Freshgrass

One of our favorite events last fall was the Freshgrass Music festival in North Adams, MA.  We drove all the way down there and back in a day, but it was well worth the trip.  The festival is at Mass MoCA (an old mill that has been converted into a beautiful/funky gallery.  There are three stages, a kids tent, amazing local food trucks and beer.

This year, we decided to make a weekend of it.  There is camping on site, but pricey (and surely loud).  So John pulled some strings with his colleague at Williams College and we "roughed it" at their Outing Club cabin. It had electricity, running water, a wood stove, and friendly mouse housemates.  Our friends, the Dormer's joined us.  They were sort of horrified by the accommodations, but fortunately, we didn't spend much time there.

The weather was beautiful, the music so fun and the kids had a ball.

At one point, I ran into the father of a few of my students (who have all since graduated).  He saw me trying to hold a beer and an ice cream and wrangle kids at the same time.  He said, "I know it's hard now, but it's great that you are doing this with your kids.  We did this too.  Now I'm going to these events with my adult children and there is nothing better".  While it would surely be a little less hectic to go to one of these events without the children, but they have been doing it long enough that they are starting to "get it" and really have fun.