Zucchini festival returns to Keene with races, ribbons and room for the bizarre

A zucchini can become a loaf of bread, a movie character or the subject of a poem. At the International Zucchini Festival on Saturday, Oct. 3, it might even win a green ribbon. The Historical Society of Cheshire County is bringing the festival back for an afternoon of contests, games and family activities at the Wyman Tavern, 339 Main St. in Keene. The event runs from noon to 3 p.m., beginning with a community parade through Keene State College. Visitors can watch a motorized zucchini race, a relay race, a zucchini toss and a Grate Off Contest, or bring an entry of their own for the Tavern's exhibit hall. "The original festival was beloved precisely because it didn't take itself too seriously — it was odd, funny, and brought the whole community out for an afternoon," Historical Society Executive Director Jennifer Carroll said in the society's event announcement. "We're thrilled to bring that same energy back, and we have no clue what to expect." The exhibit hall gives participants plenty of ways to interpret the theme. They can carve a zucchini, decorate one to resemble a famous person, build a scene from a movie or invent a category of their own. Entries can compete for Silliest, Scariest, Best in Show or Best Lookalike. Other categories recognize the smallest zucchini, the largest, the one with the biggest girth and the one that has traveled farthest. The kitchen offers another route into the competition. Judges will consider zucchini breads, desserts, drinks, casseroles and condiments. Anyone entering food must bring two of the item: one for display and one for judging. Songs and poems also have a place in the festival's art and culture category. No advance registration is required. Participants can bring entries to the Tavern exhibit hall between 11:30 a.m. and 2 p.m. on Oct. 3, and visitors will be able to create entries during the festival. All entries are due by 2 p.m. Judging will take place from 2 to 2:30 p.m., with winners announced and green ribbons awarded at 2:30 p.m. The organizers have borrowed a description of the judges from the original festival that captures its sense of humor: "The judges possess complete power to reward, punish, condemn, or expel entries or entrants for any reason. The judges are insoluble but are very sensitive and on the lookout for creativity, the bizarre, and the once-in-a-lifetime." People who would rather leave the judging to someone else will find activities throughout the afternoon. The Historical Society plans to offer face painting, ring toss, and zucchini carving and decorating, along with food and drink vendors. Local organizations, including the Cheshire Children's Museum, are also planning zucchini-themed activities around town. The festival's history goes back to Harrisville, where it began in 1982 as a fundraiser for the Harrisville School. It's unusual contests, parade and agricultural exhibits eventually attracted attention well beyond the Monadnock Region. The revived event draws on that tradition by making room for serious baking, inventive artwork and entries that defy an easy category. Visitors can learn more about the earlier festival at the Historical Society's "Zukes No Cukes" exhibit, which features photographs, memorabilia and interactive displays from its 1980s run. The exhibit is at the society's headquarters, 246 Main St., and is scheduled to be open from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. on festival day and runs through December. Admission to the festival is $10 for adults and $5 for children, with a $20 maximum per family. The price includes "gadzukes," festival currency redeemable for food and activities. Visitors who bring a perishable food donation for The Community Kitchen will receive an extra gadzuke. For more information, visit hsccnh.org.