Berkshire Carousel Reopening June 14

By Brittany PolitoiBerkshires Staff
05:43AM / Wednesday, May 07, 2025Print Story | Email Story

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subcommittee, the council then voted to form a committee to study the proposal, but that became null when the offer was withdrawn early this year.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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15 People Displaced in Pittsfield Home Fires

Staff Reports11:35AM / Sunday, October 11, 2026

PITTSFIELD, Mass. — Fifteen people were displaced after 2-alarm home fires this weekend on Springside Avenue and Elaine Drive.

On Friday evening, the Fire Department responded to a structure fire at 209 Springside Ave., which took a four-hour battle to extinguish and resulted in a partial roof collapse. The next day, on Saturday evening, crews knocked down a fire at 121 Elaine Drive in about an hour.

The garage and part of the single-family home on Elaine Drive were gutted to the frame, along with a vehicle parked in the driveway. On Springside Avenue, the top level and porch of the multifamily were burned through.

A GoFundMe has been started for the family of the Elaine Drive home, which includes several young children. The fundraiser, with a $5,500 goal, explains they lost their home and all of their belongings. (iBerkshires.com does not confirm or endorse fundraisers; they are provided as information only.)

There were no civilian or firefighter injuries, and both incidents are under investigation. One dog was rescued on Springside Avenue.

On Oct. 10, around 6:15 p.m., PFD responded to the Springside Avenue home for a reported structure fire and saw a 2 1/2-story wood frame multifamily with a heavy blaze showing from the second-floor front porch, extending out.

The building suffered a partial roof collapse, which prolonged extinguishment. The fire was brought under control after about four hours.

“An aggressive offensive attack was mounted by first arriving crews stretching hose lines into the building as well as primary searches that proved negative. Ladders were placed around the structure to provide access as well as escape if needed. An off-duty Fire Captain had also been on scene early in the incident to help evacuate the structure and rescue a dog,” PFD wrote in a press release.

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