North Adams Reschedules Boxcar Races and BBQ Cook-Off for Oct. 2

Staff Reports10:28AM / Monday, September 28, 2026Print Story | Email Story

NORTH ADAMS, Mass. — Following a rainout over the weekend, the Boxcar Races & BBQ Cook-Off has been rescheduled for Friday, Oct. 2, on Main Street.

Organized by the North Adams Police Department and Fire Department, the community event will serve as the kickoff for Fall Foliage Weekend and coincide with North Adams' monthly First Friday festivities.

Event Schedule:

5:30 PM – 6:00 PM: Boxcar Races begin on Main Street.
6:00 PM: BBQ judging officially commences.
Post-Race Activities: Attendees can sample BBQ and view the youth entry designs at the Boxcar Car Show.

Organizers report that a limited supply of boxcar kits and fully built cars remain available for last-minute entries. Registration is mandatory for all participants—including returning racers from previous years—to assist coordinators in building accurate race brackets and maintaining the schedule. Interested participants can register online at https://forms.gle/9eVq3rQTZ4uofXz4A.

Tags: NAFD, NAPD, race,

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Four Pets Lost in North Adams Fire

By Tammy DanielsiBerkshires Staff
11:03PM / Saturday, September 26, 2026

NORTH ADAMS, Mass. — A cat may be the cause of a fire that forced a woman to flee her home on Saturday night and lose four of her five pets.

The occupant of the small home at 1561 Massachusetts Ave. called 911 to report a fire on her kitchen stove at about 9:10 p.m.

"Looked like the fire started in the kitchen area. Best guess at this point is that it an animal turned the stove on," said Fire Chief Brent Lefebvre, repeating what the woman had reported.

"Basically, the occupant was alerted to the sound of the stove igniting, the electronic ignition. She came downstairs and witnessed the cat on the stove. Unfortunately, there was a box on top of the stove, and that lit, and that got the cabinets going."

One cat was saved but firefighters were unable to rescue two other cats and two dogs.

The chief said he hadn't completed his investigation but was going by what the resident had reported at this point.

Firefighters were able to swiftly douse the blaze on arrival and were rolling up hose about an hour later. Mass Ave was closed at Ashton Avenue on the city side.

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