The town of Keene’s annual October Pumpkin Fest celebration took over Main Street at 2 p.m. and ran well into the evening on Saturday, Oct. 17.
A famous part of Keene’s local history, the Pumpkin Fest was first hosted by the Keene community in the early 90’s, was briefly terminated due to the infamous “Pumpkin Fest riots” in 2014, and is now running again as a more family-centered event each year.
This year, Pumpkin Fest featured stacked rows of jack-o’-lanterns carved by classes of elementary school children in the Monadnock region, trick-or-treating for children throughout the downtown area, three stages offering sets of musical entertainment provided by local musicians, a costume contest and local businesses operating as tent vendors selling products up and down Main Street.
Keene resident Jeffrey Berger and his family came to Pumpkin Fest dressed as a family of aquatic creatures inspired by the movie Finding Nemo. “We came to have some family fun and trick-or-treat,” Berger shared. Berger said his son Oscar wanted to be a shark for Halloween, so the family chose to theme their costumes around him as their anchor.
“We have Bruce, Crush, Nemo, anglerfish and sea slug,” said Berger.
Keene residents Skylar Schmidt and Emily Yozos also chose to wear costumes to the event and were dressed as a pair of matching cats. “We just decided that we needed something simple and cute and this is what came out of it,” Schmidt said in regard to their costumes. “A little DIY last minute.”
Both girls shared that their favorite part of the festival was the large pumpkin tower beside Local Burger restaurant.
A member of the Keene Fire Department, Jeremy LaPlante, said that he was at Pumpkin Fest in the interest of public safety. When asked what his favorite thing he’d seen at the festival was, LaPlante said, “The kids. The kids are having a blast. They get to see the pumpkins they carved at their schools or their civic organizations, and they’re having a lot of fun.”
“Seeing how many people are out here is really cool,” Keene resident Delaney Swanson said. “It’s a big event; I wasn’t expecting it.” Swanson was able to enjoy some fudge that was sold by one of the vendors while she was interviewed.
One of said vendors, Rachel Pennel, was selling maple products at her tent. “This is D&D Bell and Sons Maple Products,” Pennel said. “We make maple syrup and all the candies, and we’re from Brattleboro, Vermont.”
Pennel had a similar response to LaPlante when asked what her favorite thing she’d seen at the festival was. “I love seeing all the kids in their costumes walking by. They’re so cute and just the sweetest, and they’re so shy, and I’m just like ‘Oh my god, they’re so cute!’”
Laura Pyzchemsky is the owner of The Morrigan’s Nest and was also able to sell her products at the festival. “We sell vintage treasures with a macabre twist. If it looks like it’s gonna haunt you, I probably have it,” Pyzchemsky said. “I also sell crystals and make my own oddity art with real animal bones and bugs.”
Pzychemsky’s storefront is local to Keene. “We live in Keene. I am online-based, but I’m able to sell at events like Pumpkin Fest, Keene Pride and others.”
Pzychemsky’s favorite thing that she saw was “the dinosaurs.”
“The life-size dinosaurs here are really cool,” she shared.
Those local to the Keene area can look forward to the next Pumpkin Fest in October 2027 as the tradition reigns strong.
Serena Taylor can be contacted at
staylor@kscequinox.com
