Escalator collapse at Holyoke Mall sparks questions after festive parade

HOLYOKE ― The music, dancing and joy of a traditional Puerto Rican parranda filled Holyoke Mall on Dec. 14 — right up until the escalator carrying the celebrants buckled under their feet, turning the night into a slow‑motion scare that organizer Czar Adorno says he'll never forget.

Though no one was hurt, the collapse underscored both the vulnerability of the mall's frequently faulty escalators and the growing popularity of Adorno's parrandas, which have become a cherished cultural celebration across Western Massachusetts.

For Adorno, a faith‑driven community leader who overcame addiction and has built a following through music and outreach, the incident won't slow plans to continue the annual tradition — though next time, he said, they might look for a safer venue.

Czar Adorno, event organizer, moments before the escalator collapsed on Dec. 14 at the Holyoke Mall. (Screenshot from Facebook)courtesy

A viral scare caught on video

The Matutino por la Ciudad celebration began at Brightwood Elementary School in Springfield, where Adorno explained the plan and why the parranda mattered to attendees.

Then about 250 people set off in a caravan to Holyoke Mall with a local Jeep club leading the way, followed by two school buses from Rozki Rides, Adorno said.

Holyoke Mayor Joshua Garcia, state Sen. Adam Gomez, Jeromie Whalan, a congressional candidate, and other officials joined the festival.

The group entered Holyoke Mall through JCPenney and headed for the escalator to reach the spot set aside for the celebration, he said.

A festive Facebook video shows Adorno leading a group with tambourines and maracas — even the Grinch and Santa dancing — down the escalator near the AT&T store, moments before the moveable stairs flattened out.

"All of a sudden," Adorno said, "I heard screaming. I am like, 'What's this?' It all felt like it was going in slow motion. I couldn't believe what was happening. I thought about my wife and my daughter and son."

"Luckily," he added, "They were already off."

Adorno said he jumped into action and hit the emergency stop at the bottom of the escalator.

"It was a crazy night, but thanks to God, nobody was hurt," Adorno said. "It was a little scare, but we were able to finish our celebration."

In the video, the Grinch can also be seen extending his arms to keep people from getting hurt. A Facebook user, Ruben M. Arroyo captioned his post, "The Grinch actually saved Christmas."

A Grinch helps event participants as a Holyoke Mall escalator gives way under its riders on Dec. 14. (Screenshot from Facebook)courtesy Czar Adorno's Facebook

The Republican reviewed Massachusetts Division of Occupational Licensure inspection records for 10 escalators at Holyoke Mall over the past three years.

Records show mixed results for the mall's escalators: Six are operating, one is out of service, two have been decommissioned and one could not be tested.

While some passed inspections every year, others needed follow‑up checks.

A brief history of Holyoke Mall escalator repairs▼

• The escalator identified as 137 E323 was inspected five times. It passed in 2022, needed a reinspection in 2023, passed that follow up in May 2023, and then passed again in 2024 and 2025. Its certification expires Feb. 28.

• The escalator known as E324 was also inspected five times. It passed each year from 2022 through 2025, and inspectors noted one check that did not require a permit. Its certification also expires Feb. 28.

• The escalator labeled E 325 had seven inspections. It needed a reinspection in 2022 and passed that test in May. It passed again in 2023, 2024 and 2025, and also passed a required weight test in October 2025. Its current certification runs through Oct. 31, 2026.

• Another escalator, 137 E 326, had four annual inspections and one inspection involving placard removal. It passed between 2022 and 2024 but could not be tested in October 2025, according to the Division of Occupational Licensure.

• Escalator 327 had five inspections and passed all of them between 2022 and 2024. Its certification is valid until Feb. 28, 2026.

• Escalator 328 also had five inspections and passed each required test. Records show it is now shut down, even though its last certification inspection was Feb. 4, 2025. Its certification is still active until Feb. 28, 2026.

• Escalator 417 passed several yearly inspections between 2022 and 2025 and then was decommissioned. Its last inspection was in December 2025, and its certification runs until Feb. 28, 2026.

• Escalator 418 passed annual inspections from 2022 through 2025 before it, too, was decommissioned. Its last certification inspection was in December 2025.

• Escalator 420 passed its inspections every year from 2022 to 2025. Its certification expires Feb. 28, 2026.

• Escalator 421 had five annual inspections and one reinspection. It passed in 2022, 2023 and 2025. In 2024 it required a follow up check, which it passed in May. Its certification is also valid until Feb. 28, 2026.

Aprell Munford Source: From state records

Of the six escalators in the Holyoke Mall's common areas, half are not in operation at Ingleside on Jan. 20. (Douglas Hook / The Republican)Douglas Hook

Questions of responsibility emerge

Adorno said he had a permit from Holyoke Mall, but it only specified where the event could take place, not how many people could ride the escalators at once.

He told the mall he was expecting 50 or more participants, but the crowd grew much larger, likely because of the mayor's public invitation.

In an email, mall officials told Adorno they were unhappy with the turnout, he said.

"I don't have the power to say who can go and who can't. When you plan something, you hope for a good crowd," Adorno said. "It wasn't the number we expected, but I still don't think the escalator should have broken."

He estimated about 40 people were on it before it collapsed.

"Maybe I could have done better, but honestly, I never thought it would break," he said.

Despite the scare, Adorno said the celebration drew in shoppers and even store owners. He said he saw two women crying with joy, overwhelmed by the celebration. Afterward, the group returned to Brightwood School for free soup, rice and a live band.

Adorno said the video sparked a lot of attention on social media; he received many calls and even found out that a news outlet covered the incident in Puerto Rico.

"It's been wild — sadly because of the incident — but it's also been great," he said.

Shoppers complain about the Holyoke Mall's defunct escalators. (Douglas Hook / The Republican)Douglas Hook

Management: Breakdowns are routine but mum on incident

It's common for transportation anywhere in the world to breakdown, and Holyoke Mall is no exception, said Jim Soos, Pyramid Management Group's director of asset management.

"We are very responsive whenever it has occurred at Holyoke Mall," Soos said. "Unfortunately, sometimes repairs take longer than necessary due to matters outside of our control."

The mall did not respond to further questions about the event or its broken-down escalators.

Meanwhile, the escalator mishap didn't just spark chatter at the mall — it lit up social media, where shoppers vented frustration, joked about the fallout and raised fresh questions about the safety and maintenance of the mall's aging escalators — a long-standing source of frustration for shoppers.

On Dec. 15, Javier Maldonado posted that he wished he could use the escalator to finish Christmas shopping but now had to take the stairs. He added that the mall seemed to be looking for Adorno to pay for the damage so the escalator could be fixed, ending his post with "Banned from Holyoke Mall."

On Dec. 28, Aaron Gamelli wrote that the mall has struggled with escalator problems for decades, calling them "not new technology" and criticizing management for failing to replace them.

He said the escalators always seem to work on Black Friday but stay broken the rest of the year, and claimed mall officials shut them down to force shoppers through anchor stores to boost sales.

"Just rip them out. Build new ones. Or admit the strategy is to slowly herd people through anchor stores like it's a behavioral experiment. Because right now, it just feels cheap, pathetic and embarrassing. Like the mall equivalent of turning the lights off at a party instead of telling people to leave," Gamelli wrote.

One of the escalators near the food court in the Holyoke Mall in Ingleside is under repair. On Jan. 20, half of the escalators in the mall's common areas were out of service or under repair. (Douglas Hook / The Republican)Douglas Hook

His journey fuels the celebration

The parranda wasn't just a one-time idea — it's part of a tradition Adorno has worked to bring to Western Massachusetts.

Adorno said he began organizing parrandas because the lively, house-to-house celebrations common in Puerto Rico are rarely seen here.

Last year, his group held parrandas at the Chicopee and Boston Road Walmart locations, drawing praise and attention.

Since then, several organizations, including local hospitals and the Springfield Public Schools, have partnered with Adorno, which further grew the event.

A deeply Christian man, Adorno also hosts worship nights with his family in Westfield and says his faith is what drives his community work. He's gathered more than 1,500 people for musical and outreach events.

But his path wasn't easy: Adorno, 42, grew up in a church family in Meriden, Connecticut, but struggled with addiction in his 20s after being prescribed medication for an illness.

He said after his prescription ended, he turned to heroin and crack cocaine. Adorno lived on the streets and survived 12 overdoses before entering a faith-based recovery program in 2016. Since then, he said, his life has been transformed.

Adorno plans to keep the tradition alive with annual parrandas and fundraisers.

"I've done it all, and by the grace of God this April will be 10 years since He (God) restored my life," Adorno said. Today, he said the celebration is part of his works to help others overcome addiction and bring joy to the community through music and faith.

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