Can it possibly be Memorial Day weekend? It seems like two weeks ago it was snowing. Plus it seems that Memorial Day should mean school is nearly out, when from where I sit in Williamstown we have more than a month left, thanks to five snow days plus the recent "there's no power" day. Everywhere I look people's summer plans have been messed up, from kids either missing the last week of school or the first week of a summer camp.

But I digress. It is indeed Memorial Day weekend, and while it really doesn't feel like it, it is the unofficial start of summer here in the Berkshires.

But first, let's not forget what Memorial Day is actually about. Formerly known as Decoration Day, the holiday commemorates all men and women who have died in military service for the United States. To them and their families, I say thank you.

There are many events to celebrate the holiday, most notably a lineup of parades on Monday. You can find the complete list here.

Beyond that, the weather is not looking conducive to many outdoor events this weekend, though who really knows? As I write this Thursday night is was supposed to have rained all day and it didn't. So on Saturday, May 24, why not take a drive to the southern Berkshire town of Monterey and check out another piece of history at the Bidwell House Museum, the Berkshires’ colonial history museum? The museum is celebrating the opening of its season at 3 p.m. with a concert and reception featuring singer-songwriter Diane Taraz performing “Songs of the American Revolution,” from the late-1700s. Taraz tells the stories of the songs and accompanies herself on guitar and lap dulcimer. There is a suggested donation of $15 (free for members of the museum) for attendance at the concert. The Bidwell House Museum is located at 100 Art School Road. For more information, call 413-528-6888 or visit www.bidwellhousemuseum.org.

Also on Saturday, May 24, the fiftth Annual Memorial Day Marathon Races kick off with lots of long races for adults but also a Kids Run for kids 10 and under at noon at Tanglewood in Lenox. The run will be a .25 mile loop for kids 6 and under and a .5 mile loop for kids 7-10 entirely on the grounds of Tanglewood.  T-shirts will be available for the first 100 kids.  All kids will receive medals.  Registration will be available online until midnight or on race day from 11-11:45 a.m. at Tanglewood. Kids 10 and under are welcome; additional information can be found at http://www.memorialdayraces.com.

One more Saturday event: The Pittsfield Barnes and Noble store will host "Pirates! Double Feature Storytime" at 1 p.m. In "How I Became a Pirate," Jeremy Jacobs is learning how to be a swashbuckler. Everything is smooth sailing until he realizes all the things pirates don't get to do. The story is continued in the follow-up, "Pirates Don't Change Diapers."

Happy start of summer!

Rebecca Dravis is the community editor at iBerkshires. She can be reached at rdravis@iberkshires.com.