Central Berkshire Record Show Returns October 2By Brittany Polito, iBerkshires Staff
12:09PM / Sunday, September 18, 2022 | |
DALTON, Mass. — After a successful inaugural event in the spring, the Central Berkshire Record Show is returning this fall at the Stationery Factory.
Hosted by Berkshirecat Productions, it will feature two dozen vinyl dealers, CDs, cassettes, music memorabilia, food truck fare, local craft beer and drinks, and consistent DJ sets.
Organizer Andrew Garcia said the first show in May was "super successful" and exceeded expectations. He aims to recapture the spirit and success of that event and make it a set standard.
"The place all day long was busy with activity and lots of smiling faces," Garcia said.
"And what was cool was to see younger people as well as your standard record collector, so families brought their kids who were just kind of getting into collecting but there were also some seasoned collectors who came early for the VIP part and it was neat to see people stick around and take advantage of the bar and food, which we also had."
The event will run Sunday, Oct. 2, from 8:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. General admission is 3$ at 10 a.m. and VIP admission is $10 at 8:30 a.m. for those who want a first look.
Garcia is a longtime musician and owner of Berkshirecat Records on the second floor of the factory. He created the first event as a "premium record show experience" in an airy light-filled venue rather than a cramped, dark hall that allows people to make a day out of it with multiple activities.
He is a native of New York and has lived in Dalton — and taught music in the town — since the 1990s. Before opening Berkshirecat, Garcia would sell media and records at tag sales.
He plans on continuing to do two shows a year, one in the spring and one in the fall.
"I feel very grateful to have the space at the Stationery Factory available," Garcia said.
"Steve Sears, who owns the building, and his wife, Maria, have done such a great job with that space, turning it into an event space, a place for performances, a place for weddings and other things and it's perfect for a record show."
The community is buzzing about the show, with over 200 people indicating that they will attend the event through its Facebook page. Garcia was happy to see one person tag a friend on the social media site and say they should attend the show again.
Roughly 80 percent of the vendors from the original event are returning.
"They really had a successful day and so most of them committed almost immediately to coming back because they had such a positive experience," Garcia explained.
"You want it from the customer side but you also want it on the vendor side, a successful day."
He pointed out that the factory’s passenger elevator that was under construction for the last event is now operational.
DJs include Tim Dupree as Pup Daddy Productions and Michael Keleher as DJ Ketchabone.
Biggins Diggins food truck will be serving fare and a full bar with craft beer and more will be available. To enjoy the offerings, there are comfortable places to sit as well as free wi-fi.
The Stationery Factory is wheelchair accessible and has ample on-site parking.
Tickets are available at the door and in advance through Eventbrite.
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