Berkshire Daily: South Mountain Finale & Housatonic Planning

New & growing businesses

Local business news includes a transition for Karen Allen Fiber Arts: its Great Barrington store will close at the end of the year. Allen thanked customers and the community, and plans to continue operating her upstairs studio and host occasional pop-ups in town.

Catwalk Boutique is also in the spotlight for its mission-driven resale model. The nonprofit’s clothing shops in Great Barrington and Lenox support the Berkshire Humane Society.

• Karen Allen Fiber Arts store in Great Barrington to close at the end of the year · The Berkshire Edge
• BUSINESS MONDAY: Spotlight on Catwalk Boutique · The Berkshire Edge

Local events

South Mountain Concerts will close its season with pianist Wu Han, cellist David Finckel, and violinist Benjamin Beilman performing Schubert’s contrasting late piano trios. The finale also marks the close of the 2026 season for Finckel and Wu Han as artistic leaders.

Berkshire Bach’s Harpsichord Festival concludes with Peter Sykes exploring both harpsichord and clavichord. The program draws on music by J.S. Bach, C.P.E. Bach, and their musical circle.

For a broader look at the local arts calendar, today’s announcements include updates from The Foundry, Barrington Stage, Shakespeare & Company, Images Cinema, and Chesterwood.

• PREVIEW: David Finckel and Wu Han close 2026 season as South Mountain’s artistic leaders · The Berkshire Edge
• PREVIEW: Peter Sykes and Berkshire Bach explore two sides of J.S. Bach’s keyboard world · The Berkshire Edge
• BITS & BYTES October 6, 2026: What’s happening in the Berkshires and beyond! · The Berkshire Edge

Notable local news

The Housatonic Improvement Committee has presented a framework for a proposed Capital Improvement Pipeline. Its focus is proactive care: planning for Housatonic’s needs before they become crises.

At a Stockbridge Select Board meeting, the Stockbridge Bowl Stewardship Commission outlined concerns involving silt, cyanobacteria, and seaplanes. Safety surrounding seaplane presence and increased operation is among the issues the commission hopes to resolve.

Questions remain about donations raised for Ramsdell Library renovations. The report describes uncertainty over how much was collected and where the funds went after the fundraising group disbanded; a library trustee has described the donations as confidential.

• ‘Preservation before crisis’: Housatonic Improvement Committee presents its framework for a proposed Housatonic Capital Improvement Pipeline · The Berkshire Edge
• Silt, seaplanes, and cyanobacteria: Stockbridge Bowl Stewardship Commission presents top issues at Stockbridge Select Board meeting · The Berkshire Edge
• Ramsdell Library renovations: Where are the donations? · The Berkshire Edge

Relocation tip from the team

Before moving to or from the Berkshires, make a checklist of the routines you want your next location to support—work, errands, recreation, and community connections. Explore prospective neighborhoods with those priorities in mind, and ask your real estate team to help you frame questions about the property and surrounding area.