The Rendezvous

78 Third St.
Turners Falls, MA
(413) 863-2866

www.rendezvoustfma.com

The Rendezvous, under the direction of owners Jamie Berger, Chris Janke, Emily Brewster and Mark Wisnewski, has quickly become one of the main cultural anchors of the Turners Falls renaissance, but it's been around for generations; the new collective ownership has worked hard to restore its historic presence in the picturesque downtown area. The Rendezvous team has created an atmosphere that is, according to new regular "Dancing Pete," both hip and welcoming, a description that might be oxymoronic in a less personable city. The bar's kept the same name almost continuously since the 1930s, and the new owners have recently uncovered wall paintings from that era which were salvaged and framed, including one of big band conductor Paul Whiteman, one of Groucho Marx and two others of yet-to-be-identified Golden Age starlets. They feature live music of many varieties and/or DJs two to four nights a week, including an Advocate-sponsored open mic night, quiz nights, game nights and even a night for knitting and crafting. Though primarily a bar, The Rendezvous also offers an uncommonly broad selection of high quality food, including exotic dishes like duck and alligator, and the kitchen stays open till 11 p.m. on weekdays and midnight on Fridays and Saturdays. For the workaholics and information junkies of the world, there is free WiFi from 3 p.m. to 1 a.m. daily. The place has fast become a crossroads where people of every stripe wind up rubbing shoulders and sharing stimulating conversation, laughs and good times.