Berkshire County
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Enjoy! The Southern Berkshires 2019-2020 southernberkshirechamber.com Dine • Shop • Play • Stay • Live • Enjoy! #shopeatspendberkshire Our Towns: Alford • Egremont • Great Barrington • Monterey Mount Washington • New Marlborough • Otis • Sandisfield • Sheffield TODD RUNDGREN PLUS! SOUTHSIDE JOHNNY MOVIES MOMIX • BUDDY GUY BROADCASTS+ PATTI LuPONE • FAB FAUX • SWEET HONEY IN THE ROCK NATALIE MERCHANT DAVID SEDARIS • PAUL TAYLOR DANCE • PINK MARTINI • JOHN PIZZARELLI & more! OPEN YEAR-ROUND! 14 Castle Street, Great Barrington • 413.528.0100 • www.mahaiwe.org Enjoy the Southern Berkshires Welcome to the Southern Berkshires! There is a reason people are writing and talking about the Berkshires, and why people who live and work here are so passionate about and inspired by their community and surroundings. Whether you like to ski, hike, bike, shop, dine, antique, stroll through charming downtowns, or hike to waterfalls, ours is a vibrant four- season community and vacation destination that offers something for everyone. But it’s who we are that makes the Southern Berkshires a unique and special place to live and visit: We Are an Arts Community: The Berkshires has long been known as a haven for artists seeking creative inspiration from the region’s natural beauty and serenity. Today we are a community of working and Photo: Claudia d'Alessandro highly-recognized artists and artisans – writers, photographers, painters, craftsmen, designers, filmmakers, actors, musicians, dancers… and a community that supports the Arts in all its forms. Our galleries, public spaces, arts festivals, museums, performance venues, and boutique retail shops offer unique opportunities for artists to showcase and sell their work and for art lovers and patrons of the Arts to more intimately connect with artists and the Arts experience. We Are a Caring Community: We are a community that cares, shares, and gives back. Berkshire County is home to hundreds of non-profits, many with the focus on supporting families, adults, babies and youth with community-based support and advocacy services, and access to Photo: Claudia d'Alessandro healthcare, food assistance, employment, education, and housing. According to the Nonprofit Center of the Berkshires, an organization focused on providing resources to and promoting the work of the nonprofit community, Berkshire residents donate hundreds of millions of dollars annually to help these organizations fulfill the promise of their missions. We also donate our time, talents, and resources to support programs, raise money, and provide manpower. We Are an Engaged Community: Our events calendar features concerts, performances, fundraisers, lectures, workshops, and festivals year-round that attract both locals and visitors alike. We also actively support hundreds of community nonprofits, voice our opinions at town meetings, and volunteer our time and talents when and where needed to make ours a welcoming and inclusive community. Photo: Molly McEvoy We Have History: We are a region with a history that dates back to the Native Americans of the Algonquin nation. Primarily a quiet farming community, by the time the railroad arrived in 1842 business was booming, followed by a wave of immigrants for the labor force, and the rich and famous who came to build their vacation “cottages.” Tycoons and tailors, laborers and lawyers, factory workers and farmers all called the Southern Berkshires home. And all the while, the tourists came. They still do. Over the years, many former visitors have adopted the Berkshires as their new home. The special synergy that exists here between people and place has inspired remarkable residents for centuries. Photo: GB Historical Society #shopeatspendberkshire 1 Southern Berkshire Chamber of Commerce We Support Local: We are a community that shops and supports local business. We even have our own currency, BerkShares! Our local, independent retailers take pride in the quality and uniqueness of their merchandise, and in the experience they provide when you walk through their door. Whether you stroll through the stores in downtown Great Barrington or hop in the car for a scenic drive to one of our surrounding towns, you’ll find what you’re looking for and more. We Eat Local: It doesn’t get any fresher – or closer to the source – than what’s brought to the Berkshire table. Our flourishing food culture extends to advocacy for local farmers, growing fresh foods, strengthening local food systems and community supported agriculture. Farmers’ Markets, co-op markets, local non-profits, farmers, and local chefs collaborate to showcase the foods and farms in our region, earning the Southern Berkshires the reputation as a destination for food lovers, and the model when it comes to healthy eating and farm-to-table dining. Our farms, community gardens, specialty food stores, and farmers’ markets embolden our home cooks, foodies, and local chefs to push the culinary boundaries with what is local and in season. South County’s restaurants are known for their continually evolving cuisine, wonderful selections, and gourmet delights Photo: Sonya Mackintosh Seward created with locally grown and organic meats and produce. Add to that locally brewed, fermented, and distilled beer, wine, and spirits and any meal is a farm-to-table feast! Whether you prefer casual dining in a pub or diner; ethnic cuisine; grabbing a sandwich, prepared meal, or pizza to go; exploring a complete farm-to-table menu; picnicking in the fields; or enjoying a fine dining experience by candlelight and a fire, our Chamber member restaurants and community farms – with their knowledgeable chefs and farmers – are here to serve you something fresh! We Are Small Towns with Big City Smarts: Those who need professional advice, medical care, and homeowner services will find our members skilled, professional, and informed. Those who are looking to live a healthy, active lifestyle will find holistic practitioners, medical professionals, life coaches, physical therapists, and yoga and fitness facilities committed to your success. Looking to buy a home or start a business? Our realtors and banks are and know local. They can help you make informed decisions, and find and finance the ideal property. We Take Care of our Health: Living healthy and thriving – mind, body, and soul – in the Southern Berkshires extends to the number of medical care facilities and professionals, holistic service providers, wellness practitioners, eldercare services, and rehabilitation options that add to the quality of life and care for all Berkshire community residents, at all stages of living. Anchoring medical care in the Southern Berkshires is Fairview Hospital located in Great Barrington, a member of Berkshire Health Systems. Additional medical and healthcare services are provided to the community through a variety of private organizations, non-profits, service providers and medical practitioners. And our safety net organizations and non-profits ensure no one goes without the services they need. Wellness services such as acupuncture, physical therapy, yoga, and chiropractic services help residents find the care they need to live a healthy, balanced life. We Are a Wedding Destination: Think of your dream wedding and no doubt our Chamber members can make it a reality. We offer destination wedding locations for small, intimate dinner parties, over-the-top celebrations, and everything in between at venues as diverse as historic inns, rustic barns, catering halls, museums, restaurants, event spaces, recreational sites, and open fields with hilltop vistas. Photo: Thaddeus B Kubis 2 www.SouthernBerkshireChamber.com Enjoy the Southern Berkshires From party planners and rental services to caterers, venues, historic churches, lodging establishments, photographers, florists, spa services, and musicians; everything you need for a destination wedding is here in the Southern Berkshires, an enjoyable drive from both the New York and Boston areas. We Love to Learn: Whether you are a family with young children or an adult looking to pursue an interest, learn a new skill, or indulge your passion for learning new things, the Southern Berkshires is a community that offers and supports a number of public and independent day schools, boarding schools, colleges, and continuing education opportunities to meet the needs of a diverse community that values education at any age. You only have to look at the Chamber’s website and Facebook page, and the community calendars published by our media members, to see Photo: Claudia d'Alessandro that education does not end at graduation. Our local museums, historical societies, arts and community organizations, educational institutions, local business professionals, and independent bookstores feed the interests and passions of our community’s life-long learners all year long through lectures, guest speakers, seminars and workshops. We Love to Play: Any season of the year provides an opportunity to enjoy the best of the Southern Berkshires for recreational enthusiasts of all energy levels and interests. Play golf, take a hot air balloon ride, go fly fishing, hike Monument Mountain or our Photo: Close Encounters with Music stretch of the Appalachian Trail, enjoy our many waterfalls, swim or kayak in our lakes and rivers, cross country or downhill ski, take a leisurely drive or bike ride through our quaint historic towns and back roads, stroll the grounds of the Norman Rockwell Museum or Chesterwood, tour our historic homes, and enjoy the many special events that celebrate