Pittsfield to Host Second Annual Winter Festival at Clapp Park

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PITTSFIELD, Mass. — The City of Pittsfield's Department of Community Development Recreation Program has announced the second annual Winter Festival, set to take place on Monday, Feb. 17, from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. at Clapp Park.
 
The event, designed to kick off the winter break, will feature a variety of activities for children, families, and community members of all ages.
 
Among the scheduled activities are group-led outdoor experiences, including a Winter Senses Safari with the Berkshire Natural Resources Council and snowshoeing with Mass Audubon.
 
The festival will also feature a Snow Sculpture Contest, open to participants ranging from novices to professional artists. Contestants are encouraged to bring their own tools to shape their creations, with judging taking place by the end of the event.
 
Additionally, a Cardboard Sled Design Contest invites children and families to construct sleds using only glue, tape, paint, and decorations. Plastic or store-bought sleds are not permitted. Awards will be given in three categories: Best Use of Materials, Most Creative Sled, and Largest Sled Design. Participants must register at the Clapp Park sledding hill by 11 a.m., with open sledding available throughout the event and awards announced at 12:30 p.m.
 
Other festival highlights include a campfire with s'mores and hot chocolate, sponsored by Indulgence Salon, as well as a Touch-A-Truck exhibit, where children can explore city vehicles such as a firetruck, police car, and plow truck, pending city emergencies.
 
All activities are free to the public. Attendees are encouraged to donate plastic or purchased sleds to the Clapp Park Little Sled Library, which provides free sleds for children throughout the winter season.
 
The Winter Festival is part of Pittsfield's annual 10x10 Upstreet Arts Festival, which runs from February 13-23 and is hosted by the city's Cultural Development Office. 
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Parks Commission OKs Wahconah Park Event, Clapp Park Dugouts

By Brittany PolitoiBerkshires Staff

PITTSFIELD, Mass. — Baseball dugouts are planned for Clapp Park, and in April, the community will have one last look inside the historic Wahconah Park grandstand before it is demolished. 

On Tuesday, the Parks Commission approved a "Farewell to the Grandstand at Wahconah Park" event to be held on April 11 from 1 p.m. to 3 p.m. 

Recreation and Special Events Coordinator Jennifer VanBramer explained that the event will allow the community to see the more than 100-year-old structure before it comes down later in the spring. 

"Attendees will be able to go up to the top of the ramp to get a look into the grandstand for one last chance and quick photo op, but they can't get any further due to safety concerns," she explained. 

The property at 105 Wahconah St. has drawn attention for several years after the grandstand was deemed unsafe in 2022. Planners have determined that starting from square one is the best option; a $15 million rebuild is on the table. 

There will be speeches from city officials and Baseball in the Berkshire Director Larry Moore, a slideshow with old photographs and memories shared from the community, a table with renderings of the new grandstand, a memory table, and a story booth where short interviews can be recorded. 

"Ernie the Hot Dog Guy" is also confirmed as a food vendor. 

"We're looking forward to great weather, and unfortunately, we won't be able to get everyone fully into the grandstand, but certainly we'll be able to have folks view the grandstand from the safe areas of the grandstand," Parks, Open Space, and Natural Resources Manager James McGrath explained. 

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