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10/19/2009 1:34:07 PM
With this year's Pumpkin Festival ending on high note and many people having mixed feeling about the future of the festival, give us your opinion... has the Keene Pumpkin Festival run its course?
11/1/2009 3:17:28 PM
Pumpkin Fest is a great community event. Yes it's crowded, but for the most part well-behaved. And the speed and thoroughness of the clean-up are truly impressive.
While it may be that most of the businesses that make money on it are on Main St., many non-profit and civic groups also benefit. I agree with the Sentinel editorial urging that we look at the larger-scale economic impact - where does the money come from, and who benefits financially. I suspect that the groups that benefit financially would contribute more if there was an effective effort to get them to do so. Check out how Bellows Falls and other communities finance successful festivals.
Festivals are an important part of community life, and not just for whatever money they bring in. As such, they deserve some public support. Pumpkin Fest is unique; it's a gem.
10/22/2009 11:51:55 AM
Maybe the organizers can learn how to fund the event by taking a look at Bellows Falls VT's Old Home Days in August. Three days of fun and excitement, topped off by one of the largest fireworks displays around and none funded by town or village tax money. Liasi's funds a part of it with merchants making donations as well as individuals and many fund raising events and passing the bucket on the night of the fireworks. Before letting your Pumpkin Fest fall by the wayside, check out other possibilities for funding!
10/21/2009 8:32:35 AM
A lot of keeping , a little tweaking, that's what the Pumpkin Festival needs. A tip of the old tail to all the volunteers who work so long and hard to make the Pumpkin Festival happen every year. Lucycat
10/20/2009 8:30:36 PM
I have to agree, the tax payers of Keene put alot of money through property tax into this event and who profits? Main street merchants. They are rolling in cash from this weekend. Not so many other merchants, only downtown, like the coffee houses and food places make a bundle. The other stores close because people only want to use their bathrooms. Its a side show event.
10/20/2009 8:05:41 PM
There are two sides to the pumpkin festival. One side represents the city's quiet acceptance of rude and obnoxious behavior on the part of college youth, the trash that results from excessive drinking, the noise that police cannot respond to because it is a time to party or because they are preoccupied with other safety matters, the overwhelming crowds that make it difficult to move and the two to three days of cleanup necessary in downtown Keene.
The other side represents the dollar bills that go to a few businesses which does not benefit the larger portion of Keene residents whatsoever, the publicity that Keene receives which does not benefit the larger portion of Keene residents, the experiential stress and strain that tests our fire and police personnel which waters down the available response to the larger portion of Keene residents and the fun had by all except for the larger portion of Keene residents.
10/20/2009 5:36:26 PM
The time has come to stop forcing the taxpayers to fund the event. Let all those who profit from it pay for it. My taxes are already too high.
10/20/2009 5:20:54 PM
The Pumpkin Festival is one of Keene's most notable & special attractions. We always have guests who want to visit that weekend - and we enjoy attending Pumpkin Festival with them! We are among those hoping that a way can be found to keep it going.
10/20/2009 4:03:28 PM
The Pumpkin Festival is THE SINGLE MOST important thing to ever happen to Keene! It has absolutely put Keene on the map. It brings hundreds of thousands of dollars to the local economy! We should do EVERYTHING in our power to make this last forever! Think Octoberfest in Munich Germany...
10/19/2009 6:04:14 PM
If the tax payers in Keene don't mind funding the downtown merchants, go for it. Keene is a great little city, but I'm betting a lot of people have had it with the expense and the kayos.