The Berkshires at this time of year bestows a vista of colorful beauty. Autumn in New England is an event that travelers from all over the globe make a point of catching; not just for the beauty, but for the harvest festivals, the end of the season cultural attractions, the agricultural fairs and the last of the summer sports. The Berkshires, legendary for the view, continues to offer the adventurer numerous events, whether it be sports, culture or just plain celebrating the season.

Town of Lee Founders Day

The Town of Lee presents an Annual Founders Day Weekend, in October. Start the festival on an ever-popular note by attending the town's "Taste of Lee" which has the streets lined with tables and manned by Lee's many restaurants, offering great tasting samples of their specialties. While you are in the mood for food, check out the Italian Festival sponsored by the Lee Sons of Italy, which is scheduled at the Town Park also for that evening. Watch the "Home Town Parade" and avintage baseball game.

Arrowhead's Ghostly Tales

Old stoies and the supernatural bring out a holloween eery. Over the years, there have been some hints of strange goings on at the Old Melville Place, (where one of America's greatest novels, Moby Dick was conceived and written) but this night will belong to the storytellers in the 1850's vintage New England barn where the yarns will be spun. In recent years, when the stories were read in the main house, there were reports of macabre creaking floorboards, lights flashing on and off and odd muffled laughter from “behind the walls.”

The Big Apple Squeeze

To enjoy apples is to attend the Apple Squeeze with; apple pies, apple cakes, apple cider, even apple pizza! In addition, there are foods ranging from ethnic to all-American. The whole family can join in on the fun with: hay rides and pony rides, a Giant Pumpkin Weigh-off, a Children's Dog Contest, an Apple Pie Contest, clowns and face painting, craft demonstrations, great sidewalk sales and an exciting parade featuring antique and in service fire apparatus. Come listen to area singers, bands and dancers who will help to entertain at this joyful event that began as a fall celebration for local residents twenty years ago, and today is celebrated by an increasing number of visitors from all over the world.

Fall Foliage Festival Parade

One of the best ways to enjoy Autumn in the Berkshires is the parade in North Adams!

The story of the Fall Foliage Festival Parade is really one of the Spirit of the Community and a tribute to the hard work that continues to makes it so. The origins of this great civic event are humble; in 1947, local legend Frank Casuscelli heard that the Chamber of Commerce wanted to express community pride through a parade, so he contacted some local drum and bugle corps to march, perform and compete.