One of the 10 Best Parade Venues in the Country!
This article appeared in the Berkshire Eagle on Monday June 30, 2008.
says, “Pittsfield’s parade is among the best in the country.”
As the Pittsfield Fourth of July Parade gets ready to step off on Friday, it got a high-profile boost in the pages of USA Today, which listed it among the 10 best parade venues in the country.
“We were thrilled,” said Peter M. Marchetti, treasurer and coordinator of this year’s parade. “It made us feel great.”
In its Friday edition, USA Today asked Steve Schmader, president and CEO of the International Festival and Events Association, to list his favorite 10 parades.
Pittsfield was joined by Washington, D.C., Racine, Wis., Philadelphia, Gatlinburg, Tenn., Balboa Island, Calif., Bristol, R.I., Greeley, Colo., Belton, Texas, and St. Louis.
“Once billed as ‘Your Hometown Parade,’ ” the paper said, “the Pittsfield Fourth of July Parade dates back to 1824, when the procession consisted of Revolutionary War veterans and politicians riding in horse-drawn carriages.
Today’s modern parade has floats, balloons and marching bands, but still retains the small-town, patriotic flavor of its roots.”
USA Today, with a circulation of more than 2.2 million, is the nation’s most-read newspaper. The theme of this year’s parade is “A World of Music.”
There will be 19 marching musical acts, and all 23 floats will play either live or taped music. The six giant helium balloons will likewise have a musical theme, right down to Laa-Laa, the Teletubby.
The parade begins at 10 a.m. Friday and will follow its traditional route, beginning on South Street at the Housatonic Street intersection, proceeding around Park Square, up North Street and ending at Wahconah Park on Wahconah Street.
Here is the link to the original story in USA Today: http://www.usatoday.com/travel/destinations/10great/2008-06-26-fourth-of-july-parades_N.htm
