Sunday, March 15, 2026

News and Ideas Worth Sharing

HomeLife In the Berkshires

Life In the Berkshires

EYES TO THE SKY: Here comes the sun

Astronomically, the Vernal Equinox, the first day of spring, occurs on March 20, 2026, when sunrise is 6:57 a.m. and sunset 7:05 p.m. In our locale, close to equal day and night also occurs on the 18th and 19th.

BITS & BYTES: ‘Into Light Project’ at Hotel Downstreet; John Ratajkowski and Francie Lyshak at Mad Rose Gallery; Sónia Almeida at The Clark; Genève...

Despite a strong service network, Berkshire County continues to lead the state in overdose fatalities, with stigma and lack of awareness preventing many from seeking help.

BITS & BYTES: High Horse at The Foundry; Sara Dubow to speak at Susan B. Anthony dinner; Sourdough Challah Workshop at Dewey Hall; OLLI...

Breathing the energy of alternative rock into an indelible blend of Bluegrass, Old-time, and Folk magic with crisp vocals and virtuosic chops, four friends with three bows, one pick, and great vibes deliver a rollicking romp as the band High Horse.

BITS & BYTES: Luis Vargas-Santiago at The Clark; ‘Hoop Dreams’ at The Crandell; ‘Chat GBPT’ at St. James Place; Berkshire Waldorf High School presents...

By positing the notion of "Sur Marica" as a decolonial site that resists both hetero- and homonormativity, Vargas-Santiago outlines a mobile cartography of visual art that fluidly redefines national, racial, and sexual identities while creating spaces of freedom and political expression.

Sheffield Land Trust teams up with Greenagers and local funders to create accessible trail in Ashley Falls

Now, those confined to a wheelchair can venture down the 0.3-mile trail past meadows and into lush woods, ending amid some dramatic limestone outcroppings that make this area of Sheffield a hotspot of biodiversity for rare ferns and plants.

THEN & NOW: The original location of Catherine’s Chocolates, now home to Farnsworth Fine Cannabis Company

The 126 Main Street site was renovated and enlarged, serving as home to numerous businesses over the years, including Farnsworth Fine Cannabis Company.

BITS & BYTES: Christian Sands Trio at the Indigo Room; Caitlin Canty at Bennington Theater; OLLI presents Beverley Francis-Gibson; ‘The (M) Factor 2’ at...

The Mahaiwe Performing Arts Center presents Steinway Artist and five-time Grammy Nominee Christian Sands and his trio at the Indigo Room.

BITS & BYTES: Amber Chand at Spencertown Academy; Crescendo at Saint James Place; ‘Women in Art’ at the Licht; WordXWord’s Poets Creating Conversation; Zonta...

“Amber is a spellbinding storyteller. Exploring themes of wisdom, beauty, and humanity, she transports us to distant lands through her tales,” says Academy Administrator Eve Zatt.

Borscht for Ukraine fundraiser at Dewey Hall brings community together, raises more than $25,000 for relief efforts in Ukraine

Razom, which means “together” in Ukrainian, seemed to be a theme of the afternoon as attendees shared their hopes and prayers for the Ukrainian people, made all the more resonant by the bombing of Iran that morning.

BITS & BYTES: Shamel Pitts at MASS MoCA; Marielle Heller at The Triplex; BIFF Social Club celebrates ‘The Big Lebowski’; ‘Purple Rain’ at The...

A work of magical realism narrated by and featuring the viewpoints of six women, the work is an Afrofuturistic meditation on the “womb space,” divining the effect that memory has on our experiences, senses, bodies, reality, and imaginative possibilities.

BITS & BYTES: CATA at Berkshire Botanical Garden; The Carle After Dark; ‘Amelia Goes to the Ball’ and ‘Gianni Schicchi’ at the Fisher Center;...

Mike Beck, executive director of Berkshire Botanical Garden said, “The artists of CATA capture the spirit of our gardens with remarkable imagination and joy. These works remind us that gardens are not only places of beauty, but sources of inspiration and belonging for everyone in our community.”

NATURE’S TURN: Snowbirds and other avian visitors come close to our homes

The dark-eyed junco, also known as slate-colored or northern junco, Junco hyemalis, is widely referred to as the “snowbird.”

BITS & BYTES: OLLI presents Catherine Epstein; MCLA presents Wahieñhawi ‘Hawi’ Hall; ‘The Sea Beast’ at Beacon Theater; Bob Watkins at Berkshire South; Andrew...

Part live concept album, part performance art, they conjure their timeless mythic universe under the aliases Josiah Chester Jones and George Ulysses Brown, 19th-century vagabonds who travel the world in a hand-built boat to escape troubled pasts and search for adventure and love.

BITS & BYTES: Sons of Town Hall at Studio 9; Cochemea Gastelum at MASS MoCA; ‘Arabella’ at The Clark; ‘The Fifth Step’ at The...

Part live concept album, part performance art, they conjure their timeless mythic universe under the aliases Josiah Chester Jones and George Ulysses Brown, 19th-century vagabonds who travel the world in a hand-built boat to escape troubled pasts and search for adventure and love.

BITS & BYTES: Black Violin at The Mahaiwe; Garnell Curtis at American Mural Project; ‘Eno’ at The Crandell; Eryca Nolan at The Foundry; Wanda...

Each powerful performance invites audiences to reflect on their own journeys, discovering that even as we evolve, we're often drawn back to our roots with renewed purpose.