Crane and Company Old Stone Mill Rag Room

A great place to take a midweek tour into a slice (or a page) right out of history.

The Papermaking Museum at Crane's Old Stone Mill

40 Pioneer Street, Dalton, Massachusetts (about 1/2 hour for the 1896 House)

https://plus.google.com/117400291355767910907/about?gl=us&hl=en

(413) 684-7780

http://www.crane.com

This structure represents the oldest paper factory (c. 1844) in continuous operation at one site, and outstandingly documents the early development of the American paper industry through the 19th and into the 20th century.

The museum, first opened in the autumn of 1930, it is on the National Register of Historic Places, National Register Number: 83004376. The one-story building is situated on the banks of the Housatonic River, which supplied the water to wash the rags and drive the machinery of the early Crane mills.

The museum is open Monday through Friday from 1 to 5 p.m., free of charge, from early June through mid-October. 

Some interesting facts about Crane & Co.

Crane and Co. has been making fine paper for over 200 years and is now in its seventh generation of being owned and operated by the Crane family.

Papers made by Stephen Crane were used to print patriotic newspapers and broadsides leading up to and during the war, and were even engraved for Colonial Currency by Paul Revere. Revere even pastured his horses at the Liberty Paper Mill, just in case he needed to make a midnight ride…

Franklin and Eleanor conducted the affairs of a nation on Crane paper.

The Queen Mum announced the celebration of her 100th birthday on Crane paper.

Paul Revere engraved banknotes for the Colony of Massachusetts Bay on Crane paper to help finance the American Revolution.

As early as 1806, local and regional banks began printing currency on Zenas Crane's fine cotton papers. This was quickly followed by official government proclamations, permanent public records and stocks and bonds.

In the mid 1800s. Crane’s began making 100% cotton stationary. Soon after that, it was discovered that trees could be made into paper. Crane stayed with what they thought and currently still use what they think the best material to make paper out of; cotton.

Bella Terra Festival this weekend and ideas for some things to do during the week

Bella Terra Festival, Stephentown, New York (less then 30 minutes from the 1896 Inn)

August 16^th – 19th, 2012

Bella Terra Festival is an outdoor music and arts festival that occurs over multiple days and nights and features several stages of performances, artists and other programming. Gardner’s Farm in Stephentown, New York will be home to the third annual Bella Terra Festival, located between Albany, New York and The Berkshires in western Massachusetts.

Bella Terra celebrates a positive and progressive outlook and lifestyle, grassroots organization and activism, consciousness and creativity, self expression through artistic mediums, and the pursuit of a holistic existence that balances body, mind & spirit. Music and art can be a great platform to promote awareness, consciousness and sustainability and unite a people to affect societal progress. Bella Terra Festival uses this platform to call attention to the need to reestablish a spiritual connection between mankind and the Earth and perpetuate an ideology of global unification.

Bella Terra Festival recognizes that changing one’s own life for the better goes hand in hand with improving the world around us. This is why Bella Terra advocates that each person pursue his or her own dreams, open their minds and realize their maximum potential. To help meet these ends at Bella Terra Festival, many classes, workshops, and lectures in music, art, nature, politics and beyond are offered, in addition to a host of other programs and entertainment to help deliver our message.

http://bellaterrafestival.com

https://twitter.com/TheBellaTerra

Sun, Mon, Wed, Thu, Fri, Sat until August 18, 2012

Impressions of New England

Bennington Center for the Arts & Museum of the Covered Bridge

Bennington, VT

http://www.thebennington.org

This annual exhibition will include over 60 scenes captured in paint and bronze. Seashores, rolling hills, foliage and New England wildlife will be depicted in over seventy fine works of art.

Mondays

Ghost Tours At The Mount, Edith Wharton’s Home

Lenox, MA

For over a century, The Mount has been home to writers, actors, wealthy families, hard-working servants, and teenage girls. Tour the most haunted parts of the estate to find out what spirits might still be lurking. Tours begin at 7:30pm, last 90 minutes and not recommended for visitors 12 years and younger due to mature content.  Reservations are highly recommended as most tours sell out. See website for more details.  http://www.edithwharton.org/

Mondays until August 28, 2012

Monday Lecture Series at The Mount, Edith Wharton’s Home

Lenox, MA

The 20th season of the Lecture Series promises to be one to remember! This year they are proud to offer an exciting mix of historians and biographers who will take you from the Romanov Dynasty, to the Gilded Age, to Paris and the Roaring Twenties. Lectures begin at 4 pm and are followed by a tea and book signing. For schedule visit the website. Seating is limited and early ticket purchase is highly recommended. $18 members, $20 non-members.

http://www.edithwharton.org

Weekly on Tuesday until October 3, 2012

Tyke Hike

North Adams

For children ages 8 and under with their parents/guardians. Take a short hike with the Park Interpreter to explore the nature around us. A great opportunity to introduce children to the outdoors. Wear sturdy shoes, bug spray and bring water bottle. Programs are free and start at the Natural Bridge Visitor Center with a $2.00 parking fee. 1:00 pm & 3:00 pm.

http://www.mass.gov/dcr/parks/western/nbdg.htm

Wednesdays until October 4, 2012

Healthy Heart Walk at Natural Bridge State Park

Location: North Adams, MA

http://www.mass.gov/dcr/parks/western/nbdg.htm

Easy 3/8 mile fitness walk on Healthy Heart woodland trail with Park Interpreter at 1pm. Bring sturdy shoes and water bottle. Programs are free and start at the Natural Bridge Visitor Center with a $2.00 parking fee.

Now is a great time to go berry and apple picking picking!

Right now is the perfect time of year to go fruit picking in the Berkshires! A great way to spend quality time with the family, stock up the pantry and get ready time bake up a storm or just enjoy them fresh with a little whipped cream.

The area abounds with farms and PYO farms, a lovely mouthwatering way to take home a taste of the Berkshires not far from the 1896House and great Saturday or Sunday bit of fun in the sun.

A great tip to hold your fresh berries and keep them fresh a little longer. Mix 1 tea. white vinegar with 1 cup fresh water, rinse the berries briefly and pat dry. Store in the refrigerator in a glass container. The berries don’t pick up the vinegar flavor but kill the mold spores on the berries.

The Apple Barn & Country Bake Shop (20 minutes from the Inn)

Strawberries, blueberries, Fall red raspberries

Rt 7 South, Bennington, VT 05201.

888-827-7537

Pick Your Own, Weather Permitting; Everbearing Strawberries - Mid June until October; Blueberries - Early July - Early August; Red Raspberries - Mid August to late September. Open: Call for PYO hours and availability.

http://www.theapplebarn.com/index.php

Lakeview Orchard (25 minutes from the Inn)

Sweet and Tart Cherries, Apples, plums, raspberries (Spring, red), raspberries (Autumn, red), raspberries (black), Honey from hives on the farm, Cider mill (fresh apple cider made on the premises)

94 Old Cheshire Road, Lanesboro, MA 01237.

413-448-6009

Early July to October 31; Tuesday through Sunday 9 am to 5:30 pm; Columbus Day Monday.

http://www.lakevieworchard.com/

Mountain View Farm (25 minutes from the Inn)

Blueberries, strawberries

90 Old Cheshire Road, Lanesboro, MA 01225.

413-445-7642.

Open: Monday to Friday, from 8am to 6pm; Saturday and Sunday, from 8am to 4pm. http://mountainviewfarm.org/

https://www.facebook.com/pages/Mountain-View-Farm/106412962736471

Bartlett's Orchard (45 minutes from the Inn)

Apples, raspberries and flowers 575 Swamp Road, Richmond, MA. 

413-698-2559.  

PYO, call for hours; Stand open 8-5pm, 7 days a week

https://www.facebook.com/pages/Bartletts-Orchard/146680312027115

Hilltop Orchard / Furnace Brook Winery (45 minutes from the Inn)

Apples

800-833-6274.

Open: Wed to Sunday, 9am to 5pm Labor Day until Columbus Day for PYO

Containers provided, children welcome, picnicking and free hayrides on weekends.  View cider mill and offer hard cider.  Year round stand and bakery

Kirchner's Farm (45 minutes from the Inn)

Blueberries and raspberries

131 Churchill Street, Pittsfield, MA.

413-443-7645.

Open: Mid July thru early September Call for appointment.

The Maple Connection/the Harvest Pride (45 minutes from the Inn)

Apples, maple syrup

Route 143, PO 565, Hinsdale, MA 01235

413-842-7592.

Crops are usually available in February, March, April, September, October, November. Open: year round please call ahead for times and crop we are picking and or boiling maple syrup; Please call ahead for PYO

Strawberry Acres Farm (45 minutes from the Inn)

Blueberries

370 Pittsfield Road, Hinsdale, MA 01235. Phone: 413-655-2672

Open: 9am to 5pm daily. 

Get Your Game on with a Game of Golf

By: amjorsfeldt

It’s the perfect time of year to go golfing. The 1896 House has 2 great golf courses less then 5 minutes away from the inn and 2 more with in close driving distance.

Taconic Golf Club (less then 5 minutes from the Inn)|

19 Meacham Street

Williamstown, MA 01267

413-458-3997

Website: http://www.taconicgolf.com/

Originally designed in 1927 by Wayne Stiles of Stiles & Van Cleek, our par-71 course was renovated in 2009 by renowned golf course architect Gil Hanse of Hanse Golf Course Design, Inc., Golf Magazine’s 2009 Architect of the Year. Taconic Golf Club is located on land owned by Williams College and is operated by an independent board of directors.

Rates: http://www.taconicgolf.com/play-taconic/greens-fees/

Waubeeka (less then 5 minutes from the Inn)

18 Hole Public Golf Course
Routes 7 and 43
South Williamstown, MA 01267

413-458-8355

Website: http://www.waubeeka.com/

Find them on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/pages/Waubeeka-Golf-Links/226353307797

The base elevation of the golf course is 850 feet with the Taconic Range on the West side, the Brodie Mt. Range on the South, the Hoosac Range (includes Mt. Greylock, at 3,491 feet the highest point in Mass.) to the East and the Green Mountains of Vermont to the North. T'hecounty seat city of Pittsfield is 15 miles to the south and Bennington, VT, is 20 miles to the north. New York's Capital District is 35 miles to the west.

Rates: http://www.waubeeka.com/tee-times/

Forest Park Country Club (less then 25 minutes from the Inn)

Forest Park Ave.

Adams, MA 01220

413-743-3311

Website: http://forestparkadams.com/

Forest Park Country Club is a nine hole golf course located in Adams, MA.  Forest Park Country Club is open to the public.  We are a user friendly, yet challenging course. Forest Park Country Club was founded in the year 1900 is one of the oldest clubs in the United States!   We are located near the base of scenic Mt Greylock, the highest peak in Massachusetts.  We have a Function Room that can host parties up to 100 people.  Forest Park is open for guest play from 8:00AM until sunset everyday.

Guest Rates http://forestparkadams.com/rates/

Mt. Anthony Country Club (less then 25 minutes from the Inn)

180 Country Club Drive

Bennington, VT 05201

802-442-2617

Website: http://www.mtanthonycc.com

Find them on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/pages/Mt-Anthony-Country-Club/118078876815

Established in 1897, Mt. Anthony Country Club is nestled in the green Mountains and it's located in the heart of Historic Old Bennington. The course has gone through a renovation under the direction of Golf Course Architect, A. John Harvey, of the RBA Group. The new changes take full advantage of the spectacular Green Mountain location and challenge players at every level. The restoration includes new shaping of bunkers and tee complexes. A systematic agronomic program continues in all existing grass areas, fairways and greens which results in a superb quality of the turf. Come and enjoy the new Mt. Anthony. A monumental Golfing Experience!

Guest Rates http://www.mtanthonycc.com/golf.html Non-members can register 3 days in advance.

One, two, three, Zip! - Ziplining!

Under an hour from the inn, zipline tours at Berkshire East offers three different tours, one of New England’s largest zipline destinations and one of the top ten in the US and check out some other videos of the zipline tours at http://www.youtube.com/user/berkshirezip

Choose from one of three zip line canopy tours

Base Tour , Mountain Top Tour or Valley Jump

Check out more information about these tours at http://www.berkshirezip.com/

Phone reservations can be made with a BECT customer service representative at 413-339-6618 during normal business hours. Online reservations may be made at any time.   Walk up guests are welcome, but cannot always guarantee you a spot on the same day, so its best to make reservations. 413-339-6618 or book online at http://reservations.berkshireeast.com/express/reservation/results.jsf?typeID=1

Check out some facts on what to wear and more at http://berkshireeast.com/zip_faq

And find them on Facebook and Twitter too!

https://www.facebook.com/pages/Berkshire-East-Canopy-Tours/94318020786 and

https://twitter.com/#!/BerkshireEast

Berkshire East Ski Area/Berkshire East

66 Thunder Mtn. Road Charlemont, MA

413-339-6618

Get Out and Raft!!!

photo courtesy of imma

The hottest days of summer are coming and what better way to cool off on a hot summers weekend, then go rafting!! Crab Apple White Water Rafting is about 45 minutes from the inn, perfect for an all day adventure or a morning or afternoon break. They also offer kayaking

Crab Apple Whitewater offers dam controlled whitewater rafting and kayaking in the Berkshires on the Deerfield River. Family owned and operated since 1983, Crab Apple features great river guides, riverside base camps and state-of-the-art equipment. Trips range from Mild to Wild, Full Day or Half Day

Crab Apple Whitewater

http://www.crabapplewhitewater.com/massachusetts/index.shtml

2056 Mohawk Trail, Charlemont, MA 01339

Massachusetts Base Phone Number 413-625-2288

Crab Apple offers several different options for rafting and ‘yaking:

Deerfield River - Fife Brook Section

Full Day Trip - 10 miles

Class I-III whitewater, Minimum age 8, delicious picnic lunch

Deerfield River - Monroe Bridge Section

Full Day Trip

Class III-IV whitewater, Minimum age 15, awesome cookout lunch

Deerfield River Funyaks

Half-Day Trip - 8 miles

Class I-II whitewater, Minimum ages 5 for double, 10 for single, riverside snack

Deerfield River Half-Day Family Raft Trip

Half-Day Trip - 8 miles

Easy Class I-II whitewater, Minimum age 5, riverside snack, optional cookout

Check out their helpful tips on what wear after the trip and what to bring with you!

http://www.crabapplewhitewater.com/faqs.shtml#3 and http://www.crabapplewhitewater.com/faqs.shtml#26  and for any questions you have about the trip before and after at http://www.crabapplewhitewater.com/faqs.shtml

Williamstown Theatre Festival starts this week!

The 2012 summer season starts on June 26^th with The Importance of Being Earnest by Oscar Wilde, A Trivial Comedy for Serious People. Directed by David Hyde Pierce

The play runs from June 26 through July 14, 2012

For tickets: http://www.wtfestival.org/buytickets

The Williamstown Theatre Festival has an interesting history spanning over 58 years. The theatre was started in 1955 by Ralph Renzi, the then News Director of Williams College, and David C. Bryant, chairman of the College’s active drama program. Read more at http://wtfestival.org/history

2012 On the Main Stage:

The Importance of Being Earnest By Oscar Wilde

June 26 – July 14

Directed by David Hyde Pierce

Far From Heaven

July 19 – 29

Book by Richard Greenberg

Directed by Michael Greif

A Month in the Country By Ivan Turgenev

August 1 – 19

Directed by Richard Nelson

2012 On the Nikos Stage:

The Blue Deep By Lucy Boyle

June 27 – July 8

Directed by Bob Balaban

Last of the Red Hot Lovers By Neil Simon

July 11 – 22

Directed by Jessica Stone

The Elephant Man By Bernard Pomerance

July 25 – August 5

Directed by Scott Ellis

WHADDABLOODCLOT!!! By Katori Hall

August 8 – 19

Directed by May Adrales

Here Lies Love

June 21, 22 & 23 @ 8pm, June 23 & 24 @ 3pm

The Hunter Center at MASS MoCA

Written by David Byrne

Directed by Alex Timbers

Other 2012 Events:

For a full updated list of “More” events, please visit http://www.wtfestival.org/2012/morefest

The architectural award-winning ’62 Center for Theatre and Dance is the summer home of the Williamstown Theatre Festival.  Located on the campus of Williams College, the building offers a modern theater experience.  Its Main Stage “courtyard” proscenium has 512 seats, is air conditioned and provides disabled access. 1000 Main Street, Williamstown, MA, only 5 minutes away from the 1896 House Inn.

Jacob’s Pillow, A Berkshire’s Gem

In the Berkshires we are getting ready for the seasonal opening of Jacob’s Pillow. On

June 16, the 80th Anniversary Season Opening Gala (http://www.jacobspillow.org/festival/2012/06/gala-2012/) was held marking the opening of the season. Celebrating eight decades of dance, it featured international renowned performers followed by a dinner and live auction.

Jacob’s Pillow offers free outdoor performances for the young and old. Check out their

Inside/Out series, performances by emerging and established dance companies and presentations by dancers of every Wednesday through Saturday at 6:15pm.

For the full schedule please visit http://www.jacobspillow.org/festival/insideout-schedule/index.php Performances start Wednesday, June 20.

Inside/Out moves to an indoor studio in the event of rain and seating is very limited indoors. Please call the Box Office at 413-243-0745 the day of the performance after 5:30 PM to learn if the performance has been moved to an indoor venue.

Ticketed performances begin June 20^th as well on a variety of stages.

2012 Schedule:

Mimulus, June 20-June 24, 2012

Circa, June 20-June 24, 2012

Morphoses, June 27-July 1, 2012

Kidd Pivot Frankfurt RM, June 27-July 1, 2012

Vertigo Dance Company, July 4-July 8, 2012

LeeSaar The Company, July 4-July 8, 2012

Borrowed Light by Tero Saarinen, July 11-July 15, 2012

The Men Dancers: From the Horse's Mouth, July 11-July 15, 2012,

Hong Kong Ballet, July 18-July 22, 2012

Luna Negra Dance Theater, July 18-July 22, 2012

Bill T. Jones/Arnie Zane Dance Company, July 25-July 29, 2012

Jessica Lang Dance, July 25-July 29, 2012

Royal Winnipeg Ballet, August 1-August 5, 2012

Jonah Bokaer & David Hallberg, August 1-August 5, 2012

Trey McIntyre Project, August 8-August 12, 2012

Dance Heginbotham, August 8-August 12, 2012

Compagnie Käfig, August 15-August 19, 2012

Liz Gerring Dance Company, August 15-August 19, 2012

A Jazz Happening,August 19, 2012

The Joffrey Ballet, August 22-August 26, 2012

Doug Elkins and Friends' Fräulein Maria, August 22-August 26, 2012

For more information please visit:

http://www.jacobspillow.org/festival/events/ticketed-performances/

Jacob's Pillow Dance

358 George Carter Road

Becket, MA 01223

Box Office, March 3-August 28

Phone: 413-243-0745

http://www.jacobspillow.org/

Also check out: "Never Stand Still: Dancing at Jacob's Pillow"

Never Stand Still, a documentary about Jacob’s Pillow Dance Festival in Becket, Mass., and its founder Ted Shawn. http://www.filmjournal.com/filmjournal/content_display/reviews/specialty-releases/e3ieebd34100228bb43bff0ad4af13ffa6f

Get revved up this coming weekend for the British Invasion!

Once again the town of Lenox is going hold a three day festival, the Berkshire British Motorcar Festival, a lovely combination of antique cars with a dash of John Steed and Mrs. Peel. 

The festival is held this Father’s Day weekend, starting on Friday, June 15^th and going through the weekend until Sunday, June 17^th.

The event starts on Friday with a motorcar parade from the Shakespeare & Company to Main Street, and then kicks of the Main Street Party, sponsored by the Lenox Chamber of Commerce. 007 will be on hand to oversee the Sean Connery look alike competition.

All of the cars will be on display at the Shakespeare & Company grounds and a Judged Competition will take place based on appearance. There will be a complimentary shuttle service between the Shakespeare & Company grounds and Main Street, provided by the local chamber. Area shops and restaurants will offer special British themed options.

For more information please visit: http://berkshiremotorcarfestival.com/events/index.html

Check Out Herbfest!

Photo image courtesy Gracey 

It’s supposed to be a beautiful weekend in the Berkshires. If you are staying at the 1896 House Inn and looking for something to do, check out the Mt. Lebanon Herbfest in nearby New Lebanon, NY. (less then 30 minutes away from the inn).

The Herbfest is a two day festival held on the beautiful Darrow School campus on the grounds of Mount Lebanon Shaker Village. On Saturday June 9, there are local activities and retail offerings throughout town. On Sunday multiple workshops are held.

They recommend pre-registration for workshops as they do fill up. http://www.mountlebanonherbfest.com/june-10/registration-and-locavore-lunch/

More than 30 walks, talks, demonstrations and workshops on herbs in food, pharmacy, gardening and local history

Admission: $10 per person, $20 per family.

The HerbFest is held rain or shine.

Saturday June 9 events and activities

Morning Walk at Hand Hollow Conservation Area

Herbal Walk and Workshop

9:00-11:30 am

Hand Hollow Conservation Area

4079 Route 9, New Lebanon

All Ages – Free

Talk at the New Lebanon Library

1:00 pm at the New Lebanon Library on The Literary Herb

Cattail Walk

at Wyomanock Center for Sustainable Living, 68 Wyomanock Rd, Stephentown, NY

2:30pm

.

Please visit http://www.mountlebanonherbfest.com/june-9/activities/ for more information

Sunday June 10 events and activities

(Sunday has multiple events running at the same time)

10:00 am

Shaker Cooking with Herbs, (1 hour)

Making Herbal Creams and Salves, (1 hour)

Mohican History and the Gift of the Healing Waters of the Lebanon Springs, (1/2 hour)

10:30 am

Herb Gardens: Have one at your fingertips. Delightful to the eye, delicious to the taste. (1/2 hour)

11:00 am

Family Forage: Fun with edible herbs. (1 hour)

Herbal Tinctures for Health. (1/2 hour)

Recent Research into the Ecology of the Shaker Swamp. (1/2 hour)

11:30 a.m.

Green Clean: Cleaning Your Home with Herbs and Essential Oils. (1/2 hour)

Tracking Down Herbs of All Kinds in the Shaker Swamp. (1 and 1/2 hours).

12 noon

Herbs in Modern Cooking 1 hour.

Lebanon Springs: The Source of New Lebanon’s Healing Gift. (1/2 hour).

12:30 p.m.

Making Herbal Soap. (1 hour)

1:00 p.m.

Searching Attics, Papers and Memories: Understanding the Rise and Decline of the Tilden Pharmaceutical Company of New Lebanon. (1/2 hour)

1:30 p.m.

Creating a Living Herbal Wreath. (1 hour)

How to Use Chinese Herbs. (1/2 hour)

2 p.m

Every man his own Physician: Samuel Thomson, the Shakers and the Thomsonian System. (1/2 hour)

2:30 p.m.

Nettles: One of Nature’s Wonder Plants. (1/2 hour)

Native American Storytelling in the Tipi. (1/2 hour)

3:00 p.m.

Making Drinks with Bitters. (1 hour)

Wonderful Garlic. (1/2 hour)

Tea Served in the Beautiful Herb Garden at the Abode. (1 hour)

3:30 p.m.

Cello Concert by Paul de Jong. (1/2 hour)

The Living Machine: An Ecological Wastewater Treatment Solution (1/2 hour)

For more information about each workshop, visit http://www.mountlebanonherbfest.com/june-10/program-schedule/

Check out Chunky Move at Mass MoCA this weekend!

This coming weekend while you are visiting the 1896 House, check out the fantastic shows by Chunky Move at MASS MoCA. Have dinner Saturday night at the 6' House Pub before the show or catch lunch before the show on Sunday. Less then 15 minutes from the Inn, get directions at http://g.co/maps/5upp8

Combine your visit with a spin through the MASS MoCA galleries http://www.massmoca.org/. Special combo ticket Chunky Move + galleries just $32. Galleries open 11 - 7:30on Saturday and 11 - 5 on Sunday with lots of great art  

Australia’s leading contemporary dance company, Chunky Move, presents their newest work Connected, a collaboration of choreographer Gideon Obarzanek and visual artist Reuben Margolin who is known for large kinetic sculptures that move and morph. In Connected, the airborne sculpture made of wood, recycled plastic, paper, and steel is built in front of us as the dance unfolds, and has been described by dance critic Deborah Jowitt as “the most compelling presence onstage.”

On their last US tour under the direction of company founder and longtime artistic director Gideon Obarzanek, Chunky Move, Australia’s “biggest and most successful contemporary dance export” (Edinburgh International Festival) comes to MASS MoCA.

In 2008 Chunky Move received Best Dance Work for Glow and Best Visual or Physical Theatre Production for Mortal Engine at the Live Performance Australia Helpmann Awards. In 2009, Mortal Engine received an Honorary Mention in the Prix Ars Electronica awards in the Hybrid Arts category.

Buy tickets online http://purchase.tickets.com/buy/TicketPurchase?organ_val=2324&event_val=CHUN&schedule=list (show only)  $39 premium / $29 orchestra / $25 mezzanine at the Massachusetts Museum of Contemporary Art, 87 Marshall Street. 413-662-2111 or call the Box Office at 413 664 4481.

Check out their website at: http://www.chunkymove.com/

Find them on Facebook at: https://www.facebook.com/pages/CHUNKY-MOVE/15467747194

Check Out North Adams 15th Annual Winterfest!

Saturday, February 25, 2012, 10 a.m. and 4 p.m. FREE

We haven't had much of a snowy winter so far, with days that are just short of balmy, but it's still fun to enjoy winter and the winter activities such as ice skating and watching people carve up enormous chunks of ice at the local winterfest. North Adams is less then 15 minutes from the 1896 House.

Early Morning, come see local artists and business owners try their hands at ice carving

The WinterFest Chowder Competition, 12 – 2 p.m.

Activities such as face painting, karaoke, hot chocolate, and horse drawn wagon rides. Children’s activities will be held at both MASS MoCA and Heritage State Park. MASS.

The North Adams Vietnam Memorial Skating Rink will host a Skating Dance Party from 7-9 p.m.. Admission is FREE and will feature a DJ, food and fun.

New events, performances and activities are being added all the time. Maps and schedules will be available the day of the event. For the most up-to-date information on North Adams’ WinterFest, call (413) 664-6180.

For more information please also check out

http://berkshires.org/bvb/files/2011/11/WinterFest.pdf

ALSO!!!

Come visit PRESS during the City of North Adams 15th Annual Winterfest Celebration

Take advantage of this surprisingly spring-like winter and take a walk downtown to experiment with letterpress by making your own type composition. Drop on in and choose from the large assortment of found wood type and bring your words to life! There is a suggested donation of $ 5 for printing.

PRESS

Date: February 25th

Time: 12-2

51 Main Street, North Adams, MA 01247

http://letterpressasapublicartproject.wordpress.com/

Susan B. Anthony Birthplace and a Special Concert Event

Plan a multi-day visit to Adams, MA while staying at the comfortable 1896 House Inn, on Saturday, visit the Susan B. Anthony Birthplace Museum and then on Sunday, listen to a lovely concert honoring the "daughter of Adams".

If you are looking for some fun things to also do on Saturday, go Ice Skating! For more information about hours and rates, please visit http://northadams-ma.gov/index.php?cmd=content&nav_id=76. On Sunday have a leisurely relaxing lunch at the 6' House Pub and then go listen to some lovely music celebrating Susan B. Anthony.

Susan B. Anthony Birthday Concert to Feature “Only the Message Mattered,” Sunday February 19, 2011

The annual event for Susan B. Anthony will feature “an absolutely gorgeous piece of music” to honor the “daughter of Adams.” And will present the original music and narrative, “Only the Message Mattered,” by composer/musician Bob Warren.

The concert, at 3:00 pm, Sunday, February 19, Adams Free Library, 92 Park Street, will honor  one of the world’s greatest human rights leaders and “daughter of Adams,” Susan B. Anthony. The public is invited to attend free of charge.

The event is co-hosted by the Adams Historical Society and funded in part from a grant from Mass Humanities. Bob Warren wrote the piece in 2010 with a grant from the New York State Council on the Arts for an ensemble of three singers/narrators and two instrumentalists. Performing in Adams on February 19, in simple Quaker dress, will be singer/narrators Brittany Rivers, Barbara Skiff, Rebecca Rogers, cellist Demetria Koninis and Bob Warren on piano.

For more information, contact the Adams Free Library, 413-743-8345, or the Susan B. Anthony Birthplace Museum, 413-743-7121.

Susan B. Anthony Birthplace Museum (20 minutes from the 1896 House)

67 East Road

Adams, MA 01220

413-743-7121

http://www.susanbanthonybirthplace.com

The Susan B. Anthony Birthplace Museum, Inc. is a not-for-profit corporation, dedicated to preserving the birthplace and raising public awareness of the wide-ranging legacy of the great social reformer, Susan B. Anthony, who was a pioneering feminist and suffragist as well as a noteworthy figure in the abolitionist, opposition to Restellism, and temperance movements of the 19th century.  As part of its mission, the Museum will highlight the familial and regional influences which shaped Ms. Anthony’s early life, by displaying the textiles and furnishings of that period, as well as the literature and other memorabilia associated with her later career.

Museum’s hours and schedule:

October 14, 2010 - May 28, 2011

Thursday, Friday & Saturday 10am - 4pm

- or - Call the Birthplace office and request a special tour.

One can tour the five room home in less than an hour.

Admission is $5 for adults

$3 for seniors and children

Free for children under 6 years of age.

This rural, Federal-style home was the birthplace and childhood home of Susan Brownell Anthony, an advocate for temperance and the rights of women. She was born in 1820 and lived in the house until the age of seven. She later returned here several times throughout her life. Anthony’s family had a long tradition in the Quaker Society of Friends, and she was raised to value the precepts of society, humility, simplicity, and in particular, equality. Anthony received a broad education and undoubtedly incorporated the instruction she received in this rural home into her later career. As an adult, Anthony went on to be educated as a teacher in Philadelphia and taught in various schools from 1835 to 1860, earning 1/3 of the salary paid to her male cohorts. Frustrated by the restrictions placed on her because of her gender, Anthony moved to her family’s home in New York in 1849. There, she became an associate of Fredrick Douglass and William Lloyd Garrison, leaders in the anti-slavery movement before the Civil War. Already an advocate of temperance and a good friend of Elizabeth Cady Stanton, she also endorsed rights for women and in 1869 helped found the National Woman’s Suffrage Association. Anthony cast a ballot in the 1872 presidential election and was arrested and fined $100 by a judge who directed the jury to find her guilty. She refused to pay, but because the judgment was never enforced, she could not appeal to the Supreme Court.

In 1892, she became the National Woman’s Suffrage Association’s president. Susan B. Anthony did not live to see women get the right to vote, for she died in 1906, 13 years before the 19th amendment was passed.

Information courtesy of: http://www.susanbanthonybirthplace.com

Get a taste of Spring in the middle of the Winter

And while you’re here take advantage of our “Play Hookey” Special

Stay any Friday & Saturday & get the consecutive Sunday or Thursday 1/2 price!

(Valid all Ski Season except Holiday weeks!)

In the chill of January most people start dreaming of warmer weather. Take a break from the cold and visit a touch of spring at Magic Wings Butterfly Conservatory, under an hour from the 1896 House Inn, perfect for a short day trip and then come back and sit by the fire at the 6' House Pub for dinner.

Magic Wings has an online coupon for $2 off Adult Admission

*Effective Tuesday, January 3 through Sunday, February 5.

http://www.magicwings.com/index.php?id=208

Magic Wings Butterfly Conservatory

http://www.magicwings.com/

281 Greenfield Road (Routes 5 & 10)

South Deerfield, MA   01373

(413) 665-2805

Magic Wings Butterfly Conservatory & Gardens consists of an 18,400-square foot facility that includes a 8,000-sq. ft. glass conservatory filled with butterflies, moths and tropical vegetation.

The conservatory maintains an 80-degree tropical-like environment all year round. It features a Koi pond in the center with a waterfall. Some 3,000 butterflies of all colors, shapes, sizes and varieties are at the conservatory.

Regular Hours of Operation:

Closed Monday & Tuesday

Wednesday through Friday 11 a.m. to 9 p.m.

Saturday 8 a.m. to 9 p.m.

Sunday 8 a.m. to 4 p.m.

While your at Magic Wings, check out their restaurant and browse their lunch menu here http://www.magicwings.com/index.php?id=126 and check out their cool Facebook fan page at https://www.facebook.com/pages/Magic-Wings-Butterfly-Conservatory/106827612675357

Old Hopkins Observatory & Mehlin Museum of Astronomy

Visiting the 1896 Inn in the next month and half is a great time to take advantage of visiting the local Planetarium. Late Fall and early winter weather conditions make for perfect atmospheric conditions for star and planet viewing. Grab an early dinner at the 6"House Pub or visit the Bar after the Planetarium shop for an even nightcap.

The Hopkins Observatory is the oldest existing observatory in the United States and houses the earliest Alvan Clark telescope.  In 1834, Prof. Albert Hopkins went to England, with the permission of the trustees of the college, to search for astronomical apparatus.  On his return, he enlisted some of his students to build a permanent observatory, which they constructed by hand from 1836 to 1838.  That building is now the planetarium.  It was originally located in the center of the quad but was moved to the far end in 1908 and to its present location in 1961.  Some of the original equipment from the 1834 trip to England still survives in this building.

Milham Planetarium Fall Schedule

Fridays at 7:30pm through Dec. 9

Reservations: 413-597-2188 or mcr4@williams.edu

http://astronomy.williams.edu/

Astronomy students at the college will host free shows for the public on the following Friday evenings at 7:30 p.m.: November 4, 11, 18; and December 2, 9.  Audiences will be treated to shows from the high-precision Zeiss Skymaster ZKP3/B opto-mechanical planetarium projector, installed in April 2005.

The Zeiss Skymaster is capable of demonstrating phenomena including: retrograde motions of the planets, phases of the moon, the varying temperatures/colors of stars, locations of neighboring galaxies, the mythological figures and zodiacal signs ascribed to constellations, the Southern Hemisphere’s sky, comets, artificial satellites, and much more.

Fall ’11 shows will be hosted by Williams College students Pushpanjali Giri ’14, Matthew Hosek ’12, Soraya Membreno ’12, and Muzhou Lu ’13.  Jay Pasachoff, Field Memorial Professor of Astronomy, is director of the Hopkins Observatory.

*Photo courtesy of Williams College

The Berkshires ~ An Antiquers Paradise

Visiting New England has a great write up on why check out the Berkshires http://www.visitingnewengland.com/antiques-berkshires.html

For those that want to just poke around locally using the 1896 House as a base here are 3 great local antique spots in Williamstown to go check out.

The Library Antiques (5 minutes by car)

http://libraryantiques.com/

The Library Antiques offers a variety of antiques and lifestyle accessories including furniture, lighting, jewelry, art, rare books, and more.

70 Spring Street, Williamstown, MA

413-458-3436  and 800-294-4798

OPEN Daily from 10:00 am - 5:30 pm, Sunday 11am - 5pm

Saddleback Antiques (1.5 minutes by car, about 20 minutes to walk to)

http://www.saddlebackantiques.com/

Offering a large inventory including Civil War; Western; Folk Art; furniture; books; stoneware, farm tools and much more!

1396 Cold Spring Road, Williamstown, MA 01267

413-458-5852

OPEN Monday - Saturday 10:00 am - 5:00 pm, Sunday noon - 5pm

Collectors Warehouse (1 minute by car, 11 minutes to walk to)

http://collectorswarehouse-williamstown.com/

A shop every kind of collector will enjoy

723 Cold Spring Road, Williamstown, MA

413-458-9686 ‎

OPEN Daily from 10:00 am - 5:00 pm  (hours may change please call)

Here are a few sites that list multiple antique shops in the Berkshire area for those that want to get in a full day of antique shopping:

http://bcaada.com/

http://justtheberkshires.com/antiques.htm

http://www.berkshireweb.com/plexus/antiques/antiques.html

Williams College Museum of Art

(under 5 minutes from the 1896 House Inn)

The Museum has 14 different galleries to browse through, so a perfect afternoon trip or morning Jaunt just minutes away from the inn.

15 Lawrence Hall Dr, Ste 2 Williamstown, MA

http://wcma.williams.edu/

Check out their blog at http://wcma.williams.edu/blog/

General Information: (413) 597-2429

Widely considered one of the finest college art museums in the country, the Williams College Museum of Art is a department of Williams College. WCMA houses nearly 13,000 works that span the history of art

An active, collecting museum, its strengths are in modern and contemporary art, photography, prints, and Indian painting. The museum is especially known for its stellar collection of American art from the late 18th century to the present.

Admission is free.

Tuesday through Saturday, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.

Sunday, 1 to 5 p.m.

The museum is closed on Mondays

Exhibitions:

JUNE 11, 2011 - OCTOBER 2, 2011

Masters of the Modern: The Gift of Madeleine P. and Harvey R. Plonsker, Class of 1961

MAY 13, 2011 - SEPTEMBER 4, 2011

Artist’s Project: Jesse Aron Green

Jesse Aron Green, on campus for this academic year as the Arthur Levitt, Jr. ’52 Artist-in-Residence in Art, has been commissioned to create a work of art in response to the question: How does an artist respond to the space of the museum?

Check out the many more current and upcoming exhibitions at http://wcma.williams.edu/exhibitions/current/