What's Happening in the Berkshires: Books, Bach & Local Updates

Events this week

Looking for a conversation to join this week? Volunteers in Medicine’s “Civic Crises: Democracy and the Press Under Siege” panel discussion takes place October 8 at Barrington Hall, putting democracy and the press in the spotlight.

• Volunteers in Medicine’s ‘Civic Crises: Democracy and the Press Under Siege’ panel discussion on October 8 at Barrington Hall · The Berkshire Edge

Arts, music & culture

For your cultural calendar, Peter Sykes will close Berkshire Bach’s 2026 Harpsichord Festival with a program pairing harpsichord and clavichord. The preview highlights music by J.S. Bach, C.P.E. Bach and their musical circle; check the event details before planning your visit.

Looking a little farther afield, the Bennington Museum is getting a makeover, with an exhibit devoted to “Vermont Vice.” Closer to home, a local history feature revisits the Glendale Power House, which was placed on the National Register in 1982.

• PREVIEW: Peter Sykes and Berkshire Bach explore two sides of J.S. Bach’s keyboard world · The Berkshire Edge
• The Bennington Museum gets a makeover · The Berkshire Edge
• THEN & NOW: The Glendale Power House · The Berkshire Edge

Food, drink & new businesses

A browse with a purpose: Catwalk Boutique’s clothing resale shops in Great Barrington and Lenox support the Berkshire Humane Society. It’s a local shopping option with an animal-welfare mission behind it.

Keep an eye on Housatonic this fall: Evangeline Coffee and Books plans to open at 137 Front Street. The neighborhood coffee-and-book shop will carry new and noteworthy titles and serve coffee supplied by Partners Coffee Roasters. This is an upcoming opening, not a confirmed stop for this week.

• BUSINESS MONDAY: Spotlight on Catwalk Boutique · The Berkshire Edge
• "A neighborhood coffee and bookstore": Evangeline Coffee and Books to Open in Housatonic this Fall · The Berkshire Edge

Community news to know

Lee voters approved every article at their Special Town Meeting. Among the measures was a proposal assigning responsibility for the town’s abatement process to the Board of Public Works superintendent; an amendment to that article did not pass.

In South County, a new rope rescue operation is taking shape—a community safety effort suited to Southern Berkshire County’s hilly terrain.

• Lee voters approve all articles at Special Town Meeting · The Berkshire Edge
• Building a Rescue Team for the Hills: South County’s New Rope Rescue Operation Takes Shape · The Berkshire Edge

Relocation tip from the team

Moving to or from the Berkshires? Build everyday stops into your neighborhood visits, from coffee shops and bookstores to places where you might shop or volunteer. Our Real Harmony & Associates team recommends looking beyond the house to the routines and connections that can help a new community feel like home.

• BUSINESS MONDAY: Spotlight on Catwalk Boutique · The Berkshire Edge
• "A neighborhood coffee and bookstore": Evangeline Coffee and Books to Open in Housatonic this Fall · The Berkshire Edge