The Pumpkin Festival began in 1991 and grew through out the decade. The festival was a smaller town harvest festival during this time. The fair began as a small town festival to celebrate the Halloween season and bring revenue to the struggling town. As the decade went on the festival became more popular across the region, then the state, and eventually became known throughout New England. But in its beginnings it was an ordinary small town fall harvest festival.
Included in this tab are newspaper clips describing the Pumpkin Festival in its early stages. Foreshadowing to the 2014 riot can be seen as there was a rising about of arrests and vandalism that went along with the festival even in the early days.