The Greater Monadnock Collaborative Regional Chamber of Commerce hosted the annual Peak Into Peterborough celebration in downtown Peterborough on Saturday.
The event, typically held the second weekend in October, moved to the first weekend this year, and the Vendor Village moved from Putnam Park to Depot Square Park because of construction on the Grove Street Bridge.
The bridge was finished on schedule and was open on Saturday.
Julie Schoelzel, president of the Collaborative, said the celebration “went wonderfully.”
“Overall, we were very pleased with the event. We had a great turnout. We had made changes to the layout because of the unknowns with the (Grove Street) bridge, and that all worked out great, and we are so grateful to the town that everything was on schedule. The soup contest was a big hit, and hundreds of people attended,” Schoelzel said Monday morning.
Schoelzel said the local business owners she spoke to were “very pleased” with this year’s event, which brings crowds of visitors to downtown Peterborough.
“The business owners I spoke to had a steady stream of customers, and they all seemed really happy,” Schoelzel said. “I think all the local restaurants did well, and we had the food truck so people could grab a quick bite as well, so that all went really smoothly.”
According to reports from previous events, Peak Into Peterborough typically brings about 2,500 people into town. The FolkSoul Band, Don Denson, and Modern Fools provided music, and Iron and Kettle Farm of Walpole, NH, offered free horse-drawn wagon rides.
“The wagon rides are always a big hit, and we always love working with Iron and Kettle Farm,” Schoelzel said.
Jessica Johannson, the Collaborative’s Director of Marketing and Communications, said that with so many activities happening in the region in the fall, finding the right date for Peak Into Peterborough is always challenging.
“We were trying to be really cognizant of everything going on, especially Keene Pumpkin Fest and the art tours, and we didn’t want to make people choose between events or take away from Peterborough. We were really happy with how the date worked out, and we were thrilled the bridge construction was done, and we loved the new Depot Square location,” she said. “We really lucked out and had the perfect day.’
For information about the Greater Monadnock Collaborative Regional Chamber of Commerce, go to https://www.greatermonadnock.com.
