History & High Heels at the Sept. 15th 3rd.Thursdays!

Downtown Pittsfield’s monthly 3^rd.Thursdays street festivals feature great music, great shopping, great dining and exciting events and surprises, and the September 15^th 3^rd.Thursdays has all that and more in store for attendees, thanks to our lead sponsor this month, Berkshire Life. We’re celebrating Pittsfield history in conjunction with the city’s 250^th anniversary this month and featuring a new event that gives men and boys the chance to walk the walk and take a stand against domestic violence…in high heels.

WALK A MILE IN HER SHOES FUNDRAISER

The September 15^th 3^rd.Thursdays also features the first ever Walk A Mile in Her Shoes event, a fundraiser for the Elizabeth Freeman Center. Men are invited to take a stand against domestic violence by walking a symbolic mile in women’s shoes. Walk A Mile in Her Shoes participants gather pledges of any amount to support their walking a mile in women’s shoes down North Street and back. By doing so they also take a stand against domestic violence. Participants include Pittsfield Police Chief Michael Wynn, Pittsfield City Councilors Michael Ward, Pete White, Pete Marchetti, and Kevin Sherman, City Council candidate & School Committee member Churchill Cotton, Flavours Restaurant co-owner Chin Lee, and District Attorney David Capeless. To sign up or for more information email info@elizabethfreemancenter.org or call. 413-499-2425. You may also donate to participants during the walk at 3^rd.Thursdays.

CELEBRATING PITTSFIELD HISTORY

We’re celebrating Pittsfield’s history this month in honor of the city’s 250^th anniversary with support from the Pittsfield Cultural Council. Enjoy storefront exhibits and sidewalk Walk-Ons depicting Pittsfield’s past, present and future. Voices Theatre Company will perform their ghostly re-enactment of Pittsfield historical figures called Shades of the Revolution at 7pm at Park Square. The Berkshire Museum, as always open late and free to Berkshire County residents on 3^rd.Thursdays, invites people of all ages to share their memories of the Berkshire Museum. And at 5pm, the Colonial Theatre offers a free guided tour of the Colonial, including a peek behind the scenes backstage!

WE ARE PITTSFIELD ORAL HISTORY PROJECT

The We Are Pittsfield oral history project records the stories and memories of Pittsfield citizens from all walks of life for future generations. This week’s 3^rd.Thursdays highlights the video recordings made so far and invites attendees to contribute their Pittsfield memories to the project. We Are Pittsfield videos will be shown, free to all, on the big screen at Barrington Stage Company on Union Street from 5:30pm to 7pm, and their ICritic booth will be available for attendees to tell their stories and memories for posterity. The second screening will be outdoors in front of the Crowne Plaza on South Street from 7pm to 8pm. For more information and to watch and read additional Pittsfield stories, visit www.wearepittsfield.com

GREAT LIVE MUSIC & NEW ART

Over twenty local and regional performers will be featured at this week’s 3^rd.Thursdays, including the world music ensemble Gaia Roots, hot swing and jazz by the Lucky Five, jazz-funk fusion with Unfulfilled Desires, the folk harmonies of Mountain Breeze, the family friendly melodies of Terry a la Berry and Friends, and the youth musicians of Berkshire Rocks. The latest nightspot to open downtown, Y Bar at North Street, features a solo show of work by artist . Down the street international artist-in-residence Dolla of South Africa will be showing works in progress at the Ferrin Gallery, and the Berkshire Community College gallery at the Intermodal Center features an opening reception for a solo show of contemporary work by Edward Pelkey.

3^rd.Thursdays is a free monthly cultural street festival held rain or shine in downtown Pittsfield from May through October. 3^rd.Thursays are organized by the City of Pittsfield’s Office of Cultural Development. 3^rd.Thursdays major cosponsors include Berkshire Bank, Berkshire Gas, Berkshire Life, Greylock Federal Credit Union and the Massachusetts Cultural Council. 3^rd.Thursdays major downtown partners include Donovan & O’Connor LLP,  the Colonial Theatre, the Berkshire Museum, Beacon Cinema, Barrington Stage Company, Spice Dragon, and Mission Bar & Tapas. For more information visit www.culturalpittsfield.com or call 413-499-9348.

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3^rd.THURSDAYS SCHEDULE HIGHLIGHTS

Saint Joseph’s Lawn (Rain:Lichtenstein Center for the Arts)

5:30 pm - 7:00pm Unfulfilled Desires jazz-funk-fusion

7:00 pm - 8:00pm Mountain Breeze folk harmonies

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Spice Dragon (Rain: Indoors)

6:30pm – 7:30pm The Eagles Stage Band

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City Stage - Corner of North & Eagle St.

(Rain: The Beacon Cinema lobby) 

5:00pm – 6:30pm Gaia Roots world music & dance

6:30pm – 8:00pm Lucky Five hot jazz & swing

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Legacy Banks Block – 99 North St

5:307:20pm Berkshire Bank presents Terry A La Berry

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Corner of North St. & East St. @ The Popcorn Wagon

5:00 pm - 6:00pm Walk a Mile in Her Shoes Registration & Shoe pick

up.  The Walk supports the Elizabeth Freeman Center

5:00 pm - 6:45pm Andy Kelly, Joe Torra, David Grover & Kathy Jo

Grover Perform Walk A Mile in My Shoes and much more

6:00 pm  Walk a Mile in Her Shoes Walk begins

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Park Square

5:30 pm - 7:30pm Hooping with Stefanie Weber

6:00 pm - 7:00pm Drum Circle with Otha Day

7:00 pm - 7:30pm Shades of the Revolution: A Ghostly Re-Enactment of People, Places and Scenes from Pittsfield’s Past presented by “VOICES” Theatre Company

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Crowne Plaza  (Rain: Indoors)

5:00 pm - 7:00pm Greylock

7:00 pm - 8:00pm We Are Pittsfield free screening

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Barrington Stage Company

5:30pm – 7:00pm We Are Pittsfield free screening & recordings

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The Marketplace Café – 53 North St.

5:30 pm - 7:30pm  Ampersand Heritage music + history

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The Emporium – 31 South St.

5:00 pm - 8:00pm Book signing with local author Ty Allen Jackson plus milk and cookies