Do you remember singing on a winter night? Our holidays this time of year have many ways of bringing people together. In my childhood memories, we would go down to our village green to gather around a tree with sheet music in our gloved hands. We would sing in the early dark, as people do in many parts of the world, when they open to the people around them.

This year we’re looking for local flair in the winter holidays — light in a clear mountain night, music, makers and artisans, a spirit that feels unique to this place. Local shops are lighting their windows, and town and community celebrations are returning to support them.

This weekend opens the season of downtown celebrations all across the county, from a musical community procession in North Adams and horse-drawn wagon rides in Williamstown to wreaths and art and family events in Pittsfield and holiday markets in and around Stockbridge …