The Bidwell Country Fair
Monterey — After a 2-year hiatus, the Bidwell House Museum is so excited to bring back the Bidwell Country Fair! Everyone is invited to this fun and free community event on Saturday June 25th from 12-4 p.m. at the Bidwell House Museum. In 2022 the town of Monterey is celebrating its 175th anniversary and the Museum is thrilled to have the Bidwell Country Fair be a part of those festivities! There will be activities for the whole family at the Fair including music, reenactors, self-guided tours, artisan demonstrations, crafts, food, and more.
On the musical stage that afternoon will be Moonshine Holler, as well as husband and wife duo Oakes and Smith. Historical reenactors, The Butler’s Rangers, will be at the Museum talking about what life was like for those who fought alongside the British during the Revolutionary War. A number of artisans including The Berkshire Hills and Dales Spinning Guild, stone carver Adam Heller, blacksmith Chris Templen, and others will demonstrate their crafts.
History Buffs can learn more about the 175 years of the town of Monterey with a display from the Monterey Historical Society. Other local businesses will also have displays. Flour Bin Catering and SoCo Ice Cream will provide food for purchase and there will also be free water, lemonade and watermelon for visitors.
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. The Museum is open for guided tours by appointment on Monday, Thursday, Friday and Saturday. The museum is located at 100 Art School Road in Monterey.
For updates and to reserve your tickets for free: https://www.bidwellhousemuseum.org/event/bidwell-country-fair-2/
— S.B.
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Crandell Theatre presents ‘Hello, Bookstore’
Chatham, N.Y. — Crandell Theatre, Colombia County’s oldest and largest movie theatre, presents the critically acclaimed documentary “Hello, Bookstore” on Friday June 24, at 7 p.m. Following the screening, film subject Matt Tannenbaum will discuss the film and answer audience questions with filmmaker A.B. Zax. Owner of Chatham Bookstore, Sharon Weinberg, will moderate.
A landmark in Lenox, Massachusetts, The Bookstore is a magical, beatnik gem thanks to its owner, Matt Tannenbaum, who has run The Bookstore for over forty years. After visiting The Bookstore and feeling compelled to tell Tannenbaum’s story, Zax began filming a “day-in-the-life-of” documentary in 2019. When the pandemic began in March 2020, filming stopped and the documentary changed course, telling the story of how a community saved its beloved bookstore. “Hello, Bookstore” is an intimate portrait of The Bookstore and the family at its heart, following a journey through good times, hard times, and the stories hidden on the shelves. “Hello, Bookstore” debuted at New York City’s Film Forum in April 2022.
Tickets are sold online at the Crandell website, crandelltheatre.org, and at the box office. Admission is $11 non-members, $8 members, and $7 for children 12 and under. The Crandell Theatre is located at 48 Main St., Chatham, N.Y.
— S.B.
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Brian Cox joins Shakespeare & Company gala performance
Lenox — Brian Cox will appear at the Shakespeare & Company’s Sapphire Gala’s performance on Saturday, June 25. The Sapphire Gala is named to mark Shakespeare & Company’s 45th Season. Cox joins previously announced performers actors John Douglas Thompson, Founding Artistic Director Tina Packer, Tom Gold Dance, musicians of the Boston Symphony Orchestra, and other Company Artists from the Sapphire Season.
Brian Cox, CBE is an Emmy, Olivier, and Golden Globe award-winning actor, currently appearing in the HBO hit series Succession. Cox is also known for his portrayal of Hermann Goering in Nuremberg (2000). Cox is a veteran of the London stage, having performed in Titus Andronicus for the Royal Shakespeare Company and Rat in the Skull for the Royal Court.
The evening will begin at 5 p.m. with drinks and hors d’Oeuvres at The New Spruce Theatre in Lenox, the company’s 500-seat amphitheater and newest venue. The evening will continue with a silent auction, presentation of the 2022 Philip Heller Distinguished Service Award, and performances by both Company Artists and other special guests at 6 p.m. Dinner catered by The Old Inn On The Green will be served under the Gala Tent in the Rose Meadow, with dessert and dancing to follow.
Performance and Cocktail Hour tickets are available for $150. Individual tickets are available at Sapphire ($750) and Gold levels ($450). Table tickets with seating for eight are available at Sapphire ($25,000), Gold ($10,000), and Silver levels ($5,000). Ticket sales support year-round Shakespeare & Company Performance, Education, and Training programs. RSVP to Manager of Individual Giving Kristen Moriarty at (413) 637-1199, ext. 105 or kmoriarty@shakespeare.org. Shakespeare & Company COVID policies will be in place during the gala. To purchase tickets online: https://www.shakespeare.org/shows/2022/the-sapphire-gala
— S.B.
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Free panel discussion in honor of Juneteenth
Tyringham — On June 25 at 2 p.m. Gwendolyn VanSant, CEO and Founding Director of BRIDGE, will moderate a voting rights discussion between distinguished panelists of the Berkshire community at the Tyringham Union Church, 128 Main Rd., Tyringham.
The panelists are: Dr. Leticia Haynes, Vice-President, Institutional Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion, Williams College; A.J. Enchill, District Aide to State Senator Adam Hinds; Dennis Powell, President NAACP, Berkshire Branch; and Dr. Shirley Edgerton, educator and community leader.
Twenty-seven states have introduced or enacted 250 pieces of legislation having an impact on voting and restricting participation, according to the Brennan Center for Justice. These bills and laws, affecting voter access, have a disproportionate effect on voters of color. The topic of the panel, Protecting the Vote, is designed to help raise awareness of the necessity of fair and equitable voting for all citizens and to provide actionable and achievable goals to that end.
The event is free and open to the public but donations are encouraged. Masks will be required in the church.
Donate either in person the day of, or online at one of the following donation pages: https://freedonationkiosk.com:9011/bridge/donation/new
https://www.naacpberkshires.org/donate/
https://berkshirebec.org/donate/
— S.B.
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Free discussion of book ‘The Jewish World of Alexander Hamilton’ by Andrew Porwancher
Great Barrington — Andrew Porwancher will discuss fresh evidence that Alexander Hamilton was born Jewish on Friday, June 24 at 2 p.m.
Based on his new book “The Jewish World of Alexander Hamilton” (Princeton, 2021), winner of the Journal of the American Revolution Book of the Year Award, Porwancher explores Hamilton’s alliance with American Jews. This talk is presented by the Jewish Federation of the Berkshires’ Knosh & Knowledge summer speaker lineup.
Professor Andrew Porwancher has earned degrees from Brown, Northwestern, and earned his doctorate at Cambridge. Currently, he serves as the Wick Cary Associate Professor at the University of Oklahoma and the Ernest May Fellow at Harvard University’s Belfer Center. He is now working on his fourth book, “Theodore Roosevelt and the Jews”.
Knosh & Knowledge programs take place at Hevreh of Southern Berkshire, 270 State Road in Great Barrington. For more on this free program and other Federation events, visit the calendar of events at jewishberkshires.org. Proof of vaccination and masking is required at indoor events.
Register for this event here: https://jewishfederationoftheberkshire.regfox.com/the-jewish-world-of-alexander-hamilton
— S.B.
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Free Albany Symphony performance and fireworks!
Hudson, N.Y. — On Friday, June 24 at 5 p.m. enjoy a free performance by The Albany Symphony as part of TrailBlaze NY, a month-long celebration of the Empire State Trail and communities of the Hudson Valley and Capital Region. The event takes place outside at Basilica Hudson, 110 S Front St, Hudson, N.Y. 12534.
Food and family fun begin at 5 p.m. Opening music acts begin at 6 p.m. include Diata Diata IFT, and acclaimed tabla player Devesh Chandra. At 7:30 p.m., the Albany Symphony directed by David Alan Miller will present an orchestra program including summertime orchestral favorites like John Williams movie music, John Philip Sousa marches and Aaron Copland’s “Appalachian Spring,” as well as innovative contemporary music rooted in environmentalism by composer Viet Cuong. The program will close with a folk song sing-a-long, and a fireworks display at 9 p.m.
— S.B.
