NILES — Every third Thursday evening of the summer, Niles businesses and organizations come together in the city’s downtown corridor from 5 to 10 p.m. to host Third Thursday, a series of special business offerings, for the community.

Despite road construction along E. Main, Third Thursday will still occur this evening, and included in its listing of events are unique participation from businesses.

Some offerings come in the form of specialty pizzas. Others come in the form of creative classes. Participating businesses agree, though, that Third Thursdays offers them a chance to connect with their community and business neighbors, while giving their own profits a boost.

Harley Scoggin said the business she works for, Pizza Transit, has been with Third Thursdays from its start three summers ago. During each event, Pizza Transit will serve a specialty pizza. Sometimes it is a discontinued favorite. Other times, it is something entirely new.

For today’s Third Thursday, the pizza team will create a new work, the Chicago dog pizza, complete with onions, mustard, relish, tomatoes and hotdog slices. Those that dine in can bring their own alcoholic beverages if they wish.

“We always have a good time, and I feel like people are always surprised with our pizza of the day,” she said. “They’re always a little shocked when we do that.”

Third Thursday events help Pizza Transit bring in many more customers than a typical night, she said. Some are new, and some are old, and most enjoy their time.

“It does bring in a lot of people,” she said. “Third Thursday is awesome. We all love working it. It’s really fun.”

Scoggin also said that Third Thursdays are inclusive to businesses at all levels of performance.

“Although we’re not a struggling business, there are businesses down here that we don’t realize that are struggling. I feel like with one visiting another restaurant or another shop while they’re down here is a good thing.”

Today, volunteers from the Fort St. Joseph archeological team will be at the restaurant to promote their project’s Aug. 3 and 4 open houses.

While some businesses like Pizza Transit are veterans of Third Thursdays, others are brand new.

Flowers by Anna, of nearby Buchanan Township, will be a first-time participant of the summer event this Thursday.

It is partnering up with Iron Shoe Distillery in downtown Niles to host Booze & Blooms. For a pre-purchased $55 ticket, attendees can learn to arrange watermelon-colored flowers in a watermelon rind while sipping on an Iron Shoe cocktail. Attendees also receive a Flowers by Anna coupon and a chance to win a $50-valued prize.

“People are really amazed,” said owner Anna Gordon. “Even if they have no creativity at all, they always turn out almost identical to the arrangement.”

Gordon said she has co-hosted events with alcoholic businesses before, but never with Iron Shoe and never at Third Thursday.

She said she is excited that the monthly event allowed a partnership between two newer businesses to form. Anna can support each other as newer businesses. Gordon’s business is three years old while Iron Shoe opened this year.

Third Thursdays offer a way for her business, located between Niles and Buchanan, to get into the community more.

“Some of these people that signed up, I don’t think they have been in here,” she said about her store.

Finding new customers through Third Thursday is especially important because the name “Flowers by Anna” can be a bit misleading, she said.

She said it is a remnant of her time when her business was limited to flower arrangements and her space was limited to her home. Now that she has a storefront, she has a large shop space which also sells home décor.

Other participating organizations include the Niles Summer Concert Series, which will feature ‘60s and ‘70s musician Phil Anderson and nonprofit Berrien County Cancer Services. It starts at 6 p.m. at Riverfront Park’s amphitheater.

UltraCamp will also be open to the public. It will offer laser tag and a climbing wall.