Berkshire Carousel presents a weekend of events to close out 2025 season
Pittsfield— From October 24th and 25th, the Berkshire Carousel presents a weekend of events to close out their 2025 season, celebrating a ridership that grew to over a thousand each weekend.
On Friday, October 24th at 7 p.m., the “Berkshire Scareousel” float will be in the Pittsfield Halloween Parade featuring Sample The Cat performing their new single “Circles,” inspired by the revival of the carousel. On Saturday, October 25th from noon to 5 p.m., rides are free courtesy of Bella Nissan, and there will be food trucks and goody back for the first 100 riders.
The carousel will reopen for select holiday events. More information can be found online.
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Mahaiwe Performing Arts Center presents Silkroad artists Wu Man and Sandeep Das for a behind the scenes virtual conversation
Great Barrington— On Thursday, October 30th at 5 p.m., Mahaiwe Performing Arts Center presents Silkroad artists Wu Man and Sandeep Das for a behind the scenes virtual conversation, moderated by composer and scholar, Anthony Cheung. This conversation is in advance of their November 8th concert at The Mahaiwe.
Join virtuosic performers and composers for “American Railroad” Wu Man and Sandeep Das for a glimpse into the creative process behind this groundbreaking project, which presents a sonic tapestry of the past, evoking the often-overlooked contributions of Indigenous and African Americans, as well as Chinese, Irish, Japanese, and other immigrant communities who laid the tracks that transformed a nation.
Silkroad is a Grammy Award-winning collective of artists representing dozens of nationalities, traditions, and ideas who use music and art to demonstrate how great beauty can emerge from great difference, striving to engage difference, sparking radical collaboration and music with a purpose, for a more hopeful and inclusive world.
The virtual event is on Thursday, October 30th at 5 p.m. on Zoom. There is a 40-minute talk followed by a Q&A. Free registration and more information can be found online.
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Guild of Berkshire Artists presents ‘Plein Air in the Berkshires’ at Art on Main Gallery
West Stockbridge— From October 30th through November 30th, Guild of Berkshire Artists presents “Plein Air in the Berkshires” at Art on Main Gallery.
The Guild’s Plein Air group participates in Plein Air sessions all around the Berkshires from May to early October. (Nonmembers are welcome to join them at select time. Interested artists can register online.) The exhibit showcases the artistic strength and stylistic diversity of the submissions. Media include oils, photographs, cold wax, watercolor, and acrylic. Many of the works are smaller and unframed, appropriate for gift giving.
The exhibit is on view from October 30th through November 30th at Art on Main Gallery, located at 38 Main Street in West Stockbridge. There is an opening reception on Saturday, November 1st from 2 p.m. to 4 p.m., and a closing reception on Sunday, November 30th from 12:30 p.m. to 3:30 p.m. More information can be found online.
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Dottie’s Coffee Lounge presents ‘HeART,’ a multi-generational art exhibit curated by artist and educator Laura Dickstein Thompson
Pittsfield— From October 30th through December 31st, Dottie’s Coffee Lounge presents “HeART,” a multi-generational art exhibit curated by artist and educator Laura Dickstein Thompson.
Featuring paintings and mixed-media pieces by Laura and her family and longtime creative collaborators, celebrating a shared legacy of artistic expression across generations, inviting viewers to experience the beauty of interconnection—between family, art, and the enduring human impulse to create.
Inheriting her passion for art-making from her grandfather, an Ashcan and WPA artist in New York, and her father, a writer and painter whose bold abstractions evoke the spirit of Fauvism, Laura Dickstein Thompson’s abstract expressionist paintings explore color, gesture, and emotion, reflecting her belief in creativity as a pathway to resilience, connection, and well-being. Her youngest son continues the lineage, creating expressive landscapes and cityscapes in oil paint. “HeART” weaves together the work of these family members with pieces by artists Thompson has collaborated with throughout her career, including Nick Cave, Wendy Red Star, Tsherin Sherpa, Tim Rollins and K.O.S., Wes Bruce, and Linda Price Sneddon.
“I’m honored to be the featured artist at this beloved Pittsfield gathering place,” says Thompson.“It feels like the perfect setting to share a show rooted in creativity, connection, and community.”
The exhibit is on view from October 30th through December 31st at Dottie’s Coffee Lounge, located at 444 North Street in Pittsfield. There will be an opening reception on Thursday, October 30th from 5 p.m. to 7 p.m. More information can be found online.
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Adams Theater presents ‘AV Club,’ an immersive visuals and dance party
Adams— On Friday, October 31st from 8 p.m. to midnight, the Adams Theater presents “AV Club,” an immersive visuals and dance party.
Artists Joe Wheaton and musician Geoffrey Carter are collaborating at the Adams Theater this Halloween for a multisensory electronic dance experience. “AV Club,” features immersive visuals and DJs Glass Arrowhead, Jason Manatee, H2GO, and TruSounds.
Wheaton will work from inside a giant birdcage as he runs his visual installation, which will combine disparate footage of costumed humans (“from Burning Man to Burma”) to create a surreal feeling against dance music, niche hip hop, drum, and bass. “The theater is a great kind of open canvas for creating something interesting and multi sensory,” said Wheaton. “Everyone needs distraction at this particular moment. Halloween is a great night for a party.”
The event is on Friday, October 31st from 8 p.m. to midnight at the Adams Theater, located at 27 Park Street in Adams. There will be drinks and snacks, and costumes are optional. 20 percent of profits will be donated to the ACLU. More information can be found online.
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Berkshire Community College to hold annual Harvest Run 5K
Pittsfield— The Berkshire Community College (BCC) annual Harvest Run will be held Saturday, November 1st. The event, led by Integritus Healthcare, includes a 5K trail run and, new this year, a high school cross country invitational, offering a chance for Berkshire County high school students to compete on their own level.
There will be fun for the whole family, including a Boomerang cartoons costume contest with prizes, a cook-off competition, kids’ activities, and a craft table.
Bib pickup begins at 7:30 a.m. at BCC’s Paterson Field House, located 1350 West Street in Pittsfield. The 5K begins at 8:30 a.m., and the high school invitational begins at 10:30 a.m. Race fees are $25 for individual 5K registrants by October 31st, or $30 on race day. All registered runners receive T-shirts. Runners under age 18 are free. Registration and more information can be found online.
