Pumpkin Festival attracts thousands downtown

LACONIA — Clear weather helped bring thousands of people downtown on Friday and Saturday to look at a 34-foot tower of jack-o’-lanterns, listen to music and sample food and drink in the New Hampshire Pumpkin Festival.

Lakes Region Chamber of Commerce President Karmen Gifford said her conservative estimate is that at least 40,000 people attended the festival, injecting $1 million into the local economy, not including additional hotel revenue.

Crowds seemed bigger this year than last.

“We couldn’t have asked for better weather,” she said. “We noticed the crowds were bigger during the day, and then they continued to grow through the evening.”

Out-of-town and out-of-state tourists were among the attendees. Fall foliage is a big attraction.

“For us it’s about creativity, a celebration of fall. A lot of people carved pumpkins, some painted them, an artist airbrushed a display, All My Life Jeweler made what looked like a giant ring, with a pumpkin where the gem would be.”

People lined up to ride a mechanical bull, which has slow settings for the less adventurous.

“Some people in their 80s had always wanted to do it,” Gifford said.

“The owner said they do a lot of festivals and they were charmed by how friendly and engaging our community was. For them it was about watching the joy on people’s faces. They wanted to make sure they are invited back.”

A goal of the festival is to highlight local businesses.

“Every year we’ve tried to improve how we organize the festival,” Gifford said. “We want folks coming to the festival to be cognizant of local businesses.

“A lot of the businesses took advantage by spilling out to the sidewalk, and having their doors open. If they didn’t get a sale, the goal was to make an impression so people would come back, maybe get a customer into town.”

Gifford said word appears to be spreading about the festival, now in its fifth year.

“Lots of people stayed at the Best Western Plus,” she said. “People were staying in Tilton and at Sun Valley Cottages.

“We had busloads of people who came from upstate New York, people from Connecticut, San Diego, Florida, places where they don’t see the foliage. We had a couple come in from Europe.

“There’s a lot going on — corn mazes, the Mount Washington, foliage trains.”

The festival always takes place the weekend after Columbus Day, to keep the tourism season alive longer.

Melissa McCarthy of The Studio gift shop downtown said she counted 1,000 visitors who came into her store during the festival.

“There were definitely more people, certainly more than last year, when we had issues with the weather,” she said.

“Sales were good, and our experience is that people find us during the festival and then they come back.”