Page 13 - BusinessWest September 19, 2022
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          Great Barrington came to life with the help of weekend performances by Berkshire Busk!
For its third year, weekends between Memorial Day and Labor Day were packed with magic, per- forming arts, music, and more.
“I’ve lost count of how many weekends they had multiple performers at different venues,” Andrus told BusinessWest. “It exposed the public to so many different local artisans and it was very popular with visitors and locals.”
For this, the latest installment of its Commu- nity Spotlight series, BusinessWest turns its lens on Great Barrington, which hasn’t put COVID in its rear-view mirror, but is definitely looking to even better times down the road.
Picking Up the Pace
Andrus noted that, as businesses started to get back into their groove, there was what she called “a great rotation” throughout Great Barrington’s downtown area — businesses moving from one location to another as spaces become available.
This phenomenon changed the landscape in a minor way, but it added a new element to a central business district that has always been a popular destination.
“Everything is about 10 minutes apart at least; it wasn’t very far apart, but they moved,” Andrus said. “I think the choices people made were great.”
She went on to explain that some of the popu- lar restaurants and stores had to change their hours or close certain days mostly because of a persistent workforce crisis, but also “for their own sanity,” as business returned to downtown ven- ues and in a big way, even amid the higher gas prices and skyrocketing inflation.
Pruhenski concurred. “It’s difficult to say if inflation has impacted tourism because it didn’t
seem to impact the number of visitors,” he said. “But inflation is certainly impacting purchasing and project costs for the town, and housing chal- lenges remain a high priority.”
Andrus agreed, noting that, with the inflating value of land and housing, people are struggling to find good, reasonably priced housing. Great
“It’s difficult to say if inflation has impacted tourism because
it didn’t seem to impact the number of visitors. But inflation is certainly impacting purchasing and project costs for the town, and housing challenges remain a high priority.”
Barrington and other outlying towns are hoping to find a solution because “people deserve clean, affordable housing in a good location.”
As summer draws to a close, another impor- tant and traditionally vibrant time begins for Great Barrington and the Southern Berkshires. The community has a number of events on tap to keep tourists and locals busy and intrigued. Cul- tural venues will go on with their events until the end of the fall foliage or until it gets too cold to hold events outdoors.
“Outdoor dining will continue until it gets too cold,” Andrus said. “I think the fall will not be as
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      BusinessWest
COMMUNITY SPOTLIGHT
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