Bits & Bytes: Stockbridge Main Street at Christmas; ‘A Baroque Celebration’ at Saint James Place; culinary arts dinner; ‘Ay Mariposa’ at Mason Library; ‘The Secret in the Wings’

Stockbridge Main Street at Christmas to capture small-town holiday spirit

Stockbridge — The Stockbridge Main Street at Christmas celebration, which captures small-town Christmas spirit in the town that Norman Rockwell once called “the best of America, the best of New England,” will take place Friday, Dec. 6, through Sunday, Dec. 8.

Highlights will include holiday readings and a children’s holiday sing-along held at the Stockbridge Library, Museum & Archives; the self-guided holiday house tour, which will take place Saturday and feature Berkshire cottages and private homes decorated in holiday finery; over 100 carolers rejoicing with songs of the season from the porch of the Red Lion Inn on Saturday night; and a Sunday reenactment of the spirit of Rockwell’s famous holiday scene, “Stockbridge Main Street at Christmas.” Roger the Jester will perform on one end of the street while horse-drawn rides and visits with Santa take place on the other end. Music will fill the air when students from Monument Mountain Regional High School perform in St. Paul’s Episcopal Church and the Berkshire Victorian Carolers sing on the front porch of the Red Lion Inn. Children can enjoy treats from the Pocket Lady and holiday art at Santa’s Workshop offered by the Norman Rockwell Museum. There will also be plenty of photo opportunities and a Christmas food booth from the Red Lion Inn.

For more information, tickets and a full schedule of events, see the Berkshire Edge calendar or contact the Stockbridge Chamber of Commerce at (413) 298-5200.

–E.E.

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Aston Magna to present ‘A Baroque Celebration’

Laura Jeppesen. Photo courtesy Aston Magna

Great Barrington — On Saturday, Dec. 7, at 3 p.m. at Saint James Place, the Aston Magna Chamber Players will present “A Baroque Celebration,” an afternoon of instrumental and vocal music.

The program will feature selections from Handel’s “Messiah” along with music by Marais, Rameau, Bertali, Rossi, Elizabeth Jacquet de la Guerre and others. The performing musicians include Daniel Stepner and Julie Leven on baroque violins; Laura Jeppesen on viola da gamba; Catherine Liddell on theorbo; and tenor Frank Kelley. A pre-concert talk with Aston Magna artistic director Stepner will take place at 2:15 p.m.

Tickets are $40 in advance, $45 at the door, and free for children and students. For tickets and more information, see the Berkshire Edge calendar or contact Aston Magna at (413) 528-3595.

–E.E.

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Railroad Street Youth Project to hold annual culinary arts dinner

Great Barrington — Railroad Street Youth Project will hold its annual culinary arts celebration dinner Saturday, Dec. 7, at 5:30 p.m. at Crissey Farm. The event will also honor local student Karina Mahida as the third recipient of RSYP’s RYSE scholarship.

The dinner is the culminating event for RSYP’s culinary arts apprenticeship program, which offers apprenticeships for young people under the guidance of local professional chefs including Brian Alberg of Main Street Hospitality Group, Marcos Gomes of the Tap House at Shaker Mill, and Dan Smith of John Andrews Farmhouse Restaurant. At this year’s dinner, they will be joined by special guest and RSYP board member Dennis Powell, who trained at the Culinary Institute of America and had a long career as a chef before becoming president of the NAACP Berkshire County Branch. The evening will also feature a certificate ceremony to honor the young chefs as well as a live service auction to support RSYP and its mission to empower youth.

Tickets are $125 per person and all proceeds will support RSYP’s youth development programs and activities. For tickets and more information, see the Berkshire Edge calendar or contact RSYP (413) 528-2475 or info@rsyp.org.

–E.E.

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Mason Library to screen ‘Ay Mariposa’

Image courtesy aymariposafilm.com

Great Barrington — The Friends of the Great Barrington Libraries will screen the documentary film “Ay Mariposa” Saturday, Dec. 7, at 7:30 p.m. at the Mason Library.

As the director of the National Butterfly Center, Marianna Trevino Wright has become a leader of the U.S./Mexico border wall resistance movement, which has resulted in violent threats against her by pro-wall factions. This documentary traces her efforts and those of Zulema Hernandez, a lifelong migrant worker, as they fight daily battles to preserve the 5% of original butterfly habitat that now lies directly in the path of the wall.

The event is part of the Friends’ First Saturday Free Film Series and will begin with a wine and cheese social at 7 p.m. More socializing and community discussion will follow the film until 10 p.m. The film does not reflect endorsement or advocacy for any particular point of view by the library or the town of Great Barrington. The event is free and open to the public. For more information, contact the Mason Library at (413) 528-2403.

–E.E.

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Pittsfield High School students to stage ‘The Secret in the Wings’

Pittsfield — Pittsfield High School’s Proteus Theatre Group will present “The Secret in the Wings” by Mary Zimmerman, directed by Kyla Blocker, at 7:30 p.m. Friday, Dec. 6, Saturday, Dec. 7; Friday, Dec. 13; and Saturday, Dec. 14 in the Pittsfield High School auditorium.

“The Secret in the Wings” is a play based on lesser-known, darker fairy tales that explore the world through the eyes of children. As the various stories weave together, the audience is taken on a journey to a world where magic is real, ogres are babysitters, and things are not always as they seem. Prospective audience members are advised that the play deals with themes that may not be suitable for very young children.

Tickets are $12 for adults and $5 for students. For tickets and more information, see the Berkshire Edge calendar.

–E.E.