Pumpkin Fest in Nashua Gets Positive Response

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There’s been a mostly positive response to the possibility of Nashua hosting the Keene Pumpkin Festival this year.

The festival last year drew infamy when about 100 people—mostly Keene State College students—were arrested during and after a riot. Several fires were set and police used tear gas and pepper bullets to quell the crowd. Hundreds of officers from surrounding states descended on Keene to get the situation under control.

Last week, the Keene City Council denied a permit for the festival to be held again in the city. This year would be the festival’s 25th anniversary.

Festival organizers are exploring the possibility of still having the festival this year—in a different city.

Nashua has been mentioned as an option.

Paul Shea, director of Great American Downtown (Nashua), said he’d be willing to work with festival organizers, according to the Union Leader.

“It is such a good event that gathers a good crowd,” Shea told the Union Leader.

A poll on Nashua Patch this week found about 70 percent of respondents were in favor of Nashua hosting the festival.

Reaction was mixed on the Nashua Patch Facebook page:

In favor

• Scott Hatch: “This would be great for our city! For those that were not in Keene last year, the problem with the event happened blocks away from the actual pumpkin fest with Keene State Students. No one at the event had any idea what was going on.”
• Heather Pierce: “Yes, line Main Street with pumpkins, plus there’s plenty of parking lots behind Main Street to hold all the food, clothes, and all the other vendors as well.”
• Tony Paladino: “Run it just like the holiday stroll. It would be far different from Keene and the kids that caused the issue. Nashua would be amazing.”

Opposed

• Tony Schilling: “The city does enough without this foolishness added on. Whose paying for police, fire, DPW, etc?”
• Ginger Snapp: “Our poor little town can’t handle it! They’re going to come here and ruin our town even more then they ruined their own!”
• Joel Price: “Where is there room? Parking? Taxpayers pay for police and cleanup. What does Nashua get out of it except bills and a mess?”

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Photo credit: Keene Pumpkin Fest