Central Berkshire ParentChild+

September is National Library Card Sign-Up Month, and the Berkshire Athenaeum, has partnered with Downtown Pittsfield, Inc., to help you save big!

During the month of September, show your Berkshire Athenaeum library card at participating local businesses for discounts and freebies.

This year, join our scavenger hunt by visiting each participating business. Find the secret word on each store’s Library Card Sign-Up Month poster to fill out the phrase at the bottom of the official event brochure, then return the brochure to the Library for a free book AND a chance to win a $50 Downtown Pittsfield Gift Card!

This promotion is made possible by Friends of the Berkshire Athenaeum, Downtown Pittsfield, Inc., and our generous local businesses.

A brochure listing the discounts offered is available at Athenaeum service desks, in participating locations, and online at www.downtownpittsfield.com and www.pittsfieldlibrary.org.

Bring the children to make memories like never before this Sunday at our Time Capsule Adventure event!

Together we will fill the capsule with items that represent each child, our church, and 2026! How exciting for them to know that they can leave a tangible mark to be discovered in the future!

To add another layer to the fun, the children are going to vote on what year the time capsule can be dug up!

*Children are encouraged to bring something from home that represents them that they would like to place in the capsule.

Bring your kids, and stop by and see us tomorrow to get brand new shoes for back to school!

We have shoes of all kinds for girls, boys, and teenagers and we would love to bless them!

*There will be a limit of 2 pairs of shoes per adult, unless accompanied by additional children.

And a big Thank You to Walmart in North Adams for blessing us with so many amazing shoes!

Mary Wheat’s 93rd birthday wish… Contribute to our 3rd Annual Cereal Drive

Last year’s cereal drive brought in 4,000 boxes of cereal for Mary Wheat’s birthday. ✨Let's work together to beat that amount in 2026! ✨

Cereal can be used in many ways — as a meal, snack, dessert — by families of all sizes.

We are inviting you to take part in our cereal drive again this year! You can bring boxes of cereal to our food pantry from September 1 through October 14.

Our pantry volunteers are available to receive your donations Monday through Thursday from 8am to noon, and on Wednesday evenings from 4:30 to 5:30pm.

Please share the word with your neighbors and friends. Thank you!

Explore our newly reopened museum for free during our Berkshire Museum Free Day Sponsored by the Highland Street Foundation on Sunday, August 30, 10:00AM – 5:00PM! Take a trip through the Feigenbaum Aquarium, examine 2nd-floor special exhibitions like 𝑉𝑜𝑖𝑐𝑒𝑠 𝑜𝑓 𝑅𝑒𝑏𝑒𝑙𝑙𝑖𝑜𝑛: 𝐵𝑒𝑟𝑘𝑠ℎ𝑖𝑟𝑒𝑠’ 𝑅𝑒𝑣𝑜𝑙𝑢𝑡𝑖𝑜𝑛𝑎𝑟𝑦 𝐿𝑒𝑔𝑎𝑐𝑦, tour our new first-floor exhibitions like 𝐶𝑎𝑏𝑖𝑛𝑒𝑡𝑠 𝑜𝑓 𝐶𝑢𝑟𝑖𝑜𝑠𝑖𝑡𝑖𝑒𝑠 and 𝐼𝑚𝑚𝑒𝑟𝑠𝑒𝑑 𝑖𝑛 𝑁𝑎𝑡𝑢𝑟𝑒, and so much more.

Program is free to the public thanks to generous support from the Highland Street Foundation. This event is part of their August Adventures 2026 Series.

The Berkshire Athenaeum, Pittsfield’s Public Library, Pittsfield’s CFCE, and Central Berkshire ParentChild+ are pleased to announce that Curiosity Day is coming to the Library once again.

Families are invited to join us on Saturday, September 19, 2026, from 10:30 am–12 pm at the Berkshire Athenaeum. This year’s event will focus on Laura Numeroff’s beloved children’s book If You Give a Pig a Pancake. Children and families will enjoy a fun-filled story time, create their own snack at a pancake bar, receive a free book, and explore a variety of interactive STEAM station activities.

This family event is free. No registration is required but children under 10 must be accompanied at all times by an adult over 18 years of age. This program is sponsored in part by the Berkshire Athenaeum, Pittsfield’s CFCE, Central Berkshire ParentChild+, and the Friends of the Berkshire Athenaeum.

DON'T FORGET! If you're participating in our Summer Reading program, your raffle ticket deadline is THIS FRIDAY at the Summer Reading Finale Party! Each bingo on your bingo sheet = 1 raffle ticket. Every 10 points on your points sheet (from book reviews, library visits, etc.) = 1 raffle ticket. Make sure you show your packet to a librarian by the end of the party on Friday to get credit for all of your bingos and reviews! If we do not get an update from you, we will run the raffle with as many tickets as we have on file. Don't worry, if you can't make it to the library this week to redeem all of your goal prizes, we will still honor your earned prizes in the weeks to come. Thank you for making this an AWESOME summer!

Join us on Thursday, August 13th at 3pm to break open your own geodes! Summer Reading participants earn 5 points, but participation is not required to attend this event. See you there! 🥽🔨

It's almost here! The day you have been waiting for.....

🌟SUPERHERO SUNDAY🌟

MAY 31ST
11AM - 1PM

*This is a FREE event, open to all children ages 3 to 12 years old in our community!

We invite all the Superheroes in our community to join us for games, activities, crafts and snacks, designed especially for them! We can't wait to see your Superhero strength and powers!

Children are encouraged to bring their favorite Superhero gear, including costumes, masks, cape, shirt or accessories!