Director of Cultural Development Jen Glockner announced the series at a press conference on Thursday. See more photos here.

PITTSFIELD, Mass. — The city is asking residents to relax, play, and create once a month.

 

The monthly Third Thursday street fair is returning in May in a "rejuvenated" way, according to Director of Cultural Development Jennifer Glockner, by organizing the vendors in those three ways. 

 

"Anything that has been going for nine years needs a little bit of a kickstart, a little bit of a rejuvenation," Glockner said on Thursday when the summer series was announced.

 

The south end of North Street will be the "relax" area and will be aimed for adults. Outdoor seating for restaurants will be brought right into the middle of the road and performers geared toward an adult audience will be scheduled to play there. 

 

"We really want to, with these areas, tell people where to go and make it easier," Glockner said.

 

A Persip Park — at the intersection of Columbus and North — the play zone will start. That will be eyed for families and will, for the first time, be smoke free.

 

"For the first time we are having a smoke-free children and family area," Glockner said. "We are not shy and our volunteers will not be shy, and I think everybody here who clapped when we announced it won't be shy in saying 'just a reminder, this is a smoke-free area.' "

 

There will be children's activities like a bounce house or train rides and there will also be diaper changing stations. In this section, food vendors will set up on the street as has been done in the past including food trucks stationed throughout the section. Meanwhile, instead of bringing in the city's stage, the newly renovated Persip Park has a built-in pavilion, which will serve as the main entertainment stage.

 

"We get to take advantage of the beautiful Persip Park, which was just renovated. There is a new stage, there are new pathways, there are new planters and it is just amazing. We're embracing it and making it our main stage," Glockner said.

 

The final area will focus on arts including a community art project. There will also be a chalk art gallery and artisan vendors. 

 

"We are big fans of keeping things simple and our themes are simple," said Shiobbean Lemme, Third Thursday coordinator, of the new organization of the vendors. 

 

The monthly summer street fair is entering its ninth year. Each third Thursday of the month brings out close to 200 vendors to North Street, which is shut down to traffic. Each month has a different theme. This year's themes are creative youth; healthy Pittsfield; arts matter; all the world's a stage; walk a mile in her shoes; and harvest fest. 

 

"I am just hopeful with the new season of Third Thursday will re-introduce people to Pittsfield," Mayor Daniel Bianchi said. "Third Thursday is sort of the kick off of the summer season and rejuvenation."

 

A section of North Street will be under construction as the last and final phase of the streetscape project comes to a conclusion but organizers say that will have limited impact on the fair.

 

"They do construction during the day but on Third Thursdays, they have a note on file and they tidy it up. They tidy it all up and make it as neat as they can. We can function around them. We've done it before. It is not ideal but they are so cooperative," Glockner said.