Cultural Pittsfield This Week: Aug. 7-13

05:31PM / Friday, August 07, 2020Print Story | Email Story

For the month of August, the First Friday Artswalk has been re-imagined to encompass outdoor locations perfect for a socially distanced walk around downtown, plus three indoor locations. Enjoy four new art shows, PHS student art, and Artscape's Pittsfield Paintboxes featuring work by more than a dozen accomplished regional artists on Friday, Aug. 7 from 5-8 p.m. and all month long! Be sure to maintain a physical distance of six feet from other individuals and wear your mask. See you soon!

FUN & LEARNING

A shy Midwestern man leads an outrageous double life as a cocky Londoner in Barrington Stage Company's sexually charged and wickedly funny one-man thriller Harry Clarke, starring Mark H. Dold. Moving to NYC, Harry presents himself as a Brit and charms his way into a wealthy family's life, but his increasingly risky behavior threatens to undo more than his persona. Now - Sunday, Aug. 16.

This week at the Virtual Pillow: As part of its virtual summer festival offerings, Jacob's Pillow invites you to dance with your family, hear from choreographer Liz Lerman, take a modern master class with Darrell Grand Moultrie, catch a performance by Bereishit Dance Company, and more.

Plus...

FAMILY FRIENDLY

Mass Audubon's properties are now open and the organization is currently holding in-person and online classes for all ages. Children can explore the ins and outs of Pleasant Valley Wildlife Sanctuary or participate in virtual camp adventures. Adults can enjoy hikes and birding at The Mount or virtual ecology talks.

Sign up now to join Otha Day and Berkshire Music School for Drum2TalkTEENS from August 17-21. FREE. Space is limited; pre-registration required at 413-442-1411. This is a hands-on experience for teens to experience drumming while connecting with each other. This is an opportunity to process emotions and experiences they've encountered during a very stressful 2020, including their own relationships to race, diversity, and belonging in America.

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SHOP LOCAL / EAT LOCAL

Hotel on North's outdoor culinary and cocktail experience, "The Backlot," welcomes back M & J's Taste of Home, plus lawn games and a full bar! Friday & Saturday from 4-9 p.m. Reservations are recommended.

Roots Rising's Virtual Farmers Market is open for viewing all week long! Online shopping is available from Monday at noon until Tuesday at 7:30 a.m., or until the maximum order limit is reached. Shopping for Benefits Day is on designated Tuesdays at noon. If you would like to volunteer to help Roots Rising with Saturday packing and delivery, click here.

RESOURCES

Do you have a photograph, story, song, video, artwork, letter, or object that captures some aspect of your or your community's experience with the COVID-19 pandemic? Share them with Berkshire Museum, the Berkshire Athenaeum, and the Berkshire County Historical Society! In the future, your contributions will help tell the story of how our lives were changed during this remarkable time in history.

1Berkshire has compiled a list of online sites where you can find information on a number of topics, including an explanation of our state's reopening plan. You can also visit the City of Pittsfield's COVID-19 webpage for updates and helpful resources.

Plus...

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If you would like to contribute information on this article, contact us at info@iberkshires.com.

Texas-Style Barbecue Opens for Lunch, Takeout in Downtown Pittsfield

By Breanna SteeleiBerkshires Staff
12:16PM / Tuesday, October 06, 2026

PITTSFIELD, Mass. — FireKing BBQ is making it easier to find its smoked ribs — they're in the Clocktower Building in downtown Pittsfield.

Owner Ethan Sumner has been operating as a catering service for more than a decade, with a mobile smoker for his award-winning barbecue.

"We specialize in low and slow cooking as well as grilling over charcoal and hardwoods," he said. "We love using cherry wood, apple wood, and a little kiss of hickory wood in all of our cooking. Most of our cooking, I should say. And we don't use any propane. I'm a purist in that sense. I love cooking over open flame and hot coals."

He works alongside Robear Robespierre, who helps with Sumner's sales and distribution.

Sumner said he spends hours cooking his meat, like his baby back ribs that won him first place in the 2019 Grillsdale competition in New York State. It takes him about six hours, two of them smoking at 250 degrees, to cook the ribs.

He said he wanted a space to be able to keep up with demand. Business dropped off every winter because people think of barbecue as outdoor food, and while he will cook outside even in negative temperatures, an indoor space lets him serve year-round, including football season and the Super Bowl.

He is now located at 75 South Church St. and he is no stranger to the building. Sumner had run the publication Berkshire's Best: Buys, Business, and Beyond out of the building so he knew its possibilities.

"It's funny how I've come full circle here back into the building. So I've always kind of seen this space. But I was never into culinary then. I was into publishing. So this is 13 years in the making, and I had my paper for 13 years, which again, is coincidental," he said. "So I just really like this space. It's modern. It's nice. It's clean, and that's how my food is. It's clean. It's fresh, and it's local, just like me."

Sumner is originally from New York City and made his way to Great Barrington with his family. One of the inspirations behind his business was his father, who loved to grill outside.

"Even when we lived in New York City, he would go on the terrace of our 36-story apartment building on the third floor there was a terrace, and he would always cook on a Weber charcoal grill with charcoal, and I always was fascinated by that. And he always loved cooking outside, and he loved cooking over charcoal. And he would always make this mustard and tea leaf steak," he said. "That was a standout. It was a family favorite of ours and I could always taste the difference between something that was cooked [with charcoal]. Even when I was 7 years old I could, I always craved that certain taste that you could only get from charcoal."

He wants customers to know he cares about his food and its quality, making sure he gets the best ingredients for his dishes.

"I want them to know that. I'm a barbecue guy, but I also offer so much more. I consider myself somebody who loves cooking over open flame, smoking meats, but I also love using fresh ingredients to create deli sandwiches and fresh salads," Sumner said. "So I want people to associate FireKing with quality. I also want to point out that I get a lot of my meat from Mazzeo's meat market. So I don't sacrifice quality, which I think is half the battle in doing what I do is getting quality meats and produce."

He hopes customer will find the eatery a comfortable atmosphere to enjoy their lunch and hangout, or grab a sandwich and go.

"They could grab a pulled pork sandwich in about a minute and a half flat and be out of here if they want to. So there's no pressure," he said. "I love the community. I love talking to people here. Everyone in this community has been super kind and gracious, and I appreciate them. And I want to give back what they've given me."

He also plans to have DoorDash and barbecue pickup packages for families, and to have vacuum-sealed, pre-cooked smoked ribs with reheating instructions, also available for local pickup.

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