To the editor:
On January 10, Great Barrington will play a historic role—whether we choose to notice it or not.
That day marks the official kickoff of MA250, the Commonwealth’s once-in-250-year commemoration of the American Revolution. A parade will begin here in Great Barrington, honoring General Henry Knox’s extraordinary winter journey to transport 60 cannons from Fort Ticonderoga, through the snowy Berkshire Mountains, and onward to Boston. That daring feat helped force the British evacuation of Boston and changed the course of the Revolution.
This is not a small or symbolic event. The parade will travel through 33 Massachusetts towns, linking communities across the state in recognition of a shared history—and it begins here.
What concerns me is not blame, but awareness. Many residents, students, businesses, and even institutions in our town remain unaware that this statewide celebration starts in Great Barrington. That feels like a missed opportunity for pride, education, and connection.
The Berkshires played a pivotal role in the fight for independence. This is our chance to tell that story—to our children, our neighbors, and ourselves—not through textbooks alone, but by showing up and standing along the route where history once passed.
Great Barrington values culture, learning, and civic life. January 10 is an opportunity to embody those values and to lead by example as the rest of Massachusetts follows.
History is coming through our town again. I hope we will meet it with curiosity, gratitude, and the enthusiasm such a moment deserves.
Donna Norman
CEO of Calyx Berkshire Dispensary
Great Barrington
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