Berkshire Carousel Reopening June 14
PITTSFIELD, Mass. — The Berkshire Carousel will spin again this summer, powered by a nonprofit organization.
Last week, Berkshire Carousel Inc. announced the ride's grand opening on June 14th at noon. The carousel, located at 50 Center St., has not operated since 2018 was picked up by volunteers earlier this year.
Aside from carousel rides, the grand opening will feature games, food, and the unveiling of some renovations.
"Operating hours for the 2025 season are 12-5 p.m. Saturdays and Sundays," Janet Crawford of Berkshire Carousel Inc. wrote in a press release.
"A newly renovated patio will be open featuring food vendors, picnic tables and yard games. The
Carousel Cart will feature brand new t-shirt designs for children and adults."
On May 24, sponsors and supporters can get early access during a preview party.
The Berkshire Carousel opened to enthusiastic fans in 2016 but has not operated since 2018 after leadership and funding fell apart.
For more than a decade, hundreds of volunteers hand-carved and painted each element of the carousel. The horses and carriages feature images of people from the community as well as areas and scenery of the county, and other unique designs.
Late last year, James Shulman and his wife, Jackie, started an effort to gift it back to his hometown. It was offered to the city through a conveyance and donation of property, estimated to cost about $61,000 annually to run and bring in the same amount of money.
The City Council decided that the proposal needed more community input, with mixed reviews from officials and residents. Concerns included possible financial liabilities if the city took it on and the carousel's location but supporters argued that the city needs more recreational activities to bring people in.
Based on a recommendation from the finance subcommittee, the council then voted to form a committee to study the proposal, but that became null when the offer was withdrawn early this year.
Shulman worked with the friends of the carousel group on other operational plans, as when volunteers learned that the ride could be revived, they began working with the Berkshire Carousel Inc., a 501c3 not for profit organization., to offer an opportunity for it to be run "By the people who love it most.
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