Community Corner
🌱 How to enjoy Great Barrington’s river walk and Monument Mountain on $10
And check out Berkshire Opera Festival - Lucia Di Lammermoor on the Great Barrington Patch calendar
Coffee in hand, Great Barrington? We've got the latest town updates for you. Keep reading to stay in the loop. ☕️️
In today's newsletter:
- How to enjoy Great Barrington's river walk and Monument Mountain on $10
- How Saturday's Elizabeth Freeman walk ends at Town Hall downtown
- What losing Simon's Rock's tax break could mean for Great Barrington
Also on today's calendar: Fairview Hospital's Parkinson's Class and 1 more event.
Today's riddle: Why do fish live in salt water? 🤔 (Answer below!)
- Thursday: An afternoon shower or two, with a high of 77 and low of 55 degrees.
- Friday: Partly sunny, temps: high: 80, low: 59.
- Saturday: Cooler with a passing shower, with a high of 70 and low of 63 degrees.
📰 News we're reading
1. 10 Dirt-Cheap Day Trips In The Berkshires, Massachusetts That Are Worth Every Penny This Summer (takingthekids.com) — Two of the cheapest summer escapes on this Berkshires list sit right in Great Barrington: the downtown Housatonic River Walk and Monument Mountain's classic hike. Both offer big scenery for little more than parking and gas, pairing riverfront strolling and Main Street browsing with historic views from the same peak once climbed by Melville and Hawthorne. 
2. Sheffield: Activities, kiosk unveiling to celebrate Elizabeth Freeman (berkshireeagle.com) — This Saturday's Elizabeth Freeman Walk to Freedom culminates in Great Barrington with the unveiling of a new storytelling kiosk at Town Hall on Main Street. The day begins with a 4-mile walk from Sheffield's Ashley House, followed by tours, music, food, and a guided hike at Bartholomew's Cobble. Local residents are invited to preregister for tours and learn more online.
3. Tax Exemption Cases Lead the News (jdsupra.com) — A recent tax dispute over Simon's Rock College has big implications for Great Barrington, as the Select Board revoked Bard College's property-tax exemption after classroom teaching stopped, triggering bills over $250,000. While locals still use the athletic center, the campus is now assessed at $63 million and listed for sale. The article also compares a Pennsylvania case that could guide other nonprofits with multiple parcels.
4. Pia Mary Catherine Guerra Bellinger, 93, formerly of Mill River (theberkshireedge.com) — Great Barrington-area readers are remembering Pia Mary Catherine Guerra Bellinger, a Housatonic native and longtime Mill River resident whose arrangements are being handled through Finnerty & Stevens Funeral Home on Main Street in Great Barrington. Known for her church work at Christ Trinity in Sheffield, her baking, gardening, and devotion to family, she died August 17 at age 93.
5. Great Barrington Public Theater's last play of the season, 'Yellow Wallpaper 2.0-2020,' reinterprets classic short story for pandemic era (theberkshireedge.com) — Great Barrington Public Theater wraps its 2026 season this Saturday with "Yellow Wallpaper 2.0-2020" at Saint James Place, reimagining the classic story through a pandemic-era lens. The production follows a new mother confronting postpartum depression and patriarchy, with Cloteal Horne in the lead and artistic director Judy Braha at the helm. Locals can find showtimes and tickets on GBPT's website.
📸 Around Great Barrington
Show off your photography skills and the sights around town! Click here to submit your Photo of the Day to Patch AM!
🗓 Upcoming Events in Great Barrington
Add your event to our calendar and newsletter!
★ Featured events ★
- Berkshire Opera Festival - Lucia Di Lammermoor →
Mahaiwe Performing Arts Center, 14 Castle St, Great Barrington
1:00 pm
Saturday August 22
Want to see your event featured? Click here!
Other local events
- Fairview Hospital's Parkinson's Class →
Claire Teague Senior Center, 917 S Main St, Great Barrington
1:00 pm - Berkshire Opera Festival - Lucia Di Lammermoor →
Mahaiwe Performing Arts Center, 14 Castle St, Great Barrington
7:30 pm - Brown Bag Groceries/Food Bank of Western MA, for eligible participants →
Claire Teague Senior Center, 917 S Main St, Great Barrington
1:00 pm
Monday August 24
Tuesday August 25
Wednesday September 9
📣 Great Barrington Shout Outs!
Want to say something great about someone in town? Click here to submit your Shout Out to Patch AM! It's free!
🗓 Events Nearby
- German Conversation Group
Bushnell-Sage Library Community Room , 48 Main Street, Sheffield\
11:00 am - Digital Training 1:1 Session with Ellie
Bushnell-Sage Library Group Study Room , 48 Main Street, Sheffiel
11:00 am - Digital Training 1:1 Session with Jessi
Bushnell-Sage Library Library , 48 Main Street, Sheffield, MA
3:00 pm - West Stockbridge Farmers Market →
Foundry Green, Harris St, West Stockbridge
3:00 pm - LEGOs in the Library
Stockbridge Library Association Stockbridge Library, 46 Main St., Stockbridge, MA, 01262, Uni
3:30 pm - Shanna in a Dress →
Buttonball Barn, 17 Main St, South Egremont
7:30 pm - Spanish Conversation Group
Stockbridge Library Association MA
11:00 am - Insight Meditation in the Berkshires Weekly Practice Group
Bushnell-Sage Library Community Room , 48 Main Street, Sheffield\
5:00 pm
Thursday August 20
Friday August 21
Have we missed something on our calendar? Add an event yourself! As always, before attending confirm event details to ensure accuracy.
Thank you 👏👏👏 to these businesses for making Great Barrington PatchAM possible:
- Heart Path Yoga, LLC — (240) 731-1519
Click here to show your appreciation! 💚
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💬 Chatter
What your neighbors are talking about on social media
- TJX posted a job opening for Store Cleaning Associate in Great Barrington. Apply here.
- Tractor Supply posted a job opening for Merchandising Sales Associate in Great Barrington. Apply here. You can search for other jobs near Great Barrington here.
Ok Great Barrington! So now you're in the loop about what's happening today. Thanks for reading, and see you in your inbox next time! Oh -- and if you like what you're reading, invite a friend to Patch AM!
-- The Patch AM Team
P.S. The answer to today's riddle: Pepper makes them sneeze (Thank you Karla H. for sending it in!)
Got a good riddle for PatchAM? Submit it here!
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