STOCKBRIDGE MAIN STREET AT CHRISTMAS
2020 Update: Due to the COVID-19 situation and the need to maintain the health and safety of our patrons, we will not be gathering together in celebration this year. We will embrace the character of the “Best New England Christmas Town” with virtual events, and outdoor, masked-up and socially distanced offerings. Highlights include virtual readings & a holiday marketplace, online videos of holiday concerts past and Main Street at Christmas celebrations, as well as, outdoor holiday light shows, live theatre and more. Some of our events run through the full month of December.
2020 Events Lineup:
• Stockbridge Main Street at Christmas: December 4 – December 6, 2020 | Online An online video of over 30 years of celebrations. This video will be available through December 31, 2020.
• Holiday Concert: December 4 – December 6, 2020 | Online An online video mix of Holiday Concerts Past. This video will be available through December 31, 2020.
• Winter Wonderland Walkway at the Stockbridge Library: 46 Main Street, Stockbridge, MA. December 4 – December 31, 2020 Stroll through the Holiday Tree walkway all decorated with festive lights. Masks and social distancing required. Free
• Holiday Marketplace at Berkshire Botanical Garden: 5 West Stockbridge Rd, Stockbridge, MA. December 4 – December 5, 2020 | Online: An eagerly awaited tradition continues at Berkshire Botanical Garden on Friday and Saturday, December 4-5 with Holiday Marketplace Online featuring the legendary Gallery of Wreaths. Beginning December 3, choose from a collection of unique, one-of-a-kind designer wreaths on display virtually through the Garden’s online Shop. and pre-schedule curbside pickup here to assure safe, quick delivery directly to your vehicle. A limited assortment of holiday blooming amaryllis and paperwhites in decorative and clay containers will also be available for purchase online and in the Garden Shop while supplies last. All purchases support the Garden’s education and horticulture departments. www.BerkshireBotanical.org
• Story Walk: 46 Main Street, Stockbridge, MA | December 4 – December 6, 2020 Children may visit Story walk around the outside of the library featuring the book Red Sled by Lita Judge. For more details visit www.StockbridgeLibray.org
• A Reading from Dickens | December 6, 2020 3:00 pm | Virtual: What if Scrooge were a woman? Bestselling novelist and award-winning audiobook narrator Alison Larkin changes the gender of Scrooge in this timely and fresh adaptation of A Christmas Carol This event will be streamed via Zoom | link
• Holidays at the Norman Rockwell Museum | 9 Route 183, Stockbridge, MA. Open Thursday – Monday: 10am-5pm The museum will continue its cherished tradition of recreating a miniature Stockbridge winter village and toy trainset for visitors’ enjoyment. See the original Stockbridge Main Street at Christmas painting. Celebrate the holidays with a Wish Tree on the front terrace, all are invited to write down a wish to decorate the tree. Shoppers can find the widest range of Rockwell prints, posters, puzzles, books, cards, ornaments, and more. The Museum requires the purchase of timed-tickets in advance of your arrival. Visit www.nrm.org
• Holiday House Tour at Ventfort Hall Gilded Age Museum | 104 Walker Street, Lenox, MA Open Thursday through Tuesday 11:00 am to 4:00 pm, closed Wednesdays. Experience the historic property all dressed up for the holidays. Both the first and second floor are handicapped accessible with a lift available to go to the second floor. Self-guided tours are by reservation at 11:00 am, 12:30 pm and 2:00 pm. Reservations are taken by phone only at (413) 637-3206. $18.00 adults, $17.00 for seniors (65 and over), $10.00 for students (ages 18 – 23) with student ID, Members Free, $7 – Children 5-17 years. www.GildedAge.org
About
The town of Stockbridge, made famous by Norman Rockwell’s painting of the village during the holidays, becomes a magical New England setting decorated with holiday wreaths and festive lights, as the town celebrates Stockbridge Main Street at Christmas each year on the first weekend in December.
Sponsored by the Stockbridge Chamber of Commerce, the holiday celebration offers a full range of activities, with highlights including holiday readings, house tours, caroling, and a holiday concert.
Capping off the weekend is a recreation on Sunday of the scene depicted in Main Street at Christmas, complete with vintage automobiles parked in the spots occupied in the painting. The day’s activities include horse drawn rides, a visit from Santa, Roger the Jester, lunch at the Christmas Food Booth and much more.
The festivities celebrate Rockwell’s popular depiction of what for many is the quintessential small New England Town, with all the longing for a simpler time that it represents. Rockwell began painting the popular image in 1956, but did not complete it until December 1967.
The image and character of Stockbridge has changed little over the years, thanks to the great care and affection of its residents, and it is that special ambience which draws so many.
