image description — Thousands lined North Street on Thursday morning for the Pittsfield Fourth of July Parade.

Weather Cooperates for Pittsfield 4th of July Parade

By Brittany PolitoiBerkshires Staff
05:19PM / Thursday, July 04, 2024Print Story | Email Story

The parade had floats, bands and fire engines. See more photos here.

PITTSFIELD, Mass. — The downtown corridor was alive with red, white, and blue as thousands gathered to watch the Fourth of July parade.

Mayor Peter Marchetti pointed to the pleasant Thursday morning weather — overcast with bouts of sunshine and in the 70s. The 2024 parade, themed "Red, White, Blue and YOU," featured more than 160 units.

"It is a really nice day in Pittsfield and the weather looks like it's going to cooperate and we're ready for a parade," he said before the 10 a.m. kickoff.

It is a bittersweet day for Marchetti, as he will be stepping down as parade leader after more than two decades, but he plans to be involved in some capacity. He thanked the people of Berkshire County for their longtime support of this event.

"It's been a long part of tradition of being here on the morning of the fourth and being the guy in charge but I know through our succession planning, we will be in great shape for next year," Marchetti said.

"I don't think they'll totally get rid of me but I won't be the guy in charge anymore."

Marchetti is handing the reins over to Rebecca Brien, the managing director of Downtown Pittsfield Inc. She described the parade preparations as "controlled chaos," having arrived on site at 5 a.m.

"We had, again, chairs set out first thing this morning at 6 a.m. and people are just excited to see the parade," she said.

William "Bill" Sturgeon was "overwhelmed and filled with gratitude" as the grand marshal of the parade. The WTBR radio personality, community volunteer, and veteran stressed the importance of remembering those who never returned from war.

"This has been overwhelming both to my wife and I'm so filled with gratitude and honor but I can't forget the ones who will be forever 19," he said.

"I'm an old man they never got that privilege."

Sturgeon, who was named 2024 Irish Person of the Year by the Irish American Club of Berkshire County, rode in a yellow Thunderbird convertible with his wife, Rose.

"I think that my husband is terrific and so deserving of this honor. He does a lot of community," she said.

"We've been together a lot of years and he's always driven to help people and to be kind to everyone, especially the community, the elderly, the handicapped, veterans, he's always there."

Tags: 4th of July, parade,

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Mass Voters Retain Recreational Cannabis, Tighten Gun Laws in Midterms

Staff ReportsiBerkshires
11:30AM / Wednesday, November 04, 2026

PITTSFIELD, Mass.— Massachusetts resoundingly voted to keep recreational cannabis and tighten gun laws during the midterm election on Tuesday.

The Democratic Berkshire delegation was re-elected without contest, and unofficial results show Democratic incumbent Maura Healey taking more than 62 percent of the vote for Massachusetts governor over Republican challenger Michael Minogue.

This coincides with the blue tsunami seen nationally during the midterms, with Democrats flipping seats across the United States and taking control of the House and Senate.

Pittsfield has roughly 10 cannabis dispensaries, alongside several other retail operations and cultivation facilities in Berkshire County. At least three-quarters of the state voted against repealing the legalization that was passed 10 years ago.

According to unofficial results, 46.89 percent of registered Pittsfield voters went to the polls. Pittsfield's 33,934 registered voters cast 15,913 votes, according to these results.

As of Wednesday morning, with more than 85 percent of ballots counted, almost 76 percent of voters opposed Question 8, that would repeal the laws that legalize, regulate, and tax the retail sale of adult recreational use marijuana in Massachusetts. It was proposed by an initiative petition.

Similarly, as of 10 a.m., 67 percent of Massachusetts voters have said "yes" on Question 9, which sustains several changes to Massachusetts laws governing firearms: adding school administrators and licensed healthcare providers as parties permitted to ask a court to issue an Extreme Risk Protection Order if an individual is a present danger to self or others, imposing penalties for possessing, creating, and transferring untraceable "ghost gun" firearms, and more.

"At a time when the federal government is focused on the priorities of the gun lobby and rolling back national protections, the people of Massachusetts have reaffirmed our commitment to keeping our residents safe through proven, common-sense regulations," American Federation of Teachers Massachusetts President Jessica Tang said in a statement released late on Tuesday evening.

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