Pittsfield's 2009 Ethnic Fair

Bagpiper plays at the opening ceremony.

Ethnic Fair 2009!

On Sunday, August 2nd, people gathered on the first two blocks of North Street to celebrate and recognize the many vibrant cultures that make up our community through music, dance, food, drink and craft from around the world. On the main stage, the Ethnic Fair kicked off with a fantastic welcome and opening ceremony, followed by the Albany Ballet. Check out some pictures below!

Albany Ballet Dancer

Group Shot of some Albany Dancers.

Despite the drizzle, hundreds of people came out to North Street with their umbrellas to enjoy the variety of different music and food. Akwaaba African Drum and Dance Ensemble filled the streets with great beats along with Gaia Roots, a group that combines movement with drumming. Mark IV Polka Orchestra got everyone on to their feet and dancing to the tunes.

Even dogs enjoy the Ethnic Fair.

Crowd favorite, La Fogata had a booth selling their delicious Colombian Food. Even though the Polish Picnic was just a couple of weeks ago, the Polish National Alliance booth always had a line of people anxiously awaiting some more Polish food. Flavours, a Malaysian and Asian restaurant that will soon be located at 75 North Street, sold tasty chicken satay, crispy spring rolls and somosas. Guido's Fresh Marketplace sold delightful fresh fruit, health chilled beverages and healthy frozen fruit. Even the Dancing Vegan came out to celebrate.

Perfomer doing his thing.

The Ethnic Fair would not be possible without the support and hard work of Downtown Inc. and the City of Pittsfield, especially the Office of Cultural Development, the Mayor's Office, and the Police, Fire, Health, Public Works and Building Maintenance Departments. Thanks also to all the businesses who provide in-kind support, including Allied Waste, Tailored Events, Compuworks, the Pittsfield Pipers, Legacy Banks, Scarfoni Associates, and more.

If you are interested in being a vendor or volunteer for next year's Ethnic Fair, send your contact information to:

Pittsfield Ethnic Fair
P.O. Box 725
Pittsfield, MA 01202
or downtown@rnetworx.com and claire@rnetworx.com

Lastly, special thanks to Craig Swinson for providing the photographs for this blog post.