Earlier this week, the Jacob's Pillow Dance Festival in the southern Berkshires announced it was canceling the remainder of its season. That was after its production director died in what has been described as a "workplace accident" on Friday.
The festival is a key event on the Berkshire summer tourism calendar each year. And it helps to drive the tourism economy in the area along with other events and venues, such as Tanglewood.
Jonathan Butler is the President and CEO of the tourism and economic development agency 1Berkshire. He said it is hard to quantify, but the decision to cancel the Jacob’s Pillow festival could have an economic impact on the region's tourism sector.
"We do know that the Pillow is one of the higher attended festivals of the season," Butler said. "We do know people come here specifically to enjoy the performances and the dance and the unique experience and the setting of the Pillow. "Ultimately there's going to be some impact to it."
Butler said often people come to The Berkshires to enjoy several cultural events, making it hard to tell if people are coming just for a specific event. He added the main focus right now is to be supportive of Jacob's Pillow, and the people there, given the tragedy. And he expects it to bounce back in the future.
"I think their brand and their reputation stands very strong," he said. "I think we're very confident that the Pillow will be back as strong as ever and as strong as always next season."
The accident, which occurred on Friday, claimed the life of 40-year-old Kat Sirico. According to the Berkshire District Attorney’s Office, Sirico and an intern were moving platforms used for staging to a theater across the Jacob’s Pillow property. The staging was on a dolly, which the pair lost control of while going down a hill. Sirico tried to regain control of the dolly, but Sirico was run over by it and then the staging fell on to them.
The DA’s office said no criminal charges will be filed.
In a social media post announcing the cancellation, Jacob’s Pillow said ticketholders for affected shows will receive a refund.
“For 93 years Jacob’s Pillow has been a haven for dance and a community dedicated to its creation, presentation, education and preservation,” the Facebook post said. “We look forward to welcoming back audiences back to our campus.”
Disclaimer: The Jacob’s Pillow Dance Festival is an underwriter of NEPM. This does not affect how we cover the news.