After years of dormancy, the Berkshire Carousel is turning once again for all seeking some old-fashioned family fun in downtown Pittsfield. Now that these hand-painted wooden horses are riding again, can they carry this endeavor from hopeful revitalization to sustainability?
Only time and ridership will tell. The carousel, open Saturdays and Sundays from noon to 5 p.m., is now two weekends into its first summer season in operation since 2018. According to carousel coordinator Janet Crawford, a healthy 1,600 riders showed up on the opening weekend of June 14 and 15. That figure might reflect some pent-up demand suggested in the many impassioned calls for the carousel’s return (including in The Eagle’s letters section). On top of that, the carousel’s first day back in operation lined up with the “No Kings” rally in Pittsfield that brought thousands of people downtown on June 14.
The carousel’s second spin cycle this past weekend — the first “normal” weekend of the season, without the boost of a large coinciding local event or free opening day rides — saw a sharp drop-off in ridership to about 280.
We’ll be keeping our eye on ridership data as the summer progresses, though one question looms: What is the minimum ridership, measured either weekly or seasonally, that organizers believe is necessary for the carousel’s continued viability?
We’re not asking that to be overly critical of this labor of love by a local nonprofit to reanimate a beautiful destination in the heart of Pittsfield. It’s neither surprising nor fatal that the second weekend’s ridership didn’t match the level of the previous weekend that saw an inordinate amount of people in downtown Pittsfield. We want the dedicated efforts behind Berkshire Carousel to succeed.
Like all supporters of those efforts, we also want — and need — to know what sustainable success requires. Can the carousel stay spinning on a few hundred riders per weekend? If not, how many more on an average weekly basis would be needed to reach and maintain the threshold of viability?
The carousel’s best feature is that it provides a fun attraction for young people with an eminently accessible entry fee of just $2 — the sort thing Pittsfield needs to attract young families. It’s worth noting, however, that about 40 percent of opening day riders were adults. That tracks with much of the nostalgic sentiment heard from the carousel’s biggest boosters. Appeal to “kids” of all ages — including adults seeking a shot of nostalgia — is a strength that carousel organizers should build on by thinking outside the box (or the circle, in this case).
It’s good to see the carousel is getting creative with purchase options, including regular ticket sales, gift sales and a “passport” booklet wherein riders can collect stamps toward a free sweatshirt, in addition to rentals and sponsorships. The carousel also offers free candy with every ticket purchase. Perhaps carousel organizers could get creative with those extra offerings, too. If this week is any indication, it might be a hot summer; offering ice cream or cool drinks could be a good draw.
And speaking of beverages, given the significant fraction of adult riders, a pouring license for beer and wine is worth exploring. Some might balk at the idea of alcoholic beverages being sold at a carousel, but the ridership numbers indicate it will have to attract more than just young kids to sustain or improve the current numbers. Area vineyards and craft breweries demonstrate that spaces where hard beverages are served can still be safely welcoming to families. Given the availability of locally produced microbrews and wines, it’s also an avenue for collaboration with local small businesses.
We’re not necessarily suggesting the Berkshire Carousel convert itself into a beer garden. Liquid offerings aside, those microbreweries offer a good template for an environment that attracts all folks for all kinds of occasions while maintaining rather simple offerings. The carousel should strive to do the same. For example, opening on Friday evenings in addition to daytime on Saturday and Sunday would offer a destination for both weekend excursions and date nights — and a young couple posting their carousel meet-cute on their various social media pages is exactly the sort of free advertising and word of mouth a destination like this could use.
We want to see the Berkshire Carousel succeed, and so it fills us with much-needed hope that these past couple weekends have provided “something we can build off,” as Ms. Crawford put it to The Eagle. We applaud the voluntary efforts of those who have relit this beacon of family fun and community craftsmanship in downtown Pittsfield. To all those who would similarly support those efforts, please do it in the way that matters most this summer: by taking a ride on the revitalized Berkshire Carousel.