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The annual Halloween parade was last held in 2019. The parade is back after two years of pandemic.

BOO! Pittsfield Halloween Parade is Back

By Brittany PolitoiBerkshires Staff
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PITTSFIELD, Mass. — Tyler Street will be a haunted ground of ghosts and ghouls once more this year.

The city's annual Halloween parade returns on Friday, Oct. 28, at 7 p.m. after a two-year absence due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The last parade was in 2019.

Recreation and Special Events Coordinator Becky Manship said it is a longstanding tradition that the community loves and the city is excited to bring it back.  Schools, community, and civic groups are invited to participate in the all-ages event.

"We look forward to seeing all the ghouls, goblins, superheroes, floats, marchers, and more in this year's parade," Manship said in a press release.

This will be the 76th Halloween parade in the city. It was originally held on North Street and was moved to Tyler Street in 2011.

In 2020, Pittsfield Community Television teamed up with the city's Recreation Program for a television event to air in place of the canceled parade. It aired "Haunted Streets: A Celebration of 25 Years of Halloween Parades" in place of live coverage and looked back at some of the best floats and moments of the past 25 years of PCTV's parade coverage.

Last year, the city hosted virtual Halloween contests for costumes, pumpkin decorating, and home decorations.



For the second year in a row, trick or treat will also return to the city on Monday, Oct. 31 from 5:30 to 7 p.m.

Participating parade units must review, complete and submit the application packet before Friday, Oct. 14. The application and more information are available under "Hot Topics" on the city's website.

There will be one float seminar held at 6 p.m. on Tuesday, Sept. 20, in Room 203 of City Hall and all entities that plan to have a float in the parade must have a representative in attendance.

There will also be a mandatory meeting at 6 p.m. on Monday, Oct. 24, also in Room 203 for new parade participants and one representative from each organization must attend.

City Hall is located at 70 Allen St. For more information, call Manship at 413-499-9371 or email
parks@cityofpittsfield.org.


Tags: Halloween,   parade,   

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Dalton Board of Health Amends Green Burial Verbiage

By Sabrina DammsiBerkshires Staff
DALTON, Mass. —T he Board of Health amended the green burial guidelines during its meeting on Wednesday. 
 
In April, the board approved the guidelines stating that "Ebola or any other diseases that the CDC or Massachusetts Department of Public Health deem unsuitable for green burials can not be approved by the town Board of Health."
 
Following communication with the state Department of Environmental Protection, the board on Wednesday voted to revise it to add Anthrax and Prion to the list of diseases deemed unsuitable for green burials.
 
The revised guidelines say that if the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention or state DEP "deems any disease unsuitable for green burials, the Board of Health will not approve it. Known examples include Ebola, Anthrax, and Prion diseases."
 
Over the last few months, the board has been navigating how to include communicable diseases in its guidelines to prevent them from spreading.  
 
During this process, Town Health Agent Agnes Witkowski worked to clarify the state's guidelines, attending a presentation on the practice and consulting with people from various organizations. 
 
Following this line of inquiry, it was determined that the state is behind in developing guidelines for green burials.
 
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