Race Brook Lodge Closing After 30 Years of Music, Culture, and Community

The Berkshires are about to lose a little bit of its magic as Race Brook Lodge in Sheffield prepares to close its doors at the end of November after 30 years.

For anyone unfamiliar with this beloved Berkshire cultural destination, Race Brook Lodge is a rustic haven for creativity tucked into the base of the Taconics. At this inn, restaurant, and live-arts venue, every visit feels like the closest thing to entering a utopian year-round summer camp, with 29 guest rooms, a private villa, The Stagecoach Tavern, a stunning barn venue for performances and events, intimate nooks, a pool, a sauna, an organic farm, and hiking trails that lead to an epic waterfall.

This engine of creative experiences was made possible thanks to longtime resident and steward of the land, Dave Rothstein, a Berkshire legend who founded the lodge in 1990, having previously run The Music Inn in Lenox. His son Casey Rothstein-Fitzpatrick took over operations in 2014 with his partner, Saadia Khan, joining the small, dedicated local leadership team two years later. Together they built a space based on a shared vision of an inclusive artistic community where people came for parties, relaxation, retreats, weddings, outdoor activities, warm meals and conversation at the tavern’s long tables, and cozy performances.

In addition to keeping the grounds alive and the gardens full, they kept the doors open to anyone seeking a night of peace or a weekend of celebration. Race Brook has long been a special place for locals and visitors from afar, offering experiences found nowhere else in the area. From reggae pool parties and live shows featuring artists from around the world, to women's gatherings, and kids camp.

There were Iftars during Ramadan, long hikes to the falls, and intimate open mics at the on-site speakeasy, the Down County Social Club, all creating a welcoming “third place” to relax and lose track of time. The lodge created a sense of wonder for all who entered.

Incredible events were offered here in recent years, thanks to Arts Programmer Alex Harvey, who brought experiences to the barn stage including the Tuvan throat singers Alash Ensemble, experimental movie screenings, Dia De Los Muertos celebrations, the Down County Jump, as well as collaborations with Secret Planet, who curated the festivals, Barbès in the Woods and two Almost Spring Weekenders, which were some of the most pinch-me, am-I-dreaming events hosting dozens of talented artists over the course of three days with genres ranging from Afrofuturist pop and groove to Persian folk rock, Japanese psych, rowdy Mediterranean surf rock, Guinean Afrojazz, Ethiopiques-inspired violin jams, Moroccan trance ritual, and Cumbia punk.

But these parties are now over and this beautiful place is at a turning point. The historic property is now for sale, with the team hoping to find a buyer who will continue to care for the land as they did, honor its place within the local community, and keep it accessible. They welcome ideas or connections from the public that might help guide the land into the hands of someone who will continue to care for and cultivate its uncommon spirit. While regular business will end at the lodge November 30, they plan to offer long-term residencies, select events, and occasional pop-up dinners in the tavern until a sale is finalized.

Rothstein-Fitzpatrick shared that he remains hopeful that the next steward will carry Race Brook’s shared vision forward. As hard a decision as it was, when he made the decision to put the business up for sale, he says he felt a sense of relief.

Moving forward, Rothstein-Fitzpatrick plans to continue curating experiences, live music, and gatherings, whether at Race Brook, in collaboration with the new owner, or elsewhere. He hopes to do so in a context where he is not responsible for every nut and bolt of an operation. It had simply become too much work, he says, with too many tasks falling on his shoulders.

For Khan, the closing of Race Brook Lodge comes with a heavy heart. She says it’s going to be a big transition. Running Race Brook has been a labor of love for her, Rothstein‑Fitzpatrick, and the entire team. 

“It just can’t continue the way it’s been going,” she says. “It has been a beautiful dream, but it hasn’t been sustainable. Lately it has felt like swimming against the stream. We hoped for more collaborative ways of working with greater responsibility from others. Everything needs so much attention. The buildings are over 200 years old.”

Moving to the Berkshires from Harlem was a major shift for Khan, but her focus at the lodge has always been to create a safe sanctuary and hub for the BIPOC community, a place to bring diverse cultures together, and a space where children, including her own, could grow up freely. Her favorite moments were seeing packs of unsupervised children running around and playing without a care. She believes that experiences like these are the antidote to much of the stress and disconnection felt in modern life.

“Letting go of this land is hard. We believed in it so deeply, she says.“It has all been worth it.”

There’s been so much life here during the final month, offering all the meaningful experiences that have defined the place from the very beginning. This final week, a special Thanksgiving buffet dinner will be held Thursday and The Barnspace Holiday Market is the last major event this weekend which offers a venue to shop for local handmade gifts and crafts, while enjoying live music, food and warm beverages, a Jazz Brunch, and more. They will keep the campfires roaring right up to the end, so now is the time to savor a final farewell.

This past weekend, The Gratitude Festival brought together multinational performers that entranced audiences. Lit by candles and adorned with beautiful flower arrangements, the barn carried the feelings of both a celebration and a farewell. Many people gathered to pay their respects including Heather Fisch, who has been a close friend and creative collaborator at the lodge for many years. She was visibly emotional as she grieved the closing of a space of great importance to her and her child.

“Race Brook has been my creative home for the past 20 years and has been the only venue in the Berkshires where anything goes,” She says. “There are no rules. True magic can sprout from this kind of soil because it embraces entropy as well as creative chaos.”

It couldn’t have been a more beautifully curated weekend, filled with care, love and friends. And while the lanterns will dim, the memories made by the late-night fires, the stories shared in the barn, and the moments along the trails will stay with all who experienced them. The spirit of Race Brook Lodge lives on.