Pittsfield 2025 Summer Playground Program

07:46AM / Thursday, July 03, 2025Print Story | Email Story

PITTSFIELD, Mass. — The City of Pittsfield's Department of Community Development Recreation Program announces the return of the Summer Playground Program for 2025.

The Summer Playground Program is a free, six-week-long program held at Clapp Park, Durant Park and The Common which offers a wide range of recreation activities to Pittsfield children between the ages of 6 to 13. This year's program will run from July 7 to Aug. 15 from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Monday through Friday at each designated location at no cost.

If there is inclement weather, the program will move from each park to the Berkshire Family YMCA Pittsfield Branch located at 292 North Street. Details of these changes will be shared on the Pittsfield Parks and Recreation Facebook and Instagram pages.

During the program, Playground Leaders will create safe, supervised and fun-filled outdoor activities including sports, games, arts and crafts and nature activities.

In addition, the Recreation Program is collaborating with various local organizations to offer the following:

The Berkshire Museum's Mobile Museum will visit one of the parks each week.
The Berkshire Athenaeum will be offering summer reading related activities throughout the program at each park.
Pittsfield Public Schools will be providing and serving FREE lunches daily at each park.
The Westside Legends will be hosting a build and design day at all three parks in preparation for their Sweet Gee Soap Box Derby.

For more information, contact Jennifer VanBramer, Recreation and Special Events Coordinator, at jvanbramer@cityofpittsfield.org or (413) 499-9371.

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Pittsfield Remembers Lives Lost to Overdose, Underscores Harm Reduction

By Brittany PolitoiBerkshires Staff
05:33AM / Tuesday, September 01, 2026

Mayor Peter Marchetti reads a proclamation at City Hall encouraging residents to raise awareness and lift each other up.

PITTSFIELD, Mass. — Dozens of people gathered downtown on Monday to remember those lost to overdose and work toward a future of zero deaths from substance use disorder.

The Berkshire Overdose and Addiction Prevention Collaborative and its partners held a proclamation reading and flag-raising at City Hall, followed by a standout in Park Square with signs promoting the use of naloxone, harm reduction, and reducing associated stigma.

There were 23 fatal overdoses in Berkshire County in 2025, 11 in Pittsfield. This is down 44 percent from the 41 countywide fatalities in 2024.

While it is a significant decrease, advocates want to see that number at zero.

"On the one hand, we're very pleased to see this significant of a decrease. This is actually the lowest number that we've had since [Department of Public Health] started collecting these numbers in 2013, but the goal is still zero," said Andy Ottoson, public health planner with the Berkshire Regional Planning Commission.

August is International Overdose Awareness Month, the world's largest annual campaign to end overdose, remember those lost without stigma, and acknowledge the grief of families and friends left behind. September is National Recovery Month, a national observance to educate the public on the importance of substance use treatment and mental health services.

Samantha Kendall of Berkshire Harm Reduction explained that it is truly meeting people where they are, as they are, and when they are, "and I think we all do a really great job at that."

"We also want to remember that we're building a community for everybody, and systems and policies for everybody. That's really important in harm reduction work, so that's also the reason we're here today," she said.

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