Pittsfield Garden Tour, July 18 And July 19
Pittsfield, Mass. - Seven private gardens and the Aids garden at the American Red Cross, 480 West Street will be featured during Pittsfield’s 13th annual garden tour, to be held this year on Saturday, July 18 from 10 to 4 and Sunday, July 19 from noon to 4. Tickets will go on sale June 8th.The self-guided tour, a fund of the Berkshire Taconic Foundation, offers the opportunity to see lush containers, a garden built on a hill that was once a neighborhood dumping ground, a garden that contains nearly 1,000 different daylilies that also boasts a cascading waterfall ending in a pond filled with large koi fish. On display will be vegetable and flower beds, shade and sun gardens of every size, panoramic views and intimate spaces. “Every garden is unique and inspiring,” according to Sue Langman, one of this year’s tour co-chairs “and has been lovingly created by people who are passionate about their involvement with and preservation of the land.”
“With the gardens on this year’s tour, we will have shown 96 different private gardens in Pittsfield over the past 12 years,” says Linda Jette who co-chairs this year’s tour with Langman. “There is a gardening renaissance happening in our community which mirrors the renaissance of Pittsfield itself and we are happy and proud to be part of it.”
The tour, held rain or shine, celebrates the beauty of Pittsfield, encourages gardening and offers a venue for those who appreciate or want to explore the varying opportunities gardening offers. This is a unique opportunity to visit neighborhoods in the City of Pittsfield never before visited. Proceeds will be used for enhancement projects in Pittsfield
BIRDHOUSE SPECTACULAR TO BE HOSTED FIRST BY CHAPTERS BOOKSTORE AND THEN BY THE BERKSHIRE CHAPTER OF THE AMERICAN RED CROSS
A unique feature of the Pittsfield Garden Tour is the Birdhouse Spectacular! 50 creative, hand painted and/or decorated birdhouses will be sold as part of a silent auction that will also include many other interesting garden-related items. The birdhouses painted by local “artists”/ citizens will be displayed from the middle of June until July 14th in the window and the inside of Chapters Book store at 78 North Street, Pittsfield. On July 14th the birdhouses will fly away to The Berkshire Chapter of the American Red Cross, 480 West Street Pittsfield.
The birdhouses and other silent auction items may be previewed at an Artists’ Reception to be held on Wednesday evening, July 15th from 5 – 7 at The American Red Cross Building. This reception is free and open to the public. The silent auction will end at 5:30 on Saturday, July 18th. No ticket is necessary to bid on silent auction items and/ or birdhouses.
ROCKTACULAR
This year the Garden Tour will have a new fun feature. Hidden away in each garden will be a rock with hand-painted nature images on it. These special rocks have been created by committee women Charnell Moore and Ann Long. Participants who find and identify all the rocks will submit their entry form at the Silent Auction on Saturday, July 18th. One winner will be drawn from all the correct entries. The prize is a spectacular collection of items including an original painting by local artist Walt Pasko, theatre tickets, dinner certificates, a gift certificate for an overnight stay at a beautifully restored bed and breakfast, birdhouse note cards and more. The catch: WINNER MUST BE PRESENT AT THE SILENT AUCTION, THE AMERICAN RED CROSS AT 5:30 pm ON SATURDAY, JULY 18TH TO WIN THE PRIZE!
TICKETS:
Tickets for the Pittsfield Garden Tour will go on sale on June 8th. Tickets purchased prior to 5 p.m. on Sunday, July 11th are $12.00 , thereafter $15.00 and can be obtained at Dr. Lahey’s 1032 South Street, Pittsfield, Trilliums 25 Pittsfield Lenox Road in Lenox, Joseph on the Mall in the Berkshire Plaza on South Street, Chapters Bookstore 78 North Street, and Crowne Jewelers in the Allendale Shopping Center. Tickets for $15.00 may also be purchased at The American Red Cross, 480 West Street beginning at 9:30 am on Saturday, July 18th and at 11:30 on Sunday, July 19th. Tickets may be used for both days of the tour and gardens may be visited any number of times by a ticket-holder. There are no refunds as the Tour happens “come rain or come shine.”
For more garden tour information: www.pittsfieldgardentour.org.
Upcoming: Tickets for the Pittsfield Garden Tour go on sale June 8th at:
Dr. Lahey's Garden, 1032 South Street
Joseph on the Mall, Berkshire Plaza, 1 West Street
Trillium, 25 Pittsfield Road, Lenox
Crown Jewelers, Allendale Shopping Center
Chapters Bookstore, 78 North Street
Cost: $12.00 through July 11th, $15.00 July 12th-July 19th
Exhibits:
What: " Artist" decorated Birdhouses presented by Pittsfield Garden Tour
When: June 15 - July 13th, Mon-Sat. 10-6:00 p.m.
Where: Chapters Bookstore, 78 North Street Pittsfield
COST: FREE
ARTISTS RECEPTION - Pittsfield Garden Tour Birdhouse Spectacular
What: Reception to meet the "artists" who handpainted and decorated 50 "collectors item" birdhouses
When: July 15th - 5 - 7 p.m.
Where: American Red Cross, 480 West Street, Pittsfield
Cost: FREE and open to the public- refreshments will be served
EVENT
Pittsfield Garden Tour - 7 unique, charming private gardens and the Aids Memorial Garden on exhibit
When: July 18th 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. and July 19th 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.
Where: Various locations in Pittsfield
Headquarters for tickets: American Red Cross, 480 West Street,
Pittsfield beginning at 9:30 a.m. on Saturday, July 18 and 11:30 a.m.
Sunday, July 19th
Cost: $15.00 (children under 12 are free)
EVENT: PITTSFIELD GARDEN TOUR SILENT AUCTION including 50 hand painted birdhouses
WHEN: SATURDAY, JULY 18TH - bidding from 9:30 until bidding ends promptly at 5:30
WHERE: American Red Cross, 480 West Street, Pittsfield
COST: FREE/Open to the public - No ticket necessary
