Everything You Need to Know for the Return of ‘3rd Thursdays’
This Thursday evening, 3rd Thursdays return to Downtown Pittsfield to kick off their 12th season.
Thursday's event will have a youth theme, celebrating youth performers, dancers, musicians, artists and more. As always, North Street will be closed to vehicular traffic from West Street to Linden Street and will be filled with music, performance, food and community activities.
“I’m happy to say that spring has finally made its way to the Berkshires, and the arrival of this gorgeous weather has come just in time for the start of the Third Thursday season in the City of Pittsfield,” says Mayor Linda Tyer in a release via Cultural Pittsfield “It kicks off with a creative spotlight on our youth, and will feature amazing dance performances, interactive demonstrations, and powerful presentations throughout the summer. So I encourage everyone to come out and enjoy Third Thursdays in Pittsfield. It’s truly a treat for the whole family.”
Live 95.9 will be broadcasting live between 5 & 7 p.m. during the summer series kickoff on Thursday. While you and your families are there, you can enjoy performances from Kids 4 Harmony; Rock On; Reid Middle School String Ensemble and the Pittsfield High School cast of Fame. Berkshire Theatre Group will be doing an excerpt from Billy Bud and the Breadbox on the Persip Park Main Stage.
Also, there will be a new "Dance Zone", taking place near the corner of Bradford and North Streets in front of St. Joseph Church. Jacob's Pillow Dance will be bringing in performers from all over the US, while also highlighting the best Berkshire County has to offer in the world of dance. Aimee Gelinas and Berkshire Pulse Youth Drummers, the Funk Box Dance Studio and Berkshire Salsa will join in on the fun in the Dance Zone this Thursday evening.
According to the release, other 3rd Thursday highlights for this week's event include:
- Berkshire Yoga Dance and Fitness will be offering a free children’s yoga class at Palace Park at 6pm.
- Berkshire Yoga Dance and Fitness free Zumba at Park Square starting at 6:30pm.
- The Pittsfielder is debuting the 3rd Thursday Courtyard between Columbus Ave and Summer Street. Stop by the courtyard to rest your feet from walking, enjoy your snack from the vendors, or meet up with your friends and family at the central location.
- Osher Life Long Learning Institute (OLLI) at BCC will be doing pop up international folk demos on the street stage at School and North Streets.
- The Lichtenstein Center for the Arts will host a reception for its annual Art in our Schools show featuring more than 200 works of art by Pittsfield public middle and high school students.
- Miniature train rides from Roaming Railroad
- The presenting sponsor for May, General Dynamics Mission Systems, will be doing an interactive engineering demonstration every month all season long near Columbus Avenue and North Street.
In addition, the Berkshire Museum will be open and free for Berkshire County residents, hosting interactive activities outside in conjunction all of the fun inside. Peace Train Tees is having its grand opening celebration at its new South Street location. Café Namaste will be open and host an arts and crafts night inside and outside.
Currently, the forecast is calling for a beautiful day on Thursday -- morning clouds, afternoon sun and a high of 77 degrees. The weather will be absolutely perfect for the kickoff of the 12th season of 3rd Thursdays in Downtown Pittsfield.