Festival Of Sharing Roots12:00AM / Thursday, September 07, 2006
 | | Dancers representing different cultures are expected to participate during a Sept. 9 "Festival of Sharing Roots" in Pittsfield. |
Pittsfield - Food, music, and dance from diverse cultures will be spotlighted during a Sept. 9 downtown Festival of Sharing Roots.
The St. Joseph and Holy Family Catholic churches are hosting the festival, which highlights the many cultures that comprise their parish. The festival is scheduled to begin at noon to 6 pm on the St. Joseph Church grounds in downtown Pittsfield at 414 North Street. The Festival of Sharing Roots is free and open to the public.
The festival was started in 2003 to celebrate the diversity within these parishes and to recognize the backgrounds and contributions of the many nationalities that comprise the parishes. This diversity will be apparent through booths sponsored by seven different nationalities with authentic homemade food for sale.
The cultures represented include Polish, French, American, Irish, Latino, Italian and Vietnamese. There will also be crafts for sale, raffles, a "kiddie land" with a bouncy bounce, and additional activities for children.
The City Stage will be located on the grounds and there will be free music, singing and dancing by various groups and entertainers throughout the afternoon. People are encouraged to bring their lawn chairs and spend the afternoon.
A Mass will be held at 4 PM in St. Joseph’s Church with the Prayer of the Faithful spoken in eight different languages to acknowledge the diversity of the church.
For more information about the Festival of Sharing Roots, please call 413-445-5789.
Across the street from the Festival, the merchants in the 400 blocks of North Street will also be celebrating.
The grand opening of Berkshire Fine Handcrafts at 431 North St. will feature a live acoustic performance by Bobby Sweet at 1 p.m., a free raffle, door prizes, refreshments, and surprises throughout the day.
Gallery Boreas, at 439 North St., will host an opening reception from 5 p.m. to 7 p.m. to celebrate “Northbound,†a new group show featuring local and regional artists that will be traveling to Iceland in October.
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