Pittsfield Halloween Parade Attracts 5,000 Attendees

PITTSFIELD, Mass.  — The city's annual Halloween parade rose from the dead on Friday after a two-year absence.

Around 5,000 people lined Tyler Street to watch a procession of floats, schools, and other organizations dressed to the nine in their spookiest garb for the 76th parade.

There was undeniable excitement — and fright — in the air for the return of the event that fell victim to the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020 and 2021.

"This is one of our largest parades we have had in quite some time," Recreation & Special Events Coordinator Rebecca Manship said.

"We have a bunch of new participants, too, so that tells me that the community has missed this parade and is so excited that it's back."

See parade photos here.

Taconic High School won first place for its float titled "It’s a scary world out there without skills," which featured ghoulish creatures as various different tradespeople to represent the vocational school.

Allendale Elementary School came in second place with "Allendale's Dog House/101 Dalmatians,"  Capeless Elementary School third with its "Superheroes" float, Fran Morin Painting & Property Maintenance fourth with "Flying Hocus Pocus," and Carpenters Local 336 fifth with "Shot to the Moon: Captain Crook & Ghouls."

The five floats received awards ranging from $100 to $325 that were provided by Greylock Federal Credit Union.

Halloween parade coverage was co-hosted by Superintendent Joseph Curtis and Jody Spielmann of Pittsfield Community Television.

"I think it's critical because it’s been two years since we've had a Halloween parade," Curtis said.

Residents, Officials Say 'No' to Proposed Berkshire Gas Rate Hike

By Brittany PolitoiBerkshires Staff
07:12AM / Saturday, February 07, 2026

The hearing included representatives from state's rate division, the hearing officer and Department of Public Utilities Commissioners, at right, Chair Jeremy McDiarmid and Liz Anderson

PITTSFIELD, Mass. — Local officials and residents argued against Berkshire Gas's proposed 22 percent increase on the average customer's bill during a public hearing on Wednesday evening at Berkshire Community College. 

 

State Sen. Paul Mark and state Reps. Tricia Farley-Bouvier, John Barrett III and Leigh Davis stood before members of the state Department of Public Utilities in "strong opposition" to the rate hike. 

 

The Berkshire delegation joins Gov. Maura Healey, local higher education institutions, and community members who find the increase, estimated to be about $54 a month for residential heating, unaffordable for a vital service. 

 

"While there was a time that this was our hometown Berkshire Gas, in reality, it is not anymore. This is a multinational company. It's a multinational company whose CEO makes $3.23 million a year. That's $62,000 a week," Farley-Bouvier said. 

 

"Now that is more than what most people in Berkshire County make in a year." 

 

The proposed increase has been attributed to capital investments and rising operational costs, and Barrett said a significant driver of those costs is the Gas System Enhancement Program, which "has raised serious concerns for years." 

 

GSEP costs passed down to ratepayers have increased by more than 300 percent without clear evidence of proportional improvements in safety or leak reductions, he added, and the Attorney General's Office is reviewing those concerns as they relate to Berkshire Gas's 2026 GSEP spending.