Lenox's December Runs on NightWood's Calendar

Which December nights in Lenox are worth keeping open? Start with the date list The Mount posted for NightWood, then lay the rest of the town's holiday calendar over it. The overlap is close. The Chamber's tree lighting, the Winter Market, Shakespeare & Company's Jane Austen weekend and Ventfort Hall's Christmas tea all fall on nights when the woods behind Edith Wharton's house are lit.

That makes the trail's schedule a useful planning tool from now through January 2. Once you know which nights NightWood runs, you know which days in Lenox can carry an afternoon event, an evening show and a walk through the woods.

The Spine: 22 Nights in the Woods

NightWood returns Saturday, November 21, and The Mount says the sound-and-light installation is back "with an extended path that takes you deeper into the woods with new encounters." The posted dates are November 21, 25, 27 and 28; December 4, 5, 11 and 12, then every night from December 17 through 23 and again from December 26 through 31; and a final night on January 2.

That comes to 17 December nights. The trail is dark December 13 through 16, on Christmas Eve and Christmas Day, and on New Year's Day. Two long blocks hold most of the month: seven straight nights leading into Christmas and six more running to New Year's Eve.

A few practical points from The Mount's page will shape how you plan:

• Footwear. Trails can be muddy or icy, and winter boots are recommended.
• Dogs and strollers. Dogs are not allowed on the NightWood trail, and strollers are not recommended because of rough terrain.
• Accessibility. The route covers uneven ground with stairs and is not accessible to walkers or wheelchairs. The Mount offers golf cart rides at 4:30 p.m. on select days, and you can reserve one at 413-551-5104.
• Sensory notes. Expect bright, colorful and flashing lights with moderate to loud music.
• The house discount. NightWood ticket holders get 50 percent off adult and senior House Tours. NightWood also takes part in the MCC Card to Culture program.

The house discount is what links the trail to the rest of the day. The mansion is open Saturdays and Sundays from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. through January 2. Regular adult admission is $22, seniors pay $20, students $13, and visitors 18 and under get in free. That puts a NightWood ticket holder's adult tour at about $11. The grounds and walking trails stay free and open from dawn to dusk all year.

How the Rest of Lenox Lines Up

Here is the December calendar with NightWood's dates beside everything else on the town's schedule.

Sources for the rows: Lenox Chamber of Commerce, The Mount's events calendar, Shakespeare & Company and Ventfort Hall.

The month falls into three clusters, and each one works a little differently.

December 4 and 5: The Town Weekend

The Lenox Chamber of Commerce lists Tree Lighting with Santa for Friday, December 4. The Winter Market follows on Saturday, December 5. The Chamber describes participating shops pouring selected wines, hot cider and hot cocoa and serving hors d'oeuvres while people shop for gifts. NightWood runs both nights.

Saturday is the fuller of the two days. The Mount's house is open from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m., the Winter Market fills the shops downtown, and the trail is lit that night. If you pick up NightWood tickets for that evening, the same confirmation email gets you the half-price house tour earlier in the day.

On Sunday, December 6, NightWood is dark, but The Mount's calendar lists Forest Bathing and Tai Chi at $20. The same session repeats on December 13, 20 and 27.

That weekend comes just after the Lenox Library's December 1 book club discussion of Ian McEwan's What We Can Know, listed on the library's events calendar.

December 18 to 20: Austen, Tea and the Longest Run

The middle cluster stacks the most into the fewest days. It falls inside NightWood's seven-night run from December 17 to 23.

Shakespeare & Company's winter show this year is a costumed reading of Pride and Prejudice by Claire F. Martin, directed by Ariel Bock. Performances run Friday, December 18, at 7 p.m., Saturday, December 19, at 2 and 7 p.m., and Sunday, December 20, at 2 p.m. at the Elayne P. Bernstein Theatre. Patrons 22 and under can see the show free with the code BUDDINGBARDS, a gift from the Virginia & Harvey Kimmel Family Fund of the Philadelphia Foundation.

On Sunday the company also brings back Austen & Afternoon Tea at 11:30 a.m., marking Austen's December 16 birthday. The program includes a talk with Behind the Curtain host Ann Berman, a catered reception with tea, finger sandwiches and pastries, and a display of Regency-era costumes. Tickets are $25 to $30. You can add a ticket to the 2 p.m. matinee, but you don't need one to attend the tea.

Saturday has a Gilded Age option too. Ventfort Hall's Victorian Christmas traditions Tea & Talk starts at 3 p.m. on December 19 at 104 Walker Street. Tickets are $47.70 for adults and $23.32 for students, including fees.

So December 19 has a 2 p.m. matinee, a 3 p.m. tea on Walker Street, a 7 p.m. performance and a lit trail at The Mount, all on one Saturday. December 20 starts with Austen at 11:30 a.m., can include the matinee, and still has NightWood that evening.

December 26 to 31: Ventfort Hall Takes the Afternoons

After Christmas, NightWood runs six straight nights, and Ventfort Hall fills the daylight hours of the same week with programs aimed largely at families.

Monday, December 28

Rumpelstiltskin marionette performances start at 3:30 p.m. Tickets are $21.20 for adults and $10.60 for ages 5 to 17, and children 4 and under get in free. At 6 p.m. the mansion library hosts a free Children's Evening Story Hour.

Tuesday, December 29

Robert Oakes leads a youth reading and ghost tour at 4:30 p.m. for children ages 8 to 12. Admission is $15, and an accompanying adult gets in free. At 7 p.m. he returns for Victorian Christmas Ghost Stories, with tickets at $30.

Wednesday, December 30

The marionettes return at 3:30 p.m.

Every one of these dates is also a NightWood night. A family with grandchildren in town can see a marionette show on Walker Street in the afternoon and walk the woods on Plunkett Street the same evening. The Mount's house is open that weekend too, on Saturday, December 26, and Sunday, December 27, from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m.

When the Dog Is Coming Along

NightWood is the one stop on this calendar where dogs aren't allowed. For a walk with the dog, the Town of Lenox's guidebook describes Kennedy Park as a town conservation property whose trails stay open to dogs in winter, along with cross-country skiers and snowshoers. The Mount's own grounds and walking trails are free from dawn to dusk, so a daytime walk there works on any December day, including the four dark nights in mid-month.

If guests are arriving for the holidays, check their dates against the trail's schedule before booking anything else. NightWood is dark December 24, December 25 and January 1, so visitors staying only through Christmas will want an evening on or before the 23rd. Visitors staying for New Year's have six straight nights from the 26th through the 31st, plus January 2.

Paula has watched Lenox's winter calendars come and go for more than 40 years, and she's glad to help you plan around this one. If a December visit from family or friends has you thinking about Lenox homes, or what your own house could do in a spring sale, Paula J. McLean Realtors is right here on the same streets. Make one call and speak with Paula today.