Winchester gets ready to relish pickle season

Pickle lovers from all over New England will be descending on the tiny town of Winchester at the end of the month to celebrate the 28th Annual Winchester NH Pickle Festival, a celebration of all things tart and vinegary, on Saturday, Sept. 26, from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., rain or shine, in the center of town. It's a huge event, often attracting over 5,000 attendees for a day of fun, parades, music, and of course, eating pickles. "We started this in 1999, as a fall festival," said Kevin Bazan, president of the Pickle Festival Committee. "It was the idea of Gary O'Neal, a local resident who wanted to honor the Polish traditions here in Winchester and recognize the families who canned the produce they picked in their gardens. Eventually, the whole event became centered around pickles." Bazan said the tradition, which was held every September, grew every year, until it reached its impressive present size. "We hold this every fourth Saturday in the month," he said. "We now have around 100 vendors. Everyone is encouraged to bring something pickle-related, be it a food or other product based on pickles. We get at least 5,000 people in attendance each year. It's really a big deal, attracting people from all over the region." Bazan said there will also be music at the event, with local bands Version 6 and The Rift showing off their musical chops. "We have a canning contest, where we have six different categories and three judges," he said. "The criteria is very technical, so it's all explained on the entry form which you can reach through our website." Bazan said there is a booth run by the organizers, known as the Pickle Store, located between the town hall and library, where people can purchase Pickle Festival t-shirts, drop off their items for the canning contest, and sign up for the pickle-eating contest. This activity has both an adult and children's category, where the objective is to eat a giant dill pickle in the shortest possible time. One fixture of the festival was Mr. Pickle, portrayed by Winchester teacher and State Representative Henry Parkhurst, who would show up every year in a green suit and bowler hat, marching in the parade and having his picture taken with the attendees. "He was really our spokesman for the entire Pickle Festival, a very theatrical fellow," Bazan said. "When he passed away in 2022, we decided to retire his position. There will be only one Mr. Pickle." Despite Mr. Pickle's passing, his spirit lives on in the spirit of the festival, where pickle afficionados gather every autumn to assuage their craving for the delicious briny treats. The Winchester Pickle Festival will be held on Saturday, Sept. 26 from 10 am to 4 pm on Main Street, Winchester. Free Parking will be available at the Winchester School, 85 Parker St. There will also be a shuttle bus available all day. Handicapped and VIP parking is located at town hall. There will be paid parking at the VFW, 35 Main St. and the ELMM Community Center front lawn, $5 a car. For more information, visit winchesternhpicklefestival.org.