Doug Yriart; Celebrating 10 Years of Service to a Tradition 70 Years in Motion

This year’s parade theme, 70 Years in Motion: Time Traveling Through North Berkshire, celebrates seven decades of creativity, community, and tradition.  For Yriart, the theme has special meaning. Since moving to the Berkshires, he has spent the past 10 years volunteering on the Northern Berkshire Fall Foliage Parade Committee, helping keep one of the region’s most beloved traditions moving forward.

 

Parade Coordinator Christine Hoyt stated, “Over the past 10 years, Doug has become such an important part of the Northern Berkshire Fall Foliage Parade family. He is always willing to pitch in, solve a problem, and do whatever it takes to help make the parade a success.” Hoyt continued by saying, “As Parade Coordinator, I’ve had the privilege of working alongside him, and I couldn’t be happier to see him take his place at the front of the parade this year. We are incredibly grateful for his dedication and friendship, and we can’t think of a more deserving person to help us celebrate 70 Years in Motion.”

 

Over the past decade, Yriart has been part of the work that happens behind the scenes to bring the parade to life each fall.  His commitment to volunteering reflects the community spirit that has carried the Northern Berkshire Fall Foliage Parade through its 70-year history – and makes him a fitting Grand Marshal as the parade looks both backward and forward. 

 

Yriart brings a lifetime of service, leadership, and community involvement to the role. A retired U.S. Naval Reserve Officer, Captain, he was recalled to active duty three times; most recently in 1991, when he served with the Navy Emergency Coordination Center, Bureau of Naval Personnel. He also retired as a Chief Engineer with the U.S. Civil Service under the Civil Service Retirement System. His community service includes being a founding member of the McLean Community Theater in Virginia, where he went on to serve as President and Treasurer. The theater is a 501(c)(3) Virginia non-stock corporation.

 

Ten years ago, Yriart chose Clarksburg as his home in retirement—despite friends and colleagues recommending destinations in the Carolinas or Florida. Since then, he has become an active member of the Northern Berkshire community and a dedicated volunteer with the Fall Foliage Parade.

 

“The Parade Committee and the Parade have made me feel a part of my adopted retirement home since my earliest days here,” Doug Yriart stated. As he continued to reflect on the years since he relocated from Virginia, Doug said, “Through the committee, the volunteers, and the participants, I’ve learned about the community. I was given an opportunity to give something back while having fun doing something useful.”

 

The 2026 parade will invite participants and spectators to travel through time and North Berkshire, celebrating the people, places, memories, and moments that have shaped the region over the past 70 years. From the parade’s earliest days to the community of today—and the future still to come—this year’s celebration will put the past in motion.

 

On Sunday, October 4 at 1:00pm as Grand Marshal, Yriart will help lead that journey, representing not only his 10 years of service to the parade but the generations of volunteers, participants, businesses, organizations, and spectators who have kept the tradition moving for seven decades.

 

There is still time to participate in this year’s parade. There are a variety of ways to get involved, including, but not limited to, entering to have a float, a band/music unit, or a marching unit. We are also looking for volunteers to help on parade day with the lineup or as a banner carrier. Lastly, sponsorship of the parade helps with making the parade bigger and better each year. For more information about how you can help, please visit https://1berkshire.com/fall-foliage-parade.