De-vine and delectable eats

Between crisp bouts of blowing autumn air at Pumpkin Festival, on Saturday, thick aromas of gustatory delight filled Main Street. Dancing wisps of steam rose from the overflowing cider pots, unmistakable smells jumped from every street corner, and Festival-goers sought out the city’s watering holes to knock back a brew or two. It was clear, Pumpkin Festival 2009 had arrived. And along with the thousands of pumpkins scattered throughout the streets, food and drink, in many shapes, sizes and amounts, nipped at the heels of the orange gourds for attention this year.
Seemingly almost as numerous as the pumpkins themselves, food and their vendors, were everywhere. With every passing line out of sight, more pumpkins and more food became visible. With each passing stride came troves of people desiring two things; to revel at the imaginative pumpkin carvings and to sample the city’s finest tasty delights. From the predictable and mundane fried dough and onion rings, to the oddly alluring fried pickles, Pumpkin Fest had something to whet everyone’s appetite. The fried pickles, sold by the Girl Scouts of Winchester, N.H., which are basically pickle slices dropped in a deep fryer, seemed to be popular, as long lines filled with enthusiastic to-be eaters were a mainstay for the entire day.  Willie, who declined to having his full name published, trekked from New York to attend his first ever Pumpkin Festival Saturday and remarked about his pickle-