The Keene Pumpkin Festival is an annual Halloween celebration held in late October in the Central Square of the small New Hampshire town. Keene, NH has a population of around 25,000 and typically exceeds that number in the amount of pumpkins each year while coming close to tripling the population in attendance.
Starting in 1991 with 600 pumpkins, the Keene Pumpkin Festival typically brings at least 20,000 pumpkins each year, holding the Guinness Record for a period of time. The highlighted events of the Keene Pumpkin Festival include the pumpkin pyramid lighting, Pumpkin Pie Baking Contest and the Farmer Olympics. Outside of the pumpkin related activities and contests there are fireworks, live music, fresh food and an all-important beer garden.
Keene Pumpkin Festival has a $2 admission fee that is paid at the entry to the Festival.