This month marks a transition, a change throughout the Berkshires that attracts people from all over the world. Of course, we are talking about the arrival of the fall season. Foliage season in the Berkshires is a very special time in our region and a huge driver of tourism revenue, with thousands coming out to see the palette of changing colors in the Berkshire hills. Pretty soon, the sights, sounds, and smells of fall will fill the air. The crispness of a homemade apple cider donut sparkling with sugar, the smell of a September bonfire, the crunching sound of leaves under your feet and the arrival of the annual Fall Foliage Festival and the Fall Foliage Parade, Sunday, October 1st at 1 PM in Downtown North Adams.
The Fall Foliage Parade is a very special community event, a celebration of the arrival of the new season, and a generation-to-generation tradition that brings family and friends together. As part of the parade tradition, people begin put chairs out reserving their space in anticipation of Sunday’s celebration. Oftentimes, where families sit along the parade route are dictated by the previous generation.
Location: North Adams, Photo Credit Quinn Gladu
Over half a century ago, North Adams American Legion Drum and Bugle Corps Member Frank Casucelli teamed up with the local Chamber of Commerce, working together to create what would become Northern Berkshire’s first Fall Foliage Festival. In 1947, just ten marching bands participated in the festival. In 1948, the festival couldn’t find the support needed to throw a full-blown Fall Foliage festival, and a parade was held instead marking the first Fall Foliage Parade. 1Berkshires is thrilled to carry on the parade tradition.
This year the parade will honor our Fall Foliage Parade Committee: Jack Brooks, Brian Flagg, Bruce Hayden, Kathy Keeser, Janet Lanoue, Ed Nimmons, Joanne Thornton, and Dale Waterman as the Parade’s Grand Marshals. The Parade Committee members work tirelessly year after year to produce an incredible event that attracts people from all over the region and beyond. As Grand Marshals, the Fall Foliage Parade Committee members are the perfect representatives for the parade.
The parade starts at 1 PM on Sunday, October 1, 2017. The route runs two miles, starting at Ocean State Job Lots and ending at the High Rise on Ashland Street in Downtown North Adams. It is not too late to get involved. Sign up to volunteer or show your support by sponsoring the parade. We hope to see you there!
Special thanks to our Platinum Sponsor, MountainOne, and our many local businesses that sponsor the Fall Foliage Parade.