NORTH ADAMS -- Each year, the Fall Foliage Parade Committee relies on the help of friends in the community to help organize and execute the parade.
These friends come in the form of volunteers, local establishments, parade participants, and particularly individual donors. Community members throughout the County send in generous donations to cover parade costs, and those who aren’t able to give financially give their time to the planning of the parade or for volunteering. Donations this year have decreased over giving in years past, and to help support parade efforts, the Parade Committee will be extending its reach, seeking support from the community along the parade route on Sunday, September 30th.
"The Fall Foliage Parade has been a mainstay of our community for many years, and this event will continue for many more, but as with so many community events, it becomes more challenging each and every year to fund this massive effort," said North Adams Mayor Richard Alcombright. "Parade funding comes largely from the City, corporate sponsors and private donors.
This year, to help defray some of the costs, we will be having volunteers walking the parade route seeking donations. This has been common practice in Pittsfield’s July 4th Parade and has helped them to sustain their efforts. If you are able, and you see one of our volunteers, any donation toward the efforts of our parade would be
"We are consistently amazed by the commitment of the community to this time-honored tradition, now celebrating its 57th year," said Mike Supranowicz, President & CEO of the Berkshire Chamber of Commerce. "And during a time when securing adequate funding to deliver this beloved festival and parade has become more difficult, every little bit helps."
Watch for street closures
The Fall Foliage Parade Committee is working on last minute details for the 57th Annual Fall Foliage Parade scheduled for Sunday, Sept. 30, at 1 pm. The committee is working with the North Adams Police Department on the public safety aspect of the Fall Foliage Festival and Parade. The police will be working on street postings, road closings, detours, and all safety precautions.
Outside departments, including the Clarksburg Police and the Berkshire County Sheriff and the Deputies of Berkshire County, will be assisting with traffic and crowd control.
The night before the parade there will be a list of streets posted with "NO PARKING" signs. These streets include: Main, Church, lower Eagle, State, Curran Highway, Ashland, Blackinton, and Porter. The postings will begin after midnight and take approximately three hours to post throughout the City. At daybreak, the police will put out rope along the route in the downtown area to retain the crowd, and to designate an area for handicap viewing. By this time street cones, wooden horses and signs will have been placed at all intersections, with the help of the North Adams Department of Public Works.
Portions of the route will be shut down at 11 a.m., including all North bound traffic into the city via Route 8. At noon, all traffic detour posts will be in place. At this time, police will work to ensure the safety of the runners in the 5K Fall Foliage Festival Road Race, which signals the parade is soon to begin.
Due to the construction on the Hadley Overpass, this year the parade committee is closing the bridge to spectators and is asking people to make plans to view the parade from an alternate location. Parade goers can still view the parade from the north and south ends of the bridge.
After the police cruisers take up the rear of the parade, the department begins the job of breaking down the detours, taking down all the "NO PARKING" signs and everything else left from crowd control. The role of the police department is crucial to the execution of the parade and the parade committee is appreciative of their help and support year after year. The dispatchers at the Police Department also play a large role in parade day. Last year, they received more than 100 calls relating to the parade between the hours of 8 and 11:30 a.m.
For more information, or to make a donation in advance of the event: choyt@berkshirechamber.com. For more information about the Fall Foliage Festival and Parade, please visit www.fallfoliageparade.com.
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