Fourth of July Parade Themed 'America 250: Pittsfield Celebrates the Generations'

PITTSFIELD, Mass.— The historic Fourth of July Parade will celebrate 250 years of the nation — and Pittsfield. 

On Thursday, the Pittsfield Parade Committee announced the 2026 theme with a "distinctly local focus": "America 250 — Pittsfield Celebrates the Generations." People, floats, cars, balloons, and more will proceed down South, North, and Wahconah streets to thousands of spectators. 

"While the year marks the nation's 250th anniversary, the parade theme centers on the people, places, and stories that have shaped Pittsfield and the Berkshires across generations," a press release from the parade committee reads. 

The parade dates back to 1801, and the parade committee was formed around the late 1970s.  Today, it brings residents, families, organizations, and visitors together on the Fourth of July, historically kicking off at 10 a.m. on the dot. 

This year's theme invites the community to reflect on Pittsfield's history and its connections to broader American history, including its neighborhoods, industries, cultural institutions, civic traditions, and families. 

"From early settlement and Revolutionary-era roots to industrial growth, post-war community life, today's creative economy, and the next generation shaping Pittsfield's future, the parade will highlight the many eras that define life in the Berkshires," the parade committee wrote. 

"Participants are encouraged to bring local history to life by basing parade entries on specific historical events, defining moments, eras, decades, or generations connected to Pittsfield and the surrounding region. Creative use of color, music, movement, costumes, vehicles, and storytelling is encouraged to showcase how Pittsfield has grown, adapted, and thrived over time." 

PCTV's 2020 documentary "Fighting For Independence: The History of the Pittsfield Fourth of July Parade" has traced the first Pittsfield Fourth of July Parade back to at least 1801.  

It has a historic reputation dating to 1824, when the procession consisted of Revolutionary War survivors, patriots, politicians, and horse-drawn carriages.

The local television station's annual coverage of the parade began in 1988, and PCTV continues with a multi-angle, narrated broadcast of the event every year. 

"The parade was held off and on by various citizen groups until 1947 when it was taken over by the Pittsfield Permanent Firemen's Association. Under the firemen, the parade grew in size and popularity but was discontinued in 1976," the Pittsfield Parade Committee website reads.

"In 1977, a small group of volunteer citizens obtained $2,000 in seed money from the City of Pittsfield and held their first parade in 1978. Over the years, this independent, non-profit organization-the Pittsfield 4th of July Parade Committee Inc. has grown in size, spirit, and determination, and with it, the parade has grown in size, quality, and popularity."

Social Service Organizations Highlight Challenges, Successes at Poverty Talk

By Brittany PolitoiBerkshires Staff
08:04AM / Sunday, April 05, 2026

Dr. Jennifer Michaels of the Brien Center demonstrates how to use Narcan. Easy access to the drug has cut overdose deaths in the county by nearly half. 

PITTSFIELD, Mass. — Recent actions at the federal level are making it harder for people to climb out of poverty.

Brad Gordon, executive director of Upside413, said he felt like he was doing a disservice by not recognizing national challenges and how they draw a direct line from choices being made by the Trump administration and the challenges the United States is facing. 

"They more generally impact people's ability to work their way out of poverty, and that's really, that's really the overarching dynamic," he said. 

"Poverty is incredibly corrosive, and it impacts all the topics that we'll talk about today." 

His comments came during a conversation on poverty hosted by Berkshire Community Action Council. Eight local service agency leaders detailed how they are supporting people during the current housing and affordability crisis, and the Berkshire state delegation spoke to their own efforts.

The event held on March 27 at the Berkshire Athenaeum included a working lunch and encouraged public feedback. 

"All of this information that we're going to gather today from both you and the panelists is going to drive our next three-year strategic plan," explained Deborah Leonczyk, BCAC's executive director. 

The conversation ranged from health care and housing production to financial literacy and child care.  Participating agencies included Upside 413, The Brien Center, The Food Bank of Western Massachusetts, MassHire Berkshire Career Center, Berkshire Regional Transit Authority, Greylock Federal Credit Union, Massachusetts College of Liberal Arts, and Child Care of the Berkshires. 

The federal choices Gordon spoke about included allocating $140 billion for the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, investing $38 billion to convert warehouses into detention centers, cutting $1 trillion from Medicaid over 10 years, a proposed 50 percent increase in the defense budget, and cutting federal funding for supportive housing programs. 

Gordon pointed to past comments about how the region can't build its way out of the housing crisis because of money. He withdrew that statement, explaining, "You know what? That's bullshit, actually."

"I'm going to be honest with you, that is absolute bullshit. I have just observed over the last year or so how we're spending our money and the amount of money that we're spending on the federal side, and I'm no longer saying in good conscience that we can't build our way out of this," he said. 

Upside 413 provided a "Housing Demand in Western Massachusetts" report that was done in collaboration with the University of Massachusetts at Amherst's Donahue Institute of Economic and Public Policy Research. It states that around 23,400 units are needed to meet current housing demand in Western Mass; 1,900 in Berkshire County in 2025.