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The Lighthouses of Maine in Winter Light
Summer may belong to the tourists, but winter belongs to the lighthouses.
Discover
Ever since I was a kid growing up on the North Shore of Massachusetts, I’ve been enchanted by Halloween—the way the night seems to breathe with possibility, and every carved face holds a little bit of magic. That childhood devotion still pulses through me every October, and nowhere has felt more spirited than New Hampshire when moons align, pumpkins glow, and communities come alive.
Jackson’s Playful Pumpkin Parade
Jackson, New Hampshire, captures that magic in a uniquely whimsical way. Now in its 40+ year tradition, the Return of the Pumpkin People festival transforms the village into a stage for creativity and harvest charm. Over 60 properties—from historic inns to cozy storefronts and private homes—craft scenes where pumpkins become beings: mounted on hay bales, perched on ladders, or posed in tiny Halloween vignettes. Scenes have paid homage to beloved films, local lore, or entirely original characters, making every corner a visual delight.
Maps and People’s Choice ballots guide visitors through this self-guided experience—encouraging guests to explore, vote for their favorites, and connect with the community in a way big festivals seldom permit.
Just a few hours away lies another chapter of New Hampshire’s pumpkin legacy—one etched into national memory. From Humble Harvest to World Stage. In 1991, downtown Keene hosted its first Harvest Festival, a spark of community hope to revive a quiet Main Street. That single evening unleashed something enormous: merchants, neighbors, schools, and volunteers turned to carving pumpkins—not for profit, but to create collective joy. And joy turned into history. By 1992, Keene set its first world record with 1,628 lit jack-o'-lanterns; the following years saw numbers leap past 10,000, 20,000—and eventually nearly 30,000 (record tallies available below).
Even after interruptions, this community spirit endured. When security concerns and neighborhood unrest led Keene to cancel the festival after 2014, Laconia offered a fresh stage for the tradition under the New Hampshire Pumpkin Festival banner. Meanwhile, a smaller, community-focused version resumed in downtown Keene in 2017—organized by Let It Shine, Inc., a nonprofit born from local devotion to preserve the roots of the festival.
Year Lit Pumpkins Notes
1992 1,628 First world record
1994-1996 10,540 – 13,044 Record setting streak continues
2003 28,952 Another record year
2013 30,581 Rekindling the world record
2015 (Laconia) 9,567 Festival’s first year relocated
Let It Shine, Inc., led by founders such as Ruth Sterling, John Hayes, Lisa Edwards, Alex Bates, and others, opted for a smaller, more inclusive model when Keene sureties were too high to maintain the massive festival—especially in the aftermath of the 2014 incident near campus that triggered permit revocation.
Today’s festival in Keene is modest, purposeful, and focused on artistry, family, and meaning—an embodiment of a community reclaiming its own tradition for the right reasons.
What strikes me as someone who cherishes nostalgic chills and warm community traditions is how both Jackson and Keene celebrate place-based magic—but in different flavors.
Jackson is quiet, intimate, and surprise-filled—a town wearing kindness and seasonal imagination like a costume. It welcomes visitors to walk, explore, and feel the joy quietly unfold.
Keene—even in its scaled-back form—retains a spark of spectacle. The memory of thousands of pumpkin faces lit at once speaks to how creativity, volunteerism, and civic pride can light entire streets—and hearts—aflame.
To get the most autumnal mileage—and nostalgia—out of New Hampshire:
Begin in Jackson
Wander the village and relish the whimsy of Pumpkin People, neighborhood by neighborhood. Vote, laugh, and let the mood settle in like soft fall light.
Make your way to Keene
Pause in Central Square, beneath the bandstand that once presided over a pumpkin sea. Look for installations from local schoolchildren that echo the past—and future—of a beloved tradition.
Cross over to Laconia (if schedule allows)
The New Hampshire Pumpkin Festival still burns bright—though smaller, it carries forward the legacy to new landscapes and audiences.
Closing Reflections
I’ve adored Halloween since I was that kid on the North Shore—hauling candy in a pillowcase, tracing jack-o'-lantern glares in windows, and swallowing ghost stories during early October sleepovers with friends. These New Hampshire festivals—Jackson’s playful displays and Keene’s luminous legacy—resonate deeply with that marrow-deep Halloween love. They remind me that our delight in spooky faces is more than nostalgia—it’s a way to gather, to glow, and to carve our communities into something vividly alive.
