Blab Entertainment
Pittsfield Welcomes Summer Film Production Amid Park Usage and Demolition Updates
This summer, the picturesque town of Pittsfield is poised to become a cinematic playground as a new coming‑of‑age movie prepares to shoot on city streets and parks. The local Parks Commission has issued permits for Burbank Park on June 26 and Deming Park on July 8, allowing director Caroline Film Inc. to capture the story of an 11‑year‑old heroine named Caroline.
The Burbank Park shoot is slated for a single day, from 1 p.m. to 11 p.m. on June 26, with a crew capped at about 50 people. The location director described the spot as “out of the way,” noting that pedestrian traffic would remain unaffected. Fire safety protocols are in place: a fire ring, an open fire, and a fire‑safety officer on site. Scenes will showcase Caroline and her family picnicking, pitching a tent, and spending a sleep‑over in the park.
A day later, the production will move to Deming Park. Filming there will run from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. on July 8. The crew will be smaller, and the production will avoid the playground and ballfields. In this sequence, Caroline and her friends will cut through the park on their way home from school, passing behind Palmers Variety Store and exchanging secret handshakes. Because the park borders the Pittsfield Little League, the Parks Commission requested an earlier wrap time to avoid disrupting all‑star tournaments. Commissioner Anthony DeMartino said, “I can’t tell you if there’s a game on that day, but I can assure you that if there isn’t a game, that Little League field will be used for practice.” The permit for Deming Park was granted on the condition that the producers connect with the Little League.
Residents of Lake Onota Village were notified that filming will also take place in the mobile‑home park during the month. The Parks Commission confirmed that the production will not use the playground or ballfields at Deming Park, and that the Burbank Park shoot will not impact pedestrian traffic.
Caroline Film Inc. has already made its mark in the Berkshires, and this will be the director’s sixth movie in the region. She expressed enthusiasm about returning to the area and compared the project to films such as Little Miss Sunshine, Matilda, and Harriet the Spy. Mark Farrell, whose IMDb profile lists work in comedy, music, biography, and social consciousness, was listed on the application but was not present on set.
While the city prepares for the film, another project is taking center stage: the demolition of Wahconah Park’s grandstand. James McGrath, the Parks, Open Space, and Natural Resources Manager, reported a temporary pause in the work. The contractor had difficulty achieving the required negative air pressure for hazardous‑material abatement. McGrath explained that negative air is essential to prevent hazardous substances from migrating out of the site and to protect workers. He said the building’s design made it challenging to maintain negative air in the locker‑room space, prompting a review with the Department of Environmental Protection. A plan has been approved, and a change‑order request for additional funding is under review. McGrath added that the project is paused for a good reason and that, if funding is secured, demolition could resume within the next week and the grandstand could be removed by the end of September.
These updates illustrate how Pittsfield balances cultural production, community use of public spaces, and environmental safety. The film’s schedule has been coordinated with local park usage and safety requirements, while the city’s infrastructure projects remain on a cautious timeline.
At present, the film crew will begin shooting at Burbank Park on June 26, followed by Deming Park on July 8. The Parks Commission will monitor the production to ensure compliance with safety and community impact guidelines. Meanwhile, the Wahconah Park demolition remains on hold pending funding and technical approvals. The city’s officials anticipate that both the film production and the grandstand project will progress smoothly once the necessary conditions are met.
The upcoming summer months will see Pittsfield host the film’s on‑location scenes and, if funding allows, the completion of the Wahconah Park demolition. No further releases, festival appearances, or award announcements are currently scheduled for the film, and the city’s environmental remediation plans remain contingent on the final approval of the change order.
The Burbank Park shoot is slated for a single day, from 1 p.m. to 11 p.m. on June 26, with a crew capped at about 50 people. The location director described the spot as “out of the way,” noting that pedestrian traffic would remain unaffected. Fire safety protocols are in place: a fire ring, an open fire, and a fire‑safety officer on site. Scenes will showcase Caroline and her family picnicking, pitching a tent, and spending a sleep‑over in the park.
A day later, the production will move to Deming Park. Filming there will run from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. on July 8. The crew will be smaller, and the production will avoid the playground and ballfields. In this sequence, Caroline and her friends will cut through the park on their way home from school, passing behind Palmers Variety Store and exchanging secret handshakes. Because the park borders the Pittsfield Little League, the Parks Commission requested an earlier wrap time to avoid disrupting all‑star tournaments. Commissioner Anthony DeMartino said, “I can’t tell you if there’s a game on that day, but I can assure you that if there isn’t a game, that Little League field will be used for practice.” The permit for Deming Park was granted on the condition that the producers connect with the Little League.
Residents of Lake Onota Village were notified that filming will also take place in the mobile‑home park during the month. The Parks Commission confirmed that the production will not use the playground or ballfields at Deming Park, and that the Burbank Park shoot will not impact pedestrian traffic.
Caroline Film Inc. has already made its mark in the Berkshires, and this will be the director’s sixth movie in the region. She expressed enthusiasm about returning to the area and compared the project to films such as Little Miss Sunshine, Matilda, and Harriet the Spy. Mark Farrell, whose IMDb profile lists work in comedy, music, biography, and social consciousness, was listed on the application but was not present on set.
While the city prepares for the film, another project is taking center stage: the demolition of Wahconah Park’s grandstand. James McGrath, the Parks, Open Space, and Natural Resources Manager, reported a temporary pause in the work. The contractor had difficulty achieving the required negative air pressure for hazardous‑material abatement. McGrath explained that negative air is essential to prevent hazardous substances from migrating out of the site and to protect workers. He said the building’s design made it challenging to maintain negative air in the locker‑room space, prompting a review with the Department of Environmental Protection. A plan has been approved, and a change‑order request for additional funding is under review. McGrath added that the project is paused for a good reason and that, if funding is secured, demolition could resume within the next week and the grandstand could be removed by the end of September.
These updates illustrate how Pittsfield balances cultural production, community use of public spaces, and environmental safety. The film’s schedule has been coordinated with local park usage and safety requirements, while the city’s infrastructure projects remain on a cautious timeline.
At present, the film crew will begin shooting at Burbank Park on June 26, followed by Deming Park on July 8. The Parks Commission will monitor the production to ensure compliance with safety and community impact guidelines. Meanwhile, the Wahconah Park demolition remains on hold pending funding and technical approvals. The city’s officials anticipate that both the film production and the grandstand project will progress smoothly once the necessary conditions are met.
The upcoming summer months will see Pittsfield host the film’s on‑location scenes and, if funding allows, the completion of the Wahconah Park demolition. No further releases, festival appearances, or award announcements are currently scheduled for the film, and the city’s environmental remediation plans remain contingent on the final approval of the change order.
