Berkshire County Historical Society Opening Celebration

07:59AM / Monday, May 11, 2026Print Story | Email Story

PITTSFIELD, Mass. — The Berkshire County Historical Society will host a day of free, family activities on May 16 from 11 am - 4 pm to celebrate the opening of its summer season.

Starting that day, hourly guided tours of Herman Melville's historic home will be offered Thursday - Monday with the first tour beginning at 10 am, and the final tour at 3 pm.

Tickets are required for tours and can be purchased at berkshirehistory.org by using the BOOK NOW button, or on site. This event is sponsored by Massachusetts Cultural Council and Housatonic Heritage.

Horse-Drawn Wagon Rides, 11 am - 2 pm - A team from Four Seasons Stables in Lanesboro will ride around Arrowhead's field.

Silk Screening, 1 - 3 pm - Pittsfield's Penny Arcade Press will be on site demonstrating

silkscreen printing with water-based ink. Prints made using this traditional, hand-pulled method will be available for purchase in the museum shop.

Children's Story Hour, 2 pm - Explore new children's books based on works by Herman Melville - Call Me Moby by Lars Kenseth and Bartleby by Matt Phelan.

"Herman Melville in the Berkshires" Book Launch with author John Dickson, 4 pm

According to a press release:

The Berkshires have long attracted artists and writers, drawn to the mountains, rivers, forests, and lakes of Western Massachusetts. Herman Melville first came here as a young boy and was so inspired by the surroundings that he returned to live here for thirteen years during one of the most productive writing periods of his life. He finished his masterpiece, Moby-Dick, in his first year here, seated in his study with a view of Mount Greylock. "His first love," is the way his cousin described his relationship to his adopted home. He wandered on foot and horseback to all corners of the county, tapping into the Berkshires in his art. The places he explored are sprinkled through the pages in his stories. Herman Melville in the Berkshires reveals the connections between Melville's writing and the beauty of the landscape that inspired him. This program is co-sponsored by OLLI at Berkshire Community College.

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Free Vaccinations Available Throughout Berkshire County

By Breanna SteeleiBerkshires Staff
10:30AM / Saturday, October 10, 2026

PITTSFIELD, Mass. — Fall season is also the flu season, which means vaccine clinics are now available.

The Berkshire Vaccine Collaborative will provide public vaccination clinics in Berkshire communities this fall, including the influenza and COVID-19 vaccines. There are about 49 clinics.

The collaborative began during COVID-19 to help vaccinate people across Berkshire County. Berkshire Health Systems started the Get Vaccinated Berkshires website and still manages it. The group works with the Pittsfield Public Health Department, Community Health Programs, and the Southern Berkshire Public Health Collaborative.

"The majority of people will always get the flu [vaccine] because, as I said, if you've ever gotten the flu, you will always get a flu vaccine because it's so bad. And just so you know, the flu is already in Berkshire County. It's an early season this year," said Leslie Drager, who is the senior public health nurse at Berkshire Regional Planning Commission.

Drager said last year they issued 2,705 vaccines, with more than 1,100 of them being for COVID-19 and more than 1,500 being flu. In total, they were able to vaccinate 1,669 people in Central and North County, in addition to Pittsfield.

Drager also said she will be carrying three types of COVID vaccines this year, which is in high demand.

"We have a high demand of COVID vaccine, which is awesome," she said. "So we're doing a lot of COVID vaccines. Also, I provide Pfizer, and this year I have Moderna and the Novavax, which I think is real important to get out there because the Novavax, a lot of people want, people with long COVID. So I'm carrying all three vaccines this year, which I normally only carry the Pfizer."

Public health departments also can help people access other vaccines such as for measles or meningitis when they cannot get them through a pediatrician, she added.

Using the website, people are able to get vaccines even if they are homebound by filling out a form.

All public Berkshire Vaccine Collaborative clinics are free of charge, but registrants are asked to provide insurance information, when available, in order to defray costs. The clinics are open to anyone 6 months of age or older, the age group recommended to receive an annual flu vaccine and the latest COVID-19 vaccine.

"I always encourage everybody to wear a short sleeve shirt because it makes it a heck of a lot easier to get at," Drager said. "And children, we do carry the nasal flu, the live virus of nasal flu for kids that are afraid to get needles."

Registration is highly recommended for the clinics. Walk-ins may be accepted depending on the number of vaccine doses available at each clinic, with preference given to those who are registered.

"It's really important. I'm really encouraging vaccinations for the schools, because not only you know if the kids are vaccinated and the teachers are vaccinated, the schools won't have the flu go wild right through it," Drager said. "And of course, the best way to prevent infections: washing your hands. So don't touch your face, and wash your hands."

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