the theater. Tickets and more information here
 
Sunflower Sunday
225 Peckville Road, Shelburne
Time: 10 to 3
 
Apex Orchards hosts a sunflower fair with pick your own flowers, wagon rides, crafters and vendors, food and coffee, doughnuts and brewery. Live music by Tobey Sol La Roche at noon. 
 
Free admission; more information here
 
Jimmy Bernardo Memorial Ride
63 Wendell Ave., Pittsfield
Time: 10:45 a.m. to 3:30 p.m.
 
This motorcycle ride honors the life of Jimmy Bernardo, who was murdered at the age of 12, and raises essential funds for Berkshire County Kids' Place to help children and families heal from abuse and violence. Registration starts at 8:30 a.m., the ride at 11. The 90-minute ride ends at the Tavern on the A; the after party is open to the public. 
 
More information here
 
Tree ID Walk
Kennedy Park, Lenox
Time: 10 to noon
 
Join Chelsey Simmons of Berkshire Environmental Action Team for an informative walk, during which participants will learn key characteristics of commonly encountered trees. Walk is 1 to 1.5 miles long, lasting around 2 hours, and will include many slow-paced stops. Meet in the parking lot of Lenox Commons off Route 7.
 
Limited to 15 participants; register at chelsey@thebeatnews.org. More information here
 
Farmers 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
Friday: 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.  

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

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 here

Sheffield Farmers Market
125 Main St.
Fridays, 3 to 6 p.m.  

The market features healthy food and products from a variety of local vendors, aiming to nourish the community by supporting "local small farms, land, bees, and economy."

More information here.

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

The market features a diverse range of local food and artisan vendors, along with local services and live music. More information here.


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Lanesborough OKs Open Space Plan, Short-Term Rental Forms

By Breanna SteeleiBerkshires Staff
LANESBOROUGH, Mass. — The Select Board on Monday set fees for short-term rentals and adopted an Open Space and Recreation Plan.
 
Town Administrator Gina Dario discussed the draft for STR registration and certificate of inspection since the new bylaws were passed at the annual town meeting.
 
The draft shows the process to file for inspection through Permit Eyes, the town's online permitting system that includes the state building code and safety requirements. Dario said members of the Planning Board and Zoning Board of Appeals and the building commissioner looked at other town models to come up with the best process for registration.
 
Inspections will be annually for non-owner occupied units and five years for owner-occupied. The inspection fee is a flat $50. The last suggestion discussed was the posting requirements for key information.
 
Dario said they looked at about four other communities on how they used non-sensitive information on owner contacts. Chair Deborah Maynard motioned to have the information posted both inside and out to help with law enforcement if needed.
 
"I'm going to make a motion that we put that relevant information not only on the inside of the short-term rental but on the outside, so if the police need to respond, ambulance needs to respond, fire especially needs to respond, all that information is there, nobody has to go searching for it," she said. "If push comes to shove, and it's a matter of minutes, that's going to make a big, a big difference in the outcome of the incident."
 
The board then heard a presentation from Berkshire Regional Planning Commission's community planner Andrew McKeever and Open Space and Recreation Committee Vice Chair Mark Hawthorne.
 
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