Mystery product by Lakes Region creator Joshua Ritson to be revealed Sept. 19

GILFORD — For the past eight months, Lakes Region entrepreneur Joshua Ritson has been quietly developing a mystery product that has already generated excitement among local families, despite very few people knowing exactly what it is.

The invention will make its public debut on Saturday, Sept. 19, at 5:30 p.m. during a family-friendly community picnic at Smith Apple Orchard in Belmont.

The event, which runs from 4 to 7 p.m., will feature apple picking, live music from local family bands The Ferns and The Foo Family, a high-energy Foo Fighters tribute band, and the first public reveal of a product that has been kept so secretive that even some of the creator's closest family members have been left guessing.

"My own sister didn't know what it was," said Ritson. "I've kept this incredibly close to the chest because I wanted the reveal to be special."

Over the past several weeks, Ritson has shared teaser videos and behind-the-scenes glimpses of the project across social media, building curiosity without ever fully revealing the invention itself.

"The strategy seems to be working," said Ritson. "I've even stopped complete strangers and asked if they'd be willing to see something I've been working on and give honest feedback. The response has been overwhelmingly positive."

Despite never publicly showing the completed product, one of the strongest advocates has been Meg McLean, director of Gilford Village Nursery Pre-School who said, “I love it, as a teacher and a mom … I’ve never seen anything like it before and I can see every kid in town walking around with one of these”.

Ritson describes the invention as a simple but thoughtful enhancement to something children already know and love, designed to encourage healthy habits and meaningful family experiences.

"The funny thing is, it's really not some wild, complicated invention," he said. "I looked at something that already existed and thought it could be better. The idea actually came from a challenge I was having at home as a parent, a challenge many families have faced. That's where this entire journey began."

Development of the invention has included months of design work, prototyping, testing, revisions, consumer feedback, and collaboration with manufacturing partners. The September reveal marks the culmination of that effort.

In keeping with the product's family-focused mission, Ritson has committed to donating $1 from every unit sold, for the lifetime of the product, to the Greater Lakes Region Children's Fund.

"This project has always been about kids and families," he said. "Supporting the Greater Lakes Region Children's Fund felt like a natural fit from day one. If this idea succeeds, I want it to give back to the community that helped make it possible."

Guests attending the event are encouraged to bring lawn chairs or blankets and enjoy an evening of live music, fresh apples, community connection, and a firsthand look at a mystery invention that has quietly become one of the most talked-about local product launches of the year.

Now, after months of development and countless hours of testing, he is preparing to introduce his first consumer invention to the world.

For more information, email Joshua.Ritson@Cbrealty.com or call 603-832-8815.