Festival Latino of the Berkshires to celebrate 23 years
Lee — Festival Latino of the Berkshires will celebrate its 23rdyear Saturday, Sept. 15, from 2 to 7 p.m. at the First Congregational Church of Lee park as part of Lee Founders Weekend.
The celebration will begin at 10 a.m. with dancing in the Hometown Parade on Main Street. Festival Latino will feature dancers from Cali Salsa Pal Mundo, Calpulli Mexican Dance Company and Budari Garifuna Dance Company in New York City; music from Ecuador Sumag Llacta, also from New York City; and the Williams College Ritmo Latino dance group. Salsa lessons will be provided by Alan Franco and other local artists will perform. DJ Albaro will provide music for dancing, and there will be a variety of Latin American cuisine and crafts in celebration of Hispanic Heritage Month. There will also be an opportunity to practice Spanish with local native speakers.
At 9 p.m., Festival Latino will continue with a gala dance party at the Tally-Ho Hall at Eastover in Lenox. The gala will feature music from the Latin Brothers Orquesta from Medellin, Colombia, directed by Julio Ernesto Estrada Lopez, who, as the son of Julio Ernesto “Fruko” Estrada, began his musical career at age 7 and has been a producer, arranger and member of orchestras such as Sonora Carruseles, La Sonora Dinamita and Fruko y sus Tesos. Tickets for the gala are $30 to help meet festival expenses. Those attending the gala must be at least 18 years old.
The festival is free to attend, alcohol-free and open to all. For more information, contact Festival Latino of the Berkshires at (413) 243 3961 or bermudez1388@roadrunner.com.
–E.E.
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Leaf Peeper Concert Series to present violinist Tim Fain
Hudson, N.Y. — Clarion Concerts in Columbia County’s Leaf Peepers Concert Series will present violinist Tim Fain at Hudson Hall Saturday, Sept. 15, at 7 p.m.
Fain can be seen and heard in the film “Black Swan.” He also gives “voice” to the violin of the lead actor in the hit film “12 Years a Slave,” as he did with Richard Gere’s violin in the feature film “Bee Season.” Launching his career with Young Concert Artists and an Avery Fisher Career Grant, Fain went on to electrify audiences at debuts with the Baltimore Symphony Orchestra, Lincoln Center’s Mostly Mozart Festival and the Orchestra of St. Luke’s. He has also appeared with the Mexico City and Oxford symphonies, Cincinnati Chamber Orchestra, and the Curtis Symphony Orchestra in a special performance at Philadelphia’s Kimmel Center. In addition, he was the featured soloist with the Philip Glass Ensemble at Carnegie Hall in a concert version of “Einstein on the Beach” and continues to tour the U.S. and Europe in a duo-recital program with Glass. A native of Santa Monica, California, Fain is a graduate of the Curtis Institute of Music and the Juilliard School.
Fain’s Hudson Hall appearance will be a multimedia performance that will include work by J.S. Bach, Glass, Grammy Award-winning composer Bryce Dessner, Nico Muhly and opera composer Missy Mazzoli as well as Lev Zhurbin’s “Sicilienne” and William Bolcom’s “Graceful Ghost Rag.”
Tickets are $25. For tickets and more information, see the Berkshire Edge calendar or contact leafpeeper.clarionconcerts@gmail.com.
–E.E.
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Guild of Berkshire Artists to offer open studio tour
West Stockbridge — The Guild of Berkshire Artists will present a tour of area artists’ studios Saturday, Sept. 15, from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. The self-guided tour will include the studios of 22 artists in 10 locations including Dalton, Pittsfield, Richmond, Lenox, West Stockbridge, Great Barrington and South Egremont.
Participants will learn about the tools and techniques artists use, may ask questions about the artists’ creative processes and purchase locally grown art directly from artists. Many of the artists will be working during the open studio hours so participants will be able to see their creative processes firsthand.
For more information and a list of participating artists, see the Berkshire Edge calendar or contact the Guild of Berkshire Artists at berkshireartists@gmail.com.
–E.E.
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Dalton Preschool organizes LEGO collection drive
Dalton — Dalton Preschool is collecting donated used and new LEGO bricks, figures, parts and sets through Friday, Sept. 21. Donations should be enclosed in sealed bags or containers to keep small parts from getting lost. Dalton CRA, Dalton General Store, Wahconah Regional High School and Nessacus Regional Middle School have agreed to serve as collection centers for the drive and have designated collection boxes available. Any donations exceeding the school’s current needs will be donated to other local charities. For more information, contact Dalton Preschool at daltonpreschool.dcns@gmail.com.
–E.E.
