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Thursday
December 6
COMMUNITY
Berkshire Athenaeum
Journey through the tea lands of India and Sri Lanka with Danielle Beaudrette of Cosy Tea Cart, 2 p.m., 1 Wendell Ave., Pittsfield.
Norman Rockwell Museum
"Honoring Our Hometown Heroes," celebration in honor of the true superheroes in our region, police, firemen, veterans and others, 4 to 7 p.m., Route 183, Stockbridge, (4130 298-4100.
FILM
Berkshire Museum
"The Story of Film: An Odyssey," 15-part love letter to the movies, "New Boundaries: World Cinema in Africa, Asia, Latin American," and "New American Independents & the Digital Revolution," (1990s), 7 p.m., 39 South St., Pittsfield, (413) 443-7171.
HOLIDAY ACTIVITIES
Bennington Museum
"Festival of Trees Around the World," 16th annual event, trees on display through Dec. 30, 10 to 5, 75 Main St., Bennington, Vt., (802) 447-1571.
Berkshire Museum Festival
‘Festival of Trees’ in the galleries, more than 100 trees celebrating ‘myths and magic’ through Jan. 2. Museum hours Monday through Saturday, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., and Sunday, noon to 5 p.m. 39 South St., Pittsfield. www.berkshiremuseum.org, (413) 443-7171.
Spencertown Holiday Shop
Spencertown Academy Arts Center’s Handmade Holiday Pop-up
LECTURE
Spectrum Playhouse
"Pulling It All Together: Academic & Personal Executive Functioning Skills," part of the "Autism and Learning Differences" lecture series, with Michael McManmon, CIP founder, and Travis McArthur, CIP admissions coordinator, 6 p.m., and reception for exhibit of works by autistic artist, Jessica Park, 5 p.m., Good Purpose Gallery, 40 Main St., Lee.
THEATER
Red Lion Inn
"Christmas at the Inn," with Mary Verdi, dinner at 6 p.m., show at 8 p.m., Main Street, Stockbridge; tickets: (413) 298-5545.
Friday
December 7
ART
’First Friday Artswalk’
More than 50 local artists, including the "Mayor and First Lady’s Invitational City Hall Art Show," reception from 5 to 8 p.m., City Hall, Allen Street, and "Out of the Studio," works by local painters, sculptors and dancers, opening reception from 5 to 8 p.m., Lichtenstein Center for the Arts, Renne Avenue, Pittsfield; (413) 499-9348.
Lichtenstein artists show
Show opens by artists who currently have studios in the Lichtenstein Center for the Arts: Nine working artist studios in this building. Gallery free and open Wednesday to Saturday, noon to 5 p.m. 28 Renne Ave., Pittsfield; (413) 499-9348. 28 Renne Ave., Pittsfield. (413) 499-9348.
DANCE
Bennington Contradance
Spare Parts performs live, 7:30 to 10:30 p.m. Beginners welcome with or without a partner. First Fridays at Masonic Lodge, 504 Main St., Bennington. benningtondance.org
FILM
WAMC/The Linda
"Dear Governor Cuomo ... " documentary of the all-star concert, followed by special guest panel with director Jon Bowermaster, 7:30 p.m., corner of Central Avenue and Quail Street, Albany, N.Y., (518) 465-5233.
MUSIC
Hoosac Valley High
"Music Sweet Music," with Romance, Soul & Rock n’ Roll, 7:30 p.m., auditorium, Route 116, Cheshire.
Spectrum Playhouse
Eagles Band Brass Ensemble, 7:30 p.m., 40 Main St., Lee.
Williams College
Wind Ensemble, 8 p.m. Gounod, Rodrigo, and Khachaturian are complemented by works of living composers. Chapin Hall, Williamstown.
THEATER
Ghent Playhouse
‘50 Shades of Green,’ annual holiday pantomime takes on Robin Hood, 8 p.m. Legend retold with music and comedy. Route 66, Ghent, N.Y. (518) 392-6264, ghentplayhouse.org.
Pittsfield High School
"Rumors," comedy by Neil Simon, with Proteus, PHS drama society, 7:30 p.m., East Street, Pittsfield.
Red Lion Inn
Dramatic reading of correspondence between psychoanalyst Dr. A.A. Brill and his patient, Mable Dodge Luhan, wine and cheese at 5:30 p.m., reading from 6 to 7:30 p.m., Main Street, Stockbridge, (413) 298-4773.
Shakespeare & Company
"The Santaland Diaries," by David Sedaris, 7:30 p.m., 70 Kemble St., Lenox, (413) 637-1199.
Saturday
December 8
HOLIDAY ART
Becket Arts Festival
Holiday shop in the Mullen House galleries (across the street from BAC) on Saturdays from noon to 4 p.m. Cards, gifts, jewelry, ornaments, hand knit BAC Logo balls. Route 8, Becket.www.becketartscenter.org.
Crispina’s Holiday Shindy
Chrispina ffrench hosts an art and craft festival at the Shire City Sanctuary (formerly the Notre Dame Church) at 40 Melville St., Pittsfield.
Sheffield Festival for the Holidays
An ongoing marketplace of Berkshire artisans -- hand-blown glass jewelry, pottery, leather goods, basketry, carved items, felted woolens, and wooden items, note cards and books -- also hand-crafted items by Society members and friends: jams, jellies, preserves. 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., Saturdays and Sundays through Dec. 24. Sheffield Historical Society, Old Stone Store, Route 7 Sheffield. (413) 229-2694.
DANCE
Square Dance
Final dance before winter, for beginners and experienced dancers, music by Fall Town String Band, 8 to 11 p.m., Chesterfield Senior Center,
Ventfort Hall
"Dancin’ at the Mansion Holiday Style," with the Greg Caputo Quartet with vocalist Vivan Caputo, 7:30 to 10:30 p.m., 104 Walker St., Lenox, (413) 637-3206.
HOLIDAY ACTIVITIES
Berkshire Museum Festival of Trees
28th annual event, theme is "Myths & Magic," with Family Day, featuring "Animals Up Close" and Berkshire Singers, 11 a.m.; a cookie bake-off as part of the release of author Gina Hyams’ book and kit, "Christmas Cookie Contest in a Box: Everything You Need to Host a Christmas Cookie Contest," 2:30 p.m.; museum open from 10 to 5, Berkshire Museum, 39 South St., Pittsfield, (413) 443-7171.
Berkshire Theatre Group
Albany Berkshire Ballet presents ‘The Nutcracker,’ 2:30 and 7 p.m. Colonial Theatre, 111 South St., Pittsfield. www.berkshiretheatregroup.org.
Holiday Community Breakfast
Christmas in Poland celebration, 9 a.m. or 11 a.m. Sights, sounds and stories of Eastern Europe. Hubbard Hall, 25 East Main St., Cambridge, N.Y. www.hubbardhall.org.
Lenox Caroling Festival
Lenox Caroling Festival, caroling competition from 11 to 1 and 2 to 4 at various Lenox locations, reception at 4:30 p.m., foyer of Elayne P. Bernstein Theatre, Shakespeare & Co. followed by gala concert of all participating choirs and awards ceremony, Shakespeare Studio 3, Lenox, (413) 637-3206.
Stockbridge Festival Chorus
Annual holiday concert, 5 p.m., First Congregational Church, 4 Main St., Stockbridge, (413) 298-3137.
Wreath-Making Workshop
Annual holiday festivity with warm cider around the woodstove. Boughs, sourced from the MFFC farm, ribbons and some adornments 1 to 4 p.m. Merck Forest and Farmland Center 3270 Route 315, Rupert, Vt. (802) 394-7836, www.merckforest.org
LITERARY
Berkshire Athenaeum
Talk with Pittsfield native Peter Drennan, on "Sixteen: An American Hockey Story," 3 p.m., 1 Wendell Ave., Pittsfield.
MUSIC
Clark Art Institute
"The Met: Live in HD" presents Verdi’s "Un Ballo in Maschera," 12:55 p.m., 225 South St., Williamstown, (413) 458-2303.
Dewey Hall
Rakish Paddy, Irish ballads and more, 7:30 p.m., 91 Main St., Sheffield.
Hoosac Valley High
"Music Sweet Music," with Romance, Soul & Rock n’ Roll, 7:30 p.m., auditorium, Route 116, Cheshire.
Minerva Arts Center
An evening of Gleek with the Minerva Gleekers, dance, song and theater, 7 p.m., First Congregational Church of Williamstown, 906 Main St.
Williams College
Vocal Jazz Ensemble, 4 p.m., Brooks-Rogers Recital Hall; Williams Student Symphony, 8 p.m., Chapin Hall, Williamstown.
THEATER
Ghent Playhouse
‘50 Shades of Green,’ annual holiday pantomime takes on Robin Hood, 8 p.m. Legend retold with music and comedy. Runs through Dec. 9. Route 66, Ghent, N.Y. (518) 392-6264, ghentplayhouse.org.
Mass MoCA
"Seagull (Thinking of You)," with Half Straddle and PS 122, new live performance that works with, against and beneath Chekhov’s "The Seagull," 7:30 p.m., Hunter Center, 1040 Mass MoCA Way, North Adams, (413) 662-2111.
Pittsfield High School
"Rumors," comedy by Neil Simon, with Proteus, PHS drama society, 7:30 p.m., East Street, Pittsfield.
Shakespeare & Company
"The Santaland Diaries," by David Sedaris, 2 and 7:30 p.m., Elayne P. Bernstein Theatre, 70 Kemble St., Lenox, (413) 637-1199.
Sunday
December 9
HOLIDAY ACTIVITIES
Berkshire Lyric
"Deck the Halls, the Christmas Concert," with Berkshire Lyric Chorus, Blafield Children’s Chorus, Monument Mountain High School chorus and Gaudeamus from Simon’s Rock College of Bard, 3 p.m., St. Stephen’s Church, Park Square, Pittsfield.
Berkshire Theatre Group
Albany Berkshire Ballet presents ‘The Nutcracker,’ 1:30 and 4:30 p.m. Colonial Theatre, 111 South St., Pittsfield. www.berkshiretheatregroup.org.
Close Encounters with Music
Holiday concert, 2 p.m. Mireille Asselin joins Tragicomedia, an offshoot of Boston Early Music, with rarely heard baroque instruments (mandolin, lirone, chitarrone, viola da gamba) to offer the repertoire of the Italian Cantata -- Handel, Steffani and Barbara Strozzi. Mahaiwe Performing Arts Center, 14 Castle St., Great Barrington. (800) 843-0778, www.cewm.org.
Community Holiday Dinner
Community dinner to celebrate the holidays and help keep neighbors warm and fed: all proceeds to benefit Construct Inc., CHP, the Watson Fund and the Brien Center. Buffet with turkey and potato latkes, 4 to 7 p.m. Music and dancing with the Wanda Houston Band and the BTUs, 6 to 9 p.m. Castle St. Café, 10 Castle St., Great Barrington. (413) 528-5244, info@castlestreetcafe.com.
Crispina’s Holiday Shindy
Chrispina ffrench hosts an art and craft festival at the Shire City Sanctuary (formerly the Notre Dame Church) at 40 Melville St., Pittsfield.
Lenox Caroling Festival
Lenox Caroling Festival 8th annual gingerbread house competition, theme is "Hobbits and Ogres and Elves, oh my!", 1 a.m. to 3 p.m., Lenox Library, 18 Main St., and children’s tea with carol singing, 3 p.m., Ventfort Hall, Lenox.
Holiday Concert
Eagles Band Holiday Concert, 3 pm., First United Methodist Church, Fenn Street, Pittsfield, (413) 499-2071.
Sheffield Festival for the Holidays
An ongoing marketplace of Berkshire artisans and homemade goods. 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., Saturdays and Sundays through Dec. 24. Sheffield Historical Society, Old Stone Store, Route 7 Sheffield. (413) 229-2694.
Ventfort Hall
Hand chime Christmas Choir and Caroling, 3 p.m. Jane Holland will lead playing and singing traditional Christmas carols. Hot cider, tea and gingerbread cookies. Home for the holidays: mansion decorated for a Gilded Age Christmas. 104 Walker Street in Lenox. (413) 637-3206, www.gildedage.org.
LITERARY
Clark Art Institute
"Profession of Words Author Series,’ with B.A. Shapiro, author of "The Art Forger," question and answer session and book signing, 3 p.m., 225 South St., Williamstown, (413) 458-2303.
OUTDOORS
Berkshire Knapsackers
Gould Trail Mount Greylock, hike 6 miles round trip to top of Greylock and back, very strenuous; information: Vicky Singer, (413) 442-3701 or Harold Moon, (413) 443-4501.
THEATER
Ghent Playhouse
‘50 Shades of Green,’ annual holiday pantomime on Robin Hood, 2 p.m. Route 66, Ghent, N.Y. (518) 392-6264, ghentplayhouse.org.
Shakespeare & Company
"The Santaland Diaries," by David Sedaris, 2 p.m., 70 Kemble St., Lenox, (413) 637-1199.
Monday
December 10
Tuesday
December 11
MUSIC
Williams College
"MidweekMusic," lunchtime concert series, 12:15 p.m., seating on stage in Chapin Hall, Williamstown.
Wednesday
December 12
