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Weekend Outlook: Fairs, Festivals & Re-enactments

By Sabrina DammsiBerkshires Staff
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There are a variety of events this weekend, including the inaugural Lanesborough Day, festivals, and more. 
 
See a list of Farmer's Markets here
 
Editor's Pick
 
Inaugural Lanesborough Day
Bill Laston Memorial Park
Saturday, 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. 
 
Lanesborough Day will celebrate the small town and offer a chance for residents to get together under the new pavilion.
 
There will be a variety of local food vendors as well as a free bounce house, popcorn, water, and the Pittsfield Police's Copsicle truck giving out frozen treats. First responders will also offer a Touch a Truck event.
 
More information here
 
Multiple Days 
 
Loud Weekend
Mass MoCA, North Adams
Thursday-Saturday
 
The annual Bang on a Can festival transforms Massachusetts Museum of Contemporary Art into a genre-bending musical utopia for innovative composers and performers. 
 
During the event special guests, Bang on a Can faculty and young players will take the Hunter Center stage in a series of heady collisions of jazz, classical, rock, and beyond.
 
Tickets range from $79 to $249. More information here
 
Renaissance Faire
Cummington Fairgrounds
Saturday and Sunday from 10 a.m. until 5 p.m.
 
There will be a renaissance fair just a half-hour outside the county. Become part of the medieval and fanciful gathering. 
 
Bring your family along for some family friendly entertainment including shopping, fairies and more. 
 
The adults only Market After Dark on Saturday starts at 7 p.m. featuring risqué shows, bawdy humor, and the Kilt and Cleavage Contest.
 
Tickets are cash only at the gate and cost $25 for adult, $15 for ages 7 to 17, and kids 6 and younger are free. Online tickets available at a cheaper price. More information here
 
'Redcoats and Rebels'
Old Sturbridge Village
Saturday & Sunday, 9:30 to 5; until 8 on Saturday
 
Old Sturbridge Village hosts one of New England's largest Revolutionary War re-enactments, featuring nearly 600 costumed re-enactors portraying both soldiers and civilians. Dramatic re-enactments of historic battles and skirmishes between colonial and British troops, complete with cannon and musket demonstrations and cavalry displays. The event will also feature live fife and drum music and special presentations.
 
Tickets from $16 to $32; more information here
 
Littleville Fair 
15 Kinnebrook Road, Chester
Friday from 4 to 10; Saturday 7-10; Sunday 7-4
 
Family-friendly agricultural, craft, and country events and performances including petting zoo, tractor pulls, demonstrations, livestock shows and demolition derby. 
 
Tickets $10; children 12 and younger free. More information and schedule here
 
 
Friday
 
Pittsfield's First Friday at Five
Downtown Pittsfield
Every first Friday at 5 p.m. 
 
The free event blends art, entertainment, shopping, and community engagement and features a makers market, live music, a family activities, an art walk, and more. 
 
The maker's market on North Street consists of local artisan vendors and the Family Fun Zone, located at Dunham Mall, has free activities such as kids' paint and sip. 
 
The art walk showcases a number of shows and exhibits on view at venues around downtown Pittsfield. Most of the art is on display throughout the month. Download the Downtown Pittsfield Inc. app from the Google Play or App Store to get a virtual walking tour.
 
More information here
 
North Adams First Fridays
Downtown North Adams 
First Friday of every month from 5 to 9 p.m. 
 
Every first Friday, downtown North Adams is filled with visitors exploring businesses and local galleries along with live music performances, food trucks, and vendors. This month event will have activities centered around the theme "Dog Days of Summer."
 
The Downtown Bike Around, a free, monthly, community and family friend group bike ride takes off from Historic Eagle Street at 7:30 p.m.
 
Downtown businesses will also have extended hours. 
 
More information here
 
Showing of 'Minions: The Rise of Gru' 
Adams Theater 
Time: 6:30 p.m. 
 
As part of the theater's summer movie series, there will be a free showing of the Universal Pictures film "Minions: The Rise of Gru." 
 
Families are welcome to bring their blankets and snacks, or purchase a bag of popcorn. All children under the age of 18 must be accompanied by a parent or guardian for the duration of the film.  
 
More information here
 
Saturday
 
Fire on the Mountain Jam
Bousquet Mountain, Pittsfield
Time: 3 to 10:30 p.m.
 
This daylong festival celebrates the music the Grateful Dead, the Allman Brothers Band, and The Band. 
 
Rev Tor & Dead Man's Waltz will return to host the event on the mountain. The event will feature performances by Legion of Jerry, Grateful Dread, and Kind Bud. 
 
Tickets range from $5 to $25. More information here
 
Ice Cream Train Rides
4 Hoosac St., Adams
Departures: 1:30 and 3 p.m.
 
Take a journey on a train and have ice cream. Tickets cost $22 for adults, $15 for children 3 to 13 years of age, and are free for infants and toddlers two and under. 
 
More information here
 
Saturday Morning Museum
The Berkshire Museum, Pittsfield
Time: 10:30 a.m. 
 
The museum is launching a new monthly series featuring a classic cartoon screening followed by educational sessions using the museum's collection and based on the content of the show.
 
The series will take place every first Saturday of the month. This month, there will be a showing of the 1969 animation "Scooby-Doo and a Mummy, Too," followed by a lesson on the museum's mummy Pahat. More information here
 
Totally MAD! Artmaking Activities
Norman Rockwell Museum, Stockbridge
Time: 11 a.m. to 4 p.m.
 
Join the museum for an afternoon of art-making inspired by the magazine MAD every Saturday this summer. 
 
Projects will highlight different aspects of MAD magazine, featuring recurring characters, comic strips, bits, and other highlights of its history through drawings, collages, and more. 
 
This event is free with museum admission. More information here
 
Sizzling Summer Craft Fair
United Methodist Church of Lenox
Time: 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. 
 
The event will feature more than 30 local vendors, a silent auction, baked goods, and a summer lunch. More information here.
 
Fresh Flower Workshop
Berkshire Thistle 'n' Thorn Floral
Time: 3 to 5 p.m. 
 
Participants will be creating an arrangement with fresh flowers and vegetables from local farms. Tickets cost $50. 
 
Free Summer Concert 
Lenox Memorial Middle/High School
Time: 3 to 5 p.m. 
 
There will be a performance in Lenox High School's Duffin Theater by Berkshires Community Orchestra. 
 
They will open with a performance of "America the Beautiful" and the Ukrainian national anthem, followed by selected works of Ukrainian composers. 
 
The program will also feature a performance by Pittsfield High School composer Davis Albayeros and selected string players performing his El Ultimo Baile. The event will conclude with Beethoven's 7th Symphony.
 
More information here
 
Wild Heart Tribute: Stevie Nicks & Fleetwood Mac
The Stationery Factory, Dalton
Time: 8 to 10:30 p.m. 
 
The Stevie Nicks/Fleetwood Mac tribute show Wild Heart Tribute will perform. Tickets cost $27.38. More information is available here
 
Sunday 
 
Walking with WordXWord
The Mount, Lenox
Time: 5 p.m. 
 
WordXWord poets will lead an exploration of the grounds and selected works in the Sculpture At The Mount exhibition. 
 
The program meets at the Stable Auditorium, adjacent to the Upper Parking Lot. The event is free and open to all, but some poems may contain content or language suited for teens and adults. Participants should wear walking shoes as the event will involve standing and/or modest walks.
 
In case of rain, the event will take place in the large event tent. More information here
 
When Paths Cross: Fern Katz Movement Workshop
Adams Theater, Park Street, Adams
Sunday: 4 p.m.
 
This multi-disciplinary project founded by Fern Katz and collaborators blends dance, theater, acrobatics and circus. Katz works with questions of human interaction/communication and simple, mundane situations. The creations use dark humor, surrealism, and an excavation of the subconscious on stage. 
 
Free and open to the public. More information here
 
Soulful Jazz And Blues Performance
Dotties Coffee Lounge, Pittsfield
Time: 10 to noon
 
Bass player Pete Toigo and pianist and vocalist Dave Bartley will be performing at the event. There is no cover charge for the event. A full menu, coffee bar, and full drink bar will be available until closing at 2. More information is available here.

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McCann and Taconic Awarded CTI Grants

Staff Reports
NORTH ADAMS, Mass. — The Healey-Driscoll Administration announced $525,482 in Career Technical Initiative (CTI) implementation grants awarded to two organizations in the Berkshires to train 80 individuals for careers in high-demand occupations within the trades, construction, and manufacturing sectors in the region. 
 
In North Adams, McCann Technical School was awarded $344,871 to provide training to 60 participants for Automotive Technician, Advanced Manufacturing, and Welding positions. They will partner with T&M Auto Sales Inc., Berkshire Bridge & Iron Co. Inc., Haddad GMC, Haddad Subaru, Bedard Brothers Auto Sales Inc., Lenco Armored Vehicles, TOG Manufacturing, Sinicon Plastics, Adams Plumbing & Heating Inc., and Gills Point S Tire.
 
"We are excited to be working with our MassHire team to continue to address our workforce needs and build talent pipelines and career pathways in Advanced Manufacturing, Welding and Automotive Technician," McCann Superintendent James Brosnan said. "This CTI award will provide hands-on training and support as we continue to expand our skilled talent pool for employers in the Berkshires."
 
In Pittsfield Taconic High School was awarded $180,610 to provide training to 20 participants for Metal Fabrication and Auto Technology positions. They will partner with O.W. Landergren Inc., Lenco Industries Inc., Bedard Brothers, Haddad's Auto Group, and RW's Auto Inc.
 
"Pittsfield Public Schools is incredibly grateful to the Healey-Driscoll Administration and Commonwealth Corporation for the CTI award to Taconic High School. This grant will have a significant and lasting impact on our community by providing skilled technicians to address critical shortages in Berkshire County," said Superintendent Joseph Curtis. "We are excited to partner with Lenco Industries, Haddads, Bedards, RW Auto, O.W. Landergren, Northeast Fabricators, and the MassHire Berkshire Career Center. These partnerships will serve as a catalyst for positive change, ensuring that our trainees are well-prepared for the challenges and opportunities of the 21st-century workforce, while simultaneously strengthening our local economy."
 
The CTI grant program, a state-funded workforce initiative, partners with career and technical education schools to provide adult learners, especially unemployed and underemployed individuals from underserved populations and underrepresented groups, with career training and technical skills to meet the needs of Massachusetts employers. The program transforms career and technical education schools across the state to become "Career Technical Institutes" that run after dark programs in the construction/trades, manufacturing, and skilled trades career pathways. 
 
"Addressing our workforce needs and building talent pipelines and career pathways in construction, trades and manufacturing sectors is a priority for this administration," said Governor Maura Healey. "CTI offers hands-on training that will support our jobseekers, workers and employers. We're proud to expand the CTI awards to these two schools in the Berkshires to strengthen our workforce and grow our economy throughout the state."  
 
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