Photo by Eric Korenman.
Twelve years ago, Jen Glockner had never even heard of the Berkshires. Now she is one of the biggest and most vocal supporters of our culturally rich region. She specifically loves her new hometown of Pittsfield, where she works as the Director of the Office of Cultural Development and is responsible for the wildly popular Third Thursday and First Friday events. While her work keeps her involved with local businesses and cultural destinations, she spends just as much time involved in all Pittsfield has to offer in her downtime, too. I've lived in Pittsfield for 12 years. My husband is from here. We met at a wedding in Colorado, where I was living at the time and he eventually enticed me to move out this way. As the director of the Office of Cultural Development for the City of Pittsfield I have the job of creating fun things to do for the residents and visitors. You really can't beat that! The office runs Third Thursday, a monthly outdoor street festival that happens May through October. It's so amazing to come together with the community — from vendors, to entertainers and sponsors — to bring thousands of people into downtown on a Thursday night. Our next Third Thursday is on August 20, with an "All The World’s A Stage" theme. North Street will be closed to traffic from West Street to Linden Street and will be filled with music, performances, food and community activities.
Photo by Marc J. Wrzesinski.
We also partner with Barrington Stage Company to run the 10x10 Upstreet Arts Festival, which features dozens of performances and events at cultural venues for 10 days every February. The collaboration opportunities in Pittsfield and the Berkshires are endless and that's one of the best things about working and living here. There truly is no place on earth like this region. You can go hiking, skiing or boating, see award-winning theater, live musical performances and world-class art all in one day. I had never even heard of the Berkshires before I met my husband, but now I can't imagine living anywhere else. I like to hike at the Pittsfield State Forest or enjoy a boat ride on Onota Lake, then go for a drink or dinner downtown. And I love to show off the area to visitors. I take them to a show at Barrington Stage or the Colonial Theatre and then for a tour of Hancock Shaker Village or the Berkshire Museum. That's the great thing about this area — there are so many things to do, it's difficult to choose just one. Whenever I'm at the top of Mount Greylock, I realize there are people from all over the world who come here to visit, so it's important to step back and realize how lucky you are to live here.
