Downtown Pittsfield, Inc. Partners with City and Local Businesses to Light Up Downtown Pittsfield for the Holiday Season
Press Release by Downtown Pittsfield, Inc., November 10, 2011
“Holiday Lights Downtown” Kicks Off Holiday Season on Thanksgiving Weekend
PITTSFIELD, MA – Downtown Pittsfield, Inc. (DPI), is thrilled to announce a new initiative – Holiday Lights Downtown – in Pittsfield this holiday season. Beginning Thanksgiving weekend, storefronts, buildings, streetlamps and trees along the South and North Street medians will be illuminated by bright white lights. This exciting new effort is being led by a DPI task force co-chaired by Kate Maguire, Artistic Director of Berkshire Theatre Group, and Laura Roudabush, Director of Marketing at Barrington Stage Company. The Berkshire Bank Foundation has awarded a grant to the Downtown Pittsfield Cultural Association to support the Holiday Lights Downtown initiative.
The beautiful spectacle of holiday lights throughout downtown and the wintery, holiday scenes filling storefront windows will create a warm and inviting experience for visitors and residents who shop, dine or attend an event during the holiday season.
Peter Lafayette, Executive Director of the Berkshire Bank Foundation and Board President of Downtown Pittsfield, Inc. said, “I see this as a great opportunity to illuminate the many wonderful things happening downtown and encourage the community to come together and enjoy what their city has to offer. I’d love to see Holiday Lights Downtown become an annual tradition that the city becomes known for.”
The Holiday Lights Downtown task force also includes downtown store owners, Steven Valenti and Joe & Deidre Torra; Carr Hardware, Store Manager, Gerry Miller; Laurie Mick from the City Department of Community Development; and Downtown Pittsfield, Inc. Board member Elie Hammerling, supported by Kristine Hurley, Assistant to the Executive Director at Downtown Pittsfield, Inc.
Holiday Lights Downtown kicks off a season of expanded holiday events in Pittsfield. On Saturday, November 26, downtown business owners invite the community to stroll along the expansive display of holiday lights and stopover at various locations to enjoy the variety of special events planned within stores, including music, refreshments, product demonstrations, gift with purchase offerings, storewide discounts, exclusive items … there’s a little something for everyone to enjoy. Don’t forget to stop in to The Colonial Theatre lobby for Pittsfield’s 250th Birthday Celebration. Reminisce and enjoy light refreshments while viewing pictures and stories from Pittsfield’s past and highlights from the 250th Birthday Year.
Holiday Pittsfield: A Downtown Celebration – a collaboration between the City of Pittsfield, Downtown Pittsfield, Inc. and the many businesses and cultural organizations in downtown Pittsfield – will take place December 2-4. This includes the annual Christmas Tree lighting on Park Square, several appearances by Santa, Alchemy Initiative’s Handmade Holiday Festival, the Berkshire Museum’s annual Festival of Trees, various holiday inspired theatre productions, ornament decorating, classic and new holiday movie previews, a gingerbread house decorating party and so much more.
“I look forward to seeing downtown Pittsfield aglow with holiday lights and the sidewalks thronged with families, good cheer and holiday shoppers,” said Pittsfield Mayor James M. Ruberto. “We’re thrilled to host a holiday celebration in our beautiful downtown for the whole community. I want to encourage everyone to shop local this holiday season and support your friends and neighbors.”
Downtown Pittsfield, Inc., in cooperation with downtown merchants, will also host Small Business Saturdays in December, offering a variety of items and special offers enticing holiday shoppers to “Shop Small” this season. With all that the downtown shops have to offer, shoppers can check everyone off their shopping list. Additionally, select merchants are providing goodies for a Holiday Gift Basket Raffle each Saturday, from December 3-24. There is no purchase necessary for visitors to enter the raffle. Each Saturday, participating merchants will have entry forms available for visitors to complete and return by 4:00pm and one winner will be chosen.
Pittsfield’s downtown will be the place to shop, dine, and enjoy during this holiday season. For more information on Holiday Lights Downtown, Holiday Pittsfield: A Downtown Celebration, Small Business Saturdays and the Holiday Gift Basket Raffle, call 413-443-5601 or email info@downtownpittsfield.com.
Downtown Pittsfield Trick or Treat 2011 (October 29, 2011)
By Kristine H., Downtown Pittsfield, Inc., October 31, 2011
The 2011 Downtown Pittsfield Trick or Treat will be a memorable one to say the least. North Street area merchants were thrilled to be able to offer parents and kids a safe and fun way to celebrate a popular and old tradition. They welcomed several hundred little witches, ghosts, princesses, and superheroes alike into their stores for treats while the city experienced the worst snowstorm on record in the month of October. Families moved quickly as they ventured out onto North St. while the snow fell. Each child happily offered a “trick-or-treat” to each merchant in exchange for their goodies.
During the planning phase of Downtown Pittsfield Trick or Treat, Donna Rivers, owner of Bisque, Beads and Beyond, said, “I believe that the trick-or-treat downtown during the day on a Saturday will allow more families with young children to participate and enjoy the festivities in a safe and friendly environment. I am looking forward to this becoming an annual event that will bring all our young families downtown to create a new holiday tradition that they will look back fondly on as part of growing up in Pittsfield.”
Well … No one could have predicted the blizzard-like snowstorm during this year’s trick-or-treat downtown, but it will certainly be an experience that is never forgotten by those who participated. (The smiling faces of the trick-or-treating children in this photo included in the Berkshire Eagle article, Octo-brrrrr, Historic fall snowstorm slams Berkshires, region, say it all.) Downtown Pittsfield, Inc. in cooperation with downtown merchants are looking forward to making Downtown Pittsfield Trick or Treat an annual event. Until next year, enjoy the delicious treats…