GAIL SEZ. WHAT TO DO IN JUNE 2016
Berkshire Scenic Railway’s Hoosac Valley Service Budd Car 6126 is now running between
North Adams and Adams four times a day on Saturdays and Sundays. All aboard! HVS-NorthAdams
You don’t need me to tell you that EVERYTHING is open and running full-tilt in the Berkshires for the next three months! So I am going to try to focus on some out-of-the-way opportunities you might enjoy.
An Ounce of Prevention: You know that you and your family will be doing lots of hiking, biking, climbing, swimming, and other outdoor activities this summer and accidents can happen, so why not start off by getting certified in CPR and AED at Sweet Brook (1561 Cold Spring Road/Route 7) on Thursday, June 2? Hour-long classes taught by SJG Emergency Training and Consulting start at the top of the hour every hour from 7 am- 4 pm. Classes $20 each, advance registration required. 413-458-8127 or kbeard@sweetbrook.org
Get in on the Act: This summer, the Williamstown Theatre Festival is bringing together professional theatre artists and Berkshire residents on stage to create and perform a new spin on the Orpheus legend, Orpheus in the Berkshires, penned by Obie Award-winning western Massachusetts playwright Lucy Thurber and directed by WTF Associate Director Laura Savia. Folks of ALL AGES are encouraged to get involved! The show will be performed free of charge for four nights only, July 14-17, at Greylock Works (the old Cariddi Mill) on Rt. 2 in North Adams. E-mail community@wtfestival.org NOW (before June 8) and visit http://wtfestival.org/main-events/orpheus-in-the-berkshires/ to get involved!
Berkshire Scenic Railway: A living history exhibit, Hoosac Valley Service’s Budd Car 6126 offers fun, and entertaining and educational train rides exploring the rich railroad history of our region. All trains depart from 98 Crowley Avenue in North Adams, MA at 10 & 11:30 am and 1:30 & 3 pm for the 10-mile, hour-long round trip between the Tunnel City and the Mother Town on Saturdays, Sundays, and the three summer Monday holidays—Memorial Day, Independence Day, and Labor Day. Tickets: $12 Adults; $11 Senior Citizens (65+) and Active Duty Armed Forces (w/ID); and $8 Children ages 4-12.
Mill Chill: On Thursday, June 23 come on down to the Elks Lodge, 100 Eagle Street, in North Adams from 7-10 pm for The Mill Chill 2016 Auction Fundraiser. This event is focused on bringing the community together and raising funds for the North Adams Maker’s Mill. Come join in for a fun night of dancing, food, and auctions of local and locally connected art.
Free Admission!: On Friday, June 24, Tanglewood, The Clark, MASS MoCA, and The Mount (not to mention the Lyric Stage Company of Boston, Worcester Art Museum, Children’s Museum of Holyoke, and the International Volleyball Hall of Fame) will all be offering free admission thanks to the Highland Street Foundation. This is just the first of ten summer Fridays—July 1, 8, 15, 22 & 29 and August 5, 12, 19 & 26—when the Foundation is sponsoring free admission to major cultural attractions across Massachusetts. Other Berkshire and Pioneer Valley attractions on the schedule: Jacob’s Pillow (7/1); The Eric Carle Museum (7/22); the Springfield Museums, Historic Deerfield, and Hancock Shaker Village (8/5); the Mahaiwe and Naumkeag (8/12); and the Norman Rockwell Museum, the Berkshire Museum, and Ventfort Hall (8/26). Check out their schedule and plan your day trips! http://highlandstreet.org/freefunfridays.html
Old Songs: A jaunt over the Taconics to Altamont, NY, on June 24-26 will bring you to the 2016 Old Songs Folk Festival of Traditional Music and Dance. Old Songs is a family-friendly festival of folk, traditional, Celtic and world music and dance, known for its relaxed atmosphere and participatory nature. In addition to three concerts there are 120 daytime workshops given by performers. Also featured are a juried craft show, food and instrument vendors, and a well-run children’s activity area.
Strawberry Festival Time: On Saturday, June 18 from 10 am-3 pm, the Second Congregational Church on Hancock Road (Rte. 43) in South Williamstown, is holding their annual Strawberry Festival. The day includes homemade strawberry shortcake (eat there or take it to-go), lunch, a bake sale, a tag sale, a jewelry table, auction, craft and plant items for sale.