Pittsfield Announces 2026 Summer Playground Program

10:40AM / Monday, June 29, 2026Print Story | Email Story

PITTSFIELD, Mass. — The City of Pittsfield's Department of Community Development Recreation Program announces the return of the Summer Playground Program for 2026.

The Summer Playground Program is a free, six-week-long, program held at Clapp Park, Durant Park and The Common that offers a wide range of recreation activities to Pittsfield children between the ages of 6 to 13.

This year's program will run from July 6 to August 14 with new hours from 9:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m., Monday through Friday, at each designated location. There is no cost to participate in the program.

If there is inclement weather, the program will move from each park to the Berkshire Family YMCA Pittsfield Branch located at 292 North Street. Details of these changes will be shared on the Pittsfield Parks and Recreation Facebook and Instagram pages.

During the program, Playground Leaders will supervise safe and enjoyable outdoor activities at each site including sports, games, arts and crafts and nature activities. In addition, the program is partnering with various organizations to offer the following:

Community health workers from Volunteers in Medicine will be present at each park during the first and second week of the program to assist families with registration and provide interpretation services in Spanish.
The Massachusetts Department of Transportation's (MassDOT) Safe Routes to School program will be visiting the three parks throughout the summer to offer bike safety demos, bike traffic garden events, and a bike rodeo.
The Massachusetts Department of Environmental Protection (MassDEP) will be visiting each park to offer an EnviroScape demonstration activity during the second week of the program.
The Berkshire Athenaeum will be offering summer reading related activities at each park during the program.
Pittsfield Public Schools (PPS) will be providing and serving free lunches daily at each park. Snacks will also be provided by PPS for program participants.

No pre-registration is necessary, but parents or guardians must fill out a registration form on their child's first day of attendance with a Playground Leader on-site.

For more information, contact Jennifer VanBramer, Recreation and Special Events Coordinator, at jvanbramer@pittsfieldma.gov or (413) 499-9371.

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Free Vaccinations Available Throughout Berkshire County

By Breanna SteeleiBerkshires Staff
10:30AM / Saturday, October 10, 2026

PITTSFIELD, Mass. — Fall season is also the flu season, which means vaccine clinics are now available.

The Berkshire Vaccine Collaborative will provide public vaccination clinics in Berkshire communities this fall, including the influenza and COVID-19 vaccines. There are about 49 clinics.

The collaborative began during COVID-19 to help vaccinate people across Berkshire County. Berkshire Health Systems started the Get Vaccinated Berkshires website and still manages it. The group works with the Pittsfield Public Health Department, Community Health Programs, and the Southern Berkshire Public Health Collaborative.

"The majority of people will always get the flu [vaccine] because, as I said, if you've ever gotten the flu, you will always get a flu vaccine because it's so bad. And just so you know, the flu is already in Berkshire County. It's an early season this year," said Leslie Drager, who is the senior public health nurse at Berkshire Regional Planning Commission.

Drager said last year they issued 2,705 vaccines, with more than 1,100 of them being for COVID-19 and more than 1,500 being flu. In total, they were able to vaccinate 1,669 people in Central and North County, in addition to Pittsfield.

Drager also said she will be carrying three types of COVID vaccines this year, which is in high demand.

"We have a high demand of COVID vaccine, which is awesome," she said. "So we're doing a lot of COVID vaccines. Also, I provide Pfizer, and this year I have Moderna and the Novavax, which I think is real important to get out there because the Novavax, a lot of people want, people with long COVID. So I'm carrying all three vaccines this year, which I normally only carry the Pfizer."

Public health departments also can help people access other vaccines such as for measles or meningitis when they cannot get them through a pediatrician, she added.

Using the website, people are able to get vaccines even if they are homebound by filling out a form.

All public Berkshire Vaccine Collaborative clinics are free of charge, but registrants are asked to provide insurance information, when available, in order to defray costs. The clinics are open to anyone 6 months of age or older, the age group recommended to receive an annual flu vaccine and the latest COVID-19 vaccine.

"I always encourage everybody to wear a short sleeve shirt because it makes it a heck of a lot easier to get at," Drager said. "And children, we do carry the nasal flu, the live virus of nasal flu for kids that are afraid to get needles."

Registration is highly recommended for the clinics. Walk-ins may be accepted depending on the number of vaccine doses available at each clinic, with preference given to those who are registered.

"It's really important. I'm really encouraging vaccinations for the schools, because not only you know if the kids are vaccinated and the teachers are vaccinated, the schools won't have the flu go wild right through it," Drager said. "And of course, the best way to prevent infections: washing your hands. So don't touch your face, and wash your hands."

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