The Return of Pittsfield's 3rd Thursday

Submitted by Amanda Rae Busch on May 19, 2010 - 3:45pm

By now you’ve probably heard it through the grapevine: downtown Pittsfield’s monthly series of freewheeling street festivals, 3^rdTHURSDAYS, is back for the fourth summer, kicking off tomorrow, May 20.

The festivities, which begin at 5 p.m. and run past sundown, are countless. Since I'm a list fanatic looking for pure fun, I'll tell you that I hope to:

—Hula hoop with fellow hippies-at-heart in Park Square (5:30 to 7:30, free)

—Nab some funky new jewelry by local artists at the BerkshireMade Artisan Market in Dunham Mall

—Gorge on free snow cones, cotton candy, and popcorn before burning it off with some serious skee-ball at Carr Hardware’s impromptu parking-lot carnival. (I accept that I'm probably too tall for the Bouncy Bounce and giant Velcro wall...)

—Witness PHS student Jose Lu flaunt the longtime underground phenomenon known as tutting at Sottile Park (North and Eagle streets). The theme of the first 3rd Thursday is "Celebrating Youth," so music performances, art exhibits, and other kid-centric events abound.

Billy Keane performs at Mission Bar + Tapas at 8<br />
p.m.

—Pause for a moment of silence as I pass Depot Street, to mourn the departure of Brew Works…and then squeal in anticipation of the imminent arrival of Baba Louie’s

—Find out who the heck Billy Keane is at Mission Bar + Tapas (with the Misdemeanor Outlaws, 8 p.m.), only because his name has been blowing up my news feed on Facebook recently

—Catch the 9:30 p.m. screening of the original 1960 cult-classic comedy The Little Shop of Horrors at the Beacon Cinema. Killer plants and a fledgling Jack Nicholson as a masochistic dental patient? Yes, please! And just $3.

DJ Jerrid Coty spins electronica at the Underground Pub, 10 p.m.

—End up where I do most Thursday nights, anyway: the Underground Pub, where my high-school buddy Jerrid Coty spins electronica, this night he’s joined by DJ BFG. Jerrid tells me he’s adding a couple extra speakers to the dance floor, so beats will be bumpin till the early morn’ (10 p.m. to 1 a.m.; $5 cover)

That's my shortlist; check out the rest of the Third Thursday lineup here. Looks like we’re in for nearly 80 degrees and clear skies—see y’all there!