In Southern Vermont…
8th Brattleboro Film Festival
Latchis Theatre
Brattleboro
802-257-2461, brattleborofilmfestival.org
Nov. 1-10
The all-volunteer Brattleboro Film Festival returns to the Latchis Theatre for its eighth year with a slate of independent and award-winning productions that offer viewpoints and characters often unseen in mainstream media. The festivities kick off with a public reception Nov. 1. The festival culminates Nov. 10, with a chance to view the festival favorites. The winning flick will be shown that night, after viewings of the three runners-up. A film schedule is available at brattleborofilmfestival.org.
‘XOXO Moongirl’ / Circus Cabaret
New England Center for Circus Arts
Brattleboro
802-254-9780, necenterforcircusarts.org
Nov. 8-9
The New England Center for Circus Arts hosts the Almanac Dance Circus Theater’s original show “XOXO Moongirl,” on Nov. 8. According to the show’s description: “Magical realism and true events intersect as solo performer Nicole Burgio navigates her family’s home, plagued with domestic abuse and complicated relationships … This is not a traditional circus or theater performance. This is a new wave of storytelling.” (This production contains themes of domestic abuse and unbreakable hope. Recommended for audiences 14 and older.) On Nov. 9, NECCA hosts a Circus Cabaret featuring guest performers from all over the country. Check the website for times and ticket prices.
Full Moon Dinner Series
The Equinox Golf Resort and Spa
Manchester
802-362-4700, equinoxresort.com
Nov. 9 and Dec. 14
What’s better than a dining experience timed with the full moon? How about a dinner and a guided hike through the Equinox Reserve? At the Equinox Resort, you can do both. After your guided hike through a portion of the Equinox Preservation Trust’s 900 acres, dine on a seasonal menu at the waterfront Pond Pavilion. Not up for a hike? A car package can be provided. Dinner is $85 per person. Reservations are required.
Hooked on the Holidays
American Museum of Fly Fishing
Manchester
802-362-3300, amff.org
Dec. 7
Join the American Museum of Fly Fishing from 1 to 3 p.m. Dec. 7 for its 11th Hooked on the Holidays gallery program. Celebrate the sport of fly-fishing, an important Manchester pastime since the 19th century. This family-friendly event includes tying clown flies, decorating cookies, making holiday cards, coloring fly ornaments and more. Refreshments will be served.
The Festival
Bennington Museum
Bennington
802-477-1571, benningtonmuseum.org
Dec. 7 and Dec. 14
The Bennington Museum rings in the holiday season with The Festival, a three-part celebration made up of the exhibition, The Gala and a family day. This year, the exhibition will celebrate Robert Frost, with over 30 regional artists creating works of art in response to his poetry.
Museum admission is only $3 on Dec. 7 for Family Day and Children’s Shopping Day. (Children who bring a personal care item or nonperishable food item for the Bennington County Coalition for the Homeless will be admitted for free.) Santa and Mrs. Claus will be on hand from 1 to 3 p.m. and craft-making activities will be available throughout the day. A children’s shopping boutique, offering gifts priced from $1 to $15, will be available from 10:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m.
The Gala, from 7 to 10 p.m. Dec. 14, the museum’s biggest annual fundraiser, celebrates the works of Frost written during his time in Vermont from 1920 to 1938. The evening features holiday fare by Chef’s Consortium, a cash bar with themed cocktails, seasonal music by the Mount Anthony Union Chamber Singer, and the gypsy jazz of Hot Club of Saratoga. Tickets are $100 per person ($85 if purchased by Nov. 16) with Young Poets Society pricing — $1 per year of age, through the age of 35. Tickets can be purchased online or by calling the museum.
In the Berkshires…
The New Pornographers
Mass MoCA
North Adams
413-662-2111, massmoca.org
Nov. 14
Canadian indie-rock supergroup The New Pornographers stops by the Massachusetts Museum of Contemporary Art for a standing-room-only performance in the Hunter Center. The concert is just one stop on the group’s whirlwind tour for its latest album, “In The Morse Code Of Brake Lights.” Tickets are $35 in advance, $45 day of and $65 for preferred seating.
Arlo Guthrie: 50th anniversary of ‘Alice’s Restaurant’
Mahaiwe Performing Arts Center
Great Barrington
413-528-0100, mahaiwe.org
Nov. 23
Celebrate the 50th anniversary of the movie “Alice’s Restaurant” with Arlo Guthrie.
Guthrie will be joined onstage by longtime collaborators Terry “A La Berry” Hal, Steve Ide and Carol Ide. His daughter, singer/songwriter Sarah Lee Guthrie, opens. Tickets are $29-$79
‘The Nutcracker’
Albany Berkshire Ballet
Pittsfield
413-445-5382, albanyberkshireballet.org
Dec. 7-8
Albany Berkshire Ballet celebrates its 45th production of “The Nutcracker” with four performances at Barrington Stage Company. Performances are at 2:30 and 6:30 p.m. Dec. 7, and at 1:30 and 6 p.m. Dec. 8. Performances also will take place in Springfield, as well as in Albany, N.Y., and Burlington, Vt.
Sugar Plum Fairy Tea Party
The Clark Art Institute
Williamstown
413-458-2303, clarkart.edu
Dec. 15
Enjoy an afternoon of Nutcracker fun! Start with a magical tea party with the Sugar Plum Fairy and stay for an encore broadcast of the Bolshoi Ballet’s production of “The Nutcracker.” The tea party will feature savory sandwiches and a selection of sweet treats, as well as hot chocolate, tea or coffee. The tea party runs from 12:30 to 1:30 p.m., followed by the broadcast in the auditorium. Tickets for the tea party and the broadcast are available separately or at a combined price. Tea party tickets are $25 for adults; $16 for children. “The Nutcracker” broadcast tickets are $18 for adults; $11 for children. Tickets for both events, combined, are $38 for adults and $23 for children. Make your reservations by Dec. 10.
The Red Lion Inn Collections Tour
The Red Lion Inn
Stockbridge
413-298-5545, redlioninn.com
Dec. 7 and 14
Curious to know the history of the curios, paintings and more that fill the shelves, walls and corners of The Red Lion Inn? Take an hourlong, behind-the-scenes look at Norman Rockwell’s early works, furniture original to the inn, Gloria Swanson’s shoes and the rest of the collectibles on display. The free tour, which typically takes place every Saturday at 11 a.m., meets in the inn’s lobby.
