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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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ADOPTED! Companion Corner: Cali and Kyzer at Berkshire Humane Society

By Breanna SteeleiBerkshires Staff

Great news, Kyzer and Cali found a home for Christmas already! Still looking for a new friend for the holidays? There are plenty of dogs and cats and small animals at Berkshire Humane who would love to go home with you.

PITTSFIELD, Mass. — There's a bonded dog pair awaiting a new family at the Berkshire Humane Society.

Kyzer and Cali are both poodles. Kyzer is the male and is 7 years old, a quite a bit bigger than his sister Cali, who is a miniature of Kyzer and 8 years old.

Canine adoption counselor Rhonda Cyr introduced us to the two.

"They came from a household that couldn't hold on to them, and it sounds like they may have been abandoned by their previous owner with somebody else, and so they came to us looking for a new home," she said.

The two love to be around you and snuggle. But both are very happy dogs.

"Kyzer is 7 years old, and his personality is that he kind of wants to be in everything. He's very loving, very snuggly, as you can tell. And Callie here, she's 8 years old, and she is kind of like the life of the party," said Cyr. "She wants to tell you everything about her day, and she's a little bit of a little ham."

The two are considered seniors and really like soft treats as Cali just had a few teeth removed and Kyzer has a tooth procedure coming up.

"Currently, they really like soft treats, because they are both on the senior side of things. So they have had some dental work, so they are really in need of something softer. They are not big chewers at this age, really, their main focus right now is just really socializing and cuddling," Cyr said.

The two would love a quiet home with someone who wants to snuggle. They shouldn't go to a home with bigger dogs but if you have a dog, you can bring them in for a visitation with the poodles to see if they will get along. Cats will be fine and the preference is for older and more responsible children so that the pups don't get hurt, as they are senior citizens.

"The perfect home for them would be a quiet home that's not too active. Like I said, they're very social, so they could handle some visitors," she said. "They're very friendly, but I don't think that they would really enjoy any other dogs in the home."

Poodles need to be regularly groomed, and the prospective adopter will have to keep an eye on their health. Kyzer has a heart murmur that needs to be monitored. This doesn't mean he is in bad health, as he could live a perfectly normal life, but he will need to be checked by a veterinary specialist routinely.

"Ideally, he would go to a home that could provide further health care with a specialist in cardiac care. And you know, he could very well live out the rest of his life comfortably and happy," Cyr said. "We just don't have all that information at the moment, but I think that you know the way he's going right now. He's got a good spirit, and he seems to be pretty happy."

The shelter is hoping the to get them a home for the holidays.

"We would love to get them a home in time for the holidays. They've been here since the eighth of November, and they're really, really looking as much as the staff loves them here, we're really looking to get them into a home and somewhere nice and cozy so they can spend the rest of their life together," she said.

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