Holiday celebration to benefit Lenox food and beverage servers
Lenox — Local filmmaker and producer Mark Farrell has teamed up with Church on the Hill’s Liz Goodman to support downtown Lenox restaurant food and beverage servers with a virtual sing-a-long holiday benefit — Away in a Manger — to be held on Christmas Eve.
Farrell says he got the idea to bring the community together for this free one-hour event a few months ago, when he became Administrator for Church on the Hill. “A lot of things are happening in our worlds right now because of Covid. Two of the things that come close to us are the need to stay safe, but also the desire to gather together to enjoy the holidays. Another sad reality of this pandemic is that restaurants that provide food and comfort to us are either greatly reduced, or closed altogether. The establishments that are still open have greatly reduced staffs and smaller revenues, and the workers who interface directly with the public are risking their own well-being every day to take care of us.”
The evening, filmed in advance, will be co-hosted by Billy Keane of The Whiskey Treaty Roadshow and Wanda Houston. There will be performances by local musicians Tyler Fairbank and David Joseph, along with words from restaurant owners and community leaders including State Representative Smitty Pignatelli and Shakespeare & Company’s Artistic Director Allyn Burrows, and other surprise guests.
Children are invited to sing along to The Drifters’ “Silent Night” into their smartphone — individually or with their families. “Community participation is key to the success of the benefit,” said Goodman. “We are so touched by all the artists and people behind the scenes who are donating their time and talent to make this a reality. We are honored to be able to help the Lenox restaurant staff in this way and look forward to sharing this wonderful event.”
Donations are appreciated. Farrell is working with local restaurants to identify each server in downtown Lenox who will receive a special holiday bonus.
Visit Lenox UCC for full details, lyrics for the songs, and information on how to donate. Beginning on Thursday, Dec. 24, you can register and donate at the Eventbrite link, which will be available until Thursday, Dec. 31.
–A.K.
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Spencertown Academy hosts workshop by children’s author Jacqueline Rogers
Spencertown — Spencertown Academy Arts Center presents children’s book author and illustrator Jacqueline Rogers, who will lead the interactive Zoom workshop “Drawing and Storytelling at the Holidays” at 1 p.m. on Monday, Dec. 28. This free program is the eighth and final event in the 2020 Family Arts Kaleidoscope series. It is recommended for children ages 8+ and their families. Space is limited; please register online.
“Jacqueline’s virtual illustration workshops for kids during the Academy’s Festival of Books this fall were a big hit,” said Kelly Kynion, Academy board member and program chair. “We’re delighted to welcome her back during the holidays. We’re also looking forward to continuing Family Arts Kaleidoscope in the new year.”
Jaqueline Rogers has been a professional children’s book illustrator for more than three decades and has worked on nearly 100 children’s books. Some of her notable published works include illustrations for Beverly Cleary’s “Ramona” series; Laura Bush and Jenna Bush Hager’s picture book, “Our Great Big Backyard” (which was a New York Times No. 1 bestseller); and, most recently, her own original Halloween poem “Goblin Moon,” which was published by HarperCollins in 2019.
For more information, contact info@spencertownacademy.org.
–A.K.
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Berkshire Botanical Garden rolls out winter/spring classes
Stockbridge — Berkshire Botanical Garden’s winter/spring education season begins January 9 with more than 40 classes on gardening, landscape design, cooking, art, and other topics. Classes will be held in in-person, online via Zoom conferencing, or as a hybrid, with in-person status and updated locations dependent on government safety restrictions. Registration for all classes is now open at the Berkshire Botanical Garden website.
Gardening classes will cover organic vegetables, herbs, plant propagation, seed starting, maximizing space, clean composting, and more, as well as an off-site field study — Drifts of Daffodils — at the home of Jeffrey Steele. Landscape design classes will include Asian garden styles, container gardening, and more. Shrub and tree care classes will cover transplanting, tree and orchard care, spring pruning, and more.
Cooking workshops will include making kombucha at home, an introduction to koji and miso-making, postpartum cooking, dumplings from scratch, and spring sausage. Classes in the arts will include colored pencil, iPhone and digital camera photography, and natural dyes. Other classes include a Galantine’s Day flower workshop, botanical Latin, chainsaw skills, medicinal mushrooms, and more.
Online talks will feature author Ellen Ecker Ogden, Wambui Ippolito of NYBG’s School of Professional Horticulture, Jennifer Riley-Chetwynd of Denver Botanic Gardens, and Charles A. Birnbaum, President & CEO of The Cultural Landscape Foundation in Washington, D.C., who will give the BBG’s annual Winter Lecture: Make Visible, Instill Value and Engage the Public in Our Shared Landscape Heritage.
Many classes are eligible for credit in BBG’s Horticulture Certificate Program. For more information and to register, visit the BBG Program Calendar.
–A.K.
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Berkshire Bounty announces January Mobile Food Drive
Berkshire County — Berkshire Bounty will holds its monthly Mobile Food Drive on Tuesday, Jan. 5, 2021. Donated canned and/or packaged goods will be delivered to People’s Pantry in Great Barrington to help the growing population of food insecure people in South County. The last food drive resulted in more than 1,100 pounds of food going to People’s Pantry, Otis Food Pantry, and South Congregational Church.
Volunteer drivers go to donors’ homes to pick up canned and/or packaged goods left on their doorsteps. Donors may also drop their food donations at Hevreh of Southern Berkshire or at People’s Pantry.
Berkshire Bounty is asking for volunteers to donate canned and/or packaged food, drive to pick up donations at food donors’ homes, and/or help unload from driver’s cars as they deliver food to People’s Pantry on the day of the Mobile Food Drive. If you are interested in participating, email info@berkshire-bounty.org. Please include your street address, email address, and telephone number.
To Food Donors: Foods in most demand are hearty soups, tomato sauce, and cereal. If donating from your own pantry, please check dates.
–A.K.
