BASIC Berkshires

On-farm Botanical Inks Workshop
2025-09-20 10:00 - 16:00 (America/New_York)
Spend the day foraging seasonal botanicals and learning how to transform them into artist-quality natural inks. The workshop includes a guided farm walk, harvesting from the dye garden, and hands-on ink-making in the barn studio. No prior experience required—perfect for artists, nature lovers, and anyone curious about plant-based color.
Full details and registration: www.farmandfieldny.com/workshops
Where: Farm & Field, a 200-acre farm in Chatham, NY
Contact: jill@farmandfieldny.com
Phone: 973.879.6252

“Mickey’s Christmas Carol” (1983)
2025-12-13 13:00 - 16:00 | Indigo Room, 20 Castle Street, Great Barrington, 01230
Animated family favorite “Mickey’s Christmas Carol” will play on loop for free at the Mahaiwe’s new Indigo Room during Great Barrington’s Holiday Shop, Sip, and Stroll. Familiar Disney characters retell Charles Dickens’ timeless story of holiday spirit. (Rated G, 26min.)

Free screening of “It’s a Wonderful Life” (1946)
2025-12-19 19:00 - 21:30 | Mahaiwe Performing Arts Center, 14 Castle Street, Great Barrington, MA, 01230
The Mahaiwe presents a free screening of ‘It’s a Wonderful Life’ per annual tradition. Frank Capra directs James Stewart and Donna Reed in this classic holiday favorite about community, love, and hope. (Rated PG, 2h 10min.)

Berkshire Opera Festival's Community Sing-Along
2026-01-10 14:00 - 16:00 | St. Stephen’s Episcopal Church, 67 East Street, Pittsfield, 01201
Berkshire Opera Festival is excited to invite you to our third annual Community Sing-Along!
​This free, fun-filled event brings everyone together to sing beloved opera choruses by composers like Mozart, Verdi, and Wagner—alongside BOF choristers and members of our wider Berkshire singing community.
​Singers of all experience levels are encouraged to join in. Whether you’re a seasoned vocalist or just love to sing for fun, you’ll fit right in. For ages 13+.
The event is free, but registration is required. We’ll send you the music and helpful details ahead of time—no preparation needed, just come ready to sing and enjoy a joyful afternoon of music-making.

Berkshire Opera Festival's Winterreise
2026-03-07 08:00 - 17:00, 2026-03-07 14:00 - 15:30 | Studio E, Linde Center for Music and Learning, Tanglewood, 3 West Hawthorne Road, Lenox, MA, 01240
A rejected lover. A frozen landscape. A profound loneliness. Hailed as the greatest song cycle ever written, Schubert’s Winterreise follows a wandering protagonist on his quest for comfort on a winter’s night. But this is not merely a trek through snow and ice—it is an intimate odyssey into the depths of the soul. Join internationally acclaimed baritone Jarrett Porter and Artistic Director Brian Garman as they take you on this deeply moving and cathartic journey.
For information on discounted tickets, contact Sarah Prouty at sprouty@berkshireoperafestival.org.
This program is funded in part by a grant from the Lenox Cultural Council, a local agency which is supported by Mass Cultural Council, a state agency.
Discounted tickets to BOF’s production of Winterreise are generously sponsored by Adrian & Christine Slywotzky.

Berkshire Opera Festival's Free Family Concert: Once Upon an Opera
2026-04-12 14:00 - 15:00 | Indigo Room, 20 Castle Street, Great Barrington, 01230
Back by popular demand! Berkshire Opera Festival’s Free Family Concert returns with a lively mix of opera favorites and instantly recognizable melodies. This fun, one-hour interactive performance invites kids and adults to experience live opera up close—perfect for a memorable family outing. This unforgettable afternoon of music is free and open to all ages, but you’ll want to reserve your seats today as seating is limited. Once Upon an Opera is recommended for children of all ages with accompanying caregivers.
Event Details:
Sunday, April 12 at 2:00 PM
Indigo Room, Mahaiwe Performing Arts Center
20 Castle Street, Great Barrington, MA
Duration: 1 hour (no intermission)
Free (reservations encouraged)
Register here:
https://www.berkshireoperafestival.org/onceuponanopera

Community Day
2026-05-23 11:00 - 16:00 | Shakespeare & Company, 70 Kemble Street, Lenox, MA, 01240
FREE EVENT
Community Day
Saturday, May 23
11 am–4 pm
Tina Packer Playhouse & the Grounds
Shakespeare & Company announces its third-annual Community Day, a free, family-friendly celebration on Saturday, May 23, from 11 am to 4 pm at the Shakespeare & Company campus in Lenox. Community Day invites guests of all ages to enjoy live performances, demonstrations, and music; interactive activities for all ages; film screenings; food trucks with fare for purchase, and opportunities to learn about more than two dozen nonprofit and community organizations serving the Berkshires and beyond.
Learn more at shakepeare.org or call 413.637.3353!
