PITTSFIELD, Mass. — Pittsfield Community Television has teamed up with the city's Recreation Program for a television event to air in place of the canceled 2020 Pittsfield Halloween Parade. 

 

"Once it became clear that the Halloween Parade could not happen in its usual form, we realized we needed to do something to keep this annual tradition alive in some fashion as it brings much joy to the community," Becky Manship, recreation and special events coordinator for the city of Pittsfield said.  "Since PCTV has been covering the parade for twenty-five years, the decision to do a retrospective of past parades was simple.  We hope the community will enjoy a look back in time as we have." 

 

PCTV will present "Haunted Streets: A Celebration of 25 Years of Halloween Parades" in place of when live coverage of the parade as it stepped off on Tyler St would have begun.  The program will look back at some of the best floats and moments of the past 25 years of PCTV's parade coverage.  

 

The television event is hosted by Manship and PCTV's parade commentator Jody Spielmann and will debut on Friday, Oct. 30 at 7:00 p.m. airing on PCTV Access Pittsfield Channel 1301, and also on the PCTV Select App available on Roku, Apple TV, and on the web at PittsfieldTV.org.

 

"In working with the Halloween Parade Committee on this retrospective program, and seeing all the amazing ways our community has celebrated this spooky and child-like season, I can see all of the tangible ways that we have brought each other fun and joy," Matthew Tucker, public access coordinator for PCTV said.  "While it can be hard to see, with the tragedy caused by the coronavirus all around us, programs like this remind us of the community we have always been - and what we're going to do to show that community when we come out on the other side of this."

 

The virtual Halloween Celebration will continue on Halloween when PCTV will air past year parades in their entirety, starting at 7:30 am with the 1995 Halloween parade.  The following years' parade will air immediately afterward, finishing with the parade special airing again at 8 pm.

 

The parades will air on PCTV Access Pittsfield Channel 1301, and on PCTV Select.