The B

11/29/2024

It’s time to shop! Our new issue’s gift guide celebrates our stylish stores—including Get great gift recs from Annie and Chris for everyone on your list. photo: Stephanie Zollshan

11/11/2024

The many monuments in the Berkshires tell stories of our past. The Soldiers and Sailors Monument was built in Hillsdale (Route 23 at Anthony Street) courtesy of John K Cullen, an immigrant from Northern Ireland, who volunteered for the Union Army during the Civil War. After the war, he saved every penny he could and on his death, in 1915, he bequeathed $10,000 to build this monument to the troops like him “who defended our country and flag.” Read more about our monuments in our Fall issue, available and 📷 Gillian Jones-Heck

09/27/2024

Have you been to yet? The glorious new brandy distillery and restaurant just outside Hudson has views for days, and interiors by . Don’t sleep on the creative cocktails. 📷 .abigailfenton

09/07/2024

New restaurant alert! is open in West Stockbridge, in Rouge’s former space. The Berkshires outpost of the Florence, Italy, restaurant known for its assaggi, or tastings, stays true to the original. In addition to a full menu, you can order small plate samplers of salads, pasta, steak, or dessert—great for sharing.

09/06/2024

We caught “Next to Normal” the other night. This powerful, moving musical, directed by the incomparable , blew us away. And—talk about powerful—we ran into friends from , a nonprofit mentoring program for young women and people of color. Here they are with some of the cast of “Next to Normal” after the show. It closes on Sunday so get there this weekend!

08/23/2024

Meet Matt Rubiner—the “cheese boy” of Great Barrington and proprietor of —and learn why he’s a minimalist when it comes to creating a cheese board. The story in our new issue tells how he and his wife, Julie, came to own a destination cheese shop in an old bank building in the Berkshires and gives his tips for serving cheese (whatever you do, don’t cube it up). Pick up a copy or Whole Foods—and subscribe at link in bio.

08/16/2024

It’s farmers market season—and we went shopping with of and his husband Matt King, Farah Momen of , and cookbook author Dan Pelosi . Check out their hauls in our new issue! It’s on sale now and Whole Foods.

08/13/2024

You know their milk in glass bottles—now meet the people behind The Osofsky family has been in the dairy business for three generations—and counting. Their story is fascinating—read it in our new issue, available and Whole Foods.

07/27/2024

It was a “great treat for me to be on the same stage as James Taylor,” said Vice President Kamala Harris today at Pittsfield’s Colonial Theatre, thanking him, and Emanuel Ax for performing at her fundraiser. “An important part of every movement is our artists.”

07/24/2024

We asked some of our talented local leaders, including Maud Mandel, what’s on their to do list this summer. Read our story to check out what they have to say and use their recs to inspire your own Berkshire summer! Link in bio (Off Duty).

07/14/2024

Need to cool off? Um, yes. The heat wave has been good to this new Lenox business, —owner Anand Singh is dishing up local ice cream from the truck on Church Street.

07/12/2024

Summertime means picnic season! The Berkshires is home to amazing cultural institutions—and the grounds of many can be enjoyed for free. Here are six for to visit, along with nearby spot to pick up your feast:

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07/04/2024

Happy Fourth of July!🇺🇸🎆 This photo, which appeared in our previous issue, shows what the celebrations were like over a century ago in Pittsfield (1911 to be specific!). Wear your red, white, and blue and head to your local Berkshire celebrations! The Pittsfield parade begins at 10am sharp!

07/03/2024

It’s sun hat season! Branch out in style! That’s the message from Karema Almeida of luxury hats and accessories this summer! “So many people come in and say, ‘I don’t look good in hats.’ Or ‘I can’t wear hats,’ but they’ve just got to give it a try.” Karema combines old world craftsmanship with a modern sensibility for handmade hats that are effortlessly wearable. You can buy them at in Great Barrington and North Adams, or online at www.karemadeodato.com. Photos by Stephanie Zollshan

06/28/2024

Come for the comedy! Judge John Hodgman is in town. Solid Sound starts today and while it might be best known for the music, John Hodgman’s Comedy Cabaret is a big draw on Saturday. Hodgman, an author and humorist, curates the lineup of funny people—and he’s also known for his podcast and New York Times column by the same name in which he issues his “rulings” on heated debates. In that spirit, we put a Solid Sound-related conundrum to him:

Q: Let’s say I’m an aspiring comedian—think I can catch a few minutes with some of your talent to run my material by them?

Judge John Hodgman: Generally speaking, I wouldn’t invite people to Solid Sound who weren’t comfortable saying hi to fans. And if you are a fan of any of the comedians or any of the musicians and you see them in line at the broccoli cart or whatever, it is perfectly reasonable to go up and say ‘Hey, I appreciate what you do.’ However, I love Wilco, but I’m not going to demo songs for Jeff Tweedy anytime soon, because that’s not his job. His job is to write and perform all of Wilco’s incredible music. He’s not running a record label nor is he your life coach. So I’ll tell you what, I don’t know what you would get out of running standup by standups, they’re not gonna be able to help you. If you need to run a joke by someone, you can come to me because I’m only, arguably, an imitation standup to begin with. And I’ll take that heat to spare the other comedians.

06/27/2024

Solid Sound starts tomorrow—and the members of may be as excited about it as we are. “I can’t believe I get to play with the people I love to play with, all these years later,” John Stirratt told The B. The longtime bassist with the iconic band also told us about the “chaos” of planning the lineup for the legendary festival and gave us lots of scoop from , where he is the co-founder and part owner. To read the article, see link in bio.

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06/03/2024

Who’s on The B’s next cover? Find out this week—the curtain is rising on our Early Summer issue! It puts a spotlight on theater, music, and much more.

05/31/2024

Tour a Gilded Age home, get inspired by the work of local designers and artists, and support in bringing affordable housing to the Berkshires. The designer showhouse at Cassilis Farm in New Marlborough is open for ticketed tours Fridays-Sundays starting today and running through the end of June, so get in while you can. After that, the historic property will be renovated into 11 apartments for income-qualifying workers and families. Designers include .herringtonhome