PITTSFIELD, Mass. — With warm weather on the horizon, the Parks Commission OKed summer events during its regular meeting on Tuesday.

 

An arts festival and an earth expo were approved for The Common.

 

On July 6, the Mill Town Foundation will host the first Common Ground Arts Festival.  The free event will include live music, dance performances, and family-friendly activities.  

 

"It's basically an extension of, or kind of a 2.0 version of Tanglewood in The City where we're getting more nonprofits from the area involved for live music, dance performances, yoga, some wellness stuff but a similar feel to Tanglewood in The City that will have vendors and performances on the stage," Program Manager Andy Wrba explained.

 

He added that around 750 attendees would be a win, and the foundation would be happy to get in touch with the Pittsfield Police for extra detail.

 

On August 10, the Berkshire Earth Expo will take place at The Common alongside the Downtown Pittsfield Farmer's Market.  

 

The event will be hosted by Living the Change Berkshires, which aims to address climate change.

 

"We basically invite organizations that are involved with environmental issues, nature issues, climate change issues to come to sort of a vendors market so we will have people sitting there tabling," representative Anne Legene said.

 

"We're thinking of about probably around 40 at the most and it's basically an extension of the farmers market. Roots Rising is aware and is also collaborating with us but they did want us to get a separate permit."

 

Living In Recovery will host its third annual overdose awareness memorial and vigil on Aug. 31 at The Common and Park Square.

 

"We'll have a memorial service on The Common just like the last couple of years, interfaith prayers or offerings of support to the families of the bereaved, and then from there, we'll walk over to Park Square where we'll hold a candlelight vigil," Program Director Julie MacDonald explained.

 

At Park Square, there will be a sign representing each Berkshire County person lost to an overdose in the past year with an illuminated battery-operated candle overnight.  

 

From April 4 to April 18, the Elizabeth Freeman Center will have a teal flag placed in Park Square to recognize Sexual Assault Awareness Month.

 

"We have served over 416 people at our agency in the last year of sexual assault. In one's lifetime over one in four women and one in 26 men have been a victim of a rape or sexual assault in their lifetime. Something we don't want to talk about. It's pretty uncomfortable," Administrative Assistant Esther Anderson explained.

 

"We just like to bring awareness of it and we'd like the opportunity to place our flags in Park Square on the fourth of April and we will pick them up."