Berkshire Scenic Railway Museum will run snow trains as part of the Thunderfest winter celebration Saturday, Feb. 24, in Adams. Photo courtesy Berkshire Scenic Railway Museum

Bits & Bytes: Snow trains at Thunderfest; ‘STOP Killing TRANS People!’ rally and march; Vinyl Night at Tunnel City Coffee; library mini-golf

The golf course features 10 holes, utilizes the geography of long rows between book stacks on all three of the library’s floors, and takes roughly one hour to play through.

Berkshire Scenic Railway to run snow trains at Thunderfest

Adams — On Saturday, Feb. 24, Berkshire Scenic Railway Museum will operate snow trains departing from downtown Adams as part of the community’s annual Thunderfest, which celebrates the Thunderbolt Ski Run on Mount Greylock.

Adams, once known as “Little Switzerland,” has been a center of winter recreation since the 1930s when the races down the Thunderbolt Ski Run began to attract top skiers from the United States and Europe. From the 1930s and through the 1950s, all three major railroads serving the region operated special destination trains to the Berkshires during the winter months, which were designed to capture the burgeoning interest in outdoor recreational activity.

Trains will depart from Adams Station across the street from the Adams Visitor Center, 3 Hoosac St., at 12:30 p.m., 1:30 p.m., 2:30 p.m. and 4 p.m. Tickets are $12 and are first-come, first-serve. During the 45-minute round trip, passengers can learn about the history of the Berkshire ski trains and the Thunderbolt Ski Run while admiring the snow-covered scenery if weather permits. For more information, contact BSRM at (413) 637-2210.

–E.E.

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‘STOP Killing TRANS People!’ rally, march to remember Christa Leigh Steele-Knudslien

Christa Leigh Steele-Knudslien. Photo courtesy Berkshire Pride

North Adams — Sexual Minorities Archives invites transgender, gender nonconforming people and their allies to join in a standout protest, rally and march to demand an end to violence against transgender women and gender nonconforming people Saturday, Feb. 24, from noon to 3 p.m. The event will begin outside Northern Berkshire District Court and march to 107 Veazie St., the home of Christa Leigh Steele-Knudslien, a transgender activist and founder of the Miss Trans New England and Miss Trans America pageants, who was allegedly killed by her husband Jan. 4 and is believed to be the first recorded transgender woman killed in 2018.

Those speaking at the rally will include Ben Power and Danica Marie Ali of SMA and Sexual Minorities Educational Foundation; Trans Caucus youth and Gery Armsby of the Workers World Party-Boston; Beth Leventhal of the Network/La Red; Mason Dunn of Massachusetts Transgender Political Coalition; Gay and Lesbian Advocates and Defenders; Jennifer Wahr of Elizabeth Freeman Center; Kenneth Mercure and Jahaira DeAlto of Berkshire Pride; UniTy of the Pioneer Valley; and Christine Renee Allsopp of Stonewall Warriors. There will also be about support services and organizations that empower victims of intimate partner violence in the LGBTQI community. An open mic will be available for those who wish to speak.

–E.E.

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Tunnel City Coffee to host Vinyl Night

Baristas prepare beverages at Tunnel City Coffee’s Uptown Tunnel Coffee shop in Williamstown. Photo courtesy Tunnel City Coffee

Williamstown — Tunnel City Coffee and Toonerville Trolley Records will team up for Vinyl Night Saturday, Feb. 24, from 6 to 8 p.m. at Uptown Tunnel Coffee.

Uptown Tunnel Coffee, Tunnel City’s espresso bar inside the Williams College Bookstore, will launch its first menu of mocktails during Vinyl Night, which will become part of Uptown’s permanent offerings. Toonerville Trolley will sell records from its collection, as owner Hal March prides himself on offering music for every kind of listener. Attendees can buy and sell records while enjoying the specialty drinks and checking out a selection of books curated by the bookstore.

Said Tunnel City barista and vinyl lover Ian Everhart: “This event is a collaboration of different small businesses in the Berkshires. We’re all small businesses and there’s no reason why we can’t all work together to improve our area and create things for people to do.”

–E.E.

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Berkshire Athenaeum mini-golf game to benefit Literacy Volunteers of Berkshire County

A young golfer plays a game of miniature golf at the Berkshire Athenaeum. Photo courtesy Literacy Volunteers of Berkshire County

Pittsfield — The Links for Literacy Berkshire Gas Mini-Golf Classic will take place Saturday, Feb. 24, from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. at the Berkshire Athenaeum. The golf course features 10 holes, utilizes the geography of long rows between book stacks on all three of the library’s floors, and takes roughly one hour to play through. The cost of the event is $5 for adults, $2 for youth ages 13–18 and free for children ages 12 and under. A variety of free snacks will be available for players. All proceeds will benefit Literacy Volunteers of Berkshire County. For more information, contact Karen Wallace at (413) 499-9487.

–E.E.