Come out and join me on Friday, July 4, 2008, for the Pittsfield Parade!
The Honorable Grand Marshall for the 2008 Pittsfield 4th of July Parade is
David Grover
Parade treasurer, Peter Marchetti said, “David Grover is a national figure whose talent has been recognized with many awards over the years. Children in Berkshire County grew up listening to the fun, uplifting music of the Big Bear Band. David has such a natural ability to teach children and their families through his music and we thought with our theme this year, A World of Music, it was a perfect fit.”
The Pittsfield 4th of July Parade has an historic reputation dating back to 1824, when the procession consisted of Revolutionary War survivors, patriots, politicians and horse-drawn carriages. The parade was held off and on by various citizen groups until 1947 when it was taken over by the Pittsfield Permanent Firemen's Association. Under the firemen, the parade grew in size and popularity but was discontinued in 1976. After a bleak 1977 with no parade, a small group of volunteer citizens obtained $2,000 seed money from the City of Pittsfield and held their first parade in 1978. Over the years, this independent, non-profit organization -- the Pittsfield 4th of July Parade Committee, Inc. -- has grown in size, spirit, and determination, and with it, the parade has grown in size, quality, and popularity.
