Berkshire OLLI upcoming events

Summer One 2026 OLLI Term (Monday, June 08, 2026)

Mon, 08 Jun 2026 04:00:00 GMT

OLLI at Berkshire Community College

Summer One 2026 Term

June 8 - July 14, 2026

Online registration is closed. Please call 413-236-2190 to register.

Our Summer One term runs June 8 - July 14, 2026, and includes a mix of in-person, online, and hybrid (online and in-person) courses. All classes take place in Eastern Time.

Summer One 2026 course descriptions can be found here.

Hiking classes are using a separate registration form. Register for hiking classes here.

Course cost:
$60 for one courses
$110 for 2 courses
$150 for 3 or more courses

To sign up for courses, you need to be an OLLI at BCC member. (Not a member yet? Join here.) Not sure which classes you want to take? Sign up for one or more Flexpasses, which allow you to attend six individual class sessions of your choice within a semester, as long as the class is not full. Click here to learn more about Flexpasses.

Note that our online courses are recorded, unless otherwise noted. If you cannot attend live, or if you miss a session or two, you can access that course's Padlet for the recording link and watch it at your convenience.

Questions? Contact us at olli@berkshirecc.edu or 413.236.2190. We look forward to hearing from you!

OLLI at BCC Sponsors include: Berkshire Health Systems

Summer Two 2026 OLLI Term (Monday, July 13, 2026)

Mon, 13 Jul 2026 04:00:00 GMT

OLLI at Berkshire Community College

Summer Two 2026 Term

Beginning July 13, 2026

Online Registration Closed. Call 413-236-2190 to register.

Our Summer Two term runs July 13 - August 21, 2026, and includes a mix of in-person, online, and hybrid (online and in-person) courses. All classes take place in Eastern Time.

Summer Two 2026 course descriptions can be found here.

Hiking classes are using a separate registration form. Register for hiking classes here.

Course cost:
$60 for one courses
$110 for 2 courses
$150 for 3 or more courses

Questions? Contact us at olli@berkshirecc.edu or 413.236.2190. We look forward to hearing from you!

OLLI at BCC Sponsors include: Berkshire Health Systems

This Moment in Grief: The Poetry in Being Present for What Is (Thursday, July 16, 2026)

Thu, 16 Jul 2026 18:00:00 GMT

This Moment in Grief: The Poetry in Being Present for What Is

Thursday, July 2, 9, and 16
2:00 p.m. - 3:30 p.m.
at Berkshire Community College
In-person only

Grief changes like life does. As we open ourselves to grow through grief we open to what is hidden in it - so often, love. We'll draw on poetry, writing and sharing to give voice to our grief at this moment in life, discovering new ways to reflect on our experience of loss. As we bring ourselves present we support each other in being present too.

Charlotte Nuessle, BSc, is a certified grief educator with David Kessler. She has co-led grief groups for 2 years. For the past 11 years she facilitated groups in exploring death and dying, as well as groups focused on strengthening resilience and personal development. She retired from a 25-year career in adaptive yoga and developing self-awareness for seniors and elders. Reading and writing poetry has given her a perspective on grief that opened creativity and possibility in the midst of loss.

Cost: $35 for OLLI at BCC members
$45 for non-members

Sign up today!

Register online or call 413.236.2190 (M-F 9 a.m. - 4 p.m.) to register by phone with a credit card.

Member Meet-up at Tanglewood (Sunday, July 19, 2026)

Sun, 19 Jul 2026 16:00:00 GMT

OLLI at BCC Meet-up at Tanglewood
(Ticket to Tanglewood not provided)

Sunday, July 19 from 12:00 - start of concert.

Gather with your OLLI friends and meet new friends on the lawn at Tanglewood. Guests are welcome!

Look for the OLLI banner and balloons. You can find us by going straight from the Main Gate past the Shed so that when you are standing and looking at the Shed, we will be to the right.

Bring your own ticket, chair, snacks and drinks.
(You can order Tanglewood Tickets through the BSO or purchase on site at the box office)

This is a great opportunity to bring a friend to introduce them to other OLLI at BCC folks. Also, don't forget that this is Berkshire Day, so if you have a Berkshire County address you can pick up a free ticket at the box office.

Can't wait to see you there!

Sponsored by your friends on the OLLI Member Services Committee

Bogus Astronomy Mini-course (Tuesday, July 21, 2026)

Tue, 21 Jul 2026 15:30:00 GMT

Bogus Astronomy
with Kenneth Bechis

Two sessions:
July 21 and 28 from 11:30 a.m. - 1:00 p.m.
at Berkshire Community College

In-person only.

Is it true that "In space no one can hear you scream"? Do Hollywood movies accurately portray spaceship battles, laser cannons, and explosions? Are space aliens invading Earth really ill-advised? How well do Earthbound media and the general population understand astronomical concepts -- e.g., why is it hotter in the summer than in the winter? Does it matter that our Sun travels yearly through 14 constellations, not just the 12 familiar Zodiacal ones? Why does astronomy, unlike other sciences, have conspiracy theories -- e.g., did Stanley Kubrick help NASA fake the Moon landings? Or, did the Martians construct a giant Face on their planet along with canals? Why are tens of millions of Americans today convinced the Earth is flat? Let's explore these a more in Bogus Astronomy!

Kenneth P. Bechis retired from Northrop Grumman as Chief Scientist in the Space Operations/ Environmental Solutions Division, and as a Distinguished Technical Fellow in the Intelligence Systems Sector. He holds a bachelor's in astronomy from Harvard College, a master of science in physics from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, a doctorate in astrophysics from the University of Massachusetts, Amherst, and is a former NASA Payload Specialist Astronaut.

Cost: $30 for OLLI at BCC members,
$40 for non-members

Sign up today!

Register online or call 413.236.2190 (M-F 9 a.m. - 4 p.m.) to register by phone with a credit card.

OLLI at BCC and BNRC Joint Hike - Constitution Hill, Lanesborough (Wednesday, July 22, 2026)

Wed, 22 Jul 2026 13:30:00 GMT

OLLI at BCC and Berkshire Natural Resources Council (BNRC) Joint Hike

Registration Open Now!

Wednesday, July 22 at 9:30 a.m. Constitution Hill, Lanesborough

Constitution Hill, located in Lanesborough, got its name from a bonfire set ablaze on its summit to let the nearby towns know that Massachusetts had ratified the US constitution. The original ‘constitution oak’ has been replaced and a marker and quartz outcropping mark the summit. After traversing the hill, participants will hike the field trail that includes meadows and apple trees near the home of Josh Billings for whom the Berkshire triathlon is named. The trail is easy to moderate.

Directions to the trailhead and additional information can be found at https://www.bnrc.org/reserves/constitution-hill

OLLI at BCC and the BNRC are offering joint hikes this summer and fall. These hikes are free for OLLI at BCC and BNRC members. You must register in advance and space is limited.

All hikes are on Wednesdays and begin at 9:30 a.m. We strongly recommend using hiking poles. If you don’t have them, we can provide poles for the hike. Good hiking shoes are essential. If we need to cancel the hike due to rain, we will notify participants by email by 7:00 a.m. the day of the hike.

Update on the Ukraine-Russia War in the Era of Trump 2.0 with James Brooke (Thursday, July 23, 2026)

Thu, 23 Jul 2026 23:00:00 GMT

OLLI at BCC Distinguished Speakers Series
Sponsored by Kimball Farms Life Care

Russia Reels from Ukraine's Drones

with James Brooke

An informative update and lively discussion on the Russia-Ukraine war with former New York Times foreign correspondent and former Ukraine reporter James Brooke.

Thursday, July 23 at 7 p.m. ET

Online via Zoom
Free & Open to all

In a lesson on asymmetric warfare for the modern world, diminutive Ukraine keeps hitting the punch-drunk Russian bear with drone raid after drone raid. As billion-dollar refineries go up in smoke, drivers in Eurasia's largest petrostate now wait hours in gasoline lines. Ukraine turns the Crimean peninsula into an island. All bridges are blown. All ferries are burned. As Moscow burns, Ukrainians lampoon Vladimir Putin as 'grandpa in the bunker.' Will Putin's personalist system survive? Or will a 'loyalist' take him out?

Veteran foreign correspondent James Brooke is back to give OLLI another in-depth analysis of the war in Ukraine. Jim draws on a total of 14 years living and working in Kyiv and Moscow -- as bureau chief for Bloomberg and then Voice of America. Previously, he made numerous reporting trips to Russia with The New York Times.

This event will be recorded and posted to our YouTube channel: OLLI: The Osher Lifelong Learning Institute at Berkshire Community College

See past updates from James Brooke on Ukraine in a YouTube playlist.

OLLI at BCC is also sponsored by Berkshire Health Systems

Bogus Astronomy Mini-course (Tuesday, July 28, 2026)

Tue, 28 Jul 2026 15:30:00 GMT

Bogus Astronomy
with Kenneth Bechis

Two sessions:
July 21 and 28 from 11:30 a.m. - 1:00 p.m.
at Berkshire Community College

In-person only.

Cost: $30 for OLLI at BCC members,
$40 for non-members

Sign up today!

Register online or call 413.236.2190 (M-F 9 a.m. - 4 p.m.) to register by phone with a credit card.

Rational Investing for Irrational Times (Tuesday, July 28, 2026)

Tue, 28 Jul 2026 18:00:00 GMT

Rational Investing for Irrational Times

Two sessions:

Tuesday, July 28 and Tuesday, August 11

2:00 - 3:30 p.m.
at Berkshire Community College

In-person only.

Learn how to create an all-weather portfolio to avoid the pitfalls that breed panic and emotionally-charged investment decisions. You will learn to recognize the psychological drivers behind investor behavior. Sound investing will help you navigate difficult times and ultimately build wealth for your future.

With Jo-Ann Gallerstein, Wealth Advisor (retired)

Founder and Managing Member of a wealth advisory firm guiding families with financial planning and investment management.

Cost: $35 for OLLI at BCC members, $45 for non-members

Sign up today!

Register online or call 413.236.2190 (M-F 9 a.m. - 4 p.m.) to register by phone with a credit card.

A Chester Duet 2026 with OLLI at BCC (Wednesday, July 29, 2026)

Wed, 29 Jul 2026 15:30:00 GMT

The OLLI at BCC Special Events Committee presents:

A Chester Duet

Wednesday, July 29, 2026 at 11:30 a.m.

Tickets Sold Out!

A Delicious Lunch plus a Great Afternoon of Theater

This program is in-person at Chester Railway Museum and Chester Theatre Company in Chester, MA

11:30 a.m. Chester Railway Museum

A national historic landmark where OLLI chefs create lunch and Dave Pierce, Director, tells station history and tales.

2:00 p.m. Chester Theatre Company
Amchitka
By Mark St. Germain
Directed by Julianne Boyd

In a monitoring station at Amchitka, a volcanic island 170 miles off the coast of Alaska used for underground nuclear testing in the 1960s, three scientists find themselves cut off from the outside world as an event seems to be underway. But what? A new philosophical thriller by Mark St. Germain, author of Magdalene and Freud’s Last Session.

Cost: $78 for OLLI at BCC members
$84 for guests/non-members

$20 Lunch only with your own Chester Theatre subscription

Tickets are sold out, but if you have your ticket for the play and would like to join us for lunch, please call the office at 413.236.2190

Wheelchair accessible seating is available, be sure to note that when you register. Seating will be in order received.

Event Leader: Judy Keshner, Special Events Chair: Arline Breskin

Register online or call 413.236.2190 (M-F 9 a.m. - 4 p.m.) to register by phone with a credit card.

Creativity and Artistic Expression Workshop (Wednesday, July 29, 2026)

Wed, 29 Jul 2026 17:00:00 GMT

Creativity and Artistic Expression Summer 2026

Wednesday, July 29
1:00 - 3:30 p.m.
at Berkshire Community College

In-person only.

This workshop will focus on working with and decoupaging colorful, ceramic tile coasters, or glass plates, which can be used in a variety of ways for entertaining and “welcoming summer”.

Try something new or continue on the next step if you’ve attended workshops with Marsha in the past.

Marsha Edell is a licensed clinical social worker, and a long time crafts person. A firm believer in the positive energy which connecting to one’s creativity brings, she is looking forward to helping people enjoy the process and the results.

Cost: $25 for OLLI at BCC members,
$35 for non-members

Price includes materials cost.

Sign up today!

Register online or call 413.236.2190 (M-F 9 a.m. - 4 p.m.) to register by phone with a credit card.

OLLI at BCC and BNRC Joint Hike - Alford Springs Mother Loop, Alford (Wednesday, August 05, 2026)

Wed, 05 Aug 2026 13:30:00 GMT

OLLI at BCC and Berkshire Natural Resources Council (BNRC) Joint Hike

Wednesday, August 5 at 9:30 a.m.
Alford Springs Mother Loop, Alford

Alford Springs has two loop trails. The Mother Loop is not open in the winter but is a beautiful, trail for a summer hike. Although the trail is heavily wooded, the land was cleared for farming in the 19^th century and cellar holes and an orchard remain. This easy trail includes some short climbs to vistas across the Alford Valley to Tom Ball Mountain.

Directions to the trailhead and additional information can be found at https://www.bnrc.org/reserves/alford-springs

OLLI at BCC and the BNRC are offering joint hikes this summer and fall. These hikes are free for OLLI at BCC and BNRC members. You must register in advance and space is limited.

Registration will open on Monday, July 20 at 9 a.m.

Rational Investing for Irrational Times (Tuesday, August 11, 2026)

Tue, 11 Aug 2026 18:00:00 GMT

Rational Investing for Irrational Times

Two sessions:

Tuesday, July 28 and Tuesday, August 11

2:00 - 3:30 p.m.
at Berkshire Community College

In-person only.

With Jo-Ann Gallerstein, Wealth Advisor (retired)

Founder and Managing Member of a wealth advisory firm guiding families with financial planning and investment management.

Cost: $35 for OLLI at BCC members, $45 for non-members

Sign up today!

Register online or call 413.236.2190 (M-F 9 a.m. - 4 p.m.) to register by phone with a credit card.

Jacob's Pillow with OLLI at BCC (Friday, August 14, 2026)

Fri, 14 Aug 2026 15:45:00 GMT

The OLLI at BCC Special Events Committee presents an afternoon at

Jacob's Pillow Dance Festival

Martha Graham Dance Company

Friday, August 14, 2026

Norton Owen, Preservation Director,
will talk at Blake’s Barn at 11:45 a.m.

Bring a Bag Lunch – OLLI chefs provide desserts and drinks

Martha Graham Dance Company

Schedule:

11:45 a.m. Talk with Norton Owen, Historian and Founding Director of Preservation, at Blake’s Barn

12:30 p.m. Lunch (bring a bag lunch with you, our OLLI chefs will provide dessert and drinks)

1:00 p.m. Dessert

2:00 p.m. Performance

Martha Graham Dance Company celebrates their 100^th anniversary! Founded in 1926 by the legendary contemporary dancer Martha Graham, it is the oldest American dance company. It has been called "one of the great dance companies of the world” by The New York Times and “one of the seven wonders of the artistic universe” by The Washington Post. Many of the great 20th and 21st-century modern dancers and choreographers began their careers with this prestigious company, including Merce Cunningham, Pearl Lang, and Paul Taylor.

Tickets are limited and seating will be in order received.

Wheelchair accessible seating is available, be sure to note that when you register.

Ticket Prices:

OLLI at BCC Members: $103
Guests: $113
Dessert only with your own Jacob's Pillow Subscription: $9

No refunds unless space is filled from a waiting list!
This program is in-person at Jacob's Pillow
358 George Carter Rd., Becket, MA

Thank you to OLLI at BCC's Special Events Committee for organizing this and so many other great OLLI events!

Exploring Chinese Medicine: Pathways for Resilience and Wellbeing (Monday, August 17, 2026)

Mon, 17 Aug 2026 14:30:00 GMT

Exploring Chinese Medicine: Pathways for Resilience and Wellbeing

Monday, August 17 and 24
10:30 am - noon. ET
In-person at Berkshire Community College

Program Cost:

OLLI at BCC Members: $35
Non-members: $45

The two-part series will include Chinese Medicine Strategies for Treating:

Part I: Stress and Exhaustion:

Suggested lifestyle considerations for protecting your adrenal/ kidney function and staying in the healing (parasympathetic) rather than stress (sympathetic) state
Chinese medical treatments for hypertension, fatigue, upper back and neck tension, headaches, weak digestion, and insomnia
Practice time for "Rage on the Page" an enpowering tool to release emotions that can lead to chronic pain, migraines, fatigue and other physical disease

Part 2: Allergies and Immune Function:

Invigorating qigong practices to open your lungs, clear your sinuses, and boost immunity
Introduction to single and multiple ingredient Asian medicinal teas for immune support
Acupressure for colds, coughs, and allergies
The deeper mental-emotional patterns which science is now showing contribute to long term recurrent illnesses such as Chronic Fatigue Syndrome, fibromyalgia, chronic lyme, long-haul Covid, and extensive allergies.

Note: please wear comfortable clothes and bring a notepad and writing utensil to class

Come be guided by acupuncturist, herbalist, and qigong teacher Kelly Clady through the world of Traditional Chinese Medicine. Having received her master's of science degree in San Francisco, Kelly has been practicing Chinese Medicine in the Berkshires now or nearly two decades; she spent over 6 years living in China in 4 different cities, and is thrilled to again bring her humorous style as well as her deeply passionate love of the Chinese language, culture, and medicine to OLLI.

OLLI at BCC Sponsors include: Berkshire Health Systems

Strengthening Hope During Times of Conflict: The Arava Institute for Environmental Studies Work Between Israelis and Palestinians (Tuesday, August 18, 2026)

Tue, 18 Aug 2026 20:00:00 GMT

OLLI at BCC Distinguished Speakers Series
Sponsored by Kimball Farms Life Care

Strengthening Hope During Times of Conflict: The Arava Institute for Environmental Studies Work Between Israelis and Palestinians

Tuesday, August 18 at 4 p.m. ET
Hybrid - In-person and Online via Zoom

$10 for OLLI Members
$15 for non-OLLI members
Admission is free for students, staff and faculty from Berkshire Community College, MCLA, and Williams; youth 17 and under, and those holding WIC, EBT/SNAP, or ConnectorCare cards.

Thirty years ago the doors of the Arava Institute opend on Kibbutz Ketura. Since then it has brought together Israelis (Jews & Arabs), Palestinians, Jordanians, Moroccans and other college age students from around the world to study and live together. These past years have been a stress test for the work of the Institute, but it has remained true to its mission. In addition to its academic program, the Institute is the home of a number of Transboundary research centers as well as the Center for Applied Environmental Diplomacy which is active in Gaza. Rabbi Michael Cohen, who has been involved with the Institute since its doors opened dividing his time between Vermont and Ketura, will share firsthand experiences, lessons, and insights from the past three decades.

Rabbi Michael Margaretten Cohen is a faculty member of the Arava Institute for Environmental Studies. He is also the Director of Community Relations, for the Friends of Arava Institute. He teaches courses on conflict resolution, the Bible, and the environment. Rabbi Cohen has been a Policy Advisor to the Office of the Special Envoy for Middle East Peace, U.S. Department of State and a Speechwriter Adviser to the Office of the White House Speechwriters. He has served on the Advisory Board of the Middle East Peace Partnership (MEPPA) of USAID established by Congress. Cohen, the rabbi emeritus of the Israel Congregation in Manchester Center, Vermont is the author of numerous articles that have appeared in the Middle East and the United States. He has been a regular Torah commentary in the Jerusalem Post as well as being an ongoing columnist in the Jerusalem Post. He is the author of "Einstein's Rabbi: A Tale of Science and the Soul." He also serves on the Board of Trustees of the Burr & Burton Academy, the Mount Equinox Preservation Trust, KaTO Architecture, and the Jerusalem Peacebuilders. He is a recipient of the Eliav Sartawi Award for Middle East Journalism from the Search for Common Ground.

OLLI at BCC is also sponsored by Berkshire Health Systems

OLLI at BCC and BNRC Joint Hike - Clam River (Wednesday, August 19, 2026)

Wed, 19 Aug 2026 13:30:00 GMT

OLLI at BCC and Berkshire Natural Resources Council (BNRC) Joint Hike

Wednesday, August 19 at 9:30 a.m.

Clam River

The trail system at Clam River is like a bar bell with loop hikes at both ends. For this hike, participants will hike the Wolf Tree Trail and the northern loop of trail system. The Hammertown loop is among the most beautiful sections of this beautiful trail. Part of the trail is along the top of the ridge above the river in a dense hemlock grove, perfect for a hike on a warm August day.

Hikers will park at the Sandisfield town hall lot and carpool to the Hammertown trailhead.

Directions to the trailhead and additional information about the hike are at https://www.bnrc.org/reserves/clam-river

OLLI at BCC and the BNRC are offering joint hikes this summer and fall. These hikes are free for OLLI at BCC and BNRC members. You must register in advance and space is limited.

Registration will open on Monday, August 3 at 9 a.m.

Exploring Chinese Medicine: Pathways for Resilience and Wellbeing (Monday, August 24, 2026)

Mon, 24 Aug 2026 14:30:00 GMT

Exploring Chinese Medicine: Pathways for Resilience and Wellbeing

Monday, August 17 and 24
10:30 am - noon. ET
In-person at Berkshire Community College

Program Cost:

OLLI at BCC Members: $35
Non-members: $45

The two-part series will include Chinese Medicine Strategies for Treating:

Part I: Stress and Exhaustion:

Suggested lifestyle considerations for protecting your adrenal/ kidney function and staying in the healing (parasympathetic) rather than stress (sympathetic) state
Chinese medical treatments for hypertension, fatigue, upper back and neck tension, headaches, weak digestion, and insomnia
Practice time for "Rage on the Page" an enpowering tool to release emotions that can lead to chronic pain, migraines, fatigue and other physical disease

Part 2: Allergies and Immune Function:

Invigorating qigong practices to open your lungs, clear your sinuses, and boost immunity
Introduction to single and multiple ingredient Asian medicinal teas for immune support
Acupressure for colds, coughs, and allergies
The deeper mental-emotional patterns which science is now showing contribute to long term recurrent illnesses such as Chronic Fatigue Syndrome, fibromyalgia, chronic lyme, long-haul Covid, and extensive allergies.

Note: please wear comfortable clothes and bring a notepad and writing utensil to class

OLLI at BCC Sponsors include: Berkshire Health Systems

OLLI at BCC and BNRC Joint Hike - The Boulders, Pittsfield/Dalton (Wednesday, September 02, 2026)

Wed, 02 Sep 2026 13:30:00 GMT

OLLI at BCC and Berkshire Natural Resources Council (BNRC) Joint Hike

Wednesday, September 2 at 9:30 a.m.
The Boulders, Pittsfield/Dalton

The Boulders is a 645-acre oasis tucked between Pittsfield, Dalton, and Cheshire. Owned by the Crane family for more than a century, its six-miles of trails wind through diverse ecosystems. Participants on this hike will take the Blue Trail to the Boulders at the top of the reserve where they will see the quartzite boulders for which the reserve is named. Beautiful views to the east and south, are the reward for the moderate ascent and descent on a forest road once used by cars to visit this Berkshire destination. Today, hikers see the mixed hardwood forest close up including oaks, maples, black cherry, hemlocks and white pines.

Directions to the trailhead and additional information about the hike are at https://www.bnrc.org/reserves/the-boulders

OLLI at BCC and the BNRC are offering joint hikes this summer and fall. These hikes are free for OLLI at BCC and BNRC members. You must register in advance and space is limited.

Registration will open on Monday, August 17 at 9 a.m.

2026 Walking Tours: Indian Town, Stockbridge (Saturday, September 05, 2026)

Sat, 05 Sep 2026 14:00:00 GMT

Walking Tours:
Indian Town, Stockbridge, Mass.

Ten Sessions to Choose From!

All tours are in person and onsite, rain or shine.

Saturday, September 5 at 10:00 a.m.
Sunday, September 6, 1:00 p.m.
Saturday, September 12, 10:00 a.m.
Sunday, September 20, 1:00 p.m.
Saturday, September 26, 10:00 a.m.
Saturday, October 3, 10:00 a.m.
Sunday, October 4, 1:00 p.m.

Indian Town was chartered in 1737 as a mission to the Mohican tribe to teach them English, about Christianity and about English agricultural practices. Recently, the Stockbridge-Munsee community in Wisconsin worked with Housatonic Heritage and other local partners to create a tour of the most important Mohican sites along the main street of Stockbridge. Trained by one of the creators of the walking tour, OLLI members will lead participants along Main Street to learn about the Mohicans, who lived in what is now Stockbridge for thousands of years, and aspects of their culture which are still present today. Stops include the Carriage Barn at the Mission House, the burial grounds and the site of the 2021 archeological dig for the Mohican meeting house.

This walk is approximately 1.5 mi. round trip, and the sidewalks are accessible. Participants should be prepared to be walking and standing for about two hours.

This walking tour has been developed by the Stockbridge-Munsee Community highlighting the years in which they lived in Stockbridge. Presented in partnership with Housatonic Heritage. The walking tours are free and open to the public.

NOTE--Does not include a tour of the museum interior. An inside tour, for a fee, can be arranged before or after the free Heritage Walk.

A more detailed description of the tour can be found here.

For more information about the Stockbridge-Munsee Community, click here: https://www.nativeamericantrail.org/stockbridge-walking-tour/

Member Tour at the Berkshire Museum (Tuesday, September 08, 2026)

Tue, 08 Sep 2026 14:30:00 GMT

OLLI Special Events presents:

Berkshire Museum - Member Tour

Tuesday, September 8, 2026
Tour begins at 10:30 a.m.

In-person only at the Berkshire Museum, 39 South Street, Pittsfield

Join OLLI for a tour of two special exhibitions at the recently reopened museum.

Voices of Rebellion: Berkshires Revolutionary Legacy

This exhibition commemorates the 250th anniversary of the signing of the Declaration of Independence while contributing to nationwide efforts to mark the United States’ semiquincentennial. It explores the role of Berkshire County, Massachusetts, and its residents in the lead-up to the American Revolution, with particular attention to how the conflict shaped the lives of historically marginalized communities, including women and Black and Indigenous people. This exhibition features dozens of pieces from the museum’s collection, including a rare “broadside” of the Declaration of Independence, printed by Ezekiel Russell on July 17, 1776.

Mediterranea: American Art from the Graham D. Williford Collection

On loan from the Graham D. Williford Foundation, this exhibition features seventy-three works of late 19th and early 20th century paintings. The works provide an overview of the Mediterranean region and the rich diversity of its nature and culture, as seen through the eyes of American artists. Their paintings capture the environment, the distinct colors and atmosphere, the varied flora and fauna, and the uniqueness of the people who lived an ocean apart.

Admission

$15 OLLI Members and Guests

$5 OLLI Members with Berkshire Museum Membership

Space is limited, register today!

Register online or call 413.236.2190 (M-F 9 a.m. - 4 p.m.) to register by phone with a credit card.

This event is part of OLLI's Rev250 Project celebrating the 250th anniversary of the American Revolution.

William Clothier Watts, Grazing Sheep, Temple of Luxor, Egypt, c. 1915. Watercolor on paper. The Jean and Graham Devoe Williford Charitable Trust.

Author Talk with Linda Kaye-Moses (Wednesday, September 09, 2026)

Wed, 09 Sep 2026 20:00:00 GMT

Join local author and artist Linda Kaye-Moses for a talk on her new novel:

The Argentera and the Tales of the Six Arabesques

Wednesday, September 9, 2026 at 4:00 p.m.
In-person at BCC
Free and open to the public

For over six hundred years, a Jewish goldsmith’s journal, describing the making of an enameled necklace, has been wandering far from where it was created in the Alsace to the Berkshire hills of western Massachusetts. And on one bright spring day, in a used bookstore in upstate New York, the journal is finally found by Miriam, a studio jeweler and book lover. Feeling that the journal found her, she sets out to solve the mysteries the journal poses and find the lost jewel. From an ancient tale in the 5th century BCE to the journal’s original home in the 14th century, to Venice and Spain, Miriam’s search reveals long-held secrets, changing her life and the lives of those around her forever. The Argentera and the Tales of the Six Arabesques, a generation-spanning story, is ultimately about the stubborn, uncompromising and unshakeable strength of the human will and the possibility of transformation hidden in every object formed by a creative hand.

Linda Kaye-Moses is an uppity, unruly octogenarian author and an award-winning studio jeweler, living a life amazed by the magic inherent both in writing and in her objets. She graduated from the University of Vermont with unofﬁcial majors in psychology, drama, and ancient history, so, naturally, she has been making her jewels for ﬁve decades and has always been a writer. She is the author of The Argentera and the Tales of the Six Arabesques; Pure Silver Metal Clay Beads; and a self-published memoir, Roots Stems and Branches; A Recollection. Her writing was included in Strong Shoulders and in Writing Fire: An Anthology Celebrating the Power of Women’s Words. She was a Writer’s Digest 2023 Award Winner. She lives with her husband in an old farmhouse, surrounded by lilacs and the green hills of western Massachusetts.

It's Not What You Think: An American Woman in Saudi Arabia (Thursday, September 10, 2026)

Thu, 10 Sep 2026 23:00:00 GMT

The OLLI Distinguished Speakers Series presents:

It's Not What You Think: An American Woman in Saudi Arabia

September, 10 at 7:00 p.m. ET

Online via Zoom

OLLI at BCC and BNRC Joint Hike - Thomas and Palmer Brook Trails, Great Barrington (Wednesday, September 16, 2026)

Wed, 16 Sep 2026 13:30:00 GMT

OLLI at BCC and Berkshire Natural Resources Council (BNRC) Joint Hike

Wednesday, September 16 at 9:30 a.m. Thomas and Palmer Brook Trails, Great Barrington

BNRC and OLLI hikers will return to the Thomas and Palmer Brook trail this fall to hike the familiar trails through the meadow, past the wetland, and up to Whale Rock. Participants will then hike the newly opened connector trail that now links the Thomas and Palmer Brook system to the Three Mile Hill trails. Join this hike to explore this new trail that provides for human hikers but also adds a new link to an important wildlife corridor connecting Beartown State Forest and Monument Mountain. The trail ranges from accessible to moderate in difficulty.

Directions to the trailhead and additional information about the hike are at https://www.bnrc.org/reserves/thomas-palmer-brook

OLLI at BCC and the BNRC are offering joint hikes this summer and fall. These hikes are free for OLLI at BCC and BNRC members. You must register in advance and space is limited.

Registration will open on Monday, August 31 at 9 a.m.

The Battle of Bennington at the Bennington Museum (Thursday, September 17, 2026)

Thu, 17 Sep 2026 14:00:00 GMT

The Battle of Bennington at the Bennington Museum - Member Meet up!

Thursday, September 17, 2026
Gather at 9:45 a.m.
Tour begins at 10:00 a.m.

Stay for lunch after the tour

(option to buy a boxed lunch when you register)

In-person only at the Bennington Museum

75 Main Street

Bennington, VT 05201

Meet OLLI at BCC members at the Bennington Museum private tour of "The Battle of Bennington" with curator Jamie Franklin.

The Battle of Bennington, fought on August 16, 1777, has come to be known as a turning point in the American Revolution and an event that defines our town to many in the popular imagination. This reinstallation of objects and archival materials from the Museum’s permanent collection, the first in 25 years, centered around the museum’s beloved WPA-era mural by Leroy Williams, will tell the complex stories of the diverse participants and lives that were touched by the battle. From Joseph and Sarah Rudd’s first-hand accounts of their experience of the battle, including taking Loyalist neighbors as prisoners and fleeing to Williamstown on horseback with four children, to a portrait of Lieutenant Jonathan Holton, depicting the scars received from being shot in the face by a musket ball, this exhibition will bring visitors up close and personal with the people who lived through this historic event.

Participants will meet at the Bennington Museum.

You will have the option to pre-purchase a boxed lunch ($21.00) to enjoy with OLLI friends in a private room in the museum following the tour.

Cost: $25 for OLLI at BCC members and their guests

Optional boxed lunch: $21.00 per person

Space is limited, register today!

Register online or call 413.236.2190 (M-F 9 a.m. - 4 p.m.) to register by phone with a credit card.

This event is part of OLLI's Rev250 Project celebrating the 250th anniversary of the American Revolution.

Image: Prisoners Taken at Bennington Battle, August 16, 1777, 1938 Leroy Williams (1878-1965), Oil on canvas, 72 x 144 in., Bennington Museum Collection, Courtesy of the Works Progress Administration (WPA), Vermont Federal Art Project (FAP), A2048