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One of the best ways to enjoy Autumn in the Berkshires is just to be outdoors at the right time. Basking in the crisp air and vibrant colors is enough reason to have a parade, and, boy, what a parade they do in North Adams! Besides, is there anything like a parade to liven the spirit and put fire in the blood to prepare for the coming of Winter? The story of the Fall Foliage Festival Parade is really one of the Spirit of the Community and a tribute to the hard work that continues to makes it so. The origins of this great civic event are humble; in 1947, local legend Frank Casuscelli heard that the Chamber of Commerce wanted to express community pride through a parade, so he contacted some local drum and bugle corps to march, perform and compete. The prize? A whopping eighty dollars. Though moderately successful, the next few years saw the parade suffer through growing pains in its fits and starts. It was not until 1955 that enough sponsorship money was posted to bring to fruition the modern Festival and the familiar events we see today. The Chamber, retail merchants and the public all pitched in to ensure growing success for the Festival, which was timed to coincide with the peaking of some of the most breathtaking foliage in New England. The first few festivals stuck to Fall Foliage as their theme, while ensuing years had such titles as “Symbols of Freedom,” “The Sunday Comics,” “The Wonderful World of Books,” “Journey into Space,” and “Hollywood - 100 Years.” (In fact, it was the “Hollywood” parade in 1987 which was the only washout in the long history of the festival; most New Englanders well recall the freakish snowstorm of October ’87.) This year’s theme, “2000 Reasons to Visit the Berkshires”, is just what it is says. You really only need one reason to visit the Berkshires and after you have visited once you will visit again and again. This year's Grand Marshall is yet to be announced, so you may want to tune into the web site from time to time for details. The parade route runs from Route 8 in North Adams onto Main Street, then along Ashland where it eventually breaks up. Among the marchers will be high school bands, professional drum and bugle corps, floats, balloons and all of the pomp and circumstance that is required by any self respecting parade. Visitors will want to keep in mind that the Parade is only part of what takes place over the course of the day. The spirit of fall festivals is in the air and Northern Berkshire County has 44 years of experience packed into theirs. Just imagine the landscape alive with colors, the warm summer breeze giving way to the cool autumn…and the hills filled with the sounds of marching bands, fall farmers' markets and children's laughter as they enjoy the children's activities. To top off the celebration don't miss the Mt. Greylock Ramble, which is the festival's finale. Schedule: www.nberkshirechamber.com/fall Click here to return to the introduction.
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45th Annual Fall Foliage Festival Parade