NAMI Berkshire County Hosts 10th Annual Cupcake Wars Fundraiser

10:42AM / Friday, April 17, 2026Print Story | Email Story

PITTSFIELD, Mass. — NAMI Berkshire County is pleased to announce its 10th Annual Cupcake Wars fundraiser, taking place on Thursday, April 23, 2026, from 5:00 PM to 8:30 PM at the Country Club of Pittsfield at 639 South Street in Pittsfield.

This community event brings together local bakeries and supporters for a fun and flavorful evening in support of mental health awareness and services throughout Berkshire County. Attendees will enjoy sampling and judging a variety of creative cupcake entries from participating bakeries, including Canyon Ranch, Monarch Butterfly Bakery, Whitney's Farm,

Odd Bird Bakery, and Sweet Confections Bakery.

Guests will also be treated to a "Backyard Barbeque" themed buffet dinner, along with livemusic by Clara Guatta, raffle prizes, and a cash bar, making for a lively and engaging evening emceed by author Kevin O'Hara.

"We are proud to celebrate the 10th anniversary of Cupcake Wars and grateful for the continued support of our community," said Beth Persing, Vice President of the Board of NAMI Berkshire County. "Events like this allow us to raise critical funds while bringing people together for a shared cause."

NAMI Berkshire County extends special thanks to its sponsors, including Miraval, Kapha Cannabis Dispensary, Laureyns, Pearson Wallace, Mountain One, Lenco Armored Vehicles, Berkshire Community College, Brown & Brown Insurance, Brien Center, Lee Bank and Berkshire County Sherrif's Charitable Foundation for their generous support in making this

event possible.

All proceeds from Cupcake Wars directly benefit NAMI Berkshire County's free programs, advocacy, and support services for individuals and families affected by mental health conditions.

Tickets are available now and are $60.00 each. For more information or to purchase tickets, visit https://www.eventbrite.com/e/cupcake-wars-tickets, or email namibc@namibc.org.

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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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