New Year's Eve Celebrations to Welcome 2026

Welcome the New Year by celebrating with others at events marking the beginning of 2026, including live music, skiing, fireworks, and numerous parties. 

North Adams New Year's Eve Ball Drop
Center Street Parking Lot
Time: 8 p.m.

North Adams rings in the New Year with its third annual ball drop, held earlier in the evening for the whole family to enjoy. Grab some of the swag and count down for the New Year at 8, then stay for refreshments. The ball is the creation of North Adams Sheet Metal.

More information here.

Steeple City Social New Year Party
5 Eagle St., North Adams
Time: 9:30 p.m. to 12:30 a.m.

Head over to Eagle Street after the ball drop in North Adams for cocktails, music and snacks to ring in the New Year. Fun and fancy outfits encouraged to be ready to mingle, play games, dance, and toast to 2026. 

More information here.

New Year's Eve Dance Party
Shire Tavern, Dalton
Time: 9 to midnight

Dance the night away with tunes from DJ Justin with snacks and a champagne toast to ring in the new year. Admission $5; must be 21 and older.

More information here.

New Year's Eve Karaoke Party
Methuselah Bar, Pittsfield
Time: 9 to midnight

Bring your friends and sing in the New Year. Admission of $5 includes with a champagne toast at midnight.

More information here.

New Year's Eve Torchlight Parade and Fireworks
Jiminy Peak, Pittsfield

After the lifts close, join Jiminy in welcoming 2026 with a torchlight parade of team members sliding down the mountain with torches as well as fireworks lighting up the night sky.

More information here.

New Year's Eve Party
Bousquet Mountain, Pittsfield
Time: 9 p.m. 

More information and tickets here.

New Year's Eve with Max Creek
Colonial Theatre, Pittsfield
Time: 8:30 p.m. 

Berkshire County band Max Creek will perform blend of rock, country, reggae, soul, jazz, and calypso with their original songwriting. 

Tickets are $39; more information here. 

New Year's Eve Glow Party
K&M Bowling, Pittsfield
Time: 5 p.m. to 12:15 a.m. 

Cosmic bowling with glowsticks. Tickets are $25 per person. More information here.

First Responder Awards Honor Excellence, Highlight Mental Health

By Brittany PolitoiBerkshires Staff
06:32AM / Saturday, May 23, 2026

Keynote speaker Nicole Ferry, above, urged first responders not to suffer in silence; right, the committee recognized outstanding work by its members. 

Reader's note: This article discusses suicide. The National Suicide Prevention Lifeline is 1-800-273-8255. To contact the Crisis Text Line, text HELLO to 741741. More information on crisis hotlines in Massachusetts can be found here.

PITTSFIELD, Mass. — First responders gathered at the Proprietor's Lodge last week in advance of EMS Week to celebrate and support their colleagues. 

The EMS Awards Banquet, held by the Emergency Medical Services Committee of Berkshire County, included 20 awards for outstanding responses to specific calls over the past year and for excellence in various fields. 

Brian Andrews, president of County Ambulance Services and EMSCO, said its mission is to support and uplift the EMS community with compassionate care, critical resources, and "unwavering support" to first responders and their families.

"That mission is built on a simple but powerful principle: caring for our own," he said. 

"… EMS is a profession built around caring for others, but those who care for others also need to be cared for. They need support, encouragement, training, resources, recognition, and at times they need to know that this community stands behind them and their families." 

Andrews said EMSCO is one of the most active and successful county EMS organizations in Western Mass, and while its members may wear different patches and serve different communities, when the call comes in, they are all connected by the same mission. 

The evening included a $1,000 donation from EMSCO member Berkshire Community College Foundation, and County Ambulance paramedic supervisor Austin White requested that his 40 Under 40 donation be sent to the committee.