Thursday, March 5, 2026

News and Ideas Worth Sharing

HomeLife In the Berkshires

Life In the Berkshires

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.

BITS & BYTES: ARKAI at the Indigo Room; Berkshire Playwrights Lab at Symphony Space; BIFF presents ‘The Nutcracker at Wethersfield’; BCC Players presents ‘The...

ARKAI has captivated audiences around the world with their creative imagination and cutting-edge string music, transforming the beautiful tones of the violin and cello into epic soundscapes that resemble a rock band backed by a cinematic orchestra.

THEN & NOW: The historic Berkshire Courier newspaper building

Enterprising editor/publisher Marcus Rogers had the structure built, and he lived on the upper floors with his family for a time.

NICK DILLER: 60 years of Thanksgiving weather

How did yesterday compare to Thanksgivings past?

BITS & BYTES: Cassie and Maggie Christmas at The Foundry; Berkshire Botanical Garden Holiday Marketplace and Gallery of Wreaths; Stockbridge Main Street at Christmas; Downtown Pittsfield Festive Frolic; Berkshire Art Center...

Named Live Ireland Radio’s “Vocalists of the Year,” the Nova Scotian sisters have enchanted audiences far and wide with lively fiddle, piano and guitar arrangements, stunning sibling vocal harmonies in both English and Gaelic, all complemented by their intricate and percussive step-dancing style.

BITS & BYTES: Alec Mapa at The Foundry; ‘A Christmas Carol’ at the Unicorn Theatre; Jenny Herzog at The Clark; Cantilena Chamber Choir presents...

Alec Mapa is an actor and comedian with 40 years of credits from Broadway (“M.Butterfly,”) Television (“Desperate Housewives,” “Ugly Betty,” “Doom Patrol,” “RuPaul's Drag Race”) and Film (“Connie and Carla,” "Queen Bees.”)

BITS & BYTES: Aimée Allen at Kaatsbaan; Close Encounters With Music presents the Vivace Chamber Orchestra; Berkshire Music School and Adams Theater present Samirah...

Kaatsbaan Cultural Park and Chamber Music America presents an evening of jazz with the Aimée Allen Jazz Quartet.

EYES TO THE SKY: Summer stars west, winter stars east, planets Saturn and Jupiter evening sky

As twilight deepens during the evenings of November 24 to 28, a waxing crescent moon appears in the south to southwest, above the setting Teapot asterism.

New Marlborough audience gathers for ‘Restoring the Promise’ presented by Antonio Massa Viana

Since becoming the first known unauthorized immigrant to earn a law license, Antonio Massa Viana has worked tirelessly to support immigrants, creating a space where they feel “seen, heard, and appreciated” and a firm that provides “guidance with compassion and unmatched immigration legal representation.”

BITS & BYTES: Joe Wheaton and Tomo Sakai at Lauren Clark Fine Art and Childs+Clark Gallery; Zoe Bates at American Mural Project; Klezmer Night at The Foundry; ‘The...

Lauren Clark Fine Art and Childs+Clark Gallery present "Wheaton Swan Song,” a farewell exhibit of work by beloved and renowned sculptor Joe Wheaton.

BITS & BYTES: ‘NightWood’ at The Mount; Berkshire Museum and Hancock Shaker Village present ‘Barn To Be Wild!’; Festival of Lights in Millerton; Grinchmas...

Created in collaboration with award-winning lighting designer Chris Bocchiaro of Clerestory Light, ‘NightWood' transforms The Mount’s historic grounds and gardens into a luminous winter dreamscape.

BITS & BYTES: ‘Sprites, Spells, and Splashes’ at The Carle; Raffaella della Olga at The Clark; ‘Arabella’ at The Mahaiwe; Aba Diop at Race Brook Lodge; BIFF presents Jim...

“Sprites, Spells, and Splashes: Magical Beings in Picture Book Art” is an enchanting exhibition exploring the rich visual traditions of fairies, mermaids, wizards, and other supernatural beings through beloved picture book illustrations.

Notes from Southern Berkshire Ambulance: November 2025

This is going to be an especially challenging budget season for Southern Berkshire Ambulance Squad (SBAS). Here's why.

WHERE WE ARE: Gordy Soule, a true local

Long-time Monument Mountain Regional High School social studies teacher Gordy Soule is one of those locals whose ancestors have been settled in southern Berkshire County so long that no living family member is quite sure which great-great-grandparent came over from where, or when.

BITS & BYTES: Deborah Carter and Aidan Mac at Kimball Farms; The Bookstore presents Alice Brock; Baye & Asa at MOSAIC; ‘Dear Edwina JR.’ at Chatham...

A Lenox resident who shares her work internationally, Deborah Carter creates sophisticated glamour using “upcycled” everyday objects like neckties, plastic bags, and cutlery.

THEN & NOW: The Sandisfield stagecoach

As railroads expanded in much of the Northeast, most long-distance stage lines were out of business by the 1860s. Autos and trucks eventually ended local stage deliveries as well. But a few stages continued to serve rural towns like Sandisfield until about 1920.