Thousands In North Adams For Fresh Grass This Weekend

Today through Sunday, MASS MoCA will once again be hosting local and nationally-recognized musicians for the Fresh Grass music festival. I mention this because it brings not only another weekend of excellent entertainment to the Berkshires, but also thousands of people to North Adams, the smallest city in the Commonwealth.

We checked today with North Adams Director of Police Services Michael P. Cozzaglio, who said there are no traffic restrictions planned, except for Marshal Street being closed between St. Anthony Drive to River St. during intermittent periods of peak arrival and departure times on Friday night between 8-11 P.M. and Saturday from 2-11 P.M.  NAPD  will try to keep the street open as much as safely possible to try and avoid any significant traffic delays.

Please take extra care while driving. You'll see a lot of out-of-state plates and drivers unfamiliar with navigating local streets. Many of them will be cruising for parking spaces, which will definitely be at a premium in the downtown area. There will also be more foot traffic to watch out for, not just near the venue but as festival-goers hike in from designated remote lots and campsites.  You might have a bit longer wait at your favorite coffee shop, convenience store or eatery, but don't let that discourage you from your routine. History shows that the folks who come in for Fresh Grass and Wilco weekends are a pretty good bunch. Strike up a conversation, show some Berkshire hospitality.

If you're going to the concert, have fun! It looks like some fine weekend weather ahead. If you're a local just living through the weekend, relax. Wander downtown and play the license plate game. It's not our first mega-festival.  We've got this.