By Rod Hansen
Staff Writer

This jack-o-lantern from Junior Girl Scout Troop 724 is one of several creatures haunting the center of town for the New Boston Scarecrow Contest. The town common area becomes known as Scarecrow Alley during the annual event. (The Goffstown News/Rod Hansen)

The fall season is here, with two landmark local events announcing its arrival the weekend of Oct. 13 to 15.

The New Boston Scarecrow Contest and Goffstown’s Giant Pumpkin Weigh-off and Regatta both kick off on Friday, Oct. 13, continuing long-standing traditions of autumn.

New Boston’s contest transforms the town common into Scarecrow Alley haunting displays invade the gazebo area in competition for a cash prize.

Co-sponsored by the New Boston Recreation Department and the Friends of the Whipple Free Library, the Scarecrow Contest is a long-standing tradition in town, said Recreation Director Mike Sindoni.

“It’s been going on for years, and it’s a nice small-town event,” Sindoni said.

Competitors can enter their scarecrows in three classes of displays. Those classes include families, businesses and organizations. Participants can register for the competition at the recreation department, where they are given a number assigned by category.

One early entry in this year’s scarecrow contest came from the Little People’s Depot preschool, where the parents and the 36 students themselves designed this year’s display.

Titled “Out of this World,” the Little People’s Depot display reflects a unit the school did on outer space, said teacher Karen Hall.

Along with providing a creative activity for students and parents, the competition also offers the school local exposure, Hall said.

“This is our way to be involved in the community and to get our name out there,” Hall said.

Residents can vote on their favorite scarecrows in each of the three categories, with voting buckets to be placed at New Boston Town Hall, the library and Dodge’s Store.

Voting extends from Oct. 13 to 27, with the Friends of the Library tabulating the votes and awarding a $25 cash prize to winners in each of the three caregories at the New Boston Halloween party, which runs from 4 to 6 p.m., Tuesday, Oct. 31, at the New Boston Central School.

As far as local autumn events go, Goffstown’s Giant Pumpkin Weigh-in and Regatta is one of the area’s largest.

The event serves as the state weigh-off for the New Hampshire Giant Pumpkin Growers Association and one of the primary annual fundraiser for the Goffstown Main Street Program.

A couple hundred pumpkins are expected to arrive in town for the weigh-off, with some of the massive gourds weighing up to half a ton, said Main Street Program Promotions Chairman Bruce Normand.

Following the weigh-in, some of the mighty pumpkins will compete in the regatta, in which they are fashioned into boats and driven through an obstacle course on the Piscataquog River.

More than just a weigh-off and a boat race, the Pumpkin Weigh-in and Regatta is established to be two days of family fun and contests. Making the event come off right often requires a lot of planning and preparation, Normand said.

“There’s a lot of running around and organizing to make sure everything goes right, just because we have so many people who are going to participate this year,” Normand said.

He also said the clear weather predictions for the weekend lend an air of optimism to the event. Last year, the torrential October rains came the weekend of the event, striking a major blow to the activities and to Main Street Program’s fundraising efforts.

“It looks like we’re going to have a really good weekend, so it’s good that we have that going for us,” Normand said.

Events for the weekend begin with a barn dance at Maple Avenue Elementary School and run throughout the weekend.