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A SAMPLING OF THE SEASON’S OFFERINGS
FA L L / W N T R 2 0 2 1
54
60 48
57
73 40
6 Great Barrington
FEATURES & DEPARTMENTS
14 Stockbridge
40 Art & Performance
16 West Stockbridge
48 Out & About: Entertaining 2.0
TOWNS
18 Sheffield 20 Lenox 22 Lee 24 Salisbury, Connecticut 26 Hillsdale, New York 29 Adams 30 North Adams 32 Williamstown
54 Out & About: Season of light 57 Food & Lodging 60 Wedding Bliss, Berkshire Style 73 Berkshires Wedding Resource Guide
34 Southern Vermont 37 Pittsfield BerkshiresCalendar.com
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Berkshires
The pleasures of winter!
Calendar .com YOUR LINK TO THE SEASONS’ OFFERINGS
Vol. 4. No. 3
Winter in the Berkshires! That glorious season when the crowds have gone, the landscape has taken on a comfortable stillness, your calendar becomes more manageable, and there are still enough good things to do here in the Berkshires to keep you plenty busy. The Berkshire Edge welcomes you to this issue of Berkshires Calendar magazine—focused entirely on places to go and things to do to make your winter enjoyable. Also in this issue, we introduce a new wedding section. As the Berkshires has blossomed into a serious wedding destination, we offer resources both here and online to help engaged couples navigate the terrain. Online wedding resources are available at PerfectBerkshireWedding.com.
PUBLISHER
Marcie L. Setlow VICE PRESIDENT BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT
James E. (Jim) Gibbons CREATIVE DIRECTOR
Leslie M. Noyes ART DIRECTOR
Kelly A. Cade DIRECTOR OF MARKETING
Sally Michael Keyes
This magazine is a publication of The Berkshire Edge, a full-service online newspaper that you can read for free at theBerkshireEdge.com. This magazine is just the tip of the iceberg. There’s even more online.
COPY EDITOR
To compliment this magazine, we offer an online calendar at BerkshiresCalendar.com, where you will find the region’s most complete and wide-ranging listing of events, everything from high culture to community dinners. Our listings are complete because we invite the public to post their own events for free . . . and they do.
A publication of
Our online calendar is updated daily and easy to use. Search by date, category, venue, name of group or town, and all the events will be sorted and arranged for you. Find in-depth information, including dates and prices, for every event or venue, and click through to the box office to buy tickets or make reservations. Each listing also has a map to help get you there. In our online magazine section at BerkshiresCalendarMagazine.com, you can find expanded versions of what you see here in print, plus many more articles with interesting and useful information. And while you’re there, check out the rest of The Berkshire Edge for the latest news, opinions, reviews, real estate information, and insight into life in the Berkshires. Plus, poems, essays, videos, cartoons, serialized novels, and lots of other surprises. Best regards,
Harriet Ziefert
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EDITOR-IN-CHIEF
David Scribner MANAGING EDITOR
Terry Cowgill ASSISTANT MANAGING EDITOR
Amy Krzanik ADMINISTRATIVE ASSISTANT
Nicole Robbins The Berkshire Edge, LLC P.O. Box 117, Great Barrington, MA 01230 info@theberkshireedge.com theberkshireedge.com
Marcie L. Setlow, Publisher P.S. Berkshires venues are following state COVID regulations. Please check venue websites as you plan your activities.
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Contents Copyright © 2021 The Berkshire Edge, LLC; theberkshireedge.com and BerkshiresCalendar.com No portion may be reproduced in whole or in part without the express written permission of the publisher.
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YOUR
Jenifer House Commons, Great Barrington, MA • wingateltd.com • 413-644-9960 • Open daily 10 - 5
ON THE COVER Winterlights at Naumkeag
COVER PHOTOGRAPHER DAVID EDGECOMB David is a photographer and IT professional who lives in beautiful Becket. He is the founder and facilitator of Berkshire Photo Gathering, a group of photographers that meets monthly at the Berkshire South Regional Community Center in Great Barrington to network, share knowledge, and support one another. The Group welcomes new members. More at: berkshirephotogathering.com.
Contributors Spotlight EVELYN BATTAGLIA Evelyn Battaglia has been an arch inhabitant of the lifestyle publishing space for over two decades, notably crafting magazine stories and curating best-selling books on cooking, entertaining, and weddings for Martha Stewart Omnimedia. As a contented NYC expat, Evelyn relishes digging in her garden, hiking with her rambunctious dog, and soaking up the local music scene, among other Berkshire-ly pursuits.
ANDREW BLECHMAN Andrew Blechman is a former Great Barrington selectman and member of the Finance Committee. He is the author of two nationally reviewed books for Grove Atlantic, and has written for the New York Times, Los Angeles Times, Smithsonian Magazine, The Atlantic, among other publications. His pup, Gingersnap, a wolverine-honey badger mix, is perfect in every way.
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AMY KRZANIK Amy serves as assistant managing editor for The Berkshire Edge. She lives in Adams, Massachusetts, and holds a BFA in Writing, Literature, and Publishing from Emerson College.
JOCELYN VASSOS Jocelyn grew up in the Berkshires, moved away, and came back for love. She shoots weddings, events, portraits, and branding photographs for businesses. Jocelyn works out of Becket. See more of her work at: dearedithandlily.com.
GABRIELLE K. MURPHY Gabrielle is a Berkshires-based photographer. While she enjoys shooting a wide variety of subjects, she is especially drawn to capturing the beauty of the natural world. She is a member of Berkshire Photo Gathering.
more news and features at theBerkshireEdge.com
PHOTO CREDITS: Cover: David Edgecomb P 1: Dear Edith and Lily/Jocelyn Vassos; courtesy The Spirit of Springfield; courtesy Mezze Bistro + Bar; Dear Edith and Lily/Jocelyn Vassos; Adobe Stock, Syda Productions; courtesy Mahaiwe Performing Arts Center P 5: Gabrielle K. Murphy P 6: Kelly Cade P 8: Kelly Cade P 12: David Scribner, Kelly Cade P 14: David Edgecomb; Gabrielle K. Murphy, Phil Holland P 16: Kelly Cade; courtesy Hoffman Pottery; courtesy No. Six Depot P 18: Kelly Cade; courtesy Susan Silver Antiques; Eric Limón P 20: courtesy Chocolate Springs Café; Janet Pumphrey; courtesy An American Craftsman P 22: Dave Simmons P 24: courtesy Salisbury Winter Sports Association P 26: Phil Holland; courtesy Rodger’s Book Barn P 28: courtesy MOTT P 29: Phil Holland P 30: Gabrielle K. Murphy P 36: Neil Nourse P 37: Gabrielle K. Murphy; courtesy Methuselah Bar and Lounge; courtesy MOTT P 38: Shaun Muldowney: courtesy Downtown Pittsfield, Inc. P 40: courtesy Lily Cox-Richard P 41: courtesy The Clark Art Institute; courtesy Berkshire Museum P 42: courtesy Jan Brett; courtesy The Fisher Center at Bard College P 43: courtesy Mahaiwe Performing Arts Center P 44: courtesy Mahaiwe Performing Arts Center P 45: courtesy Close Encountes With Music; courtesy Mahaiwe Performing Arts Center P 46: courtesy Sheffield Historical Society; courtesy Mahaiwe Performing Arts Center P 47: courtesy The Mount P 49: Adobe Stock, Ekaterina Senyatina P 50: Adobe Stock, LIGHTFIELD STUDIOS; Adobe Stock, Antipina P 51: Adobe Stock, Africa Studio; Adobe Stock, Anna P 52: Adobe Stock, Melica; Adobe Stock, annapustynnikova P 53: Adobe Stock, New Africa P 54: courtesy The Spirit of Springfield P 55: courtesy The Trustees; courtesy The Spirit of Springfield P 56: courtesy Sinterklaas P 57: courtesy Balderdash Cellars P 58: courtesy Berkshire Mountain Bakery; courtesy The Barrington; courtesy Mezze Bistro + Bar P 59: courtesy The Gateways Inn P 60: Dear Edith and Lily/Jocelyn Vassos P 61: Dear Edith and Lily/Jocelyn Vassos P 62: Dear Edith and Lily/Jocelyn Vassos P 63: Dear Edith and Lily/Jocelyn Vassos; courtesy Another Round; Dear Edith and Lily/Jocelyn Vassos P 64: Dani Fine Photography P 65: Dani Fine Photography P 66: Chellise Michael Photography/Michael Busse P 67: Chellise Michael Photography/Michael Busse P 68: Dear Edith and Lily/Jocelyn Vassos P 69: Dear Edith and Lily/Jocelyn Vassos P 70: Dear Edith and Lily/Jocelyn Vassos P 71: Dear Edith and Lily/Jocelyn Vassos P 72: Adobe Stock, bumbas; Dear Edith and Lily/Jocelyn Vassos; Adobe Stock kastyazar P 73: Adobe Stock, Prostockstudio; Rachel Leiner Photography P 80: courtesy Divining Weddings; Tricia McCormick Photography, courtesy Crissey Farm; Adobe Stock, Александр Малюков; Adobe Stock, Jacob Lund; courtesy Dear Edith and Lily/Jocelyn Vassos; Adobe Stock, Viktar Vysotski
Olivia’s Overlook, Stockbridge Bowl
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great barrington
best small town in America
From left: Berkshire Food Co-op, Marjoram+Roux
It’s the Rome of the South County. Home to 7,100 people, Great Barrington is the southern Berkshires’ business and cultural hub. Visitors come for the fun shopping, superb restaurants, world-class entertainment, yearround outdoor recreation, and . . . the recreational (and medical) cannabis dispensaries. Theory Wellness, which was the first such shop to open in the Berkshires, has been a hit (so to speak) with customers who like their weed legal and carefully sourced—and there are millions of them within driving distance who lack legal access to this popular herbal remedy in their home states. Three more have since opened in Great Barrington. Two of them—womanowned Calyx and Farnsworth Fine Cannabis—are right downtown on Main Street, and a third—Rebelle—is on Route 7 just south of town. Not all residents are happy about the “Best Small Town in America,” as Smithsonian Magazine named it in 2012, becoming “the pot capital of the Northeast.” Others point to the millions of dollars that have flowed into town coffers from a 3% municipal tax and a 3% community impact tax on cannabis sales. Great Barrington was founded in 1766, and its historic districts and quaint residential neighborhoods are within walking distance of open spaces. This is the birthplace of civil rights leader W.E.B. Du Bois, and an outdoor interpretive trail at his boyhood homesite is open to visitors.
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Great Barrington is blessed with a number of lively performing spaces. The Mahaiwe Performing Arts Center, the anchor for the cultural life of the town, has a schedule of music, theater, films and other events. Saint James Place, deconsecrated church-turned-performance-space with 325 seats, is available for rent. The Guthrie (as in Arlo) Center on Division Street, holds a hootenanny every Thursday at 6:30. Also downtown is The Triplex Cinema, where three screens have grown into four. Great Barrington is home to Bard College at Simon’s Rock, a four-year liberal arts “early college” with its new Bard Academy for ninth and tenth graders. Berkshire Community College also has a presence in town. The nearby village of Housatonic features renovated mill buildings, dance studios, and art galleries. Great Barrington is a center of the farm-to-table movement, and wonderful restaurants are scattered throughout town, including Baba Louie’s, Prairie Whale, Café Adam, the solarpowered Barrington Brewery and Restaurant, and Number 10, adjacent to the Mahaiwe. Meet friends for coffee or tea and a bite at Rubi’s, Fuel, and Patisserie Lenox, all on Main Street, or ExtraSpecialTeas on Elm, or twoflower café and bakery and Marjoram+Roux, both on Railroad Street. Or for a drink with light fare at Mooncloud on Railroad Street or Miller’s Pub on Main Street. The Berkshire Food Co-op in its new downtown digs on Bridge Street and Guido’s on Route 7 south of town are more news and features at theBerkshireEdge.com
Houseplants - Birdfeeders & Seed - Garden Supplies Holiday Decorating Center: November & December
Designs by Jennifer
Intriguing Interiors
IN THE BERKSHIRES
Ward’s Nursery & Garden Center - 600 Main St - Gt. Barrington
Open Daily - 413-528-0166 - wardsnursery.com
6 Railroad Street, 2nd fl Great Barrington, MA 01230 Phone: 413.528.5800 designsbyjenn28@gmail.com www.DesignsByJenniferOwen.com
PHOTO: TASJA KEETMAN
home furnishings | reupholstery/slipcovers | lamps rugs | paint/color consults | exciting fabric collection! original artwork ~ local artists
You better beLEAF we have good salads. Not just a grocery store. downtown Great Barringon
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ExtraSpecialTeas
Full Service Wedding Venue
both open seven days a week year-round for top-notch produce, meat, fish and more. Head to Domaney’s at the north end of town for wine and spirits to go with your meals. Soco Creamery, on Railroad Street, serves great local ice cream. Or Robin’s Candy on Main for your sweet tooth. Cruise Main and Railroad for charming owner-run shops, such as Lennox Jewelers for jewelry and watches, Griffin for clothing and gifts, Emporium and Antique Soul for vintage jewelry and collectibles and Westerlind for outdoor wear. Original art can be found at the Lauren Clark and Vault galleries, as well as Bernay Fine Art. One Mercantile, Evergreen, and the new branch of An American Craftsman display pieces by artisans from the Berkshires and around the world. Books new and old can be found at The Bookloft (in new quarters on State Road) and Yellow House Books, respectively. Three long-time Railroad Street favorites—The Gifted Child, Church Street Trading Co., and The Chef’s Shop—closed this year, but interesting new stores have taken their place. And the Flying Church is finally open. (Ask a local to explain.) Great Barrington is becoming a mecca for home furnishing shops and design studios. Wingate, opened in 1998 just north of town on Route 7, has grown to become one of the biggest home furnishings and design showrooms in the Berkshires. Sett, a tabletop shop, is on Main Street. Samantha Gale Designs is also on Main, showcasing “the vintage beauty of the farmhouse style.” Just off Main is Hammertown, offering furnishings,
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FUEL OIL • PROPANE • BIO FUEL SERVICE & INSTALLATION 168 Main St., Great Barrington 413-528-1410 more news and features at theBerkshireEdge.com
jane lynch and kate flannery a swingin’ little christmas
fri dec 10 at 8pm
john pizzarelli plays new standards sat dec 18 at 8pm
Advance buy only • COVID-19 safety protocols in place
14 Castle St., Great Barrington, MA • mahaiwe.org
Be a Rock Star!
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W I N T E R A D V E N T U R E S TA RT S H E R E
Top of the Line Ski Brands, Outerwear, Rentals, & Services to Outfit Your Season
HIRING FOR OPEN POSITIONS: Contact Info@Kenver.com 413.528.2330 KENVER.COM
facebook.com/KenverEgremontMA
STORE LOCATION: 39 Main Street / Box 59 South Egremont Village, Massachusetts 01258 instagram.com/kenverltd
“approachable design services,” and more. Destination Design Center on South Hillside Avenue designs and installs kitchens, baths, cabinets, and window treatments, among other things. Find new fixtures for your kitchen and bath at Waterware on Crissey Road just north of town and at S & A Showplace at 40 Maple Drive just southwest of town. Interior design studios are also prominent in the downtown landscape. William Caligari Interiors is a full-scope design studio, servicing clients in the Berkshires and beyond. Sue Schwarz operates her design studio Gallery 315 Home from a new office in Saint James Place. British-born fabric guru Jennifer Owen works out of her eponymous design studio on Railroad Street, and Jess Cooney has opened a new studio on State Road. Are you contemplating a makeover? Professionals are standing by. Now get up out of that designer easy chair and get some exercise! Hike up Monument Mountain north of town or try the Housatonic River Walk, a national recreation trail. Work out at the Kilpatrick Athletic Center at Bard College at Simon’s Rock, or the Berkshire South Regional Community Center. Both facilities require reservations for workout times. Take dance classes at Berkshire Pulse in the village of Housatonic. But, whatever exertions you may undertake, if you should sprain an ankle, or have a more serious medical emergency during your stay, Great Barrington’s award-winning Fairview Hospital and its efficient ER are there to help.
Experience
Montessori
16 Railroad Street Great Barrington, MA 01230 413-645-3006 info@carriechengallery.com CarrieChenGallery.com
toddler through 8th grade www.BerkshireMontessori.org BerkshiresCalendar.com
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New at the top of Railroad Street •
Michael Wainwright, local designer now grown into a national brand, has opened a second retail outlet in the area (the original is south of town on Route 7) where he offers products “from my hands to your table.”
• Rob’s Records, featuring new and vintage vinyl, turntables, and all kinds of audio equipment, aims to provide a soulful experience through the power of music. • Hey Day offers a mix of vintage clothing, work by local artisans, jewelry, and surprise finds. New on Main Street
Brand New in Great Barrington What pandemic? It put no damper on retailers moving into and around downtown Great Barrington. Here’s a list of this year’s changes and additions: New on the south side of Railroad Street • Rose Petal Vintage gives owner Abby Pendergist a new place to offer clothes that look like the 1970’s and before. • Railroad Street Collective, where artists run the store and sell their wares, changed its name from The Workshop. •
Artemesia, featuring clothes made in small batches from natural fibers that are easy to wear, moved into new digs where the Chef’s Shop used to be. (The Chef’s Shop will have new, bigger space in Guido’s expanded store.)
•
Hundred Mile + Paola Lenti brings together Hundred Mile’s curated selection of furniture, lighting, and design objects with Paola Lenti’s renowned brand of elegant furniture pieces for outdoor and indoor spaces.
•
Fluff Alpaca, a family-owned business born organically from the family’s Hudson Valley alpaca farm, offers ecofriendly adult and children’s clothing (many featuring cozy alpaca), accessories and gifts.
• Lexicon Vibes is an adventure in music memorabilia, featuring a mix of vinyl, books, posters, and a great old juke box. • The Flying Church, fast becoming the new anchor of Main Street North, has four new retail tenants: ~ Gallery SGD features prints, cards and books by photographer Stephen Donaldson and exhibits of photography in other styles. ~ Follow the smell of fresh baked bread to Patrizia Barbagallo’s new Pixie Boulangerie. ~ Shire Rabbit DIY and Homestead Supply is the do-it-yourselfer’s dream come true, with supplies and instruction to help you enjoy your passion to its fullest. ~ And that cute little yellow building out in front will open in December as Flying Church Coffee.
• Familiar Trees sells vintage and new books primarily focused on art, design, photography, and architecture, plus art and decorative objects. New on the north side of Railroad Street •
Griffin, which attempts to push the bounds of style with new and vintage fashion, home goods, art, furniture, books, and toys, has moved down the street to the former home of Church Street Trading Company.
• Départ Wines sells the products of small, under represented winemakers, with an emphasis on the human connections to the land and to wine. • Robert Lloyd features, among other items, antiques, and vintage barware. •
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Carrie Chen Gallery, where The Snap Shop used to be, presents high quality paintings, sculptures, and works in other media from Berkshire, Hudson Valley, and international artists.
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From top left: Fluff Alpaca, Départ Wines
more news and features at theBerkshireEdge.com
medicare.gov
Count on us for your care! 29 Lewis Avenue Great Barrington, MA berkshirehealthsystems.org
• fully stocked inventory • e-bikes • Rentals • Test rides • Apparel • Fittings • Great Barrington 29 State Road (413) 528-5555
Call or Visit tODAY! www.berkshirebikeandboard.com
pittsfield 502 east street (413) 445-8888
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stockbridge
Norman Rockwell was—and still is—here
From left: Winterlights at Naumkeag, shopping on Main Street, Stockbridge Library.
If Stockbridge seems strangely familiar, blame Norman Rockwell, who spent his last 25 years living and working right in the heart of town. He created some of his most visionary and socially engaged work here, without losing the touch that had already made him the beloved painter of small-town American life. At his death, he bequeathed his studio, archive, and many paintings to establish a museum of his work, now the Norman Rockwell Museum on 36 acres outside the town center. Visitors happily occupy the classic rockers on the porch of the venerable Red Lion Inn on the corner of Main and Route 7. The Inn has been there since the 1770s, when an influx of white settlers was displacing the native Mohican population for whom the town had been created (as Indian Town, complete with an English missionary) in 1737. When the railroad arrived in 1850, so did the wealthy summer folk. Artists and writers came too, among them Daniel Chester French, sculptor of the Lincoln statue at the Lincoln Memorial and the Concord Minute Man. French’s home and studio, Chesterwood, is open to the public. Naumkeag, designed by Stanford White, is a 44-room Berkshire cottage fantasy a mile from the town center that hosts Winterlights, a spectacular LED display that illuminates the extensive gardens Thursday-Sunday, 5 – 9 p.m., November 26 through the end of December. From a hilltop perch a couple of miles from the town center, the Kripalu Center for Yoga and Health affords a stunning view over the Stockbridge Bowl and offers residential stays that focus on yoga, creative expression, wellness and self-discovery; more than 30,000 visitors take advantage of the Center each year. Some drive, some walk, some cycle: most of Stockbridge’s attractions are within easy reach. The self-guided walking tour of the town is highly recommended by the Stockbridge Chamber of Commerce. On the tour, don’t miss the 1884 former Town Hall (you may know the interior from Rockwell’s The Marriage License).
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The Stockbridge Library is a particularly fine small-town library, and some of the portraits of former citizens on the walls date from the 18th century; you’re welcome to stop in. The Austen Riggs Center, a therapeutic community, an open psychiatric hospital, and a center for education and research now in its one hundred and first year, is unobtrusively located right in the center of town; Norman Rockwell and his wife were patients. Stockbridge is also home to some exceptional nature trails just south of town. Park at the end of Park Street, take the footbridge across the Housatonic, and take your choice of trails: a paved, handicapped-accessible trail that runs beside the river; a trail that leads up to Laura’s Tower, with a three-state view; and—not to be missed on a hot day—the trail into Ice Glen, with glacial boulders and caves of ice that last even into July. If you prefer strolling to hiking, head to the outstanding 16-acre Berkshire Botanical Garden just west of town. more news and features at theBerkshireEdge.com
Due to COVID, the Stockbridge Chamber of Commerce has cancelled the 32nd annual “Stockbridge Main Street at Christmas” celebrations originally scheduled for December 3 – 5, 2021. The town will still become a magical New England setting, decorated with holiday wreaths and festive lights for the season, well worth a stroll down Main Street. And the original painting of Stockbridge Main Street at Christmas can be seen at the Norman Rockwell Museum. Once Upon A Table is a cozy spot for lunch or dinner in “the mews,” an alley right off main street. Those with a sweet tooth will also want to check out Peace, Love & Chocolate, right next door. Alice’s Restaurant, which was nearby, exists now only in song (Arlo Guthrie’s song, released in 1969). The new Tiffany’s Café has taken up residence at the Elm Street Market, also just off Main. The recent arrival of The Lost Lamb, “a French-style patisserie and snackerie,” is good news for croissant lovers—and lovers in general. The Lion’s Den, a basement bistro known for burgers and local brews at The Red Lion Inn (all roads lead to—and from— The Red Lion Inn), is temporarily closed for renovations, but finer dining is available upstairs. Many other first-rate restaurants and congenial eateries are located south of town along the road to Great Barrington and in other surrounding towns.
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Jan Brett, Snowy Owl, detail, 2014. The Animals’ Santa; G.P. Putnam’s Sons. ©2014
New exhibition!
Jan Brett Stories Near & Far November 13, 2021 - March 6, 2022 Stockbridge, MA • 413.298.4100 Kids & Teens FREE
Sponsored in part by the Krauss Foundation
Advance Tickets at NRM.org
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west stockbridge
it’s happening
Clockwise: Shaker Mill Books, Hoffman Pottery, No. Six Depot.
West Stockbridge lies between Stockbridge and the New York border, only 40 minutes from New York’s Capital District, but a world away, with hills, ponds, and streams beckoning the city dweller with visions of the countryside. There is something about a village (pop. 1,650) with a small river in the middle of it: that would be the Williams River, flowing through the town beneath flower-bedecked bridges as if it were the Arno of the Berkshires. Don’t let the dreaminess of the setting deceive you, though, because West Stockbridge is hopping, with plenty to see and do and eat and drink. The opening of No. Six Depot in the old railway station in 2013 started it all. No. Six is a small-batch coffee roastery, café, art gallery, and event space, and their coffees show up on menus throughout the Berkshires. The Café is closed for winter, but you can still pick up beans at the roastery. The lively downtown area is home to stylish restaurants, including Rouge, one of the best in the region, and one-of-a-kind shops, too. One-of-a-kind, as in Charles H. Baldwin & Sons, which has been preparing extracts for cooks for 125 years; boomers will think they’ve gone back in time, amidst the retro novelties and candies. Not far away, Truc Orient Express offers authentic Vietnamese food in their eatery, as well as Vietnamese crafts such as pottery, silk scarves and jackets, and lacquer work. An exceptional bookstore awaits browsers: Shaker Mill Books on Depot Street has a large but choice selection of rare, used, and out-of-print books, including a great collection of books about the Berkshires. The Book Mill next door holds even more books, and is open during the summer and early fall. For a quick build-your-own or creative specialty sandwich, swing by the Public Market on Main Street. Hotchkiss Mobiles Gallery is another West Stockbridge gem; Joel Hotchkiss has been designing ingenious mobiles since 1978, and the gallery will open your eyes to how the concept has
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evolved since Calder. Another local creative, Elaine Hoffman, is the ceramicist behind Hoffman Pottery, where you’ll find colorful, whimsical pieces for the home and garden. Sandy Klempner@HOME, on Main Street, has a fine selection of vintage treasures for home decoration; look in the window and you’ll be drawn right in. Flourish Market is where you’ll find everything from newly-refreshed vintage furniture to modern lighting, along with jewelry and other giftable goodies. SALA is jeweler Stephanie Iverson’s new storefront, where you’ll find all of her fine silver pieces, along with other artisans she loves from the U.S. and Mexico. An exciting new arrival in the heart of town is The Foundry, now in its third year of presenting diverse programming, which, according to Artistic Producing Director Amy Brentano, has the goal of “bringing divided communities together through the performing and visual arts, and creating space for emerging work and often unheard voices.” The ongoing Town Hall restoration project is another sign of the town’s vitality, too. Just a short walk away from the town center on Moscow Road is the 16-acre TurnPark Art Space, which combines a sculpture park, exhibition venues, and a beautiful marble amphitheater for outdoor performances. A trail runs along the Williams River and past striking sculptures from the Soviet Nonconformist Art Movement of the 1950s-1980s.
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sheffield
a quiet town, with ukuleles and cannabis canopy
The town of Sheffield
lies just north of the Connecticut border in the Housatonic River Valley, with gentle mountains on both sides. It’s only 100 miles from New York’s Central Park as the crow flies, or two and a half hours by car, and it’s where the Berkshires officially begins. After almost 300 years, it’s still a rural town with a comfortable pace of life. Second homes, both new and old, mix in nicely with working farms. Part of the town lies along Route 7, and the charming village of Ashley Falls is just a few miles to the southwest. The Colonel John Ashley House there, where the enslaved Mum Bett (later Elizabeth Freeman) lived before suing for and winning her freedom in 1781, is a stop on the Upper Housatonic Valley African American Heritage Trail. The grounds of the Ashley House are open now, but the house itself is not. Sheffield is also home to visitor-friendly Big Elm Brewing and the Berkshire Mountain Distillers and the new Massachusetts branch of Sunset Meadows Vineyards (all offer tastings), a prominent clay works (Sheffield Pottery), a surprising number and variety of antiques dealers, and a place for furniture upholstery and window treatments at M Designs. There’s always something going on at Dewey Memorial Hall, an impressive fieldstone and marble structure on the Sheffield green. The Stagecoach Tavern, as its name implies, got its start in an earlier age; now it’s a place to go not only for food and drink, but jazz and events; it’s part of the Race Brook Lodge cluster of buildings in a woodsy setting off Route 41. If you like your music with strings attached, you might like to visit the Magic Fluke, where they make ukuleles, banjos, violins, and more. The shop is open for visitors (call for hours), and orders are always accepted by phone and online. Many visitors head straight to the Marketplace Café on Elm Court in the center of town for indoor and outdoor dining and takeout. The chef-owners created a popular catering business in 1993— the first such farm-to-table enterprise in the Berkshires—and have branched out into four “retail” locations, each with its own style (the others are in Pittsfield and Great Barrington). Two hot new shops started by young entrepreneurs, right next to each other on Main Street, are causing a buzz—Roberto’s Pizza and Bakin’ Bakery. They legalized it: Sheffield is the site of Massachusetts’s first licensed outdoor cannabis growing facility, Nova Farms, “boasting 80,000 square feet of sun-grown, organic cannabis canopy,” according to the company. Cannabis canopy is simply the extent of contiguous vegetative growth—like the rain forest, but with marijuana. Theory Wellness is also undertaking outdoor cultivation at Sheffield’s Equinox Farm, well known as the first organic market garden in western Massachusetts. And a retail and cultivation facility called The Pass is open daily on North Main Street (Route 7). In Sheffield, the times, they have a changed!
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From top: Bakin’ Bakery, antique shopping, Stagecoach Tavern.
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lenox
still gilded after all these years
From left: Chocolate Springs Café, Church on the Hill, An American Craftsman.
Set out on foot in downtown Lenox and you’ll be passing—and perhaps entering—the stylish shops, galleries, and eateries that beckon from every street and side street. When did Lenox become fashionable? In 1821, to be precise, when a son of the Sedgwick family moved here from neighboring Stockbridge. He was soon joined by his sister, best-selling novelist Catharine Sedgwick, who was the region’s first literary luminary. Some of their friends from Boston started building grand “cottages” in the neighborhood; one rented a cottage of the humble kind to Nathaniel Hawthorne and his family in 1850. Although the Hawthornes only stayed for a year and a half, the author of The Scarlet Letter wrote Tanglewood Tales on the grounds of what would later become the summer home of the Boston Symphony; the name “Tanglewood” is Hawthorne’s own invention. In addition to the Bostonians, wealthy New Yorkers like Edith Wharton built some 75 impressive country houses in Lenox and Stockbridge in the latter 19th and early 20th century. Some of them, including Wharton’s (The Mount) are open to the public. Ventfort Hall, built for J.P. Morgan’s sister in 1893, even has a museum dedicated to the Gilded Age in several of its 50 rooms. Canyon Ranch Spa occupies another “cottage” (with extensive add-ons for recreation and wellness). Blantyre, a member of the Relais & Chateaux network, has re-opened after an $80-million renovation and now boasts a Café Bouloud restaurant. And, after a $130-million renovation, the former Cranwell has emerged as an all-inclusive wellness retreat called Miraval Berkshires and the more à la carte retreat called Wyndhurst Manor & Club. Walk to the Shakespeare & Company campus, where actor training and theatre-in-education programs continue after the summer performance schedule has concluded. Tanglewood,
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the summer home of the Boston Symphony Orchestra, is the jewel in the Lenox crown—the place for premier classical music performances, as well as concerts by big names in rock, folk, and pop. The setting is as spectacular as the music, and a picnic on the lawn at Tanglewood has been a tradition for many visitors over the years. There’s great shopping in Lenox. Popular upscale clothing retailer The Casablanca Group has three stores in Lenox: Casablanca and Swtrz on Church Street and Shooz on Housatonic Street. (Their fourth boutique, GB9, is located in, you guessed it, GB.) Catwalk, one of the Berkshire Humane Society’s two resale clothing outlets (the other’s in Great Barrington), is on Church Street. Steilmann, on Walker Street, carries women’s European fashions, and trendy CERI Boutique is a women’s clothing store on Housatonic Street. Purple Plume, MacKimmie Co., Glad Rags, and design menagerie are other well-known shops. Lenox Print & Mercantile, also on Housatonic, offers vintage treasures as well as crafts by over 60 local artisans. An American Craftsman on Walker Street features the work of many artisans working in wood, clay, fiber, metal, glass, leather, and mixed media. The Bookstore & Get Lit Wine Bar is open, although not yet able to bring the town together for readings again. And on Route 7, just north of town, is the Arcadian Shop, the Berkshires’ leading outdoor sports retailer. Lenox eats well. Alta, Bistro Zinc, and Nudel are three good reasons. The more casual Firefly, has re-opened under new owners. Haven Café and Bakery on Franklin Street at the foot of downtown has excellent light fare for breakfast, lunch, and weekend brunch. A special treat for the palate is right off Route 7: superb chocolates and great coffee and cocoa await you at cozy Chocolate Springs Café. Saveur magazine recognized chocolatier Josh Needleman as one of the top 10 in the United States. Lenox is still gilded, but in a good way. more news and features at theBerkshireEdge.com
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lee
eat, shop, learn
From left: First Congregational Church, Salmon Run Fish House.
Paper mills and marble quarries built the town of Lee, with help from nearby forests and power from the Housatonic. (Learn more about Lee and marble online at BerkshiresCalendarMagazine.com.) The heyday of industry is past, but Lee has held its own, not least because an exit off the Mass Pike makes it “the gateway to the Berkshires.” Lee may be unpretentious, but it has small-town feel and eye-appeal in spades. The steeple on the First Congregational Church is the tallest wooden spire in New England: lift up your eyes. The town hosts an astonishing range of restaurants. Cuisines range from sophisticated farm-to-table fare such as Starving Artist Café to seafood (Salmon Run Fish House) to Greek, Vietnamese, Chinese, Peruvian, Italian, French, and Indian establishments, as well as humbler eateries where you can get a hot dog on the go, pick up a pizza (try Timothy’s), or join the locally sourced customers for a plate of corned beef hash at Joe’s Diner or a craft beer at Moe’s Tavern (reopening now after a long COVID remodel), or bistro food in a cozy setting at The Morgan House, serving since 1853. The former Chez Nous has a new name (Café Triskele), and a new menu (more informal). Canna Provisions, off the Mass Pike as you head into town, offers a full line of THC and CBD wellness offerings (legal weed, in plain English). And for all your building and renovation supplies, don’t miss Dresser-Hull. The eclectic collection of shops downtown is complemented by the more than sixty stores at Premium Outlets, with namebrand merchandise at discount prices, just one mile east of town via US Route 20. Premium Outlets is the most popular attraction in Berkshire County, with about two million annual visitors, some of whom then head into Lee and environs to find things that can’t be found anywhere else. Ozzie’s Glass Gallery on Route 102 towards Stockbridge is more than a gallery with
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beautiful, affordable pieces, including jewelry and pipes (the latter upstairs); it’s a chance to see Michael Ozzie, a native Lee artisan, in action blowing glass; he’s happy to explain to you what he’s doing, too. Slightly out of town but worth the trip is family-owned High Lawn Farm. Stop by their Farmstead Creamery for a refreshing ice cream cone at one of their picnic tables while you enjoy their beautiful Jersey herd grazing in the fields. You can also stock up on their full line of fresh dairy products. While not as eminent in the arts as its Berkshire neighbors, Lee has its own distinction. From a renovated former fiveand-dime on Main Street, the College Internship Program (CIP) offers a year-long curriculum focusing on creative and educational development in the visual and performing arts for young adults with Asperger’s, autism, ADHD, and other learning differences. The Spectrum Playhouse in a converted church and the Good Purpose Gallery on Main help integrate these individuals into the community. In South Lee on Route 102, the Saint Francis Gallery, also in a converted church, features an eclectic mix of emerging and established local artists. Young animators aged 5 to 95 will find AniMagic, a museum of animation run by a former Special Effects Oscar-winner, a fun experience. Animation classes are also available. Lee will appeal to nature lovers too. October Mountain State Forest, the largest in Massachusetts, is just north of town. It offers camping, hiking, picnicking, and non-motorized boating. There’s also the Goose Pond Reservation in a dreamy setting south of Lee. The Appalachian Trail crosses adjacent National Park Service land, and Goose Pond itself, a mountain lake with exceptionally clear water, is ideal for canoeing, kayaking, and fishing. And if you’d like to try fishing, or simply floating, on the region’s rivers, Berkshire Rivers Fly Fishing can help. more news and features at theBerkshireEdge.com
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salisbury, connecticut
Jumpfest at Satre Hill.
As the northwestern most town in Connecticut, Salisbury is where Litchfield County meets the Berkshires and New York State. It’s home to two prep schools, but also wild and mountainous black bear habitat. Salisbury has a small-town feel, with full-time and part-time residents whose lives often take them into Manhattan, just a little over two hours by car. It is also reachable by rail from Wassaic, only 20 minutes away. Who, upon seeing a little place with a “For Sale” sign on a well-kept lawn, wouldn’t feel a little tug? Salisbury is a welcoming town, whether or not you own real estate there. It thrives on the mixture of people it attracts, from celebrities (Meryl Streep has lived there for years) to the shaggy hikers who come down a half a mile off the Appalachian Trail to pick up supplies at LaBonne’s Market. Begin with a walk down Main Street and follow your nose to Sweet William’s Bakery, famous for pies, pastries, and cookies. Right across the street is the General Store, which also doubles as the town’s pharmacy. Around the corner is browser-friendly Johnnycake Books, specializing in rare and collectible volumes. Go a little further and you’ll soon be on the Railroad Ramble, Salisbury’s scenic Rail Trail. Outdoor activities draw many people to the area. If you can hike half a mile—uphill, that is (the hike is listed as ”moderate to strenuous”)—pluck up your courage and try the trail to Lion’s Head for spectacular views over the surrounding countryside. The trailhead is only a mile out of town on Bunker Hill Road (there’s a parking lot marked “Hiker Parking” where the road comes to an end); the road begins at the Salisbury Town Hall in the center of town.
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the quiet corner, with bears
There are six lakes, with names like Wononscopomuc, Washinee, Washining, and Wononpakook (brush up on your Algonquian before you visit). Deep, beautiful 348-acre Wononscopomuc (also known as Lakeville Lake, in very plain English) is the site of the well-run public beach, known as the Salisbury Town Grove. You may not want to swim in the winter, but the Grove has an attractive clubhouse that you can rent for lakeside weddings or other events. A landmark in Salisbury is Lime Rock Park. Lime Rock is one of Salisbury’s “hamlets,” but don’t look for thatched cottages. Since 1956 the 1.5-mile track at Lime Rock Park has been a mainstay on the American racing circuit; it’s also where amateur drivers can drive and dream and (if they qualify) compete. The 2022 season will likely open on Memorial Day weekend with the Trans Am Classic and end with the 40th annual Historic Festival on Labor Day weekend. But perhaps you took the advice of The New York Times and travelled to Salisbury simply to dine at The White Hart Inn on dishes prepared by celebrated British chef Annie Wayte. The inn houses Provisions, a stylish café and sandwich spot open every day starting at 7 a.m. For sit-down dining, you have your choice of the casual Tap Room and its outdoor patio, the Garden Room and the elegant Dining Room, all open for dinner Thursday through Monday starting at 5 p.m. And all serving what the restaurant characterizes as “elevated British-inspired comfort food” that highlights seasonal ingredients sourced from nearby farms. The food is both exotic and local—a good reflection of the town itself. To the southwest, in the Lakeville section of town, lie art galleries, a gas station (good to know), Visionary Computers for Apple afficionados, The Hotchkiss School, one of the premier independent boarding schools in the country, and a surprising number of good restaurants for such a small community, including The Boathouse for casual food and sushi, Black Rabbit Bar & Grille (a good place to hang out), Mizza’s for Italian, Deano’s (purported to have the best New York-style pizza for miles around), Picante’s South West Mexican Grill and The Woodlands for fine dining in a comfortable setting. The main event of the winter season in Salisbury is Jumpfest, scheduled for February 11 to 13, 2022. Ski-jumping was the original extreme sport, and Salisbury’s Satre Hill has a long history as a jumper’s proving ground; the Salisbury Winter Sports Association has been promoting the sport for more than 90 years. SWSA volunteers provide training to area jumpers from the age of six, and some grow up to be competitors at meets in New England and New York: Jumpfest is one such competition, and the three-day event climaxes with the Eastern U.S. Ski Jumping Championships. Jumpfest is a spectator event, too, with food, beverages, and bonfires all three days, and a “human dog-sled race” after target-jumping under the lights on the opening Friday. more news and features at theBerkshireEdge.com
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hillsdale, new york
where New York meets the Berkshires
From left: Hillsdale General Store, Rodger’s Book Barn.
Heading east on Route 23
from the Taconic through Hillsdale towards Great Barrington is a well-worn path for many visitors to the Berkshires. Nowadays, though, the traffic goes both ways, as Hillsdale has become a destination that Berkshire residents and visitors alike are drawn to. The formerly sleepy farming town is now a secondhome magnet with a vibrant artistic and commercial culture. Passiflora hung out a lonely shingle in 2009, billing itself as “an eclectic mix of all things contemporary, quirky, and chic” (primarily housewares and personal care products, with an emphasis on local artisans); it’s still going strong. Interior designer Matthew White renovated an 1855 commercial building on the village square into what is now the Hillsdale General Store, with an emphasis on stylish, functional housewares. The same building is also home to Cross Roads Food Shop, a farm-to-table restaurant that serves a great breakfast. They’re serving breakfast all day, and lunch beginning at 11:30 a.m. with seating both inside and out. White then went a step further, starting up HGS Chef, which sells cookware and offers cooking classes (on Zoom for the moment) with top chefs, in another made-over building across the street. Right next door, Tiny Hearts Farm, which organically farms 15 acres in Copake, sells flowers. A great recent arrival on the scene is the Roe Jan Brewing Company on Anthony Street, not far from the town center: fresh beers and a menu with steaks from a wood-fired grill and tasty salads, along with wines and cocktails. They’re serving indoors and out, all at respectable distances.
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The Hillsdale House, right in the center of things, was revitalized after a makeover and is open for both takeout and indoor/outdoor dining. The Village Scoop, created by the owners of Passiflora, serves non-alcoholic cocktails as well as exceptional artisanal ice cream. But, if your hair has gone to hell during the pandemic, you can still get a haircut in Hillsdale, too, at least if the pole outside Trudy’s Beauty Shop is spinning; basic women’s or men’s haircuts $20, beards extra. And whatever your home needs may be, there’s a Herrington in Hillsdale who can help. For your construction and renovation supplies, visit Ed Herrington, Inc., just west of the intersection of Routes 7 and 23, and their Hillsdale Tile Design Center just east of it. Then, when construction is done, C. Herrington Home + Design, right at the intersection, with a beautiful retail shop and professional design services, can turn that house into the home of your dreams. Not all the action is in the village. Rodger’s Book Barn, off the beaten track but well worth the ramble, has 50,000 “old and unusual” books on its well-organized shelves. Mirror Mirror, located on Route 23 between the Route 22 junction and the town center, offers both vintage clothing and housewares. And Sideshow Clothing Company has moved from Hudson, N.Y., to the space right next to Mirror Mirror, buying and selling vintage clothing both in the shop and online. There’s more action, of the alpine kind, at Catamount Mountain Resort on Route 23. Straddling the New York/ Massachusetts line, this family-oriented mid-sized ski area offers the most varied terrain in southern New England.
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Whether you ski or not, you’ll want to try Little Cat Lodge on Route 23 at the base of Catamount. Under new ownership at the former Swiss Hutte, this mountainside getaway, alpine restaurant and tavern will open for the 2022 ski season. Turn south on Route 22 and you’ll see O’s Hillsdale Country Diner on your left; the O is for Otto and the food falls in the “fine diner dining” category. The local Stewart’s is there, too, if you need to refuel your car or yourself. And east of town on Route 23, Berkshire Pottery has been crafting hand-made wares in a 19th century Dutch barn. Their pottery combines old world craftsmanship with modern practicality. Thinking of remodeling other spaces in your home? We’ll help you upgrade any room For D.I.Y. food, try the Hillsdale Supermarket (“home of that could use more style and more storage. the one-dollar sale”), a classic full-service IGA right near the village Visit kraftmaid.com/rooms to explore moremeat ideasdepartment; throughout the home. square. It’s locally owned and has an excellent
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stock up your larder for less. Spend your savings at Hillsdale Fine Wine & Spirits, right behind the IGA. Random Harvest is a worker-owned neighborhood market, café and community space that offers food and goods sourced directly from more than seventy local producers; if you’re coming in from the Taconic, it’s a convenient stop just east of Craryville on Route 23.
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more news and features at theBerkshireEdge.com
adams
the other adams is coming into its own
The Berkshires boasts two towns named after signers of the Declaration of Independence. One is Hancock. Name the other. Hint: it was named in 1778 for Sam, whom most of us know as the “brewer-patriot,” not his cousin John, the future president, though they both signed the Declaration. If you were slow to answer, maybe you’ve been overlooking Adams all along. The town may not have as high a profile as some of its fellows in Berkshire County, including its trendy sibling to the north, but its time to shine is at hand. Long past its heyday as a center of textile and paper manufacturing, Adams is turning to recreation as a way to promote economic development. Consider Greylock Glen Resort, 1,063 acres of well-watered, town-owned former timberland and farmland looking east across the Hoosac Valley. An environmentally sustainable Outdoor Center is in the works, thanks to a $6.5 million grant from the state. Limited private development may follow. The Center will include a café, a shop for outdoor gear, and spaces for educational presentations. In the meantime, the Glen’s well-maintained trails have become a destination for walkers, hikers, cross-country skiers, and mountain bikers. The network of trails is not too taxing for the average visitor, though if you decide to go for the summit (two and a half miles up the mountain), expect moderate to strenuous stretches. The Glen is open year-round to all comers and there is no fee for use. Few towns anywhere can boast such an outstanding and accessible recreational resource. The summit of Mount Greylock lies within town limits, and the mountain features in two annual festivals. The first, Thunderfest, celebrates the legacy of one of the most dramatic and storied of the eastern ski runs. In 1934, the CCC (Civilian Conservation Corps) cut a trail from the Greylock ridge straight down toward the town, the aptly named Thunderbolt Trail. You went up with skins on your skis—and shot down. Cut to the present: it’s still happening! Snow cover providing, the Thunderbolt Ski Runners host randonée races in the North East Rando Series on February 26. Race or no race, a fun family festival takes place at the Adams Visitor Center, complete with the Berkshire Scenic Railway’s Snow Train. The 12.7-mile, recently resurfaced, Ashuwillticook Rail Trail originates in Adams and passes through some surprisingly wild country on the way to its southern terminus at the Berkshire Mall. Strollers, runners, cyclists, roller-bladers, and cross-country skiers amicably share the ten-foot-wide former railbed. For those who want to ride real rails, the Berkshire Scenic Railway will take you to North Adams and back on weekends July-October. Adams was first settled by Quakers and Baptists in the 1760s and 70s. The building the Quakers constructed for worship in 1784 still stands on a hill on the west side of town. The Quakers opposed slavery, war, and alcohol; women had a voice in Quaker society and received an education. In 1820
Downtown Adams celebrates Susan B. Anthony. Susan B. Anthony was born into a mixed Quaker-Baptist family in Adams. One hundred years later, thanks in no small part to her efforts, American women won the right to vote. The Susan B. Anthony Birthplace Museum on East Road tells the story of her life of social activism in five well-appointed rooms. Culture is finding a foothold in Adams, too. The old Adams Theater downtown is in new and promising hands. Galleries and cafés have popped up, and creative artists have been moving into the area. The impressive Adams Free Library, which also serves as headquarters for the Adams Historical Society, remains a cultural resource; President McKinley laid the cornerstone in 1897. Adams may not be a food mecca (except for Shire Donuts on Summer Street—expect lines on weekends), but you can get a good meal at a reasonable price. Lee’s Dynasty features Asian fare, Chee’s has Chinese, and Haflinger Haus offers Austrian cuisine in case your day on the mountain has put you in a Sound-of-Music mood. Bounti-Fare, a longtime local favorite, offers a full dinner menu on the Adams/North Adams line; the Wednesday night open-mics and monthly jazz nights are a special draw. The Daily Grind on Park Street serves breakfast, lunch, and (Wednesday-Friday) dinner. It isn’t easy to turn a former mill town into a magnet for 21st-century sustainable development. ProAdams, a civic group founded in 2011, has been working with the town for the past ten years toward that end. Signs of success are everywhere. BerkshiresCalendar.com
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north adams
if you build it . . .
From left: The Porches, Mass MoCA.
If Rip Van Winkle had just awakened from that twenty-year nap he took, he might remember that MASS MoCA had just opened (in 1999) as he closed his eyes; no doubt he would have thought it a folly. Welcome to 2021, Rip, and join the more than 160,000 people who visit MASS MoCA annually. It’s made North Adams one of the Northeast’s premier cultural destinations. It was not always so. North Adams was built on manufacturing, thanks to power generated by the Hoosic River flowing right through the center of town. Shoes, bricks, hats, cloth, marble, and the iron plates that sheathed the Monitor in the Civil War poured forth from North Adams’s busy factories. When the Depression shut many of those factories down, the Sprague Electric Company arrived to save the day. Sprague’s development and manufacture of components for early NASA launch systems and the consumer electronics industry provided employment for more than 4,000 workers in the post-war period, until foreign competition in the 1980s led to the closing of the firm and a sharp decline in the town’s economic fortunes. Many former New England mill towns have never recovered from such setbacks. For North Adams, recovery came from a surprising source: contemporary art. Sprague Electric’s beautiful and extensive brick buildings, dating from the 19th century, lay idle. Thomas Krens, then director of the Williams College Museum of Art, saw an opportunity. MASS MoCA was born and has been growing in space and scope ever since; in 2017 the already vast museum doubled its exhibit area, to 250,000 square
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feet, by renovating still more of the former Sprague facility. The Museum hosts both temporary and permanent exhibits, spaces for artists in diverse media to create large-scale works, and musical events. In this season, MASS MoCA is open every day but Tuesday, but timed-entry reservations are strongly recommended. The town now begins to thrive once again. Galleries, restaurants, and shops have sprung up to cater to visitors. The ongoing Hoosic River Revival project re-imagined the Hoosic as a community resource. The town (technically a city, the smallest in Massachusetts), now has a vibrant Cultural District and an active Artist Impact Coalition. The creative economy has spread to other former factory facilities as well, now home to artisans and specialized producers of everything from food to beer. The former Norad Mill west of downtown is now honeycombed with businesses and shops. Freia Yarns, which produces hand-dyed yarns, relocated there from California, and for DIY knitters, the Spinoff Yarn Shop, located in the same building, is worth a trip up to the third floor (there’s an elevator—and a view). For new (and old) tunes, swing by Belltower Records for an eclectic selection of new and used LPs, CDs, tapes, and stereo equipment. If downtown gets too trendy for you, nature beckons on all sides with hiking trails, picnic spots, and recreational opportunities. Got trout? Once the warm weather returns, Berkshire River Drifters will take you to where the browns and rainbows lurk. Fresh local produce and farm products can be more news and features at theBerkshireEdge.com
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Photos Paige Storti, Smoke & Honey Farm, Rocksteady Farm.
found at the monthly Winter Farmers Market—it’s one of the biggest in the Berkshires. Hotels, stores, and restaurants are following COVID procedures. Looking for a novel place to stay? Consider The Porches, which bills itself as (brace yourself) “an intimate 47-room boutique property whose retro-edgy backdrop and industrial granny chic décor combine to create a strikingly colorful style all its own.” It’s across the street from MASS MoCA. Trendy TOURISTS, located down by the riverside where an old motel once stood, brings you close to nature (there’s also a pool). To eat, try PUBLIC for original, farm-fresh takes on American classics and a wide selection of craft beers; Grazie for the best Italian food up north (and its sister bodega right next door, Tres Ninos Taqueria); and the Capitol on Main Street (“comfort food” now available for inside and outside dining and takeout), all within walking distance of MASS MoCA, which itself has a nice café for coffee or lunch. For pizza, try Ramunto’s, which offers delivery and takeout. If you prefer food for the mind, the Massachusetts College of Liberal Arts (MCLA) is not far, and it, too, has caught the art bug with its innovative undergraduate art programs and MCLA Gallery 51.
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williamstown
a college town and then some
From left: The Clark Art Institute, snowshoeing.
Tucked into Massachusetts’ northwest corner, Williamstown is one of America’s first college towns; the town and the college both date to 1791. Williams College, consistently ranking at or near the top of America’s liberal arts institutions, is the town’s largest employer. You don’t have to have a connection to Williams, though, to enjoy what the town— and the College—have to offer. You could begin on Spring Street, the commercial center, where you’ll find galleries, stylish clothing stores, coffee shops with fast Internet connections, and restaurants that cater to the tastes of college students, locals, and visitors alike. Nonprofit ABC Clothing Pop-up Shop sells second-hand clothing to support programs for youth and families at risk. New to the street is Bux Vintage for vintage clothing, accessories, and small gifts. Nature’s Closet has Patagonia and a wide selection of outdoor footwear and is also home to the popular Smoothie Spot. Check out the Greylock Gallery next door, which specializes in contemporary American landscapes by emerging and established artists. Pick up a book at the light-filled Williams Bookstore or at Chapter Two Books, a used bookstore that benefits the town’s library. Dive into Spoon next door for a refreshing frozen yogurt, gelato, or sorbet, or an ice cream cone at Lickety Split. Coffee, tea, and baked goods can be found at Tunnel City Coffee across the street. Unlimited Nutrition specializes in protein shakes and flavored teas, and, at the foot of the street the newly built and well-appointed Williams Inn offers dining in its Barn Kitchen & Bar. If you have recreational cannabis needs, Silver Therapeutics is ready to serve you seven days a week from its little mellow shop a mile east of downtown. Williamstown Theatre Festival is closed until next summer, but Images Cinema on Spring Street, one of the
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few remaining independent movie theaters, is going strong, presenting a wide range of independent, foreign and classic films. Images is open for in-person audiences with strict COVID procedures. You can support this nonprofit community theater by becoming a member. The galleries of the Williams College Museum of Art are open and admission is free to the public. The Clark Art Institute is also open, with advanced, timed-visit tickets required. Come enjoy its extraordinary permanent collection, groundbreaking special exhibitions, and striking architecture by Pritzker Prize-winning architect Tadao Ando. The Clark campus boasts 140 acres of lawns, meadows and walking trails. There’s a lot of wild country around Williamstown, with wellmaintained trails to get you out into it. The Williams Outing Club publishes an excellent guide to North Berkshire recreation; the Williamstown Rural Lands Foundation trail kiosk at Sheep Hill on Cold Spring Road south of town offers complete information on all local trails, including those in the Hopkins Forest, the nearby Mount Greylock Reservation in Adams, and Field Farm. For rural family fun, especially with younger children, Ioka Valley Farm, on route 43 south of town in Hancock, has approachable farm animals and farm-related activities. Williamstown eats well. Fine restaurants like Mezze, south of town on Route 7, and Gramercy Bistro, in its new home on Water Street, source local foods. Coyote Flaco, also on Route 7, serves a Mexican menu. There’s Indian cuisine at Spice Root on Spring Street, and Thai and Japanese at Blue Mango next door. If you’re just looking for lunch, the Spring Street Market & Café and Pappa Charlie’s Deli are standbys for dining and takeout. The Neapolitan-style pizza at Hot Tomatoes on Water Street is exceptional, and you can enjoy it under the trees beside the Green River at picnic tables behind the restaurant. Just north of town, Chef’s Hat, an old time, diner-style, very homey restaurant, serves breakfast and lunch. Looking for a watering hole? The Water Street Grill serves many craft beers on tap, good food, and a warm ambience. For Chinese fare, Chopsticks is just east of town on Route 2. Right next door is Korean Garden, which recently relocated from North Adams. (Pro tip: get the hot stone bi bim bab.) If you’re cooking for yourself, stock up at Wild Oats on the same stretch of road. Holiday farmers markets, normally held in the Williams College Fieldhouse (still closed to the public due to COVID) have been moved this year to Greylock WORKS, right over the Williamstown border in North Adams. They’ll take place November 21 and December 19. For a fresh, fragrant Christmas tree, head down Route 43 south of town to Ioka Valley Farm, which grows four varieties. Take a hayride to the field where you can choose (and cut!) your own tree (freshly cut trees also available). They’ll put a stand on it for you, too, and wrap your tree for ease of travel. more news and features at theBerkshireEdge.com
(your house here)
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HUE & CRY: FRENCH PRINTMAKING AND THE DEBATE OVER COLORS December 11, 2021–March 6, 2022
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COMPETING CURRENTS: 20TH-CENTURY JAPANESE PRINTS November 6, 2021–January 30, 2022
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LEFT: Maurice Denis (French, 1870–1943), These are Easy and Chaste Attitudes, 1898. Color lithograph. Clark Art Institute, 1962.48. RIGHT: Hashimoto Okiie (Japanese, 1898–1993),Young Girl and Iris, 1952. Color woodblock print. Clark Art Institute, Gift of the Rodbell Family Collection. Generous support for Competing Currents: 20th-Century Japanese Prints is provided by Elizabeth Lee.
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southern vermont
from the Berkshires to the Greens
From left: The Dorset Inn, Manchester Designer Outlets.
Robert Frost arrived in Vermont
100 years ago and stayed, in various locations, until he died in 1963. He bought an old stone farmhouse in South Shaftsbury just north of Bennington in 1920, and he wrote “Stopping By Woods on a Snowy Evening” there one summer morning in 1922. Frost’s house has been turned into the Robert Frost Stone House Museum, now under the auspices of Bennington College. You can visit his gravesite, too, behind the beautiful Old First Church in Old Bennington. You can’t go up inside the Bennington Battle Monument during the winter months, but the 306-foot limestone obelisk, which commemorates a pivotal Patriot victory of the Revolutionary War, dominates the landscape in all seasons from its perch in Old Bennington. The nearby Bennington Museum devotes a room of its rich and eclectic collections to the Battle; an adjacent gallery is home to the largest exhibit of paintings by Grandma Moses (Anna Maria Robertson) in the world. If you bring children, be sure to take them into the transplanted schoolhouse where the artist learned her ABCs in the 1860s; it’s meant to be played in as well as learned from. In the 19th century Bennington emerged as an important and innovative industrial center, a heritage it still proudly continues. Timber frames, airplane components, snowshoes, craft beer, jewelry, and stoneware from famous Bennington Potters are among the many products manufactured here. The Potters’ funky-elegant retail store is located right next to where its wares are made. The Potters’ physical store is closed at present, but the online shop is open. You can still shop in person for fine Vermont jewelry and crafts at Hawkins House on North Street in Bennington. While a major downtown redevelopment is nearing completion, a new brewpub, Farm Road Brewing, now occupies one of the corners of the town’s central crossroads. The Blue Benn Diner has reopened under new owners. This classic 1940s
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railcar diner is great for breakfast and lunch and has a menu for all tastes. For lunch, Sunday brunch, or dinner, the Mt. Anthony Country Club offers locally sourced seasonal dishes and beautiful views. The Vermont Arts Exchange has resumed its public events schedule, as has Bennington College, although the college’s online calendar remains robust. Oldcastle Theater Company, now in its own building near the center of town, has not announced any winter productions. If you like covered bridges, Bennington has three of them. Scoot right through them all (one car at a time) on the way to North Bennington, if you’re willing to meander across the Walloomsac River three times. North Bennington was writer Shirley Jackson’s home for the latter half of her life, but the natives insist that the village was not the setting for “The Lottery” (Raising Demons and Life Among the Savages, her hilarious accounts of child-rearing in the 1950s, are another matter). The fanciful Park-McCullough Historic Governor’s Mansion in North Bennington was built in 1865 with money made in California and Panama by an attorney who had grown up in the modest town of Woodford, just east of Bennington. The trails in the adjacent McCullough Woods are a popular spot for walking. The mansion’s grounds are open daily; “The Big House” is open for self-guided tours Fridays, Saturdays, and Sundays. The Appalachian Trail crosses through Woodford five miles east of Bennington on its way up the spine of the Greens. The Vermont section, known as the Long Trail, was the inspiration for the AT, in fact. Robert Frost and his family were among the first to hike it when it opened in 1922. Arlington, just above Shaftsbury on Route 7A, is home to the woodsy West Mountain Inn, the stately Arlington Inn, and the Rockwell’s Retreat; the painter Norman Rockwell lived and worked in a house and studio near a covered bridge over the Battenkill before moving south to Stockbridge in the ’50s. more news and features at theBerkshireEdge.com
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Once a summer retreat, Manchester is now a four-season leisure and shopping destination. Hotels, inns, and B&Bs abound, led by establishments like the Mt. Equinox Resort and The Inn at Manchester. Some, like the Wilburton Inn and the Barnstead Inn, also host fun musical events. A range of restaurants caters to visitors and locals alike, from the tavernstyle Firefly (choice of locals) to tonier establishments like the Copper Grouse inside the Taconic Hotel. Robert Todd Lincoln’s historic home, Hildene, perched on an escarpment, overlooks the Valley of Vermont; don’t miss the deeply moving President Lincoln exhibit upstairs or the fully restored Pullman car, queen of the railroading era and a stop on Vermont’s African American Heritage Trail, a short walk from the main dwelling. And then there is shopping. Charles F. Orvis got it started in 1856 when he opened a store dedicated to fly-fishing and accessories for the great outdoors. The flagship store is still there, and it has the distinction of being the oldest still-operating mail order business in America. Manchester Designer Outlets are home to many leading clothing brands, whose easy-to-get-to
stores make bargain hunting a pleasure. For books and gifts, there’s the well-stocked Northshire Bookstore in the center of town, which, in non-COVID times, hosts frequent readings by leading writers. There are also stores for cooks, wine-lovers, artlovers, antique-hunters, and for sports enthusiasts of every stripe. In nearby Dorset, in the fateful summer of 1776, the idea of Vermont as an independent republic was born in Cephas Kent’s tavern. In today’s Dorset, the aura of the 18th century lingers. The tavern is no more, but the splendid Dorset Inn has dominated the town green since 1796. If you’re “from away” and are thinking of buying and running a Vermont country store like the wonderful 200-year-old Dorset Union Store (and bakery) on the green, read Ellen Stimson’s Mud Season first; she bought and ran that very store and lived to write (and laugh) about it.
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Baldwin Hill, Egremont
the western towns The Taconics rise like a wall along the Massachusetts–New York border. Half a dozen roads connect the two states where the range lets down its guard, but otherwise only hikers and black bears pass over a ridgeline that runs from Mount Everett in the south to Berlin Mountain in Petersburg, N.Y., in the north. Seven Berkshire towns lie along the border: they are (south to north) Mt. Washington, Egremont, Alford, West Stockbridge (see page 16), Richmond, Hancock, and Williamstown (see page 32). With the exception of Williamstown, they all play second fiddle to the larger towns immediately east of them— and that is one reason they have something special to offer the visitor, the second-homeowner, and of course their roughly 13,000 year-round residents.
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more news and features at theBerkshireEdge.com
pittsfield
the city at the center
A city of 45,000, Pittsfield is the geographic and commercial center of the Berkshires, with a proud history of manufacturing—and the contemporary challenges and opportunities that the decline of the sector has brought. Cultural initiatives have lifted the city’s mood and kindled its aspirations to become a hub for the arts. The opening of cannabis dispensaries Temescal Wellness west of town and Berkshire Roots and Bloom Brothers to the east has also lifted moods. The recent opening of the $13.8 million Berkshire Innovation Center, after eleven years of planning and building, is another sign of the city’s resilience. Pittsfield’s downtown is now its Upstreet Cultural District, anchored by the beautifully restored 1903 Colonial Theatre, part of Berkshire Theatre Group, and the innovative Barrington Stage Company, which normally attracts almost 60,000 patrons per year to its four downtown venues and has become the incubator of shows that regularly go on to stages in Boston and New York. Throughout December, the Berkshire Theatre Group is offering a stage production of Irving Berlin’s White Christmas—The Musical at the Colonial. Barrington Stage will present the 10x10 New Play Festival in February. The Whitney Center for the Arts, established by Pittsfield native Lisa Whitney in 2012 and located in the creatively repurposed 1865 Thomas Colt House, is normally another beehive of culture, with art shows, intimate theatre and music performances, and special events. It’s temporarily closed but offering online exhibits. The vibrant Pittsfield visual arts scene features public art, galleries, studios, and cooperatives, and the First Fridays Artswalk (5 to 8 p.m. on the first Friday of the month.) Located in the center of town on North Street, the Berkshire Museum, a wonderful resource for the community, open for in-person visits, is also offering a full schedule of online programming, and will host summer camps beginning in June.
Clockwise from top left: Hiking, Methuselah Bar and Lounge, Bousquet Mountain. Like many small-city museums, its holdings range across subjects and fields of knowledge, but highlights, including an aquarium, natural history specimens, a mummy, and the Feigenbaum Hall of Innovation, make it a great place to take children to discover worlds beyond their screens. The new, immersive “Curiosity Incubator” gallery is a portal to greater awareness of the human family. Right next door to the Berkshire Museum is Museum Outlets, a fun store for gifts. If you’re in the market for furniture, Paul Rich & Sons, also on North Street, has 30,000 square feet of floor space to look at, most of it American made (and no assembly required), and Circa Berkshires, a few blocks away, offers a treasure trove of hand-picked Danish and Mid-Century
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From Left: Park Square, Museum Outlets. Modern furnishings. You never know what you may find at ReStore at 347 Columbus Avenue; the store carries donated home improvement products, building materials, and more. Profits go to Habitat for Humanity. In the mood for more shopping? You’ll want to pop into Township Four on North Street. Technically a florist, but really so much more, the deceptively small store is bursting with handmade candles, soaps, and scents; hand-printed tea towels and greeting cards; build-your-own terrarium kits, seeds, gardening tools, etc. Pittsfield isn’t all urban: the 11,000-acre Pittsfield State Forest offers fall camping and hiking, and the Canoe Meadows Wildlife Sanctuary, Lake Onota, and Bousquet Mountain Adventure Park also provide fun outdoor experiences. If you’re looking for a pleasant spot to serve as a base for Berkshires experiences, the Bonnie Brae Campground, now under new management, has cabins and RV sites north of town near Pontoosuc Lake (see website for COVID-19 guidelines.) Buy a bike at Berkshire Bike & Board on East Street and explore! Let Whitman keep Brooklyn; Herman Melville had Pittsfield. The native New Yorker bought a 1785 farmhouse in 1850 and settled in for some serious writing—and an intense affair with the mistress of the neighboring manor. He named his new digs Arrowhead after the many Indian ‘points’ that turned up in his fields, and it’s now a museum run by the Berkshire Historical Society dedicated to his 13 years’ residence under its roof. Visitors can see the room where Melville wrote Moby Dick, with its view north to Mount Greylock, whose profile is said to have evoked for the author the whale that obsessed Captain Ahab. He built a porch on the north side, too, and called it a piazza; you too can sit and look. The house is open Thursday through Monday with call-ahead reservations and online ticketing; a guide takes you through. (See this magazine’s online article about Arrowhead at BerkshireCalendarMagazine.com.)
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You’ll have to eat and you’ll have to sleep: you can do both at trendy, 45-room Hotel on North, another repurposed downtown building that successfully blends new and old; its stylish bar, restaurant and shops attract both a local and out-oftown clientele. For eating and drinking, there are 50 other restaurants, cafés, and wine bars to choose from. Meet a friend for coffee at Dottie’s, pick up lunch at the Marketplace Café, drop into Mission for a locally sourced seasonal menu or a glass of wine, or settle into Methuselah and sixteen taps of craft beer, artful cocktails, and artful eats. Thistle and Mirth has great beer and great company and has expanded into the storefront next door to offer imbibers a new ramen restaurant. If you’re still pubcrawling, finish up at The Lantern Bar and Grill, a venerable and recently reopened Pittsfield institution. If you’re going to have something to eat before heading to Barrington Stage in the center of town, District Kitchen & Bar, Patrick’s Pub, and Trattoria Rustica are close by. Pittsfield is a good movie town. The Regal Cinema at the Berkshire Mall 4 miles north of downtown has ten screens, reclining seats, reserved tickets, and popular movies. The renovated, five-screen, Dolby 7.1 Surround Sound-equipped Beacon Cinema downtown on North has very comfortable reclining seats and shows operas in the Met’s “Live in HD” series. For a glimpse into a different way of living, 700-acre Hancock Shaker Village beckons from outside of town along Route 20 in Hancock. The Shakers created a religious, utopian farming community here in the 1780s around the ideas of pacifism, celibacy, and communal living. No Shakers remain, but their way of life forms the basis for a living history museum, with twenty authentic Shaker buildings and rich collections of Shaker furniture and artifacts. At the same time, it’s a working farm, with extensive gardens and heritage livestock. Check their website for even more fun events. more news and features at theBerkshireEdge.com
Your community museum.
Open daily in downtown Pittsfield
Museum of the Moon A Monumental Artwork by Luke Jerram
Immerse yourself in this spectacular installation of sight and sound November 19, 2021 to January 9, 2022!
Museum of the Moon is generously sponsored by
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A R C H I T E C T S I N C.
Plan your visit: berkshiremuseum.org 413.443.7171
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20 historic buildings | farm animals | Shaker artifacts | art exhibitions | shopping
PITTSFIELD, MA | HANCOCKSHAKERVILLAGE.ORG BerkshiresCalendar.com
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art & performance year round, more than ever
N
ow that the hustle and bustle of summer have faded—yes, even in a pandemic year, there were public and private events competing for our attention—the region’s venues continue to debut art exhibitions and live performances, offer film screenings, host holiday tours, and more. Throughout the fall and winter, solo and group exhibits open at The Clark, Norman Rockwell Museum, Berkshire Museum, MASS MoCA, and the Bennington Museum. Berkshire Theatre Group and the Mahaiwe offer a robust roster of in-person concerts and other events, the Metropolitan Opera and Bolshoi Ballet resume in-person HD screenings, and Close Encounters With Music celebrates its return to live performances with a varied lineup that stretches into the spring. As the pandemic continues to disrupt even the best-laid plans, be sure to check each venue’s website for last-minute cancellations, as well as additions.
VISUAL ART Beginning November 20, MASS MoCA debuts “Ways to Baffle the Wind,” featuring new and recent work by French-Moroccan artist Yto Barrada. The exhibit includes sculpture, textile, films, and games assembled to model, parody, and learn from attempts to regulate and organize nature. A highlight of the show is Barrada’s film Tree Identification for Beginners. On March 12, 2022, three solo shows also take up residence at the Museum, by artists Lily Cox-Richard, Amy Hauft, and Marc Swanson. Lily Cox-Richard’s Weep Holes, featuring all new work, addresses ideas of stewardship, beauty and threat, collective action, and the building and dismantling of systems. The sculptor’s show will include large-scale works celebrating Shaker ideas of labor and reuse, with these ordinary objects made uncanny by the fact of their scale and placement. Amy Hauft’s architectural installations reorient our experience of the landscape and of planetary living. The centerpiece of the exhibition, 700,000:1, takes its title from the mathematical odds of a person on Earth being hit by a meteor. Constructed from two enormous spheres on the floor and the
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ceiling, viewers will be invited to ascend the lower sphere and place their heads in the upper sphere, invoking the feeling of being simultaneously on the ground and in the sky. “A Memorial to Ice at the Dead Deer Disco” is Marc Swanson’s multimedia exploration of the relationships between humans, culture, and nature. Two separate large-scale immersive environments—A Memorial to Ice, inspired by the dioramas found in natural history museums, and The Dead Deer Disco, a reimagined disco exploring feelings of freedom and mourning caused by the AIDS crisis—both confront loss and our inability to control human nature and the world around us. Beginning November 19, the Berkshire Museum’s large second-floor Crane Room changes into UK artist Luke Jerram’s “Museum of the Moon.” Suspended in the center of the space is a radiant representation of the Moon’s surface, measuring 10 feet across and accompanied by an ethereal soundscape created by composer Dan Jones. The internally-lit “moon” allows visitors to have a scientifically accurate, up-close experience with their nearest celestial neighbor through January 9, 2022. The Crane more news and features at theBerkshireEdge.com
Opposite left: Lily Cox-Richards, Thunder Egg. Top: Kawase Hasui (Japanese, 1883–1957), The Kintai Bridge in Suō Province, 1924, color woodblock print. Left: Luke Jerram, Museum of the Moon.
Room’s translucent glass ceiling will be temporarily transformed into a black expanse of winter night sky, allowing visitors to experience “moonlight” any time of day. “Museum of the Moon” will be brought to life in a series of events that explore the science and culture of the Earth’s Moon, along with extended hours on select Fridays. Special events include an opening night reception for adults with talks by an astronomy professor and a NASA fellow, drop-in crafts for kids, and space-themed film screenings in the Museum’s Little Cinema. The exhibit joins “Muh-he-con-ne-ok: The People of the Waters That Are Never Still”—contemporary oral histories and historical profiles of members of the Stockbridge-Munsee Community—and “The Land of the Thunder Dragon: Bhutan Through the Lens of Mead Eagle Photography,” both on view through January 9, 2022. The Clark Art Institute expands programming for an exhibit already on view, Erin Shirreff’s “Remainders,” and opens two new shows, one in November, and one the following
month. On November 16, the auditorium at the Clark hosts a free screening of Shirreff’s Son (2018). This large-scale video projection, based on a solar eclipse, combines appropriated images with ones made by the artist into a seamless, meditative work. Visitors can come or go any time during this looped, 45-minute silent film. A live conversation with the artist follows that evening, at 6 p.m., where Shirreff will discuss her latest body of work. “Remainders” runs through January 2, 2022. “Competing Currents: 20th Century Japanese Prints,” November 6, 2021–January 30, 2022, explores two parallel Japanese print-making movements, shin-hanga and sōsakuhanga, through the Clark’s collection. By focusing on two key moments in the international exchange of Japanese prints in the 20th century—the inter-war period and the post-war period— ”Competing Currents” considers how travel, tourism, and commercialism intersected within the medium of printmaking during that period. Beginning December 11 and on view through March 6, 2022, “Hue & Cry: French Printmaking and the Debate over Colors” explores the opposition to printed color in 19th-century France. The exhibit showcases the Clark’s holdings of prints by Pierre Bonnard, Mary Cassatt, Paul Cézanne, Camille Pissarro, Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec, and others. Both difficult and expensive to achieve at the time, printed color was also frowned upon for aesthetic reasons and described as “garish” and “cheap.” My, how times have changed. BerkshiresCalendar.com
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art & performance find more at berkshirescalendar.com From November 26–December 31, Bennington Museum hosts an exhibition and closed-bid auction to benefit both the Museum itself and the regional artists featured in the show. “Transient Beauty: Responding to “Snowflake” Bentley” features 25 contemporary artists responding to the work of Wilson “Snowflake” Bentley. The self-taught Bentley began creating photomicrographs of snowflakes and frost in 1885 and continued making them, almost obsessively, until his death in 1931, having caught pneumonia while photographing in a snowstorm. His capture of more than 5,000 images of crystals proved that, indeed, no two snowflakes are identical. The contemporary responses will range from snow and ice imagery to more conceptual works. Many of the exhibiting artists are photographers whose work uses historic technologies and/ or pushes at the possibilities of the photographic image. Artists include Jack Metzger, Erik Hoffner, Janet Van Fleet, Judith Klausner, Joanna Gabler, Rhonda Ratray, Tom Fels, Thomas Brennan, Corwin Levi, Gail Skudera, Liz Deschenes, Angus McCullough, Jon Gitelson, Jonathan Kline, Misa Chappell, Jessica Smith, Anima and Paul Katz, Daisy Rockwell, Katie Cleaver, Shanta Lee Gander, Rachel Portesi, Leslie Park, and Michaela Harlow. Meet them and place a bid to purchase your favorite work at the November 23 reception. As the Norman Rockwell Museum’s “enchanted” summer exhibits wind down, endings make way for beginnings, and “Jan Brett: Stories Near and Far” debuts November 13. With more than 40 million books in print, Brett is one of the nation’s most widely read author/illustrators for children. The Museum’s exhibit explores the breadth of her art, and the travel experiences that have inspired her books and characters. More than 80 original artworks, along with reference materials, objects from Brett’s personal collection, a video interview with the illustrator, recorded readings, and more will be featured in the galleries and online through March 6, 2022. In addition, a book launch and signing will be held at the Museum December 18 for Jan Brett’s The Nutcracker, a reimagining of the classic Christmas tale, was released November 2.
Jan Brett, Hedgie, Watercolor on paper
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Thomas Wilkins
MUSIC Two November live concerts at MASS MoCA show how the Museum helps keep creativity alive, for both artists and listeners, all year long. On November 5 and 6, composer Wayne Shorter and performer Esperanza Spalding present Iphigenia, a modern operatic re-imagining of the ancient tale of a daughter sacrificed to the gods. Against a set designed by architect Frank Gehry, classical and jazz forms collide as Iphigenia stares down opera’s history. These preview performances take place following a two-week residency at the Museum. Nine vocalists lead a local 10-person chorus and chamber orchestra, accompanied by members of the Wayne Shorter Quartet and Jeff “Tain” Watts in this production directed by Obie Award winner Lileana Blain-Cruz. On November 20, composer and percussionist Susie Ibarra’s Fragility Etudes explores humanity’s interdependence with the natural environment through sound. One of SPIN’s “100 Greatest Drummers of Alternative Music,” Ibarra brings together six musicians in a dynamic score of overlapping rhythms experienced in the round. Up-and-coming musical acts of all genres can be seen at Hi-Lo, a smaller venue also located in North Adams. The Fisher Center at Bard College, in Annandale-onHudson, New York, continues its lineup of in-person events with “Songs from the Real World: The French Cabaret” on November 6. Vocalist Stephanie Blythe, pianist Kayo Iwama, and members of the Bard Vocal Arts Program and the Conservatory Collaborative Piano Fellowship explore the more news and features at theBerkshireEdge.com
The Metropolitan Opera, Eurydice beginnings of French cabaret. On December 4, Thomas Wilkins, principal conductor of the Hollywood Bowl Orchestra, leads the Conservatory Orchestra in a performance featuring James Lee III’s Sukkot Through Orion’s Nebula, Delius’s The Walk to The Paradise Garden, and Gustav Holst’s The Planets. A tribute to a beloved ‘70s songstress, a local group’s 25th anniversary, and a free concert from the Eagles Community Band ring in Berkshire Theatre Group’s return to live concerts at its majestic Colonial Theatre in Pittsfield. On November 6, The Linda Ronstadt Experience with American Idol star Tristan McIntosh showcases all the singer’s hits—“You’re No Good,” “When Will I Be Loved,” “Blue Bayou”—along with tunes by Jackson Browne, Elvis Costello, Tom Petty, Neil Young, and more. Ronstadt retired from performing in 2011, so this is the closest you will get to the real deal! The Rev Tor Band returns to the Colonial stage to celebrate its 25th anniversary on November 20. Since 1996, Rev Tor and and his band have shared the stage with members of The Grateful Dead, Phish, The Allman Brothers, and more. This year brings the release of Rev Tor’s eighth album, Snake Oil, and this anniversary jam will feature guest appearances by Max Mercier of Max Creek, Wanda Houston, Gina Coleman, and Jason Webster, as well as surprises. A free Eagles Community Band concert will be held at the Colonial on November 5 at 7 p.m., followed by a second performance December 12 at 3 p.m. at the First United Methodist Church in Pittsfield. More intimate performances, including comedy shows and community open mics, can be found at The Egremont Barn in South Egremont, which will hold its annual Holiday Spectravaganza December 18, and The Foundry in West Stockbridge, which will welcome jazz pianist Armen Donelian and his quartet November 13. The Metropolitan Opera’s 15th Live in HD season returns October 9–June 4 and local fans can view the operas, livestreamed from New York City’s Lincoln Center, at either The Mahaiwe in Great Barrington or The Clark Art Institute in
Roseanne Cash Williamstown. The season lineup includes composer Matthew Aucoin’s Eurydice on December 4, Jules Massenet’s Cinderella on January 2, Bartlett Sher’s new take on Giuseppe Verdi’s Rigoletto on January 29, Richard Strauss’ Ariadne auf Naxos on March 19, Verdi’s Don Carlos on March 26, Giacomo Puccini’s Turandot on May 7, Gaetano Donizetti’s Lucia di Lammermoor on May 21, and concludes with Australian composer Brett Dean’s Hamlet on June 4. At the Mahaiwe, lecturer Scott Eyerly will again offer talks corresponding with each production. The Mahaiwe’s live music this season also includes the inimitable country music star Rosanne Cash on November 6. Cash has released 15 albums, earned four Grammy Awards and 12 nominations, and charted 21 top-40 hits. Her latest album, She Remembers Everything, follows her triple Grammy-winning 2014 album The River & the Thread and marks her return to more personal songwriting. On November 27, An Evening with Hot Tuna offers both acoustic and electric performances, and features special guest David Grisman’s Dawg Trio. Jorma Kaukonen and Jack Casady founded Hot Tuna in 1969 as a side project during their Jefferson Airplane days. Half a century later, they’re still at it, earning Lifetime Achievement Awards at the 2016 Grammys. Mandolinist David Grisman began his career in the 1960s, working in the Even Dozen Jug Band before launching a career as a solo artist and a collaborator. His trio includes his son Sam Grisman on bass, and banjoist Danny Barnes. BerkshiresCalendar.com
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John Pizzarelli
A Swingin’ Little Christmas, on December 10, stars two very familiar television faces: Jane Lynch (Glee; Hollywood Game Night; The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel) and Kate Flannery of The Office fame who has also appeared on Dancing with the Stars, New Girl, American Housewife, and Brooklyn Nine Nine. The pair have been collaborating on cabaret and “anti cabaret” acts, and bring along singer and music producer Tim Davis and jazz aces The Tony Guerrero Quintet to round out this festive performance. Freqent Mahaiwe-goers and avid radio fans will be thrilled to be back in the real-life presence of world-renowned guitarist and singer John Pizzarelli. On December 18, this contemporary interpreter of the Great American Songbook will perform an evening of new standards, including songs by Joni Mitchell, Neil Young, Tom Waits, Antônio Carlos Jobim, and The Beatles. After successful turns at virtual concerts and outdoor performances, Close Encounters With Music is beyond thrilled
to share an inspired and varied lineup with live audiences at The Mahaiwe and Saint James Place. Its season kicks off November 21 with Café Music: Jazz, Rap and Grand Reopening, at The Mahaiwe. Paul Schoenfield’s runaway classical hit, Café Music for piano trio—comprising elements of classical, jazz, klezmer, and whimsy. Claude Bolling’s Suite for Cello and Jazz Trio, Gershwin’s Three Preludes for Piano, Beethoven’s Romance No. 2 in F Major for Violin and Piano, and a cameo appearance by hip-hop artist Christylez Bacon, round out the program. On December 12 at the Mahaiwe, CEWM presents The Roaring Twenties: Berlin, Paris, New York, a panorama of composers and styles that defined and shaped the era, including Samuel Barber, Kurt Weill, Alexander Zemlinsky, Hanns Eisler, Cole Porter, and Erwin Schulhoff. The first concert of the new year, Folk and Baroque on February 22 at Saint James Place, offers the two styles in the title alongside indigenous South American and liturgical music. Bridging worlds that grew out of common ground, the evening will feature works by Bach, Villa Lobos, Monteverdi, Handel, Couperin, Rameau and Vivaldi. A Night of Chopin and Brahms with Van Cliburn Gold Medalist Yekwon Sunwoo, at the Mahaiwe on March 22, highlights Chopin’s Four Scherzi and Brahms’s Piano Quartet Opus 25 in G minor. Looking toward spring, Close Encounters offerings include the a cappella group Skylark on April 30, Reeds and Strings on May 29 with first oboist of the New York Philharmonic Liang Wang, and, on June 12, Musica Latina with classical Spanish and flamenco dancer and choreographer Irene Rodriguez. Sandisfield Arts Center welcomes Berkshire favorite Jeewon Park, on November 7, in a solo piano recital of works by Robert and Clara Schumann, Johannes Brahms, and Francis Poulenc’s The Story of Babar the little Elephant narrated by Ben Luxon. Park returns November 21 with her husband, cellist Edward Arron, for a concert at The Clark in Williamstown. The Clarion Concerts season winds down at Saint James Place on December 5 with violinist Randall Goosby, acclaimed for the sensitivity and intensity of his musicianship, his determination
LECTURE/WORSHOPS From beginner chainsaw skills to herbal gift-giving and mushroom-growing in between, Berkshire Botanical Garden is keeping up its eclectic array of workshops and in-person events throughout the winter. Its 6th annual Rooted in Place ecological gardening symposium, “Growing Resilience: The Climate Crisis, Our Gardens and Communities,” will be held November 14 at the Mahaiwe. Jennifer Jewell, author of the award-winning book The Earth in Her Hands and the forthcoming book Under Western Skies, will give the lecture “How a Place-Based Garden Culture of Care Strengthens Places and Their People”. The program explores the philosophy behind Jewell’s radio show and podcast, Cultivating Place: that gardens and gardeners are powerful spaces and agents for positive change. Pete Grima, a Forester at the Massachusetts Department of Conservation & Recreation Service, will speak on “Envisioning a Future Forest”, describing how he helps landowners make informed decisions about their forests. Sam Hoadley will give the presentation “Knockout Native Species and Cultivars,” and in “Lessons in Built Ecology,” Rebecca McMackin will discuss Brooklyn Bridge Park, an 85-acre, organic park created with ecology in mind.
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Heather Johnson performs for CEWM on December 12 to make music more inclusive and accessible, and his focus on under-represented composers. Zhu Wang joins him on piano. An exciting world premiere performance of Leonard Bernstein’s Music for String Quartet is the centerpiece of a benefit for the Stockbridge Library, held November 6 at Tanglewood’s Linde Center. The concert will also include Bernstein’s rarely performed Piano Trio, and Elegies, an unpublished work by Aaron Copland. The evening’s ensemble of musicians includes Malcolm Lowe, violinist and recently retired concertmaster of the BSO; Natalie Rose Kress, a violinist currently studying at The Juilliard School; violist Daniel Kim, who holds the Lois and Harlan Anderson chair at the BSO; Ronald Feldman, retired BSO cellist and music director of the Longwood Symphony Orchestra and the Berkshire Symphony at Williams College; and pianist Melvin Chen, deputy dean of the Yale Music School and director of the Norfolk Chamber Music Festival.
THEATER Shakespeare & Company in Lenox celebrates its annual Fall Festival of Shakespeare, both in person at 10 local high schools November 12 and 13, and with performances for the larger community at its Tina Packer Playhouse November 18–21. From December 28–31, Shakespeare & Co. offers free virtual performances of The Breath of Life by David Hare, featuring Company favorite Annette Miller and founder Tina Packer.
An in-person play reading series is planned for the new year, on January 15 and 16. In December, PS21 in Chatham, New York, welcomes celebrated French author and director Pascal Rambert to develop The Art of Theater and With My Own Hands with American actors Jim Fletcher and Ismail Ibn Conner. A work-in-progress showing of the pieces will be held in PS21’s Black Box Theater December 10. A second work-in-progress, Untitled 29 Theater Company’s BLASTED by Sarah Kane will be shown December 16. The piece focuses on three people in a war zone, where the destruction occurring outside and inside blend into one. Ancram Opera House’s season concludes with Real People Real Stories, featuring young storytellers from Taconic Hills Central School. Paul Ricciardi leads 200 students in storytelling workshops, culminating in a final performance showcasing volunteers from the program telling their stories. This event will be available for free streaming on November 20. Looking toward the new year, stay tuned for an announcement of dates for the 2022 10x10 Festival in downtown Pittsfield, which will include Barrington Stage Company’s beloved 10x10 New Play Festival.
DANCE The Pillow Lab, a year-round incubator of new work at Jacob’s Pillow in Becket, welcomes jumatatu m. poe and Jermone Donte Beacham, Indigenous Enterprise, Taylor Stanley and Shamel Pitts, and Yve Laris Cohen for residencies October– December. Go behind the scenes with these dancers and many others via online videos, podcasts, talks, and a host of other Pillow-exclusive content available from the comfort of your home. PS21 in Chatham, New York, hosts the North-American premiere of Hêtre and Phasmes, written and choreographed by Fanny Soriano of France’s Cie Libertivore, on December 21 and 22. Circus and danced movement induce a slow metamorphosis of humans and organic matter, as performers confront nature, accompany it, dodge it, collide, and merge with it.
The Mahaiwe Performing Arts Center presents the Bolshoi Ballet’s 2021-22 HD broadcast season, November 7, 2021–May 1, 2022. Five ballets will screen from the Bolshoi Theatre in Moscow, Russia, to the Mahaiwe, offering high definition, multi-camera angle views of each production. The season begins with Spartacus, set to score by Aram Khachaturian, on November 7, followed by an encore production of The Nutcracker on December 19. Jewels starts off the new year on January 23, followed by an encore of Swan Lake March 6, and concluding with The Pharaoh’s Daughter May 1.
The Nutcracker
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Sheffield Historical Society, Festival of Holidays
Get a jump on holiday shopping, locally, at Berkshire South Regional Community Center’s Fall Arts & Crafts Festival on November 6. The outdoor event (rain moves it indoors) offers giftable goodies from Berkshire-based jewelers, potters, weavers, blacksmiths, woodworkers, and other artisans. Live music and food from NOSH food truck add to the festive atmosphere. On weekends from November 5–December 24, the Sheffield Historical Society hosts its Festival of Holidays, a gift shop featuring Berkshire-made, fair trade, and sustainable gifts, at the Old Stone Barn. The Historic Sheffield Winter Wonderland display, running nightly from December 1–January 9, will light up the night with more than 20 trees decorated by local businesses and organizations. On December 11 and 18, enjoy carolers, crafts, refreshments, and cozy fire pits while you complete your holiday shopping. In what has become just one of Naumkeag’s growing number of annual traditions, “Winterlights” returns November 26–January 9. The Trustees of Reservations Stockbridge property will dazzle the eyes with thousands of artfully designed holiday light displays. The mostly outdoor event, complete with hot drinks to keep you toasty, will also include a peek inside the site’s late 19th century mansion.
FILM The Little Cinema at the Berkshire Museum is back with regular screenings and special space-themed events in tandem with its new exhibit, “Museum of the Moon.” Shakespeare & Company will offer an in-person screening of Speak What We Feel, a documentary about its very own Fall Festival of Shakespeare, on November 6 at 2 p.m. and 7 p.m. Herman Melville’s Arrowhead will host three films at Berkshire Museum’s Little Cinema this season. The first, on November 5 at 7 p.m., is Call Us Ishmael. The 2019 film chronicles director David Shaerf’s journey into the world of Moby-Dick through his encounters with artists, musicians, professors, and performers including Laurie Anderson and Frank Stella. Following the screening, professor Michael Hoberman will make his case that Melville is an ideal writer for skeptical romantics. The next evening, November 6, will focus on Mark Blumberg’s 2021 film The Act of Reading in which a retired high school English teacher is confronted by a former student who failed her class 15 years ago for not reading Moby-Dick. Arrowhead and the Berkshires are heavily featured in this film. A final film, on November 13,
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chronicles the life of Blanche Ames Ames. Borderland: The Life and Times of Blanche Ames Ames tells the story of a woman of privilege who became an artist, activist, inventor, birth control maverick, and leader of the women’s suffrage movement in Massachusetts. On November 13, the Sandisfield Arts Center It’s a Wonderful Life will host actor, director, and local fiber artist Karen Allen for a screening of the new film Colewell, in which she stars as the postmaster of a Pennsylvania town. When the USPS closes her office, she must decide whether to relocate or retire. The Mahaiwe continues its return to in-person film screenings, which it began this summer, with the classic The Wizard of Oz on November 26 and It’s a Wonderful Life on December 17.
more news and features at theBerkshireEdge.com
NightWood, The Mount
Lenox’s Ventfort Hall will be decked out for holiday tours beginning Thanksgiving week. Check the Gilded Age mansion’s website for other holiday events, lectures, and workshops. Berkshire Theatre Group promises a snowy holiday this year as it mounts Irving Berlin’s White Christmas,The Musical at its Colonial Theatre in Pittsfield. This timeless tale of joy and goodwill about a song-and-dance team putting on a show in a magical Vermont inn, is full of dancing, laughter, and some of the greatest songs ever written, including “Blue Skies,” ‘’Count Your Blessings,” and its classic title song. Previews begin December 2 and the show runs through December 23. The Southern Berkshire Chamber of Commerce’s Holiday Shop, Sip & Stroll returns to downtown Great Barrington December 11 with a menorah and tree lighting, a performance by the Vocalis Youth Choir, a visit from Santa, the chance to meet the Library Llama, holiday refreshments, fireworks, and more fun, free activities. Shakespeare & Company adds seasonally appropriate merriment to the region with its annual costumed reading. This year’s play, The Wickhams Christmas at Pemberley by Lauren Gunderson and Margot Melcon, runs, in-person, December 16–19. Those who sincerely missed this year’s canceled Harvest Festival at Berkshire Botanical Garden will be heartened to know its Holiday Marketplace returns December 4 and 5. Along with its popular Gallery of Wreaths, which includes more than 100 one-of-a-kind handmade decorations, the market offers holiday-blooming amaryllis and paperwhites in decorative containers, succulent arrangements, and gift items. Holiday Lights at Arrowhead, on December 8, is a special tour of Herman Melville’s former home decorated for the holidays. This free event includes seasonal readings, 19th Haochen Zhang century holiday recipes, and a peek at holiday-themed objects
from the museum’s collection that are not often on view. On December 15, Arrowhead welcomes local author Kevin O’Hara for a free reading of tales included in his new illustrated book, A Christmas Journey. The Mount, Edith Wharton’s Home dons its finest period-appropriate seasonal attire for self-guided Holiday House Tours, on Saturdays and Sundays, from November 27–January 2. “NightWood: An Outdoor Sound and Light Experience,” which debuted on the mansion’s grounds last year, returns November 4–December 31. The landscape comes alive through a combination of music, lighting, and theatrical elements to create seven uniquely magical scenes, several of them brand new. On December 7, The Mount hosts an online book release for Home: A Celebration with author Charlotte Moss and contributor and Mount director Susan Wissler. One of Moss’ inspirations for this project is Edith Wharton’s The Book of the Homeless (1916), a fundraiser for refugees and children during WWI. In that same spirit, a portion of this book’s profits will benefit No Kid Hungry. On December 12 at 3 p.m., the Berkshire Concert Choir will perform holiday favorites under the magnificent “Museum of the Moon” at Berkshire Museum. First Congregational Church in Lee hosts its Sound of the Seasons concert on December 17 and 18, with the Bell Choir kicking things off at 6:20 p.m., followed by the Choir at 7 p.m. The concert is free, but donations are accepted. Check the Church’s website for updates on its annual Christmas Eve service. Berkshire Museum helps guests of all ages ring in the new year with two daytime magic shows on December 31. Award-winning, Boston-based magician George Saterial performs jaw-dropping magic with lighthearted humor, and plenty of audience participation. BerkshiresCalendar.com
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out and about
ENTERTAINING 2.0 Another holiday season is here—and with it a palpable (and pent-up) desire to gather with family and friends. Time to dust off the cookbooks, stock the larder, and brush up on your hosting skills. It is also an opportune moment, after a protracted hiatus, to rethink what entertaining looks like now. By Evelyn Battaglia
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hat I’ve been talking about amongst my wonderful cooking friends is how out of practice we feel coming off the COVID year, and how to find a way to make it all simpler,” says Maria Nation, an avid host, accomplished screenwriter, and co-founder of Good Dogs Farm in Ashley Falls. “No elaborate dishes—just a bowl of soup, a glass of wine, and good friends. Honestly, that would be a perfect dinner party.” Surely, a long stretch of social distancing and separation has brought the “purposeful party” into sharper relief. The focus is as much on the who—whether that’s two, ten, or twenty people— as on the what, when, and where. These days, being together is where it’s at! The Berkshires has been a gathering spot for ages. Gilded Age tycoons held lavish soirees at their “summer cottages,” dancing the quadrille into the wee hours. And not just during the usual season—by the early 1900s, the Knickerbocker set betook themselves here to ring in the New Year with abandon. By all accounts, these geographical ancestors really knew how to have a good time. Edith Wharton, herself a 40-something NYC expat, famously held court at The Mount, impressing fastidious Henry James with her hospitality know-how. For Wharton, whose novels dripped
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with dialogue (she described her role as “merely a recording instrument”), lively discourse was the raison d’etre, not the roasted pheasant or Château d’Yquem—though she is purported to have greeted visitors with bubbly to wash down the bon mots. That esprit de corps is on a continuum, linking past and present. People still flock to the Berkshires for the same reasons—a lovely setting and a cerebral populace—only without an army of staff or a proclivity for ostentation. Like Wharton, modern-day hosts find joie de vivre in being in the company of others—no cultural dexterity required. “With its larger kitchen and actual dining room, our Southfield home is more conducive to entertaining than our small Manhattan apartment,” says longtime beauty editor Jane Larkworthy who, with husband Bertrand Garbassi, moved to the Berkshires full time during the pandemic. The back porch has also been a “godsend,” and once the temperature drops she brings out electric heaters and cozy blankets. After a gung-ho start—”we were like the new kids on the block trying to impress everyone by making eight dishes, which was way too much and exhausting!”—the couple is now more inclined to ping three people the day before and then pick up frozen ramen from Guido’s. “We are not big on lead time.” Nor is Nation. She finds the most memorable “parties” are the ones that occur organically—such as when friends drop by unexpectedly and you rummage in the refrigerator for leftovers. “Zero planning, zero stress, maximum friend time. That is the ultimate goal of any dinner party.” Even maximalist Martha Stewart—whose first country retreat was a one-room schoolhouse in nearby Middlebury, Mass.—wrote, “I think of entertaining as one friend treating another friend” in the original Entertaining (in 1982!). “What matters most is not elaborate technique or pomp or show but warmth, thought, and a sense of your individual style.” In modern parlance, be authentic—or “you do you.” For some that means preparing an elaborate smörgåsbord (or, say, Martha’s Country Pie Party for Fifty) and for others serving spiked hot chocolate and pfeffernüsse around the firepit. How does this approach play out at Thanksgiving, the archetypal dinner party? View that feast as America’s original potluck—the Wampanoag Native Americans brought deer, fish, and native crops, the pilgrims wild fowl and vegetables from England. Delegating is another way of honoring tradition; in a sample scenario, you roast the turkey and set the table (and handle cleanup), your guests contribute the sides and desserts. Gratitude will flow this way and that. more news and features at theBerkshireEdge.com
out and about: entertaining 2.0
Where to Find Great Stuff for Entertaining As you peruse the resources that follow, keep in mind that a good many straddle more than one category—and that all attempts were made to note the overlaps.
HOLIDAY HEADQUARTERS
Other ceremonial repasts—whether they mark Feliz Navidad, Hanukkah, or Kwanzaa (culminating in Karamu on New Year’s Eve)—can be equally equitable. People want to pitch in! No judgment of course if you prefer to DI(all)Y. Just know that most guests relish sharing a family recipe or a storebought some such. Then again, with all the great food purveyors in the Berkshires, you could easily feed a crowd without cooking a thing—and support these small businesses to boot! Lean into all the Berkshires has to offer. Here you are motivated to seek out the handcrafted rather than the high falutin’, the small batch over the mass produced—and above all, food with a farm-fresh pedigree. That ingredient, integrity, is what the area is prized for, and it provides a connection to the community writ large. Indeed, “holiday feasts are perfect moments to celebrate our farmers, who grow such beautiful food throughout the year,” says Alana Chernila, cookbook author and marketing manager for Guido’s Fresh Marketplace. (She is espousing this idea in a class on “vegetable-focused share food” at Berkshire Botanical Garden.) “When we move meat to the side, it gives us the opportunity to really celebrate the vibrant colors and deep flavors that only vegetables can bring.” (Vegans and vegetarians will applaud these efforts.) Of course, produce is not the only pride of the Berkshires. Plenty of farms produce humanely raised, pastured poultry, pork, and beef. It is more costly but consider the superior quality a specialoccasion expenditure; you also will be sustaining the local agricultural economy. And remember: Entertaining is, yes, about laying out a delicious spread, but only insofar as it is the tasty, tippling means to a few hours of rubbing elbows (the new way to hug!) with your nearest and dearest— the worthwhile “end.” Cheers and glad tidings!
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Guido’s Fresh Marketplace (Great Barrington, Pittsfield). Though this emporium hardly needs any introduction, the stores the Masiero brothers have built are where cooks go for superlative fresh produce and premium shelf ingredients, along with house-baked goods, cheese, and spirits—plus choice cuts from Mazzeo’s Meat & Seafood counters. If take-out is more your speed, you’ll find an abbondanza of prepared foods—everything from salads to sushi—and even all, or part of, your Thanksgiving feast, including Mamma Mazzeo’s popular sausage stuffing and scrumptious desserts. (Order early!) And this just in: A full-size version of The Chef’s Shop will be taking up residence in the expanded Great Barrington location, where you can find all things kitchen and tabletop under the same roof as those topnotch foodstuffs.
COOKING TOOLS & BAKEWARE Even if you are a veteran host, you might need to pick up a few new provisions—more so if you are entertaining for the very first time (or in a long while). Popular items tend to fly off the shelves, so scurry to Different Drummer’s Kitchen—The Cook’s Resource (Lenox) for an impressive, well-organized inventory of basic and specialty kitchen equipage, including everything you need for Thanksgiving—twine, basters, gravy boats, pie weights—and beyond. Snowflake rolling pins? Check. Smeg Stand Mixer? Yes, please! In addition to honing your skills in one of two teaching kitchens, visit HSG Home Chef (Hillsdale)—which inhabits a can’t-miss pink house on Route 23—for its extensive cookbook selection, abundant cookware, and gadgets galore, plus a complete line of Ann Clark cookie cutters for holiday bake-offs. Then cross the street to browse the curated collection of vintage and “old-style new” home goods—pre-seasoned cast-iron pans, a bevy of bar tools, and retro party games—at Hillsdale General Store (by the same proprietor), a smartly restored circa-1850 five-and-dime. more news and features at theBerkshireEdge.com
FRESH TURKEY A big plus of living in the Berkshires is being able to score a heritage bird from a local farm—assuming you don’t delay (some start taking orders as early as September). And if the turkey doesn’t work out, you can still purchase roasts and hams to serve at other celebratory meals. By no means exhaustive, these farms are notable for their turkey trade: Moon On The Pond in Sheffield; North Plain Farm in Great Barrington; and Red Shirt Farm and Square Roots Farm, both in Lanesborough. It’s a tight-knit group, so if one is sold out, they might recommend another. Otherwise, you can order fresh turkeys from Guido’s while they last or choose from a wide selection of organic birds. Berkshire Co-op Market (Great Barrington) and Wild Oats Market (Williamstown) also offer organic turkeys by order. It bears repeating: Do not delay. If all else fails, or if the turkey is not “all that” in your estimation, turn to family-owned Big Y supermarkets, which are “big” but not overbearing—even procrastinators are sure to find a turkey (maybe frozen) while being able to check off the rest of your shopping list in one fell swoop.
TABLETOP & SERVEWARE The Berkshires is home to cultivated brick-and-mortar shops (and their online portals) that rival anything in metropolitan areas for stocking artisanal pieces with a penchant for provenance. Designer haunt Hammertown (Great Barrington) has, as highlights, handstitched table runners, stone-washed linen napkins, wooden salt and pepper grinders, hammered copper pinch bowls. and mix-and-match dishware in shades of indigo, as well as stylish potholders (for those oven-totable moments).
Sett (Great Barrington) specializes in bespoke items with a backstory—rope trivets, block-print table linens, woodlandthemed dinnerware, hand-forged cheese knives paired with locally-made wooden cheese boards, and adorable salt cellars. It also carries tapers and distinctive flatware sets. The motto of Design Menagerie (Lenox) is “Objects of Utility and Beauty—extraordinary things that elevate ordinary tasks,” with an emphasis on emerging artisans. On display are platters, pitchers, bud vases, and leather-handled trays in organic shapes and a timeless shade of white—all the easier to integrate into your own collection.
THANKSGIVING PIES Preparing the holiday feast is work enough—why not save your efforts (and oven space) by outsourcing the pies? The scratch bakeries below make their items daily, but you’ll need to place an order to ensure availability during the holidays. The apple, pumpkin, and mince pies (among others) from Taft Farms (Great Barrington) are downright famous, as are the baked cider donuts, muffins, and giant cookies (hello molasses ginger!). The farmhouse kitchen will even prepare the entire holiday meal for you, using its own produce and other local ingredients. The aptly named Haven Café and Bakery (Lenox) cranks out Thanksgiving specialties like Pear Cranberry Galette, Apple Cake, and Pumpkin Crunch Torte, in addition to its coveted biscuits and scones. Or order their Thanksgiving dinner to-go, complete with turkey breast and all the fixings. Thanksgiving desserts from A-Frame Bakery (Williamstown) run the gamut from Pear & Almond Tart to Pumpkin Cheesecake with Ginger Pecans and GF Chocolate Decadence Torte. December brings iced sugar-cookie stars for Hanukkah and Black Forest Buche de Noel for a yuletide celebration. Oh, and chocolate truffles for all occasions.
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out and about: entertaining 2.0 HOLIDAY SWAG & DECOR When there are halls to be decked, residents here flock to their trusted family-owned nurseries for festive finery (and fresh-cut trees). If you haven’t already, it’s worth starting your own family tradition. Ward’s Nursery (Great Barrington), now in its 64th year, is home to a bustling Christmas shop come November and December, with ornaments and other tree trimmings and fresh wreaths. Rather create your own? They’ve got the supplies for that too. Post apple-picking season, Windy Hill Farm (Great Barrington) transforms its retail center into a jam-packed Holiday Shop replete with boxwood and all things winterberry, amidst decorated trees (for inspiration), tabletop arrangements, and other delightful decor. Third-generation Whitney’s Farm Market & Garden Center (Cheshire) does a brisk off-season business selling boxwood kissing balls and other seasonal greenery. You can also order fresh turkeys and holiday hams. (Order early.)
NIBBLES & NOSHES Whether you are hosting people for drinks, dinner, or the whole weekend, you’ll want stylish bar snacks that are easy to pull together—and easy on the eyes. Locals in the know swarm to Rubiner’s Cheesemongers & Grocer (Great Barrington) for tutti cose Italiane—cheese, of course, but also a supporting cast of salumi, pâtés, and chocolates (plus panettone, as a holiday addition.) It also traffics in a nuanced selection of natural wines. Not sure where to begin? Order up a custom cheese and charcuterie board. And be sure to nab one of the gift boxes for a lucky host. Besides a stellar assemblage of spirits, the sibling Nejaime’s Wine Cellars (Stockbridge and Lenox) offer a comprehensive “grab-and-go” selection of cheese (over 100 types!) and all the accoutrements, in addition to Lebanese specialties and a surfeit of sweets. And their ready-made gift baskets, with wine-and-food pairings, will get any party started—even your own. The Cricket Creek Farm Store is worth a drive to Williamstown for its own award-winning cheeses—the creamy, briny, crumbly feta has a cult following—as well as pastured beef, veal, and pork. The self-serve, honor-system shop also stocks products by local vendors, including Hosta Hill kimchi and Backyard Brine pickles.
WINE & SPIRITS Wine may be your first choice when entertaining, but beer is just as food-friendly and goes especially well with cheese and charcuterie. Because, get this: The Berkshires is brimming with smallbatch breweries—Barrington Brewery, Big Elm Brewing,
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Bright Ideas Brewing, Shire Breu-Hous, Wandering Star— each with its own taproom, though you can find their cans at local retailers too. Family-owned Domaney’s (Great Barrington) has a vast, deep selection of wines from around the world and a friendly, knowledgeable staff to guide you. (Ask to see the premium wines upstairs if you are looking for a splurge.) The craft beer selection can’t be beat. Conscious consumers will appreciate the sustainability ethos of Départ (Great Barrington), a boutique retailer that focuses on “small, multiply marginalized and under-represented winemakers, family-owned producers, and [wines made by] responsible methods.” Be sure to ask the resident sommelier for recommendations. Likewise, South Egremont Spirit Shoppe spotlights smallproduction wines for people “who care about what they drink, where it comes from, and who is making it.” The owners—both with wine-industry cred—will happily share their enthusiasm for a rare find. Shop(pe) here, too, for crisps and crackers, cheese and charcuterie, and other goodies. Go straight to the source for first-rate spirits by Berkshire Mountain Distillers (Sheffield), all handcrafted at the county’s first legal distillery since prohibition. Greylock Gin, Ragged Mountain Rum, and Ice Glen Vodka are among the core offerings. New for 2021 is a limited series of whiskeys in collaboration with local breweries. Stop by for a tasting, then drive five minutes to The Pass, a recreational dispensary to sample “farm to label” cannabis.
HOLIDAY SWEETS It helps to have the following sweet spots on speed dial—or as saved GPS destinations—for all your festivities, including any impromptu get-togethers. An offshoot of Old Inn on the Green, The Southfield Store (Southfield) is a winsome brunch spot in a one-time general store that draws locals and tourists. A slate of specialty cakes and pies are available by phone order, or make your way here via scenic country roads for a daily roster of baked goods (also available by special order). The Lost Lamb (Stockbridge), directly across Main Street from The Red Lion Inn, serves up Parisian pastries with Norman more news and features at theBerkshireEdge.com
Hosting Wit and Wisdom Herewith are a few tips and tricks for easy entertaining. n
Load up on make-aheads: Find a recipe that requires minimal last-minute prep so you get to actually be at your own party and not in the kitchen. “I say that every time but never manage to follow my own tip,” Maria Nation says.
n Have a signature dish: It’s like a popular item at a restaurant that your friends can look forward to. Jane Larkworthy’s guests are often treated to her “exotic and super easy” tempura sage leaves. (Mix water, beer, flour, and baking soda together, dip the sage leaves in the batter, stick them in a pan of hot oil, and sprinkle with salt.) n
Likewise, have a house drink: This way you don’t have to stock a full bar unless that’s the way you roll. And because “drinks-making is such a mess,” Nation aims for a big-batch, pre-mixed cocktail (usually a Negroni or Manhattan) that’s ready to pour when people arrive.
n
Go easy on the decor: Rather than fretting over a deluge of details, aim for one, or two, knock-out pieces. Larkworthy’s trademark tabletop m.o. is setting out three 30-inch-tall white tapers in vintage gold holders. “They are not superexpensive, but they do make a statement.”
n Be inclusive: Nation (whose family resides in California) makes a point of inviting other “holiday orphans” in the hopes no one is left out. And Larkworthy, who was invited to a neighbor’s (via a note on the front door), extends the same welcome by having newcomers over for dinner. n
Rethink the host gift: Consider alternatives to wine or dessert or “just yourself” when guests ask you what they can bring. Larkworthy has started asking people to bring something non-perishable for the People’s Pantry, which she will deliver. (#payitforward)
n
Keep a record: Nation initially created a “menubook” because she would forget to bring something out, but now it helps her shop for the meal. Afterward, she tucks in thank-you notes, “which often contain gossip or funny references to the dinner—so it has become a really wonderful thing to help us remember.”
Rockwell views. Buy dozens of the macarons in a variety of flavors to carry you through the Festival of Lights—or for a New Year’s Eve dessert party. Specialty cakes are sometimes available, too, depending on demand. (Note: Orders are only taken in person.) Legendary for its sourdough boules and chocolate bread, Berkshire Mountain Bakery (Housatonic and Pittsfield) adds traditional panettone and stollen to its regular lineup this time of year. May as well buy the ready-tobake, seminal pizza, too—or pick up the makings (crust, sauce, cheese, and other toppings) and do the honors yourself. Since opening in 2003, Chocolate Springs Café (Lenox) has earned serious chops for its hot chocolate and velvety mousse cakes—and the open kitchen where you can see the inner workings. Chocolatier Joshua Needleman also deploys distinctive bars (such as the celestial All-Nighter Bar and golddusted Celebration Bar) and striking truffles with a Euro-Japanese bent.
GIFTS FOR THE HOST A new outlook on entertaining calls for a host-gift overhaul. Exceed expectations with a novel token of your appreciation. Owned by the event-planning duo behind “Only in Your Dreams Events”, The Shop (South Egremont) carries party-ready “packs,” which you can feel good about giving—the price of most includes a donation to a designated charity, such as the Restorative Justice Pack (to benefit Multicultural BRIDGE). The must-see back room has holiday games, décor, and whimsy aplenty. A present from Campo de’ Fiori (Sheffield) will delight any plant lover—no green thumb required. In lieu of cut flowers, co-owner Barbara Bockbrader can create a custom bouquet using dried (“everlasting”) botanicals—or assemble it yourself in one of their mercury-glass beauties. Amaryllis and paperwhite bulbs (potted or not) are other gifts that keep on giving. Handsomely packaged candles and diffusers are just some of the reasons to shop at One Mercantile (Great Barrington). Others include bird-themed glassware designed in-house), hand-printed kitchen towels, illustrated calendars, and seasoned salts. Or be the bearer of cocktail mixers and syrups, such as Bootblack’s Ginger Cardamom Lime—just add booze! Adjacent to Hotel on North, Dory & Ginger (Pittsfield) is not just for outof-towners. Residents come here for Berkshire-themed items, along with a smattering of linens, glasses, dishes, serving pieces, and cutlery, plus festive decorations for tabletop and elsewhere. Next to the Berkshire Museum lies the retail store for Museum Outlets (Pittsfield)—a labor of love by the two-generation family that runs it. What started in their own home in 1992 is now a full-fledged plant in a turn-of-thecentury textile factory, where custom-designed cards are printed, one color at a time, on two letterpresses, and mirror and picture frames are crafted by hand. BerkshiresCalendar.com
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out and about
Season of Light
Transforming Darkness With a Cozy Glow
G
rowing up, my agnostic, patchwork family had a tough time figuring out which holiday to celebrate. Some years it was Christmas; some years it was Hanukkah. And if I were particularly lucky, we celebrated both. But it wasn’t the gifts that I remember—except for a treasured Mickey Mouse watch. It was the lights. The centerpiece of every Hanukkah is the menorah with its eight candles for eight nights of illumination, plus a special one to light them all. The quest for light in times of darkness has been a human impulse ever since humans first harnessed flame yet still wondered where it came from. As a species dependent on vision and on artificial warmth to compensate for bare skin, few things resonate more than light. It symbolizes safety, knowledge, advancement, and even joy—critical attributes, particularly when intertwined with spirituality. If there’s a religion that doesn’t equate light with divine presence or inner enlightenment, it’s news to me. Christians light votive and memorial candles in churches. Jews light candles to welcome the sabbath. Buddhist and Hindu
By Andrew Blechman
shrines incorporate candles. The holiday Diwali, celebrated by Hindus, Sikhs, Jains and some Buddhists, is a festival of light, as is Kwanzaa—an African American holiday that celebrates African heritage across seven nights of candle lighting. And the symbolism of illuminating the darkness is not limited to things spiritual. The word enlightenment is synonymous with scientific progress, i.e., the Age of Enlightenment. In popular culture, a great epiphany is often equated with a lightbulb, or flash of light. At our best, our democracy is referred to as a beacon of light, which equates with hope. For those of us who live in the Northern Hemisphere, festive lights and candles are associated with celebrating the winter solstice holidays. Their warm cozy glow resides so prominently in our memories that many of us dream of winter light displays and snug hearths even amid summer’s lushness. On a personal note, my teen daughter recently returned to the Berkshires, the place of her birth, after living in Germany for fifteen years. As I write in advance of the holiday season, she is already talking about Christmas decorations. It will be a daunting task to approach the holiday traditions of Central Europe,
Above and opposite right: Springfield’s Bright Nights at Forest Park. Opposite left: Winterlights at Naumkeag.
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more news and features at theBerkshireEdge.com
The quest for light in times of darkness has been a human impulse ever since humans first harnessed flame, yet still wondered where it came from . . . particularly for this solo father. But there’s little to keep the two of us from trying during this time of exceptional grace for our little family. As a nod to her two birth faiths, there will be a menorah with candle blessings, and a Christmas tree with Americaninvented lights. Indeed, while Central Europe continued to shiver beside Yule logs and adorned trees with house fire-prone candles, we Americans invented Christmas tree lights (thank you, Thomas Edison et al), which were first popularized by President Grover Cleveland in 1895. It was only a matter of time before outdoor light displays became a thing. In 1920, Pasadena began illuminating a quarter mile stretch of Santa Rosa Avenue. Christmas Tree Lane, now more than 100 years old, is a milelong South California tradition. Thankfully the Berkshire region has plenty of community light displays to augment our own homes decorations—some as nearby as Main Street; others within an hour’s drive. In the heart of Berkshire County, there’s Winterlights at Naumkeag—a true class act. Magical and intimate and very much Berkshires. Nestled on a gilded-age estate once belonging to the Choate family and designed by McKim, Mead & White, Winterlights has caught the attention of USA Today, which has named it a “Top Ten Public Holiday Light Display”. It is indeed popular, and space is limited, book ahead. For a similarly enchanted experience, check out NightWood at Edith Wharton’s The Mount, an outdoor sound and light experience brought to an ethereal level and spread out across the large estate’s woods and gardens. Not to be missed, book ahead. When it comes to massive light displays, the 900-pound Santa amongst these is Springfield’s Bright Nights at Forest Park. Although just 26 years old, Bright Nights is already a regional phenomenon with a growing national reputation. Listed as a Top 100 attraction by the American Bus Association, as well as a Top 10 Holiday Happening by People.com, Bright Nights has
attracted more than 6 million visitors since its founding in 1995. For those of you who are unfamiliar with Bright Nights, it’s a circuitous 3-mile display-filled drive through Springfield’s Frederick Law Olmsted-designed Forest Park on the south end of town. This often-underrated city, rich in history and cultural touchstones, is the birthplace of Dr. Seuss (Theodor Seuss Geisel), Milton Bradley (now Hasbro toys), basketball, and the first American dictionary (Merriam-Webster), among a host of many more inventions and firsts. Consequently, Bright Nights’ larger-than-life lit Christmas displays feature figurines from the magical world of Dr. Seuss and icons from Hasbro games like Monopoly and the Game of Life, plus old standbys such as toy soldiers and leaping reindeer and some inventive crowd pleasers, such as a volcano surrounded by dinosaurs. For all its holiday splendor, Bright Nights had a rather humble beginning. A commercial leaflet arrived at the office of The Spirit of Springfield, a local nonprofit founded to celebrate the city. It advertised holiday light displays, the sort of which were populating parks in the American South to help Southerners feel the holiday spirit despite the holiday heat. Judy Matt, president of The Spirit of Springfield, looked at the flier, deemed it a good idea, contacted the head of the city’s parks, and in a matter of months the public-private collaboration of Bright Nights came to be. “There’s something magical about holiday lights,” Judy Matt says. “A tree is just a tree, until you put lights on it. Then it’s a holiday tree.” Bright Nights has only grown over time. There are now 675,000 lights and six miles of underground wiring dedicated to illuminating an ever-growing number of figurines. And Matt would like you to know that these lights “aren’t the little ‘twinkly’ ones; they are the serious ones, the size of your thumb.” (To aficionados, they’re known as “C5”—cone-shaped bulbs with a 5/8ths-inch diameter.)
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Left and right: Rhinebeck’s Sinterklaas
Bright Nights runs the breadth of the holiday season from November 24 through January 2 and costs $23 per carload (excepting discounted days, such as $10 Tuesdays). But a visit to Bright Nights can also be a visit to much more: The Springfield Museums (a city block filled with five museums covering art, science, history, and Dr. Seuss!); the Basketball Hall of Fame; a free holiday concert at Symphony Hall; a meal of schnitzel, bratwurst, spätzle, and beer at the beloved Student Prince (TripAdvisor is chock full of other suggestions, including the Red Rose Pizzeria); and there’s always the MGM Grand, Springfield’s new, downtown, casino-entertainment complex. Northampton’s Look Park hosts a delightfully modest version of Springfield’s Bright Nights. The drive-through display north of town is a mile long; the displays are nearly all built in-house by park staff—a rare occurrence in today’s world. Displays include a princess castle, a bear, woodpecker, Snoopy, and a menorah. There is no entry cost, although donations are encouraged. There’s rarely a line. Consider combining your visit with a milkshake or mug of coffee at the Miss Florence Diner, a local 1940s boxcar hangout—one of the oldest in the nation— that’s listed on the National Register of Historic Places. With Albany’s Holiday Lights in the Park in limbo, the largest holiday light display in the Capital Region is now the privately sponsored Holiday Lights Spectacular on the rural company campus of Quick Response (a damage recovery service) located between Albany and Saratoga Springs. For those looking to mix thrills and chills with cozy light displays, Six Flags New England offers holiday-themed evenings replete with family-oriented rides and an amusement park adorned with more than a million lights. If you’re keen on more menorah action, the Berkshire Chabad in Pittsfield is keenly dedicated to celebrating the good cheer of Hanukkah. They will be co-hosting, with the Jewish Federation of the Berkshires, a first night of Hanukkah lighting— including fire show, live music, hot latkes(!), and of course a jumbo menorah. Check out their website, jewishberkshires.com, for details, as well as other Jewish holiday happenings. If you’d like to learn more about Kwanzaa and help celebrate it, Berkshire County’s Women of Color Giving Circle hosts a community candle lighting each year that highlights one of the seven principles of Kwanzaa. Last year it was the
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principle of Umoja, which means “unity”. There’s live music, a presentation, and a sharing of food that ranges from collard greens to spaghetti to meatballs. Everyone is welcome. For more information, check out the organization’s Facebook page, as well as the website for their mentoring program, ropeberkshires.org. And if you’re hankering for an over-the-top full-Griswald family Christmas experience, as in . . .
“Dad, this tree won’t fit in our backyard.” “It’s not going in the yard, Rusty. It’s going in the living room.” . . . there’s the Gay family’s ginormous yard display in LaGrange, NY (about 75 minutes south of Great Barrington on the Taconic Parkway—a well-timed turn off for those of you headed to New York City for holiday shopping. The display’s unwieldy name —ERDAJT—is an acronym for the family’s three children. The outdoor decorations started more than two decades ago with a mere 600 lights on a pair of trees. Since then, it has grown to well over 600,000 lights using 2,500 extension cords, measuring eight miles, and 37 miles of wiring. Firmly ensconced in the Guinness Book of World Records for most Christmas lights on a family property, the sound-choreographed display is free, but visitors entering the family’s driveway are encouraged to give a donation —all of which goes to charity. So far more than $500,000 has been raised. (Fun fact: with the use of all-LED lights, the electric bill for the holiday display is just $350 for the entire holiday season.) And for heaven’s sake, don’t miss out on the holiday strolls that our area is famous for. Several have been postponed due to COVID, but Great Barrington’s downtown celebration along Main Street is moving forward. Scheduled for December 11, the Great Barrington Holiday Stroll will feature music, food, face painting, hayrides, wreath making, a bonfire, a holiday concert at Saint James Place, even fireworks. For those interested in a trip to the Hudson Valley, Rhinebeck’s Sinterklaas is a must for young families. With its parade, jugglers, and costumes galore, this inspired, one-night street carnival (December 4) honoring the region’s Dutch heritage, is a hidden gem. more news and features at theBerkshireEdge.com
food &lodging
BERKSHIRE GROWN
A guide to seasonal food, lodging, and specialty products sourced locally in the Berkshires.
Balderdash Cellars
NORTH Lickety Split at MASS MoCA 87 Marshall Street North Adams, Mass. 413-346-4560 licketysplitatmassmoca.com R Mezze Bistro + Bar and Mezze Catering + Events 777 Cold Spring Rd. Williamstown, Mass. 413-458-0123 catering: 413-458-8745 mezzerestaurant.com or mezzecatering.com C R TKO The Break Room at Greylock Works 508 State Road North Adams, Mass. 413-346-4035 thebreakroomGW.com R TKO Wild Oats Market 320 Main St. Williamstown, Mass. 413-458-8060 wildoats.coop G SNAP
Café Lucia 80 Church St., Lenox, Mass. 413-637-2640 cafelucialenox.com R Chocolate Springs 55 Pittsfield Lenox Rd., Lenox Commons, Lenox, Mass. 413-637-9820 chocolatesprings.com R Country Club of Pittsfield 639 South St., Pittsfield, Mass. 413-447-8500 ccpittsfield.org R Frankie’s 80 Main St, Lenox, Mass. 413-637-4455 frankiesitaliano.com R TKO The Gateways Inn 51 Walker St., Lenox, Mass. 413-637-2532 gatewaysinn.com L Guido’s Fresh Marketplace 1020 South St., Pittsfield, Mass. 413-442-9912 guidosfreshmarketplace.com G R SNAP
C Catering G Grocery L Lodging R Restaurant SNAP Accepts SNAP/EBT TKO Accepts SNAP/EBT For updates visit: berkshiregrown.org/guidetolocalfoodandfarms/ Mt. Greylock Campsite Park 15 Scott Rd. Lanesborough, Mass. 413-447-9419 mtgreylockcampsitepark.com L Nejaime’s Wine Cellars 60 Main St, Lenox, Mass. 413-637-2221 nejaimeswine.com No. Six Depot Roastery & Café 6 Depot St. West Stockbridge, Mass. 413-232-0205 sixdepot.com G R TKO
Zucchini’s Restaurant & Catering 1331 North St., Pittsfield, Mass. 413-442-2777 zucchinisrestaurant.com C R TKO
SOUTH Barrington Brewery & Restaurant 420 Stockbridge Rd. Great Barrington, Mass. 413-528-8282 barringtonbrewery.net R TKO
The Roasted Garlic 483 West Housatonic St. Pittsfield, Mass. 413-499-9910 theroastedgarlic.com R TKO
Berkshire Food Co-op 34 Bridge Street Great Barrington, Mass. 413-528-9697 berkshire.coop C G R SNAP TKO
Rouge Restaurant & Bistro 3 Center St. West Stockbridge, Mass. 413-232-4111 rougerestaurant.com R TKO
Berkshire Mountain Bakery 367 Park St., Housatonic, Mass. 413-274-1313 berkshiremountainbakery.com G R TKO
CENTRAL
Hancock Shaker Village Bimi’s Café 1843 W. Housatonic St. Pittsfield, Mass. 413-443-0188 hancockshakervillage.org R
Alta Restaurant & Wine Bar 34 Church St., Lenox, Mass. 413-637-0003 altawinebar.com R TKO
Haven Café and Bakery 8 Franklin St., Lenox, Mass. 413-637-8948 havencafebakery.com TKO
Berkshire Mountain Bakery Pizza Café 180 Elm St., Pittsfield, Mass. 413-464-9394 berkshiremountainbakery.com G R TKO Berkshire Palate 297 North St., Pittsfield, Mass. 413-398-5137 berkshirepalate.com C R TKO
Heirloom Fire 413-344-5771 heirloomfire.com events@heirloomfire.com C
Stonover Farm B&B 169 Undermountain Rd. Lenox, Mass. 413-637-9100 stonoverfarm.com L
café ADAM 420 Stockbridge Rd. Great Barrington, Mass. 413-528-7786 cafeadam.org R TKO
Mario’s Restaurant 458 Rte. 20, New Lebanon, N.Y. 518-794-9495 mariosrestaurantnl.com R TKO
Trattoria Il Vesuvio 242 Pittsfield Rd., Lenox, Mass. 413-637-4904 trattoria-vesuvio.com R TKO
Café Triskele 150 Main St., Lee, Mass. 413-243-6397 cafetriskele.com R TKO
The Marketplace Café 53 North St., Pittsfield, Mass. 413-358-4777 marketplacekitchen.com R TKO
Wyndhurst Manor & Club 55 Lee Rd., Lenox, Mass. 413-637-4061 wyndhurstmanorandclub.com LR
Farm Country Soup 389 Stockbridge Rd. Great Barrington, Mass. 413-528-0040 farmcountrysoup.com C G R TKO
Birchwood Inn 7 Hubbard St., Lenox, Mass. 413-637-2600 birchwood-inn.com L
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Berkshire Mountain Bakery
Gedney Farm 34 Hartsville New Marlborough Rd. (Rt 57) New Marlborough, Mass. 413-229-3131 gedneyfarm.com C L R Guido’s Fresh Marketplace 760 Main St. Great Barrington, Mass. 413-528-9255 guidosfreshmarketplace.com G SNAP The Inn at Sweet Water Farm 1 Prospect Lake Rd. Great Barrington, Mass. 413-528-2882 innsweetwater.com L John Andrews Farmhouse Restaurant 224 Hillsdale Rd. S. Egremont, Mass. 413-528-3469 johnandrewsrestaurant.com R TKO The Marketplace Café 18 Elm Court, Sheffield, Mass. 413-248-5040 marketplacekitchen.com C R TKO The Marketplace Kitchen Table 240 Stockbridge Rd. Great Barrington, Mass. 413-528-2233 marketplacekitchen.com R TKO Naji’s Mediterranean Cuisine 401 Stockbridge Rd. Great Barrington, Mass. 413-528-5540 najismediterraneancuisine.com R TKO Nejaime’s Wine Cellars 3 Elm St., Stockbridge, Mass. 413-298-3454 nejaimeswine.com Old Inn on the Green 134 Hartsville New Marlboro Rd. New Marlborough, Mass. 413-229-7924 oldinn.com C L R TKO
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The Barrington
The Old Mill 53 Main St. South Egremont, Mass. 413-528-1421 oldmillberkshires.com R TKO Philmont Market & Cafe Cooperative 116 Main St., Philmont, N.Y. 518-672-7673 philmontcooperative.com Prairie Whale 178 Main St. Great Barrington, Mass. 413-528-5050 prairiewhale.com R Random Harvest 1785 Rt. 23, Craryville, N.Y. 518-325-9895 randomharvestmarket.com G R TKO The Red Lion Inn 30 Main St., Stockbridge, Mass. 413-298-5545 redlioninn.com L R TKO Roadside Store and Cafe 275 Main St., Monterey, Mass. 413-528-2633 roadsidestoreandcafe.com G R SoCo Creamery 5 Railroad St. Great Barrington, Mass. 413-528-8400 sococreamery.com R TKO The Southfield Store 163 Main St., Southfield, Mass. 413-229-5050 southfieldstore.com R TKO The Barrington 281 Main Street Great Barrington, Mass. 413-528-6159 thebarringtongb.com L
Mezze Bistro + Bar
SPECIALTY FOOD PRODUCERS Artisan Beverage Cooperative Fine makers of Katalyst Kombucha and Ginger Libations. Curbside pickup Fri 4 – 6 p.m., Sat 12 – 2 p.m. 413-773-9700 artbev.coop Assembly Coffee Roasters A true micro-roastery, roasting specialty coffees for wholesale clients and for our own webstore in small batches. 413-443-0280 assemblycoffeeroasters.com Auntie Elsie’s Oatmeal Crisps Thin gourmet oatmeal cookies with a unique delicate crisp. Online store and wholesale available. 40 Daniel Shays Hwy, Unit 4, Belchertown, Mass. 413-406-6207 auntieelsies.com Balderdash Cellars Boutique winery focused on producing ultrapremium wines from grapes grown by worldclass CA vineyards. 81 State Rd, Richmond, Mass. 413-464-4629 balderdashcellars.com Barrington Coffee Roasting Company Farm direct coffees roasted to order in the Berkshires. 800-528-0998 barringtoncoffee.com Battenkill Wholesome Foods Gluten-free, high energy products: energy bars, crumble topping, and cereals. Available online and in local stores. Manchester Center, Vt. 802-375-2698 battenkillwholesomefoods.com
Berkshire Cider Project Sparkling hard cider inspired by the art, agriculture, and community that makes the Berkshires so special. 508 State Road North Adams Mass. 413 409-6058 berkshire-cider.com Berkshire Mountain Distillers Farm Distillery Tasting room and tours of the facility and gardens. Offering fresh herbs and botanicals for cocktails and infusions. Custom labeled gins for restaurants. 356 S. Main St., Sheffield, Mass. 413-229-0219 berkshiremountaindistillers.com BerkShore Providing Berkshire County with a selection of curated local and regional seafood directly from the Boston fish pier. berkshore.com Big Elm Brewing Handcrafted ales and lagers. Taproom open Thurs – Sun 12 – 7 p.m. 413 229-2348 bigelmbeer.com BOLA granola Fresh, healthy and handmade since 2008. Available through retail partners and online. 10 Crissey Rd Gt. Barrington, Mass. 413-528-4745 bolagranola.com Creature Bread LLC A family-run bread company producing naturally leavened bread. Available at Rubiner’s Cheesemongers, Marjoram + Roux, North Plain Farm, Farm Country Soup, West Stockbridge farmers market, New Marlborough farmers market, and Westerlind Pantry. Available through our website for pickup in Southfield. creaturebread.com
more news and features at theBerkshireEdge.com
Great Cape Baking Hand-cut cider and seasonal variety donuts. New England farmhouse style breads, artisan breads, sourdough, English muffins, cookies, pastries, gourmet breadcrumbs, small batch jams, jellies, and preserves. Events, farmers markets, wholesale, custom orders. 508-322-0408 Highland Ledge Farm Homemade unique and spicy flavored jams. 413-344-5102 or 413-749-2699 thehighlandledge.com Hosta Hill Lacto-fermented sauerkrauts, kimchis, and hot sauces from locally grown vegetables. 15 Commercial St. Pittsfield, Mass. hostahill.com H.R. Zeppelin Fine Handmade Chocolates Small batch, organic, locally sourced. Retail shop. Custom orders for parties and events. hr-zeppelin.com 413-644-8800
Jacuterie Hand-crafted charcuterie. Sold at retail grocers and farmers markets throughout region. jacuterie.com les collines Locally sourced, seasonally inspired, small batch jelly & preserves. Wholesale available. Darling Rd., Craryville, N.Y. 609-915-1453 thelifeipicked.com Mary’s Kitchen Cakes, pies, muffins, cookies, Middle-Eastern dishes available upon request. 50 years of experience. 413-637-0747 Paper Cake Scissors Baked goods: cakes, granola, scones, and biscotti. Linens and unique art with a local flavor. 413-652-9938 papercakescissors.com
Philmont Community Bakery Wheat-free spelt and rye breads and pastries from locally grown grains. 116 Main St., Philmont, N.Y. 518-821-2148 philmontcooperative.com Sidehill Farm Yogurt Certified organic yogurt, cultured sour cream, and aged cheddar cheeses made from the milk of grass-fed cows. Retail and wholesale. 58 Forget Rd., Hawley, Mass. 413-339-0033 sidehillfarm.net Strudel House Baked with hand-pulled dough and fruits and vegetables from Hudson Valley farms. 917-551-0286 strudel-house.com
Sweet Birch Herbals & Full Moon Ghee Holistic Health Company Locally grown, sustainably wild crafted herbs, holistic health consulting, workshops; ghee made on the full moon. Wholesale ghee available. Online store & farmers markets. Ashfield, Mass. 413-695-5968 sweetbirchherbals.com fullmoonghee.com The Sweetish Baker Retail take out bakery offering pies, galettes, pastries, cakes, granola, soups, quiche, coffee, tea, and more! 258 Stockbridge Road Great Barrington, Mass. 413-645-3275 thesweetishbaker.com
R&G Cheese Artisan cheeses, both cow and goat’s milk, as well as yogurt. 518-436-7603 rgcheese.com The Gateways Inn
Winter
Farmers Market GT. BARRINGTON
Housy Dome SATURDAYS 10am-2pm NOV 20 FEB 19 DEC 18 MAR 19 JAN 15 APR 16
WILLIAMSTOWN NORTH ADAMS
Greylock WORKS SUNDAYS 10am-2pm NOV 21 DEC 19 berkshiregrown.org BerkshiresCalendar.com
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Wedding Bliss, Berkshires Style Now more than ever, the Berkshire hills are alive with the sound of “I do.” By Evelyn Battaglia
B
oasting convenient proximity and a rural sophistication, Berkshire County has been registering on the destinationwedding radar for over a decade, vying with nearby posh hot spots Newport and the Hamptons. These days, the rarefied patchwork of big-time culture and small-town charm —dotted with paddleboard-ready lakes, hiking trails, bike paths, you-pick orchards, and ski resorts—is resonating especially with millennials, aka the “experiential generation.” The recent spate of “best places to visit” writeups is even beckoning couples from as far afield as California, Colorado (Aspen no less), Texas, and Wisconsin. Some newlyweds have a pre-existing connection to the region (namely parents with second homes), others are rookies to the region. Then there’s the area’s ability to meet “betrotheds” where they are at. “The Berkshires is booming with weddings right now—we can handle that endless-budget stylized event, but we are friendly to smaller, more affordable ceremonies, too,” says Rebecca Daly, founder of Whitlock & Cooper Events. She is already booked through 2022—an anomaly, given peak engagement season coincides with the holidays. (Fear not: Other planners and many venues are still available for 2022, though the general advice is to book asap—and consider weekdays, or the shoulder season, to improve your options.) The recent blip in betrothals is hardly unique to area code 413. Industry research firm The Wedding Report projects the number of weddings to reach 2.5 million in 2022 (up from 2.1 million in 2019)—a number not seen since the high-flying
1980s. At the same time, couples are reportedly spending more on weddings, up some $3,000 over 2020. That influx of tourist dollars reverberates beyond the wedding sector to help fuel other local economies. “We bring in hundreds of guests who stay in nearby hotels and eat at restaurants and visit museums,” Daly says. “We generate a significant chunk of revenue for school bus companies and keep them going right through summer and into fall. Even local couples bring in a lot of out-of-towners.” And for all those visitors, basking in the glow of a whimsical weekend, the Berkshires will become that enchanted place they’ll want to share with their own friends and family, and so on. Once bitten, forever smitten!
THE PANDEMIC EFFECT The seismic impact of COVID-19 on the wedding landscape is a well-known tale by now. Before the shutdown, 2020 promised to be a banner year for weddings in the Berkshires, and most couples pushed out their dates so they could realize their dream wedding. All those postponed events and a spike in pandemic-era engagements created a jam-packed 2021. “It has been wonderful to see family and friends together celebrating and it has been busy!” says Kelsi Polk, wedding coordinator at The Mount. That popular venue was host to twice as many weddings this past season, and even held a few mid-week, after-hour ceremonies. (“And there is a lot of interest in 2022 and 2023. Dates are going fast!”)
From left: Lambs Hill, Mass MoCA, Hancock Shaker Village. BerkshiresCalendar.com
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What’s also telling is the small percentage of couples who bucked the trend and decided to downscale and even honor their original date (it often held special significance)—and thereby lend the intimate wedding more intentionality by not allowing even a global pandemic to stand in their way of exchanging vows. “We found that a lot of people never wanted the big weddings, their parents did. So COVID has paved the way for couples to do their own thing,” says Jessy Turner, who runs Berkshire Elopements (co-founded by photographer Jocelyn Vassos), Bird House Events, and Ice House Hill Farm, a wedding venue in Richmond, Mass. (Amazingly she also finds the time and energy to be the on-site wedding coordinator for the Normal Rockwell Museum.) Her biggest wedding of 2021 had about 150 guests, and she continues to hear from couples who are planning elopements and micro weddings for 2022. Daly observed a similar mind reset: “The pandemic made people realize what is important. You don’t have to invite every person you’ve ever said hello to. Smaller weddings can be just as much work, but they felt loving and great.”
MICRO WEDDINGS GO MACRO “Micro weddings,” quietly gaining ground before the pandemic, have undergone a total brand update and are now part of the regular lexicon. Town & Country Magazine defines them as having up to 50 guests, while local planners and venues tend to have a cap of around 25. Couples are embracing these curtailed gatherings with the same gusto as larger bashes—often with no expense spared. Indeed, according to a 2019 industry study, even though the average guest count was on a downward slope, the average cost per guest was up. So scaling back to 25 guests, instead of 125, might mean you can afford to coddle your invitees—say, by blocking off an entire inn or splurging on the rehearsal dinner, or treating everyone to a spa day at Canyon Ranch. Couples are also planting their elopement flag these days— only these are not quickie Las Vegas elopements, but a plannedout ceremony, with or without a few guests, and at least some of the traditional trappings. Such is the model for Berkshire Elopements, whose standard package starts at $3,000 and includes an hour of photography, the officiant (Turner does the honors), and a meal.
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“Ultimately this is for people who love each other and don’t want to deal with the drama of families, or the stress of planning. It also speaks to cost savings,” Turner says. She will often drive couples up to the top of Mount Greylock, or go to Ashintully Gardens where you don’t have to pay a fee. “So that can save you thousands of dollars.” Of course, the blowout wedding is still de rigueur for many couples—even more so after a drawn-out shutdown. “People are definitely ready to party,” says Magdalena Mieczkowska of Magdalena Events, who had a record 2021 season and has twelve weddings (her max) on the calendar for 2022, each with approximately 200 guests. “The couples seem to have more budget and want them to be even bigger than ever before.”
A SPACE FOR EVERY STYLE, SIZE, AND BUDGET No matter which lane—er, aisle—you pick, the Berkshires is chockablock with singular places that can suit any ceremony. Even big-wedding bastions like Tanglewood, Blantyre and The Mount have created pricing tiers for lower guest counts. For example, at Blantyre you can have up to 250 guests on the Upper Lawn (starting at $10,000 for site rental), up to 70 guests in the Conservatory ($13,500), or two to 10 guests in the Dom Perignon Salon (for $2,000). (As a full-service venue, pricing can bundle the cost of food, drink, cake, and other details as desired.) Mass MoCA offers an all-inclusive micro wedding package for up to 25 guests (or 35 for an additional fee of $120 per person). Also available is a short-and-sweet elopement package for up to four guests, which includes a photography session. “Once events were possible again, I started thinking of ways to do them in a smaller fashion,” says Chris Handschuh, Tenant Operations and Events Coordinator for Mass MoCA. “We are still getting inquiries for micro weddings despite not having any capacity limits.” Beyond these familiar forums, the Berkshires has a bounty of quaint inns, retro-chic motels (cue Tourists), summer camps, and everything in between (think Greylock Works). You can also get hitched at gilded age mansions (Chesterwood among them), cultural outposts, and pastoral farms—Gedney Farm, for one, has 50 acres and two Normandy-style barns to accommodate up to 250 people. The Berkshires is also home to modern-day “banquet halls” like Crissey Farm, which charges a $1,000 site fee and different dining packages starting at $85 per person. In the north county, more news and features at theBerkshireEdge.com
the rental rate for a one-day event at 75-acre Bloom Meadows is $10,000 (or $8,500 during the off season); the weekend event rate, which comes with a two-night stay in the Silo suite and Sunday brunch, runs $16,000. Want a non-denominational church wedding? Check out St. James Place, a circa-1857 Episcopal chapel that has been restored into a secular (but sacred!) performance space in downtown Great Barrington, with the original limestone façade, triumphal arches, and handcrafted stained glass intact. For elopements, the sky’s the limit—waterfalls, ski slopes, private homes, public parks, charming main streets, you name it.
ONE-STOP SHOPPING FOR VENDORS What’s more, the Berkshires sports an exhaustive retinue of vendors to handle every aspect of a wedding—from planners and photographers to florists, caterers and cake designers, light and sound specialists, tent and furniture rentals, and DJs and live musicians. As of July, there’s even an upscale bridal-gown salon— Kismet, which is by reservation only—smack dab in the heart of downtown Pittsfield. Here out-of-town brides can pick out their dress while scouting venues, and local brides can stay local. The farm-to-fork ethos is, of course, an important part of the Berkshires’ story and can add nuance to any wedding reception, with roving food trucks, pop-up pizza ovens, and even old-school cooking over an open fire by the likes of Heirloom Fire and The Swell Party rounding out top-tier catering companies. (Or consider having one of the above for a welcome party.) “It’s about reimagining spaces,” says Tom Ellis, founder of The Swell Party. “The first thing most clients say is they don’t want what everyone else has done—they want their own unique experience and to use the venue in a brand new way. We make it work, moving things so normal paths are thrown out the window.” That above-and-beyond ethos is pretty much the calling card of the local industry—”and clients seem to appreciate the
authentic vibe here,” says Danielle Pellerin, founder of 5 Senses Events & Design. “We put our blood, sweat, and tears into these little businesses and it shows. And you are not compromising on anything—we can produce at the same quality as vendors from the city. Plus, you have this beautiful backdrop. I cry at every wedding; we really care about our couples.” She and other planners are open to collaborating with outside vendors, too—it’s all about accommodating the couple on their big day. That said, Turner has made it a mission to work with only Berkshire vendors “and I have to say, it’s been pretty magical!”
Opposite page: Greylock Works, Bloom Meadows. Clockwise: The Mount, Another Round mobile bar service, Jiminy Peak.
Weddings Across the Seasons Late May through early October remains the peak wedding season in the Berkshires, with a typical slowdown in July (too unpredictably hot). But the region has enough offerings to attract couples throughout the year—and you will likely find more availability (and affordability) in the shoulder months. Winter can be especially magical here, whether your idea of fun is snowshoeing, or curling up fireside (or both!). The following four weddings, all from 2021, span the seasons and sizes, from two to 200. When planning your own nuptials—and finding your own Berkshires-style bliss, there are abundant ideas and inspiration to be found in each one.
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Leigha Gardner & Bishir Ali January 2021
WINTER MICRO-WEDDING FOR 10
Boston and Berkshires Collide at Blantyre When Leigha Gardner and Bishir Ali became engaged in August 2019, they had a few plans in the pipeline for a grand wedding—mostly so they could accommodate each other’s large families. (The pair had met while attending college in Boston, where Leigha was still living; Bishir had already relocated to Pittsfield to take over his family’s restaurant business.) They even toyed with the idea of a destination wedding outside the Berkshires, but couldn’t find a venue that felt right. Then the pandemic hit and the couple put their plans on hold until things got back to “normal”— soon realizing there was no way to know when that would be. “Suddenly, getting married just felt urgent. We wanted to move on with our lives and start the next chapter,” Leigha wrote in their pre-wedding questionnaire. Plus, there was no way to truly know when it would be safe to have a big wedding again. “Honestly, it was a blessing in disguise. It took the weight off my shoulders.” So when Café Boulud (one of their favorite places in Boston) took up residence at Blantyre, they knew the venue would be the perfect setting for a winter micro-wedding—especially when they learned their quarantine puppy, who had been attacked and needed round-the-clock care, could be part of the event. “Everything was just falling into place.” They did have to scale back from 30 to ten guests due to state restrictions. And despite the death of her grandfather in December and COVIDrelated setbacks (Ali’s brother decided not to risk exposing everyone by flying in from California), the couple mustered on. “My dad kept telling me ‘Just keep going,’ and we did. Love prevailed in the end!”
VENDORS Planner: Leigha Gardner (bride) Photographer: Dani Fine Photography Flowers and catering: Blantyre
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SPRING BLOWOUT FOR 190
Disco Down at Hancock Shaker Village
VENDORS Venue: Hancock Shaker Village Planner: Magdalena Events & Design Photographer: Chellise Michael Photography// Michael Busse Flowers: Susie Hanna/Daisy Stone Studio Reception Music: Dancing Dream ABBA Tribute Band Dance Music: DJ JD Gluckstern Rentals: Classical Tents Lighting: Rob Alberti Transportation: Transport the People
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“I don’t know how to categorize this wedding other than it was like a tasteful farm disco,” says planner Magdalena Mieczkowska, of Magdalena Events & Design. “It was this wonderfully crazy dance party.” Indeed, San Francisco-based Ariel Friedman and Robert Heeger planned an entire weekend of celebrations for their destination wedding. A rehearsal dinner/welcome party with food truck kicked things off on Friday night; there was an after-party on Saturday with a bonfire and s’mores; and a huge brunch on Sunday was the farewell finale—all held at the Lake House Inn in Lee, Mass. (A group of close friends were also based there; the couple stayed at The Wheatleigh.) Why the Berkshires? “Proximity to Eisner Camp was a big motivator,” the couple wrote via a joint email. They both grew up attending Eisner—and both sets of parents have homes in the Berkshires. It is also where the two reconnected, through a mutual friend, after six years. Flash forward to August of 2019, when they got engaged in Greece and set their sights on a 2021 wedding date. “We had always planned a lengthy engagement for a couple reasons, including that we wanted to be intentional about the transition from dating to life partnership—we learned a lot about ourselves and our relationship during that important time.” Way back when, they chose Hancock Shaker Village because it had the capacity to host 250 guests, which was the number they thought they would have pre-COVID. And then they waited as long as possible before landing on their final count of 190. The idea for the disco theme grew out of the couple’s experiences attending (pre-pandemic) ABBA tribute nights at popular venues around San Francisco. “It was such a novelty to get to dress up and be really silly and joyful and colorful. We thought if can try to recreate any part of ABBA night energy, it’s probably going to a pretty fun wedding.” Hence, according to Mieczkowska, an ABBA tribute band opened up the dance floor and played for an hour, then an “amazing” DJ played very nontraditional wedding music. (The first dance was a more subdued “Harvest Moon” by Neil Young.) A group of guests also surprised the newlyweds with a choreographed disco flash mob during dinner. “Ultimately the execution was exactly what they had imagined—the sun came out just as the ceremony started, a herd of cows came over to greet the guests the moment the tribute band began to play, and we ended the night jumping into Laurel Lake with all of our friends. We felt and still feel so held and supported by our community. And we danced A LOT.” more news and features at theBerkshireEdge.com
Ariel (Rel) Anne Friedman & Robert (Robbie) Evan Heeger June 2021
Sarah Rhodes & Charles TK July 2021
SUMMER CELEBRATION FOR 100
Marrying (Again) at The Mount For Berkshires natives Sarah Rhodes and Charles TK—she grew up in Great Barrington, he in nearby Hancock, Mass.—their wedding was always meant to be both a reunion of friends and family from the area and an opportunity to introduce out-of-towners to their “beautiful” home county. (They now live near Old Chatham, N.Y.) When they had to wait over a year due to the pandemic, the former goal became even more poignant. One thing was certain—The Mount was to be their venue. “It really can’t be beat,” Sarah says (here on out speaking on behalf of both newlyweds). The couple’s story is a familiar COVID tale: They first postponed their wedding from May 30, 2020, to later that same summer before landing on the eventual date of July 3, 2021. The guest count also dropped from 160 to around 100. Meanwhile, on October 17, 2020, they had a small civil ceremony at a secluded spot along the Green River in Great Barrington, surrounded by immediate family and a few close friends. After the ceremony, their thoughts began to shift about the format of the July event and they ultimately decided against a formal sit-down dinner. Instead, guests could eat, drink, and dance freely throughout the celebration. The chosen wildflower theme was designed to create the unfussy look and feel of a New England meadow. (Charles TK is a native plant enthusiast.) “Crocus Hale, the florist, brought her inestimable skills to bear and made it all truly beautiful and authentic.” Guests were scattered across the Berkshires, many of them staying at their own family homes, while others were at hotels and rentals. And there was sweet serendipity in how the postponed event came off: “It was the most fantastic day! Two years in the making! In the end it was nice to have been already married in the civil ceremony— the evening felt totally celebratory, like a real party. The rain held off until later that night and we were able to have our ceremony in the French Garden. Wish we could do it all over again!”
VENDORS Venue: The Mount Catering and planning: Mezze Catering Photographer: Dear Edith and Lily Florist: Crocus Hale Band: The Loyales Ceremony music: Atlantic String Trio Rentals: Classical Tents
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AUTUMN ELOPEMENT FOR TWO
Sweet Serendipity in the Woods
VENDORS Planner: Berkshire Elopements Photographer: Dear Edith and Lily Florist: Thistle N Thorn Cake: Shire Cottage Bakery Hair and makeup: Beauty Locale [for an additional fee] Dinner reservation: Bistro Zinc
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Getting married outdoors in the Berkshires, sans tent, requires a certain willingness to go with the flow—inclement weather (especially sudden downpours) being a frequent spoil sport. Resiliency in hand, Rhiannon McGraw and Andrew Adams were all set to be married at Ashintully Gardens on a fall Friday afternoon, having flown in from their home state of Wisconsin just for the occasion. But when the threat of heavy rains forced them to shift plans and find a location with some protective shelter, they first set out to marry under the timber at Hancock Shaker Village (hint: no advance notice required!). Then the sun magically came out and they were instead able to exchange vows near a small pond in a secluded area along the route. “The moment was perfect and beautiful,” Rhiannon says. It was also fitting, given that the couple chose an elopement, because they “wanted to be able to connect with one another in a serene setting, celebrating love in a natural, easy-going fashion.” (That would have been their choice, pandemic or not.) And for a thoroughly modern (and millennial) approach to scouting destinations, Rhiannon says the Berkshires was a random choice after searching on Google. “The area was mentioned frequently and seemed to be a top pick.” Adding to the appeal was that they could visit with her family in Gloucester and his best friend in New Hampshire, post ceremony. Google was also the path to Berkshire Elopements, which co-founder Jessy Turner says is pretty much par for the course. Despite having to shift course a couple times, the couple reports being “extremely happy with any changes we did end up making.” It does pay to have an unflappable team making all the arrangements— Turner basically plans everything and “all the couple needs to do is show up and get married.” As for pulling another location out of the proverbial hat: “That is the essence of what we do: Flexibility, adventure, privacy. And certainly the Berkshires is filled with no end of beautiful places if you know where to find them!”
more news and features at theBerkshireEdge.com
Rhiannon McGraw & Andrew Adams September 2021
HOW TO STAY WITHIN
Any Size Budget
The average wedding cost nationwide is around $27,000, excluding the costs of rehearsal dinner, lodging, transportation, and other extras, which can quickly add up. In Massachusetts, the number is closer to $45,000. “Even couples who have a healthy budget appreciate hearing creative ways to repurpose and reuse certain elements, so everything looks more lush,” Danielle Pellerin, founder of 5 Senses Events & Design says. (Her clients tend to spend over $100,000 and sometimes over $200,000, with a few in the $75,000 range—”that amount can go quickly.”) For one summer wedding, Perellin worked with the florist to create two striking floral arrangements in lieu of an arbor or arch. Post-ceremony, they cut those into smaller pieces and put them behind the sweetheart table at the reception. “We couldn’t bear the thought of leaving all those florals to wilt when their beauty can be enjoyed elsewhere.” Turner tends to work with clients with lesser budgets. “We keep our prices reasonable because we think it’s a service everyone should have.” Here she offers a few of her tried-and-true cost-saving tips.
• Keep your guest list between 15 and 100. “That speaks to weeding out those you may not have been keen on inviting anyway.”
• Reconsider having your event at an inn—most will require a two-night buyout. Instead, look to all
the other beautiful places in the Berkshires. Consider weekdays or off-peak months when lodging is traditionally lower priced.
• Save on the cost of paying for a wait staff by having a buffet versus a plated meal. • Opt for a full open bar just for the cocktail hour, then pare back to wine and beer for dinner,
or just have beer and wine and maybe a signature drink for the entire reception. A consumption model, whereby you pay for whatever is consumed above a minimum fee, is yet another option.
• For outdoor receptions, find a venue that either includes a tent (and maybe some furniture) or
doesn’t have a huge fee to begin with. For example, Arrowhead just started renting the entire property for $2,500, including the barn ($500 on its own); at that price, you can bring in a reasonable-sized tent, fancier tables, and special lighting.
• An affordable wedding planner can save you money in the long run by prioritizing the budget on
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what matters the most. “It’s also about knowing the right vendors who can do something fabulous, which isn’t going to be over-the-top expensive,” Jessy Turner, who runs Berkshire Elopements says. “My husband and I did our own wedding on a shoestring budget, and everyone said it was the best wedding they’d ever attended.”
BerkshiresCalendar.com
more news and features at theBerkshireEdge.com
Weddings
Chesterwood
IN THE
Berkshires
If you are planning, or thinking about planning a wedding in the Berkshires, you’ve come to the right place.
This magazine and its parent publication The Berkshire Edge have also been
thinking about weddings in the Berkshires, and specifically about how to give you the best possible resources so you can plan your perfect Berkshire wedding.
In this issue of Berkshires Calendar magazine, we introduce our first annual special
wedding section with great examples of Berkshire weddings at all sizes and in all seasons, plus in-depth information about venues and vendors with whom we have special relationships.
And there’s much more online. At PerfectBerkshireWedding.com, you will find
a directory of over 300 local wedding-related venues and vendors, searchable by category, name, and location. No other online directory covers the Berkshires wedding services so completely, giving you direct access to these services with no filter or middleperson in the way.
So, if the Berkshires is the right place for your wedding, we hope you will agree
that our resources are the right place for you to make your planning easier and more successful.
Your Berkshires wedding resource guide >>> BerkshiresCalendar.com
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Race Brook Lodge is a hidden gem in The Berkshires, nestled at the foot of the Taconic Range and a short hike from the Appalachian trail. It is the perfect destination for your rustic barn wedding weekend. Our picturesque mountain hideaway offers winding brooks, waterfalls, breathtaking views, and a tranquil, relaxing ambience. Our event barn and outdoor spaces are simultaneously rustic and sublime, steeped in hundreds of years of New England history. Our cuisine is exquisite and unpretentious, with some of our local ingredients grown right on site. We can accommodate weddings of more than 200 people, with up to 100 guests staying on the property. Race Brook’s unique bucolic vibe and our dedicated team make for a one-of-a-kind wedding experience. 864 S Undermountain Rd | Sheffield, MA 413-229-2916 | rblodge.com
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more news and features at theBerkshireEdge.com
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Berkshire Wedding Weekend
PHOTOS: Tricia McCormick Photography
in a Grand Normandy-style Barn
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more news and features at theBerkshireEdge.com
Over the past 30 years, Gedney Farm has earned its reputation as one of the premier wedding and event destinations in the Northeast. Our pastoral setting serves as much more than a bucolic backdrop. It colors every detail of your day. Our dedicated and experienced staff is here to look after the particulars, so you can enjoy the peace and tranquility of your surroundings. Our team works hard to deliver the wedding you envisioned when you first started planning your big day. We know that, even with arrangements in place, there’s still so much on your mind. By all that we do, we take the time concerns and worries off the table. We are there to welcome you and your guests to a truly tranquil environment that will honor the importance of the moment and inspire you for a lifetime to come.
gedneyfarm.com | 413-229-3131
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Your Perfect Wedding in Great Barrington
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more news and features at theBerkshireEdge.com
“Saint James Place was the perfect venue for my wedding! My fiancée and I loved the elegance of the space and the staff was so helpful! We can’t say thank you enough!”
The Sanctuary with its antique stained glass and flexible stage setting is an ideal spot for your ceremony and seats up to 271. Our Great Hall can accommodate 100 people seated for your reception. The beautiful, lightfilled East Room is a charming spot for dancing and dessert. And our back garden can house a large reception tent.
CALL US! COME VISIT! Laura Gratz, Wedding Coordinator • 413-528-1996, ext. 103 352 Main Street, Great Barrington, MA • saintjamesplace.net
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Let Saint James Place host your wedding your way. Saint James Place looks like a church but since 2017 is a lovingly restored and completely renovated cultural center with state-ofthe-art systems for outstanding sound, lighting, and ventilation. AND it’s located in the heart of Great Barrington, Massachusetts, with three beautiful spaces for your wedding events.
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YOUR BERKSHIRES WEDDING RESOURCE GUIDE OFFICIANT
GOWNS
Divining Weddings
Crissey Farm
Kismet Bridal Studio
Serving the Berkshires and beyond 413-329-7477 diviningweddings.com
Rt. 7N, Great Barrington, Mass. 413-528-4844 crisseyfarm.com
32 Bank Row, PIttsfield, Mass. 413-464-0039 kismetbridalstudio.com
When couples come together to create a wedding ceremony, they want their vows—and everything about the ceremony—to reflect their vision for their marriage. But how do they honor their varying traditions and families’ desires yet remain true to themselves? Mary Campbell of Divining Weddings is the experienced and thoughtful guide to help you craft a ceremony worthy of your love.
BEER | WINE | SPIRITS
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VENUE
A moderately priced, “green” banquet facility, built in 2007, and located in the beautiful southern Berkshires of Massachusetts. We are a full-service wedding venue, offering: • On-site ceremony space; • Professional event coordination; • Private bridal suite; • Food and beverage service, including wedding cake. We are now booking for 2022 and 2023.
PHOTOGRAPHER
An independent bridal shop in The Berkshires. With an intentionally unconventional approach, we offer an array of distinctive, inspiring, memorable gowns; featuring independent artisans with unrivaled craftsmanship. You’ll find a gown you can confidently stand in from companies you can confidently stand behind. Socially responsible, ethically waged, customizable wedding gowns from designers across the globe.
JEWELER
Domaney’s Liquors and Fine Wines
Dear Edith and Lily
Lennox Jewelers
Nestled in the heart of the Berkshires, Domaney’s has been family owned and operated since 1973. A full-service supplier for beer, wine, liquor, and essential drink needs. Providing expert advice for choosing the right products, quantities, recipes, and much more! Also providing sanitary drinking ice made in-house. We work closely with your caterer, so nothing is left neglected.
Jocelyn Vassos at Dear Edith and Lily specializes in lifestyle photography that documents and creates moments that are honest and real. Your wedding is a celebration, it should be fun and stress free through it all. Jocelyn creates an experience that is supportive, relaxing and fun. She considers every couple she works with as dear friends.
66 Main St., Great Barrington, Mass. 413-528-0024 domaneys.com
Becket, Mass. 413-854-4805 dearedithandlily.com
165 Main St., Great Barrington, Mass. 413-717-4239 lennoxjewelers.com
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The Berkshires’ premiere engagement and wedding band store, with diamonds of all shapes and sizes in stock and hundreds of wedding bands to choose from in all metals. Create your own unique rings with our cad/cam services in less than three weeks. Our prices and service are second to none.
more news and features at theBerkshireEdge.com
Fresh Cannabis Grown On-Site We are a tight-knit team of farmers and makers, bringing you Berkshire-grown cannabis flower, concentrates, and infused products.
SHOP IN STORE Open Daily 9am–8pm
PREORDER ONLINE www.thepass.co
1375 N Main Street Sheffield, MA 413.644.6892 PLEASE CONSUME RESPONSIBLY. This product may cause impairment and may be habit-forming. For use only by adults 21 years of age or older. Keep out of the reach of children.
@thepass.co
@thepassdotco
Find a place to GO WILD
Scan code with your phone camera to download the BNRC Berkshire Trails app, or visit bnrc.org/app
