Stockbridge A Norman Rockwell Christmas

Last weekend Stockbridge hosted the 20th Christmas in Stockbridge weekend. ABC News covered this event and called Stockbridge the quintessential New England Town that is the home to the Norman Rockwell Museum. A town that takes one back to better times when life was easier. Plan to visit Stockbridge this holiday season and stay at the Inn at Stockbridge for a holiday the way it should be.
Norman Rockwell's work celebrated the American family and small-town values.
Take a moment to view this video from ABC Good Morning America to view events from this weekend.

Holiday Happenings In the Berkshires

The Berkshires is a perfect place to spend the holidays this season. Fresh snow makes the Inn at Stockbridge a winter wonderland. The Inn is decorated in all it glory as the mansion is now 103 years old. Come view pen and ink drawings that are sent to us each season by our friend Barry Ottenstein. Celebrate Chanukah and the holiday season and visit the Berkshire Museum and view the festival of trees. This is 25th year of this annual event which is on view from November 14–January 3 2010. Each year, the Berkshire Museum spruces up the galleries with scores of festive trees decorated by community organizations, businesses, and school children. This year, to mark the Festival’s Silver Anniversary, the trees have been inspired by the theme Silver Bells.
While visiting the Berkshires this holiday season you can ski at Butternut, visit Ventfort Hall and the Rockwell Museum as well as go to the Berkshire Theatre Festival to see the Christmas Carol.
The Berkshires, Stockbridge and the Inn at Stockbridge is the place to be this holiday season.

Christmas in Stockbridge Weekend

The Inn at Stockbridge is getting ready to celebrate the 20th Christmas at Stockbridge Weekend in our Stockbridge B&B on December 4-6. The Inn will be decorated in all its glory to prepare for the Christmas & Hanukkah season.
Our town 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 the 20th annual Stockbridge Main Street at Christmas, December 5th and 6th.

Sponsored by the Stockbridge Chamber of Commerce, the holiday celebration offers a full range of activities, with highlights including a holiday 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 ambiance which draws so many.
Our Berkshire Bed & Breakfast will love to have you as our guest on this special weekend to help you get into the holiday mood.

Inn at Stockbridge Attracts Wonderful Guests

Alice & Len Schiller, owners of the Inn at Stockbridge continue to enjoy running the Inn mainly because of the wonderful people that constantly choose to make the Inn at Stockbridge in the Berkshires part of their travel plans. Its always amazing how the referral network works. Nina McLemore and Donald I Baker attorney & Counselor for Baker & Miller visited the inn over the 4th of July weekend. They asked a friend, realtor Nancy Shulman of owner of Bloomberg Realty where to stay. Nancy referred them to us and they were thrilled.
Nina McLemore owns designs and operates her own clothing and accessories line from NYC. Her line of clothing is designed by women with fashion and business expertise, for smart confident women on the go. They are designed using beautiful and distinctive European fabrics in natural fibers, or Asian silks. She is known for her stunning jackets which I immediately spotted as being unique and very recongizable. Nina started her business 6 years ago and prides herself that her clothing is made in the USA. Prior to her own venture Nina was the creator of Liz Claiborne Accessories which she ran for 15 years.
Donald I Baker, lives and works in Washington DC. He is the former assistant Attorney General for the Department of Justice and former professor of Law at Cornell. Donalds specialty is in antitrust issues.
Nina & Don met through a law school professor in 2001. Both Nina & Don expressed the wish that they met sooner in life and wished they had stumbled upon the Inn at Stockbridge sooner as well. We look forward to welcoming back Nina & Don and we are thrilled that we had the pleasure of meeting two wonderful people.

The Inn at Stockbridge says thank you Susie

Alice & Len Schiller, from the Inn at Stockbridge, as well as Susie's sister Cristina and her husband Manel want to thank Susie.
Cristina Slattery and Manel Barallat met thanks to Susie. Susie invited Crisina to a Colombia Business School happy hour. Manel had been tutoring Susie in corporate finance back in 2005 and wanted Cristina to meet her friends at the happy hour. Manel is from Barcelona Spain.

Now three years later Cristina and Manel live and work in Barcelona. Manel works as the CFO for Palau Pharma a start up bio tech company in Barcelona and Cristina teaches English at the Princess Margaret a private school in Barcelona.

When Cristina and Manel came to the states for the holidays Cristina asked Susie where they should go for a few days. She highly recommended the Inn at Stockbridge where she visited back in 2002 with her boyfriend now husband.

We enjoyed listening to Cristina & Manel about their life in Barcelona and we wish them and Susie Van den Berg a happy & healthy New Year and hope that both sisters visit us together soon.

Theatre in December in the Berkshires

Len & I had the privilege to go to the Barrington Stage Company last night in the stage 2 at the VFW Hall in Pittsfield. This wonderful life is a holiday feel good show. So how is it that a movie that made it into the American film Institutes Top 100 films and still continues to move and inspire people without fail every holiday season was the first and only film of Frank Capra's Films, was not a financial success and lost every one of the five Oscars for which it was nominated in 1946?. It's a wonderful life was Frank Capra's gift to the world after World War 11. Improving the individual and bringing a more hopeful outlook on life is the only way you can improve a nation. George Bailey illuminates everything about us that make us all part of the human race. We all have been through the thing where we would rather die than live. It the idea of triumphing over the highs and lows of life which makes it an enduring classic, and why it is so relevant this holiday season.

I hope you enjoy this one man play as much as I have. Perhaps we can all change the world by spreading hope, love, redemption and sharing. May you visit us at the Inn at Stockbridge and touch your world as well.

December at the Inn at Stockbridge

The holidays are in the air in the Berkshires and at the Inn at Stockbridge. Alice has been busy decorating the Inn for the holidays. Enjoy the pencil and inn drawings by our artist friend Barry Ottenstein. Each year Barry sends us a new Hanukkah card with his wonderful creations. The Inn features Barry's drawings over the last 10 years. These drawings create a wonderful set over the baby grand piano along with our other Hanukkah memorabilia.

A visit to the Berkshire Museum will definitely improve you holiday spirits. Be uplifted by festive, earth- friendly decorations and designs. Be inspired by innovative uses of sustainably-minded materials, such as post consumer paper and plastic, recycled steel, and bamboo. Delight in the eco-savvy and eco-fabulous enchanted forest of more than 200 trees, creatively decorated with natural materials and reused, recycled, re purposed, and reclaimed objects. This exhibit is open until January 4.

We Wish you a Happy and Healthy Holiday

Alice &Len Schiller, Annette Perilli and the Staff of the Inn at Stockbrige wishes a happy and healthy holiday season to all. Christmas week is a wonderful time to visit the Berkshires. It is truly a winter wonderland a true Norman Rockwell experience.
Plan to spend the New Years Eve at the Inn at Stockbridge. We are offering a champagne cocktail party prior to dinner. On New Years day start 2008 off right with a fabulous brunch featuring some of our favorite breakfast treats and more.