Diagnosis: quarantine fatigue. Prescription: a baby goat?
The Hancock Shaker Village, in Pittsfield, plans to open its outdoor spaces — including its play pens of animals — this Thursday as part of the state’s phase one reopening. Village visitors can explore a number of self-guided outdoor activities while donning masks and adhering to new safety guidelines. Activities include observing (but not touching) the farm’s baby goats, lambs, and calves, as well as its donkeys, cows, and pigs. Guests can also walk the 20-acre historic village and its summertime gardens. Or they can learn about the property’s sugar maples and find out how wool is spun into cloth. The luckiest visitors will spot the 1,400-pound pig named Veruca or glimpse the farm’s newborn piglets.
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“As the weather turns nice, we know people are eager to get outdoors,” said director Jennifer Trainer Thompson in a statement. “Hancock Shaker Village is fun, but it’s also a comforting place. We have thought long and hard about how to welcome our visitors safely.”
For the month of June, the village will welcome visitors Thursdays through Sundays from 10 a.m.-3 p.m. Everyone will be required to pre-purchase timed admissions at hancockshakervillage.org or 413-443-0188. Hours and restrictions may change in early July when the historic site adjusts for phase three of the state’s reopening. In the meantime, Hancock’s virtual programs, including a July 6 dance performance by Reggie Wilson, are available online.
Diti Kohli can be reached at diti.kohli@globe.com. Follow her on Twitter at @ditikohli_.