Ice Dreams Really Do Come True
- Scott Edward Anderson
- 3 days ago
- 5 min read
COMMUNITY, COMPETITION, AND COLD WEATHER FUN IN THE BERKSHIRES
By Scott Edward Anderson
On cold Berkshire winter mornings, when the ponds glaze over and breath fogs in the air, locals know it's hockey season. The crack of sticks meeting pucks, the scrape of blades on ice, and the echoes of laughter across frozen surfaces are the sounds that define winter in the hills of Western Massachusetts. This year, that magic is getting a major boost in Pittsfield, where a long-envisioned community ice rink is becoming a reality. The idea for a free, public outdoor skating rink in Pittsfield started with a phone call and a promise. Alex Regen, an entrepreneur and hockey enthusiast who grew up skating on frozen Lake Buel in Monterey, approached then-mayoral candidate Peter Marchetti with a vision: a 100-by-50- foot refrigerated outdoor rink that would serve as a gathering place for the entire community.
"He said, 'If I get elected to office, we'll make it happen,’ ” says Regen. “When he got elected, he didn't forget, and he made it happen.”
What began as a hopeful conversation soon turned into a citywide effort. Regen worked closely with Jim McGrath, head of Parks and Open Spaces for Pittsfield, navigating grant applications armed with letters of support from Marchetti, State Representative Tricia Farley-Bouvier, and State Senator Paul Mark.
The Fitzpatrick Trust, a philanthropic foundation based in Stockbridge, stepped up first with a $50,000 donation that sparked a cascade of additional funding. The Feigenbaum Foundation in Pittsfield contributed $125,000, followed by Berkshire Bank with $10,000, Milltown Foundation with $10,000, and Pittsfield Co- Op Bank with $5,000. The city of Pittsfield committed $50,000 for maintenance and electricity costs. By September 2025, the project had reached its $250,000 goal through this model private-public partnership.
"The main purpose is community, public free skating," says Regen. But the vision extends beyond open skating. Regen will help with programming and hopes to partner with the Boys & Girls Club of the Berkshires, which operates an indoor rink in Pittsfield and USA Hockey-sponsored learn-to-skate and learn-to-play programs. The goal is to identify households with children who have never skated or lack resources for hockey equipment, then create dedicated ice time and programming specifically for them.
The refrigerated rink is expected to be installed sometime in mid- to late-December. As of this writing, the location is still being finalized. Unlike natural ice, the refrigerated system has a consistent, reliable skating surface regardless of weather—crucial in a region where warm spells can derail even the best-laid winter plans. The rink is also mobile, giving Pittsfield future flexibility. Marchetti sees it as a positive steppingstone toward larger goals, such as reimagining Wahconah Park as a four-season destination.
“It was exciting to see a citizen come forward with this vision,” says Marchetti. “Between Alex Regen and Jim McGrath, they hit the pavement and brought people together, five organizations stepping up to support outdoor recreation. Here is an example of the goodness in the community and the people that are always willing to work together to make a project succeed.”
Berkshire’s Favorite Winter Showdown
Pittsfield's new rink represents community access, then the Berkshire Pond Hockey Classic represents a community celebration of healthy competition. Regen spearheaded the tournament, which began in 2023 and has quickly become one of the region's most anticipated winter traditions. Held at Benedict Pond in Beartown State Forest, the setting is postcard-perfect: snow-covered trees, fire pits, and the unmistakable joy of pond hockey.
The fourth annual tournament, once again presented by Berkshire Bank, is scheduled for Saturday, February 7 or 14, depending on weather and ice conditions. (Berkshire Magazine continues to be the media sponsor for the tournament.) Teams must commit to one weekend or the other as conditions dictate.
“It’s like threading a needle,” says Regen. “You’re planning for months and then hoping you get ice in that small window.”
Regen surveyed towns across Berkshire County and found that the average number of “skateable” days on traditional, flooded-liner rinks has dropped to just six per season. On those rare days, the rinks are packed. That unpredictability is part of the magic as well as the challenge. At 1,579 feet elevation, Benedict Pond is one of the few places in the region that still reliably freezes deep enough for play.
A Regional Love Affair with Ice
While the Monterey pond ice hockey tournament and Pittsfield’s new rink are generating a buzz, they’re just one piece of the region’s vibrant skating culture. The Peter W. Foote Vietnam Veterans Memorial Rink in North Adams offers year-round access, along with youth hockey leagues and public skate times, and Berkshire Rattlers Youth Hockey runs a Learn to Skate & Play program for children ages four to seven years old from the first weekend in December and through the last weekend in February at the Jackman L. Stewart Athletic Center on the Berkshire School campus in Sheffield.
Pittsfield has deep skating roots. Generations remember neighborhood rinks sprayed by firefighters and the iconic rink at The Common, until warmer winters made it impossible to reliably freeze the field.
In Monterey, the local fire department builds and maintains a seasonal outdoor rink. Volunteers (myself included) assemble the boards and tend the surface throughout the winter. It’s a labor of love and a beloved community tradition.
Beyond formal rinks, families still flock to frozen ponds like Onota Lake, Stockbridge Bowl, and others. They check ice thickness, bring thermoses of hot chocolate, and claim space for pickup games or figure-eights. It’s spontaneous, free, and deeply New England.
Beyond the Ice: Building
Character and Community
The impact of skating opportunities extends far beyond recreation. Youth hockey programs across the country have demonstrated how the sport builds confidence, teamwork, and resilience. Organizations like Ed Snider Youth Hockey & Education in Philadelphia and Hockey in Harlem in New York City have shown how access to ice hockey can build confidence, teamwork, and resilience in young people.
Pittsfield’s new rink could be part of a similar movement—hosting clinics, broomball games, figure skating lessons, and inclusive programs that give everyone a chance to experience the joy of skating. For Regen, who grew up skating with his father on Lake Buel, it’s personal. Whether organizing the Berkshire Pond Hockey Classic or building the new rink, he seeks platforms for connection.
As the Pittsfield rink moves toward its winter debut, Regen and others are already thinking ahead to night skating, youth hockey clinics, perhaps even a figure skating club. But more than anything, they’re thinking about access.
"This is about people," Regen says. "Skating is something you don't forget as a kid. Whether it's your first goal or your first fall, it sticks with you.”
So as winter rolls in and temperatures drop, whether you're cheering at Benedict Pond, skating inside the boards in Monterey, or taking your first laps outside in Pittsfield, one thing is certain: The Berkshires is lacing up for its best skating season yet. The sound of steel on ice, the warmth of community, and the promise of winter traditions old and new, that's the real magic of Berkshire ice.