Happening this Week
2020 WILD THING RACE: RUN, WALK, HIKE
June 24th - 28th
The Wild Thing race is one of the most important fundraising events of the year for conservation and education work at Berkshire Wildlife Sanctuaries. This year, for the first time, you can run, walk, or hike not just in Kennedy Park at a specific time, but in your own neighborhood or favorite local natural area any time from June 24th - 28th! Track your run using your preferred app and then post a picture of your time and distance to Pleasant Valley’s Facebook page! Prizes will be awarded for the fastest male and female for the 5k and 10k routes in Kennedy Park as well as for a number of fun and creative categories that will be posted on the website! Free, donations encouraged.
Click here to learn about and register for the event
BARRINGTON STAGE CO BASH: ON WITH THE SHOW
June 27th, Saturday, 7:30PM
Enjoy an evening of light and hope with songs, artists and community leaders along with a sneak preview of next year’s world premiere dance musical, A Crossing—a poignant tale of courage, fear and struggle. The event will feature performances by standout talents Alexandra Silber (Broadway’s Fiddler on the Roof and BSC’s South Pacific), Elizabeth Stanley (Broadway’s Jagged Little Pill and BSC’s On the Town) and Jordan Craig (Broadway’s Phantom of the Opera and BSC’s South Pacific). The silent auction features incredible prizes like premium orchestra seats, $200 towards a pre-theatre dinner to the sold out The Music Man, featuring Hugh Jackson and Sutton Foster. Free, donations encouraged.
Click here to register for the event
DEMOCRACY IN COLOR: RACE AND POLITICS
June 28th, Sunday 3PM
In her statement, “I’m exhausted by the heartbreak that never seems to stop,” Michelle Obama captured the anguish and anger reverberating around the country, felt by millions of Americans. Although race and identity have always shaped U.S. politics, what was supposed to be Obama’s post-racial America faced a backlash resulting in Donald Trump’s unexpected victory. Trump tapped into populist sentiments—part of a Republican driven “Southern strategy”—to push race and identity to the political forefront. Three nationally known voices (Joy Reid of MSNBC, civil rights activist, Maya Wiley, and political commentator, Dr. Jason Johnson) will come together to discuss the role of race in American politics and how identity issues will shape the 2020 campaign. Registration required. Free.
Click here to register for the event
LIVE FROM MUSIC MOUNTAIN: SUPERLATIVE PIANO
June 28th, Sunday, 3PM
Live From Music Mountain presents pianist, Simone Dinnerstein, who will perform an étude by Philip Glass (the celebrated composer who previously wrote a piece just for her) and the first movement of Schubert’s Piano Sonata in B-flat Major. Dinnerstein, who made her debut with the London Symphony Orchestra in 2018, is universally praised. The New York Times highlighted her “lean, knowing, and unpretentious elegance” and Time her “arresting freshness and subtlety.” Submit questions in advance or at the time for the Q&A following the performance! Free.
Click here to watch the live performance
SPRING WILDFLOWERS: GUIDED FIELD STUDY
June 28th, Sunday, 4PM
Join ecologist Ted Elliman live for a talk highlighting wildflowers of New England’s natural habitats followed by a walking field study at Berkshire Botanical Garden and another off-site location. The program focuses on spring-flowering plants that will be (or almost be) in bloom in the forests and meadows of the Berkshires. In addition to working for the Native Plant Trust as an instructor of botany, ecology and conservation, his book The Wildflowers of New England is a comprehensive guide to the region’s native flora. $85 Members, $95 Non members.
Click here to register for the event