Pumpkins prove to be profitable

     Pumpkin Fest, an annual celebration in Keene, NH has come and gone again. The festival was a huge event for surrounding towns and students, but when it comes to servicing the 70,000 people who walked down Main Street, the local businesses took the pumpkin pie.    

    Local businesses were busy the day before Pumpkin Fest preparing for what could be the busiest day of the year. Restaurants began prepping food, retailers decorated windows and store interiors and shops were hustling making everything look spic and span.

    Most businesses on Main Street are impacted by the Pumpkin Fest weekend. Most businesses have already experienced a Pumpkin Fest, but there were a few shops this year that contributed for the first time.

    Life is Sweet is a candy store and was originally located in the Colonial Mill but migrated to Main street in June. They are hoping for a boost in customers this weekend and prepared properly by constructing line queues and a booth outside to reel tourists in. Being this their first Pumpkin Fest, the small candy store was bubbling with excitement.

    Restaurants are a big part of Pumpkin Fest. Fritz’ Restaurant has been on Main Street for three years and begin prepping food two weeks in advance for the big event. Jessica Graveline, owner and operator of Fritz’ has seen a big turnout since moving to Main street and expects the turnout to be just as busy as last year.

    “It’s really just weather dependant, that’s where we see the most fluctuation. If it’s beautiful out, we’re busy, if it’s not, we’re not busy,” Graveline said. “It’s still the busiest time of the year.”

    The weather is usually gorgeous this time of year because of the changing leaves. The EF Lane Hotel is a popular place for tourists during their time in Keene. The hotel usually sells out every year during this time because of Pumpkin Fest and busy foliage weekends. Both weekends bring in a lot of revenue but the festival this year was pushed to an earlier weekend, making the EF Lane lose a foliage weekend, and therefore losing some revenue.

    General Manager Christine Giroux enjoys Pumpkin Fest and the value it has for the community. It impacts individual storeowners and boosts their income to help them from any economic recession.

    “Pumpkin Festival helps out many non profit organizations in Keene. These non-profit organizations make 200-500 thousand dollars, which in return goes back into our community,” Giroux said. “If they take Pumpkin Festival away, the city will have to provide the non-profits with those funds, which in return will hurt everyone in our area.”

    The EF Lane Hotel has always been a comfortable place to stay for their eight years on Main Street. They become very active during Pumpkin Fest to allow residents and children experience the weekend to it’s fullest.

    Businesses make sure to entertain and enjoy the Pumpkin Fest for the benefit of their customers.

    The Works Bakery on Main Street is a small business but packs in three times the customers on their biggest sales day of the year. Manager Phoebe Bray makes sure all employees dress up for the festival.

    “Everybody works but everybody comes in fancy dress,” Bray said.

    The unique ways a business operates this weekend is insight to how much each store benefits and values the Pumpkin Festival. Stores experience their biggest revenue weekend of the year. Revenue always fluctuates each year depending on the outcome of tourists for the day, but Pumpkin Fest still remains Main Street’s busiest time of year.
   
Jen St. Pierre can be contacted at jstpierre@keeneequinox.com.