What To Do: Holiday Events in the Berkshires

It is officially December, so we at Sm[ART] Commons wanted to highlight some festive ways to interact with arts and culture organizations this holiday season!

Winter Lights at Naumkaeg

https://thetrustees.org/content/explore-winterlights/

Explore the beautiful grounds of Naumkaeg, twinkling with thousands of lights, and transform the grounds into a winter wonderland. These lights have been nominated for best public holiday lights displays in the country by USA Today three years in a row! Truly a wonderful way to start the holidays.

 https://thetrustees.org/event/442109/

Tea & Talk: Christmas Traditions of the Victorian & Gilded Age 

Learn about how Christmas was celebrated during the Victorian and Gilded Age while attending this high tea event at Ventfort Hall. The presentation will discuss what popular traditions like decorating the Christmas Tree and Santa Claus looked like back then. Ventfort Hall is also now decorated for Christmas with decorations sponsored by local businesses, so be sure to check those out if you are visiting soon.

 https://gildedage.org/products/tea-talk-christmas-traditions-of-the-victorian-gilded-age-sat-dec-20-at-3-30-pm

Festival of Trees: Barn To Be Wild

https://berkshiremuseum.org/festival-of-trees-barn/

The Berkshire Museum’s Christmas Tree display is headed to Hancock Shaker Village this year due to construction at the museum. Each tree was decorated by a different local business working off the theme, Barn To Be Wild, celebrating the animals and farm at the Village. There will be special performances from the Berkshire Hills Choir on the 6th and the Lee First Congregational Church Bell Choir on the 14th.

https://hancockshakervillage.org/festival-of-trees/

Williamstown Holiday Walk

Small town holiday cheer will be in full swing this weekend (Dec. 5-7) as Williamstown comes alive for this classic tradition. This free event includes festive activities like the iconic Reindog Parade, visits with Santa, old-fashioned caroling and tree lighting, horse-drawn carriage rides, a soup-tasting competition, and much more! Local cultural organizations like The Clark and Images Cinema will have special activities on Spring Street.

https://destinationwilliamstown.org/event/holiday-walk-williamstown/

https://justtheberkshires.com/events/events/norman-rockwell-home-for-the-holidays/

Norman Rockwell: Home for the Holidays

The Norman Rockwell Museum is displaying a new exhibition until February, featuring some of his works around the holidays. Rockwell’s work captures the nostalgic and iconic American holiday season through storytelling and the humor of his work.

https://www.upcountryhistory.org/exhibitions-events/changing-exhibits/norman-rockwells-home-for-the-holidays/

NightWood at the Mount

Explore the beautiful gardens and forest around Edith Wharton’s home, decorated for the season, inspired by the natural world. This event combines “cinematic music, theatrical lighting, and scenic elements” that culminate in a wonderful and mysterious experience.

https://edithwharton.org/calendar/nightwood-2025/