Community Health & Wellness Fair in Early October

07:34AM / Thursday, September 17, 2026Print Story | Email Story

PITTSFIELD, Mass. — The month of October will kick off with a focus on health and wellness in the Berkshires, as Berkshire Health Systems partners with the Berkshire Family YMCA to host a Health & Wellness Fair for the community.

The event will be held on Saturday, Oct. 3 from 10 am to 2 pm at the Berkshire Family YMCA in downtown Pittsfield.

"Good health starts with one conversation," said Roberta Gale, RN, BHS Vice President of Community Health. "During this special community event, people can take a walk with a physician, talk to health and wellness experts and learn more about services that can help them stay healthy."

The Health & Wellness Fair will feature on-site health screenings that can help individuals better understand possible health risks, as well as steps they can take to connect to care and services in the community. For example, the fair will offer free screenings for prostate cancer, breast cancer, colon cancer, lung cancer, diabetes, high blood pressure, and vascular disease. Simple blood draws to test for prostate cancer risk (PSA screening) and diabetes (A1C screening) will be available on-site and providers will be present to perform pre-screening, discuss healthy options for weight management, and offer information about where, when, and how to access specialized tests that cannot be performed during the fair like mammography and colonoscopy.

In addition to screening opportunities, attendees can walk and talk with a physician while enjoying a lap around the gym, work on some simple stretching exercises for all ages, get free chair massages to relax and help reduce stress, and learn how to prepare low-cost, healthy meals during a cooking demonstration. Adults can also bring their insurance card and receive a flu shot on-site.

Family and community resources will be available, including, information from the Women, Infants and Children program (WIC), and insurance assistance support from experts at the BHS Advocacy for Access program. The event will also feature displays by community health partners and prizes and giveaways. Berkshire Family YMCA will also offer free childcare and fun kid-friendly activities during the event.

The BHS Health & Wellness Fair is free and open to all. Pre-registration is encouraged but not required. For more information, visit berkshirehealthsystems.org/community.

Tags: BHS, BMC,

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Free Vaccinations Available Throughout Berkshire County

By Breanna SteeleiBerkshires Staff
10:30AM / Saturday, October 10, 2026

PITTSFIELD, Mass. — Fall season is also the flu season, which means vaccine clinics are now available.

The Berkshire Vaccine Collaborative will provide public vaccination clinics in Berkshire communities this fall, including the influenza and COVID-19 vaccines. There are about 49 clinics.

The collaborative began during COVID-19 to help vaccinate people across Berkshire County. Berkshire Health Systems started the Get Vaccinated Berkshires website and still manages it. The group works with the Pittsfield Public Health Department, Community Health Programs, and the Southern Berkshire Public Health Collaborative.

"The majority of people will always get the flu [vaccine] because, as I said, if you've ever gotten the flu, you will always get a flu vaccine because it's so bad. And just so you know, the flu is already in Berkshire County. It's an early season this year," said Leslie Drager, who is the senior public health nurse at Berkshire Regional Planning Commission.

Drager said last year they issued 2,705 vaccines, with more than 1,100 of them being for COVID-19 and more than 1,500 being flu. In total, they were able to vaccinate 1,669 people in Central and North County, in addition to Pittsfield.

Drager also said she will be carrying three types of COVID vaccines this year, which is in high demand.

"We have a high demand of COVID vaccine, which is awesome," she said. "So we're doing a lot of COVID vaccines. Also, I provide Pfizer, and this year I have Moderna and the Novavax, which I think is real important to get out there because the Novavax, a lot of people want, people with long COVID. So I'm carrying all three vaccines this year, which I normally only carry the Pfizer."

Public health departments also can help people access other vaccines such as for measles or meningitis when they cannot get them through a pediatrician, she added.

Using the website, people are able to get vaccines even if they are homebound by filling out a form.

All public Berkshire Vaccine Collaborative clinics are free of charge, but registrants are asked to provide insurance information, when available, in order to defray costs. The clinics are open to anyone 6 months of age or older, the age group recommended to receive an annual flu vaccine and the latest COVID-19 vaccine.

"I always encourage everybody to wear a short sleeve shirt because it makes it a heck of a lot easier to get at," Drager said. "And children, we do carry the nasal flu, the live virus of nasal flu for kids that are afraid to get needles."

Registration is highly recommended for the clinics. Walk-ins may be accepted depending on the number of vaccine doses available at each clinic, with preference given to those who are registered.

"It's really important. I'm really encouraging vaccinations for the schools, because not only you know if the kids are vaccinated and the teachers are vaccinated, the schools won't have the flu go wild right through it," Drager said. "And of course, the best way to prevent infections: washing your hands. So don't touch your face, and wash your hands."

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