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SIGNS OF SPRING!
This is a great time of year to visit the Berkshires... Plants are starting to poke their green tendrils above ground, migratory birds are back and chirping away and the days are longer and warmer. See below for a list of places to explore the great outdoors.
There's also plenty to do right here at the Inn and in Stockbridge... Play a board game by our lobby fire, work out in our state-of-the-art fitness center with brand-new equipment, borrow one of DVDs for movie viewing in your guestroom, and listen to live entertainment nightly our Lion's Den pub. Visit the Historical Room at our local library and see an amazing, little-known collection just steps away from the Inn. Visit our Gift Shop and other boutiques in town or just walk the streets of our quaint New England Village. Bring the kids during school vacation week and they'll have a blast playing in our year-round heated outdoor pool and hot tub - surrounded by a radiant-heated patio to keep your toes warm! We fire up our Wii for GUITAR HERO every Monday night, so you can jam with all the giants of rock! We're offering some incredible deals this time of year... click here to check rates. | |
 SWEET SPRING SPECIALS...
Maple Madness...
Enjoy the first harvest of the year in New England: maple syrup! The Red Lion Inn is offering a package that features several maple gifts from local sources, including a bottle of the Inn's very popular Maple Vinaigrette salad dressing and marinade. Maple Madness also includes overnight accommodations, a full country breakfast and all taxes and meal gratuities. Rates from Sunday through Thursday during March & April starting at $170; a Friday stay is available from $210; the rate includes all taxes and mail gratuities. Please call 413.298.1690 to reserve Maple Madness.
Marvelous Mud Package
When only the finest mud will do, take advantage of this package and enjoy a quick, restorative escape for yourself and a dear one! This package for two features a rejuvenating Plantogen facial (one per guest) at our neighbor, SEVEN salon.spa, a geothermal clay treatment that supplies skin with a wide range of vitamins, amino acids, and minerals and Manuka Honey for cellular regeneration. Take a break with your mom or a friend and enjoy a bit of pampering with the Red Lion's luxurious accommodations, heated year-round outdoor pool and hot tub and fitness center. $295 includes overnight accommodations for two, a hearty country breakfast for two, and two geothermal clay treatments at Seven Salon Spa, just steps away from the Inn (taxes included; spa service gratuity not included); offered Sunday-Thursday in March & April (based on availability). Please call 413.298.1690 to reserve this package.
April Showers Bring... Chocolate Flowers!
This romantic package is perfect for couples looking to show their appreciation for one another and take full advantage of spring. The temp might just be warm enough to bask in the sun - but bring your bathing suit anyway so you can take a dip in our heated outdoor pool (surrounded by a radiant-heated stone patio)! Package includes overnight accommodations, a bottle of Red Lion Inn Merlot and two chocolate flowers from Chocolate Springs, a local cafe specializing in handcrafted, European-style chocolate! Priced from $140 Sunday - Thursday and $180 Friday; tax and gratuities included. Package available during April 2009, blackout dates may apply. Please call 413.298.1690 to reserve this package.
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 LET US DO THE COOKING...
We love holidays! Join us for Easter on Sunday, April 12th, from noon to 4PM. Executive Chef Brian J. Alberg is offering a special four-course Easter Dinner menu featuring Maple Cured Berkshire Ham, Roast Leg of Lamb, Pan Roasted Pheasant Breast, Poached Halibut and Asparagus and Morel Mushroom Risotto. $39 per adult and $19.95 for children twelve and under (tax & gratuity not included). To view the entire menu, click here. If you join us for Easter dinner, we can offer you a special rate of just $85 (+taxes) for a deluxe guestroom on Sunday, April 12. Please call 413.298.5545 for reservations - seating is limited. |
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YOU AND MOTHER NATURE...
Before the leaves open, hiking trails are ablaze with warm spring sunlight. Bring your binoculars and do some bird watching. Elm Street Market, just around the corner from the Inn, has oodles of sandwich choices to choose from - call 413.298.1584 for details! Check out the list of outdoor activities below for some ideas on where to get back to nature...
Pleasant Valley Wildlilfe Sanctuary
7 miles of trails - 1300 acres. Universal access trail. Ponds, streams, hummingbird garden (in season). Nature programs, guided canoe trips, rentals & gift shop. 472 West Mountain Road, Lenox, MA 01240 (413) 637-0320 berkshires@massaudubon.org
Bash Bish Falls State Park
The state's most dramatic waterfall. Cascading water tumbles through gorges and drops over 80 feet into a sparkling pool. 200 acres.
Falls Road, Mt. Washington, MA 01258
(413) 528-0330
massparks@state.ma.us
Beartown State Forest
Offers swimming, fishing, boating and 12 campsites. Appalachian Trail intersects forest trails. 12,000 acres.
69 Blue Hill Road, Monterey, MA 01245
(413) 528-0904
massparks@state.ma.us
Jug End State Reservation and Wildlife Management
Offers hiking, hunting, horseback riding and xc-skiing in one of the most scenic areas in Berkshire County. 1,158 acres.
Jug End Road, Egremont, MA 01230
(413) 528-0330
massparks@state.ma.us
Mt. Everett State Reservation
Known for its spectacular scenery and breathtaking views. Offers fishing, canoeing, hiking, and xc-skiing. 1,356 acres.
East Street, Mt. Washington, MA 01258
(413) 528-0330
massparks@state.ma.us
October Mountain State Forest
At 16,627 acres October Mountain is the largest state forest in Massachusetts. Great for hiking, fishing and canoeing. 46 campsites and 3 yurts open mid-May to Mid-Oct.
Woodland Road, Lee, MA 01238
(413) 243-1778
massparks@state.ma.us
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BERKSHIRE FESTIVAL OF WOMEN IN THE ARTS
The First Annual Berkshire Festival of Women in the Arts kicked off March 1, 2009 ,and runs throughout the entire month, now boasts more than 60 events at 30-plus venues throughout Berkshire County. Presented by The Women's Times, the festival will feature exhibits, film, music, performance, talk and more, and will include diverse programming that ranges from historical to contemporary, traditional to radical, political to apolitical. Venues run the spectrum from the Berkshires' most established cultural organizations to new and improvised locations. There are opportunities for festival-goers to examine the role of women in the arts, celebrate the achievements of women artists or simply enjoy a diverse cross-section of artistic work. The Red Lion Inn is proud to be a sponsor of this festival. Details about all events can be found at here. |
A FAMILY FAVORITE: BABY ANIMALS AT HANCOCK SHAKER VILLAGE!
 April 11-May 3, 2009 - Expanded from '08!
7th Annual Baby Animals on the Shaker Farm.
Welcome spring with the newest barnyard babies! Greet the lambs, piglets, calves and chicks filling our Round Stone Barn. Visitors can pet the new arrivals and explore the surrounding farmyard, historic buildings, and blossoming gardens. Open 10am - 4pm daily.
Call for tickets: (800) 817-1137 x201. |
THE FIRST HARVEST OF THE SEASON: MAPLE!
Berkshire Grown is a member supported non-profit organization created to support local food and farms and promotes locally grown food, flowers and plants through a variety of programs that build partnerships between farmers, chefs and consumers. Executive Chef Brian J. Alberg is a member of the non-profit's board, an extension of his longstanding practice of sustaining local farmers and food producers. Alberg and The Red Lion Inn are hosting Berkshire Grown's March Maple Dinner on March 23, 2009 to celebrate the first harvest of the season. The March Maple Dinner features the work of several area chefs and begins with hors d'oeuvres and cocktails featuring locally produced beverages from the Barrington Brewery, Hilltop Orchards Winery and Berkshire Mountain Distillers, and a cash bar beginning at 6 pm; dinner starts at 7 pm. Berkshire Grown members will receive a discount; non member tickets are $100. Dinner is by reservation only. For more information and to reserve a ticket call the Berkshire Grown office: 413-528-0041
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FROM COUNTRY TO ROCOCO TO BALLET AT THE MAHAIWE!
Mahaiwe Center for the Performing Arts
Castle Street, Great Barrington
413.528.0100
Kathy Mattea
Sunday March 22 / 7pm
$37 / $32 Members
KATHY MATTEA makes her Mahaiwe debut on Sunday March 22 at 7pm. In her two-decade journey as a leading voice of American country/blues music, Kathy Mattea has always explored music's most basic human essence. Kathy's roots in the coal mining culture of West Virginia run deep. During her 20 year career her unique way of looking at life has garnered her two Grammy's and countless other accolades. "Mattea remains one of Nashville's most spiritual singers." -- USA Today
CEWM: A NIGHT OF QUINTETS with the Amernet String Quartet
Close Encounters With Music Saturday March 28 at 6pm
$35 / $10 Students with Valid ID
Schubert's heavenly last word-and by current consensus, the ultimate statement in chamber music-the Quintet in C major anchors a program of works for string quartet with the addition of guest cello. The combination imparts rich textures to an evening that includes Boccherini's sprightly Rococo Quintet in C major, and the premiere of a Klezmer-inspired quintet by Stephen Dankner.
The Amernet String Quartet: Misha Vitenson, violin; Marcia Littley de Arias, violin; Michael Klotz, viola; Javiar Arias, cello; Yehuda Hanani, cello
Russian National Ballet Theatre's
Swan Lake
Friday April 10 /8pm
$47/$42 Members /$20 Students with Valid ID
RUSSIAN NATIONAL BALLET THEATRE'S SWAN LAKE makes a debut performance at The Mahaiwe this coming April. "The Russian National Ballet Theatre has given ballet a new lease on life!" touts its fans. THE RUSSIAN NATIONAL BALLET Theatre was founded with the support of the Ministry of Culture of the Russian Federation. THE RUSSIAN NATIONAL BALLET Theatre was founded in 1989 when legendary principal dancer of the Bolshoi Ballet Sergei Radchenko sought to realize his vision of a company which would bring together the highest classical elements of the great Bolshoi and Kirov Ballet companies in an independent new company within the framework of Russian classic ballet. "Swan Lake The Russian National Ballet Theatre, Directed by Elena Radchenko, is a cut above many of its rivals. The "Swan Lake" it danced was the real thing." _Washington Post THE RUSSIAN NATIONAL BALLET THEATRE plays The Mahaiwe Friday April 10 at 8pm
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 AGLET THEATRE COMPANY IS COMING TO THE UNICORN!
The Berkshire Theatre Festival is getting started even earlier this year. Here are a few things we're hearing about the compelling productions of Aglet Theatre Company:
"The company's impulse to air issues-moral, social, and political-thrills (me). I like seeing the power of theater. It makes clear that art is part of life. --Andrew Joffe---actor, playwright.
"Aglet Theatre Company continues to pack them in." Lakeville Journal
"We need you in our community." -- Subscriber from Amenia, New York
Aglet's inaugural season at BTF is described below. Take a look at the following performances offered in the next month or so... please contact the BTF for more information on tickets, pricing and subscriptions.
Berkshire Theatre Festival
413.298.5576
www.berkshiretheatre.org
March 28, 2009
AMY'S VIEW by David Hare
Directed by Thomas Gruenewald
A stimulating and original drama of love and death. Esme Allen is a well known actress caught in a changing social and artistic climate. A visit from her young daughter with a new boyfriend sets in motion a series of events which find their shape sixteen years later. Amy's View offers the absolute joy of watching a renowned playwright at the height of his powers.
April 25, 2009
A TENNESSEE WILLIAMS MENAGERIE
Directed by Macey Levin
Focusing on the famed "gentleman caller" scene from The Glass Menagerie, Aglet will present three interpretations of that scene: the scene from the classic play; an earlier and seldom-performed one-act version entitled "The Pretty Trap" and then a satirical rewriting by Christopher Durang -- "For Whom the Southern Belle Tolls." An intriguing exercise in a theatrical experience by two brilliant writers. |
 LOTS TO DO AT THE ROCKWELL MUSEUM!
Norman Rockwell Museum
Route 183, Stockbridge, MA
Artists in Their Studios
Through June 7, 2009
Artists in Their Studios offers a unique glimpse at the lives and studio spaces of more than seventy-five important American artists from the late nineteenth century to today. Rarely seen photographs and primary source materials including letters, artists' handwritten notes, and personal effects from the Smithsonian's Archives of American Art are featured in this compelling exhibition, which offers an intimate perspective on artists at work, at home and abroad. Photographs of Alexander Calder, William Merritt Chase, Chuck Close, Ellsworth Kelly, Willem de Kooning, Richard Diebenkorn, Arthur Wesley Dow, Marcel Duchamp, Helen Frankenthaler, Al Held, Reginald Marsh, Louise Nevelson, Jackson Pollock, Robert Rauschenberg, Ad Reinhardt, Mark Rothko, John Singer Sargent, John Sloane, David Smith, Andy Warhol, N.C. Wyeth and others will be on view.
The Norman Rockwell Museum, Route 183, Stockbridge
413.298.4100
www.nrm.org
Programs and Events at the Norman Rockwell Museum
March:
Art in Action
1:00pm-4:00pm
These Sunday afternoon drop-in art workshops focus on family fun and hands-on adventure! Each month will feature new projects, inspired by the art of Norman Rockwell and other illustrators. All ages welcome. Free for children. Adults free with Museum admission.
Reading Rockwell
3:30pm-4:30pm
Norman's Rockwell autobiography, My Adventures as an Illustrator, colorfully recounts the life of America's favorite illustrator. Join us on Sundays to hear special guests read selected passages, surrounded by the artist's paintings. Free with Museum admission.
Artists in Their Studios Guided Tours
11:30am-2:30pm
Deepen your understanding of Artists in Their Studios by joining a guided tour. All tours meet in the main lobby. Free with Museum admission.
April:
Model Citizens
April 3, 2009 2:30pm-3:00pm
Find out what it was like to pose for America's favorite illustrator-from one of Norman Rockwell's own models! This popular monthly program offers unique insight into Rockwell as a person and artist. Free with Museum admission.
NEW! Toddler Tuesdays: Three, Four, and Two, Too!
April 7, 2009 10:30am-11:00am
Designed for preschool children and their adult friends, this multi-sensory learning experience features an age-appropriate gallery tour and a fun hands-on art project. Part of Free Tuesdays at the Museum. Program fee $6 per child/adult pair; $4 for Museum members. Each additional child $3. No advanced registration required.
Tuesday Afternoon Gallery Talks: Artists in Their Studios
April 14, 2009 1:30pm-2:00pm
Join curators, artists, and guest speakers on the second Tuesday of each month for an insightful series of gallery talks. Free with Museum admission.
Stephanie Haboush Plunkett, Deputy Director and Chief Curator, Norman Rockwell Museum
School Vacation Weeks at the Museum: Daily Drop-in Art Classes
1:00pm-4:00pm
Drop-in art classes encourage participants of all abilities to explore their creativity. Come once or come every day-each afternoon offers a different set of inspirations for artistic growth. Suitable for children 6 years and older. Adults free with Museum admission. Program fee $6 per child, $4 for Museum members. No advanced registration required.
April 18-25, Colorful Collage
Combine watercolor painting and paper collage techniques to experience the joys of creative exploration. The possibilities are as colorful as your imagination!
NEW! Story Time Willie Was Different
April 21, 2009 10:30am-11:00am
Preschoolers and their adult friends are invited to listen to a lively reading of Norman Rockwell's children's book, Willie Was Different, followed by creative play time in the Art Zone. Part of Free Tuesdays at the Museum. No advanced registration required.
NEW! Living History Performance
April 22, 2009 2:30pm-3:00pm
Based on stories shared by Rockwell's models, this new performance introduces some of the many people who were part of Norman Rockwell's world. Free with Museum admission. Space is limited; reservations are required. Meet in Museum lobby.
Living History Performance Meet Mr. Butler
April 24, 2009 2:30pm-3:00pm
Make the acquaintance of Charles Butler, original owner of Linwood, the 1859 Berkshire "cottage" that graces the grounds of the Museum's campus. Free with Museum admission. Space is limited; reservations required. Meet in Museum lobby.
NEW! Painting Workshop for Adults with IS183 Capturing a Moment
April 26, 2009 9:30am-4:30pm
This special two-day painting workshop for beginner and intermediate artists is co-presented by teaching artists from Norman Rockwell Museum and IS183. Includes sketching explorations in the Museum's galleries, discussions on Rockwell's techniques, and in-depth instruction to develop participants' painting skills while inspiring new ideas. Focus is on developing a painting from first sketch to finished work. A supply list will be provided. Bring your own lunch. $150 Museum members; $170 non-members. Space is limited, early registration recommended. To register, contact IS183 at 413.298.5252, ext. 100.
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 EXPLORE THE BERKSHIRE MUSEUM
The Berkshire Museum, 39 South Street, Pittsfield
413.443.7171
Exhibitions on View
Race to the Top: Arctic Inspirations 1909 & Today
Through May 17, 2009
Celebrate the 100th anniversary of Robert Peary's 1909 expedition to the North Pole with a special exhibition. The exhibition will examine the role of Matthew Henson, the African American explorer who accompanied Peary on five expeditions to the Arctic, including the successful 1909 trip. Peary and Henson together are widely believed to be the first people to reach the geographic location of the North Pole.
That 70's Show
Through May 31, 2009
This exhibition features more than 20 artworks from the era coined the "me decade" by novelist Tom Wolfe in New York magazine in August 1976. The exhibition is composed of diverse art and objects from Berkshire Museum's permanent collection and includes some hidden treasures that had been safely tucked away in storage since the days of platform shoes and pet rocks.
Programs and Events at Berkshire Museum
Thursday, April 2, at 7 p.m.
Eye to Ear Lecture Jeremy Yudkin
International ethnomusicologist and renowned author Jeremy Yudkin will talk about the historic Lenox School of Jazz and its effect on the Berkshires.
Free
Saturday, April 4, at 3 p.m.
Sunday, April 5, at 4 p.m.
Theater Performance
The Noble Fool
This performance, crafted by nationally known soprano Shana Blake Hill, will incorporate operatic performances, art song and jazz pieces with projected imagery, all centered around the themes of fools, clowns, and jester-like characters.
$12 ($5 members); Free for Fools Festival pass holders.
In partnership with the Berkshire Fools Festival
Wednesday, April 22
EARTH DAY CELEBRATION
All day: Receive one free Museum admission for each cell phone or empty print cartridge you bring in for recycling. Enjoy ongoing programs and visit Greta Garbage's environmental puppetry booth before and after her show.In partnership with Center for Ecological Technology
2 p.m. Family Performance
Greta Garbage
Learn about how to help protect the environment through Greta Garbage's hilarious puppet show.
7 p.m. Presentation
Turmoll in the Northeast
Ward Stone will explore the impact of climate change on introduced diseases such as West Nile virus; epizootic hemorrhagic disease (EHD) of deer; botulism in the Great Lakes; and "White-nose" disease of bats.
This lecture is free; doors will reopen at 6:30 p.m.
Friday, April 24, 11 a.m.
Saturday, April 25, 11 a.m. and 1 p.m.
Sunday, April 26, 1 and 3 p.m.
Family Performance
Jungle Book presented by Berkshire Children's Theater
The popular Berkshire Children's Theater is back with a performance of an adaptation of Rudyard Kipling's beloved Jungle Book. Originally published in 1893, it's a charming collection of seven short stories, drawn from Rudyard Kipling's travels throughout the world. In Jungle Book, he creates a magical world in which animals talk and reason.
$11 adults ($5 members); $7 children ages 3-18 ($3 members)
Underwritten by the Sol and Rita Toscher Memorial Fund and sponsored by Pittsfield Cooperative Bank
Friday, May 1, at 7 p.m.
Lecture
Arctic Fever in America
Dr. Michael Robinson, historian and author of Coldest Crucible _ Arctic Exploration and American Culture, will discuss the emergence and cause of "Arctic Fever" in American society in the latter part of the 19th century.
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