By Daryl Wilson

Downtown North Canaan, slightly edgier and perhaps more of a bargain than Great Barrington, 15 minutes to its north, is not generally included in the cultural sphere of the Berkshires, but that may be changing.

An expanding economy in the Southern Berkshires based on recreational, cultural and food experiences brings with it a need for housing and a search for opportunities and entrepreneurial spaces that businesses in downtown North Canaan hope will spread their way.

Economic figures for 2022 released by the Commonwealth of Massachusetts show that tourism brought in slightly less than one billion dollars to the Berkshire’s economy from visitors seeking cultural and recreational activities within the natural beauty of the hills. New industries are adding dollars to the Berkshire economy as well.

The Massachusetts Cannabis Control Board reported $1.14 billion in gross sales of marijuana products in 2023 through September; Berkshire County’s recreational cannabis industry is responsible for over $200 million a year of this total. The added upswing in the region’s craft distillery and brewery industries have combined to create a recipe for a potent economic mixture that is extending into Canaan.

Winemaker Bill Adam, of Land of Nod winery in East Canaan, said recently that major Berkshire draws such as Tanglewood and the Norman Rockwell Museum are increasingly bringing visitors and locals out to sample Litchfield County vineyards. He noted that his business was good over the summer and that interest in the winery experience is growing.

The walkable hub of North Canaan may be best situated to absorb the coming economic wave. Businesses such as Industry Kitchen and Bar, Be Well Community Yoga, Homegrown Cafe and the reopening of a downtown cultural hub, the Colonial Theatre, have positioned North Canaan to take advantage of this rising economic tide.

North Canaan First Selectman Charlie Perotti believes that a revival of the downtown area is definitely underway and that part of the task of encouraging it is to anticipate needs and alert people to opportunities. “As we get the word out, little by little, we uplift everything,” he said. “The Colonial Theatre reopening has certainly helped that end of town.”

Perotti noted that Canaan is ideally situated at the crossroads of Route 44 and Route 7 to capture traffic traveling north to Great Barrington and those exploring the Southern Berkshires and Litchfield County. Recent town projects such as building façade revitalization and new signage are intended to keep people from bypassing the main downtown strip.

One beacon of the town’s renewal is the marquee of the 1923 Art Deco-style Colonial Theatre at 27 Railroad Street. The building, which had been closed for over a decade, was purchased in April 2023 by two couples from Salisbury: Lenore and Marc Mallet and David and Stacey Fiorello.

“There is a lot of life coming back into Canaan,” said David Fiorello, noting also that a mix of businesses may help bring people into town. He said that the Colonial, which is in excellent condition, is a multi-use space with opportunities for events, dinner theater, retail and offices.

Co-owner Lenore Mallet explained that community movie nights at the Colonial are being offered twice monthly. Films may be sponsored by a business or an individual. The sponsor’s name will go up on the marquee, and they will be promoted in social media, on a pre-film screen message and more. Sponsors receive up to 20 tickets, and the remaining 80 seats will be made available to the public at no cost. Upcoming free films include the classics “Elf” and “It’s a Wonderful Life,” and pop-up shop Hither Lane will be at the theatre for the holidays. Films requiring a paid ticket will also be regularly scheduled.

Fiorello reported that the project is off to a good start. “We hope the community embraces it,” he said, noting that the unique historic façade of the theater enhances the downtown in general. “We want it to be something that adds to the town.”