Are We There Yet?: Summer's Last Weekend

If your kids are among the lucky ones who haven't started school yet (and you are among the unlucky parents stuck trying to entertain them for one more week; see my hand waving madly here) then mark this Friday, Aug. 30, on your calendar.

This is the last day of the Highland Street Foundation's Free Fun Fridays around the state, and it features two Berkshire County institutions this week: The Mount in Lenox and the Norman Rockwell Museum in Stockbridge. I highly recommend taking advantage of the free admission at both of these South County cultural venues, for several reasons.

First, free is always better than paying. That's a no-brainer.

Second, when admission is free, it doesn't matter if the kids don't get as much out of it as you would want if you paid for it. While the Norman Rockwell Museum does aim to be family-friendly, and the current exhibit "Snow White and The Seven Dwarfs: The Creation of a Classic" certainly will appeal to many youths, I have found from personal experience that kids don't always have the attention span for museums, even really good ones. And while The Mount is certainly beautiful and worth a visit, the charm and history of the mansion and its famous denizen might be lost on the kids pretty quickly.

And third, lest you think I'm less than ecstatic to be raising a child in an area ripe with cultural opportunities like these, and while I know these are indeed world-class venues that everyone should visit whenever possible, it's just different when you bring kids. So free is good; the pressure is off. For all the details, visit highlandstreet.org.

Ending the day Friday is what looks to be a hip-hopping good time at the Berkshire Mall. From 4 to 7 p.m. Friday, "Back to School the Healthy Way" is being sponsored by Yarmosky Pediatric Dentistry and the local Newspapers In Education program. The event, which will be held in the space of the former Old Navy store at the Sears end of the mall, will feature music by David Grover, Ayana George, Nostalgia, Zion and Destiny Music Group. There will also be performances by Youth Alive and The Y Gymnastics team. The Pittsfield YMCA also will be conducting break-dancing and gymnastics workshops. (Oh, and you can come on over and visit me at this event; I will be there with information on Girl Scouts, perhaps wearing my daughter's Hello Kitty headphones if the music gets too loud. It is indeed a sign that you have grown old when you constantly complain, "The music is so loud. I can't hear myself think!") The event is free, but donations will be accepted to help provide backpacks to be distributed by agencies that include the United Way and Kid Zone.

There is, of course, a long holiday weekend ahead, and since the weather looks to be good and everyone is taking their last gasps of summer, there are not a ton of events planned. I recommend getting out in the fresh air, taking a swim of it's not too chilly, or just taking a walk in the woods. If you have to have some structured family fun, on Saturday, Aug. 31, the Berkshire Co-op Market in Great Barrington is having one of its monthly "Kids Can Cook" series for kids to come ... well, cook, this time making summer squash roll-ups with herbs. It's at 10 a.m. and is free; information can be found at berkshirecoop.com.

For those of you back in the classroom, good luck. For those of you not heading back until next week, enjoy the remains of summer!

Berkshire County native Rebecca Dravis of Williamstown is a former journalist who now works for the Girl Scouts of Central and Western Massachusetts. She can be reached at rdravis@verizon.net.