Berkshire South Regional Community Center announces 20th Anniversary Gala celebration
GREAT BARRINGTON– The Berkshire South Regional Community Center (BSRCC) has announced its 20th Anniversary Gala celebration, which will take place on Thursday, August 18 beginning at 5:30 p.m. Gala attendees will enjoy cocktails, hors d’oeuvres, live music by Swing Theory, a special 20th anniversary presentation, and a live auction benefiting Youth and Community Programming. The Center will also take a moment to recognize Bob Norris, Adam Hersch, and Ethel Patterson – the Board Chairs who have moved the organization forward over the last two decades.
Berkshire South is a nonprofit community-based organization that has offered quality services and programs to the Southern Berkshires since opening its doors in July, 2002. Leaders envisioned a place where a diverse group of people could come together to create a sense of community and common purpose throughout the region and that enhanced the recreational, educational, cultural, health & social well-being of the residents of the southern Berkshires, regardless of their ability to pay.
Over the last twenty years, BSRCC has grown to include 125 intergenerational programs in the areas of aquatics, fitness, education, the arts, and more. It provides services to 1,900 members and over 100 individuals on a daily walk-in basis.
For more information or to purchase tickets to the Gala, visit berkshiresouth.org/gala or call 413.528.2810. More information about Berkshire South Regional Community Center can also be found at berkshiresouth.org and on its Facebook and Instagram pages.
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Motorsports event at Lime Rock Park
LAKEVILLE, Conn.— Lime Rock Park will host vehicular heroes from around the world at the inaugural GRIDLIFE Circuit Legends event on August 19-21. Motorsports culture from the 1980s through the 2000s will be honored at this festival-style event.
The event will feature drifting on the main circuit for the first time in track history as a part of this three-day celebration. GRIDLIFE has curated a group of the best drift cars from around the region for this exhibition event.
In addition to drifting, the schedule is packed with events ranging from Time Attack shootouts to TrackBattles and midway activities like an arcade, an esports competition, and a concours.
Advanced General Admission tickets start at $35. For more information, including tickets and schedules, visit https://limerock.com/events/gridlife/
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Berkshire Environmental Action Team will host outdoor education youth program in Pittsfield
PITTSFIELD– Berkshire Environmental Action Team (BEAT) will offer an outdoor education youth program at Westside Riverway Park, 181 Dewey Ave in Pittsfield, on Thursday, August 18, from 4 p.m. to 5 p.m.
The offered program will include a variety of hands-on activities that will connect kids with nature while learning and having fun. Some activities might include collecting and observing insects, exploring wildlife in the Housatonic, and making nature art.
This program is FREE and open to children of all ages. To learn more, email Chelsey at chelsey@thebeatnews.org or call (413) 464-9402.
To learn more about BEAT, visit their website at www.thebeatnews.org, or contact them at team@thebeatnews.org, (413) 464-9402.
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A guided stroll at the Bidwell House Museum
MONTEREY— On Sunday August 14, join nature enthusiast and Bidwell Board Member Richard Greene on an interesting and informative guided stroll on the Bidwell trails at 10 a.m. There are almost 6 miles of trails on the Bidwell property running through the woods and along the Loom Brook. During this hour-long guided walk, Learn about the flora and fauna found on the property.
The terrain can be uneven so visitors are advised to wear proper shoes and bring water and a snack. If the walk has to be postponed or canceled due to weather, the Museum will alert those registered 24-48 hours in advance.
The walk is limited to 20 people and pre-registration on the Museum website is required. Tickets are free for members and $10 for non-members.
The Bidwell House Museum grounds—196 acres of woods, fields, historic stonewalls, self-guided trails and picnic sites—are open every day, dawn until dusk, free of charge.
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Berkshire County Historical Society to present free lecture on New England’s “Marble Corridor”
PITTSFIELD– On August 17 at 5:30 p.m. the Berkshire County Historical Society will present a free lecture by historian William Hosley that traces the history and economic impact of the western New England’s “marble corridor.”
As early as the 1780s, western New England stonecutters, discovering high quality marble in the Berkshires and Vermont, began exporting artfully finished products to points south and beyond. At its height, the marble industry along the Taconic Range (today’s Route 7 corridor) provided thousands of monuments, gravestones, and architectural features to buildings, cemeteries, and town squares.
In his lecture, Hosley will discuss how Rutland, Vermont, Pittsfield, Massachusetts, and Marbledale, Connecticut, were economically transformed by the stone cutting industry and the products produced at the time.
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ExtraSpecialTeas singers to perform in Great Barrington
GREAT BARRINGTON– On Friday, August 19 from 5:30 p.m. – 7:15 p.m., The ExtraSpecialTeas singers will hold their annual concert at the gazebo behind City Hall and across the street from the Mahaiwe Theater.
ExtraSpecialTeas is a vocational training and day program adults with intellectual and developmental challenges. Every Monday throughout the year, our ExtraSpecial singers practice their favorite songs to perform for the community. Under the dedicated guidance of Allen Timmons, the group offers a fun-filled and heartwarming evening.
ExtraSpecialTeas (EST) is a 501(c)3 non-profit organization. Their vocational day program is supported in part by the Massachusetts Department of Developmental Services, grants from foundations, and contributions from committed donors.
EST community teahouses are open M-F, 10-4 and serve hot, iced and bubble teas, and gluten-free treats made by the participants and staff. They have two locations: 2 Elm Street, Great Barrington and 226 Pleasant Street, Housatonic (where breakfast, lunch, and afternoon tea is served). For more information, visit www.extraspecialteas.org.
Contact Cherri Sanes at (413) 429-6500 with questions.
