Return of the Pumpkin People: A Last-Week-of-October Weekend in Jackson

Drive into Jackson in October and you will notice something odd on the porches. Figures with pumpkin heads are golfing, fishing, skiing, and lounging in front of inns, shops, and town buildings. This is the Return of the Pumpkin People, a long-running Jackson Area Chamber of Commerce tradition, and it runs through Saturday, October 31, 2026. If you are looking for one more fall weekend before stick season, it is a cheerful reason to head to the Mount Washington Valley.

How the Pumpkin People work

The event is a free, self-guided tour. Participating businesses and organizations build their own displays, and visitors drive or walk from one to the next. This year the displays stretch from Jackson through Intervale, Glen, Bartlett, Hart's Location, and Conway. More than 50 displays are taking part.

To find them, pick up the official map at participating businesses or at the Jackson Area Chamber of Commerce office at 18 Main Street in Jackson, or download it from the chamber's website. The back of the map has a ballot for People's Choice voting. The chamber also plans a 50/50 raffle drawing at 2 p.m. on October 31, broadcast live on its Facebook page.

The chamber asks visitors to pull fully out of traffic before stopping to look at a display. Route 16 and Route 302 are busy roads, so that advice is worth following.

Where to see them, and where to stay

Several inns and resorts in our directory appear on the official 2026 participant map, which makes them easy bases for the weekend:

• Nordic Village Resort in Glen, listed first on the map.
• Inn at Ellis River in Jackson.
• Eagle Mountain House and Golf Club in Jackson.
• The Wentworth in Jackson village.
• The Seasons Resort in Bartlett.
• Attitash Mountain Village in Bartlett.
• Eastern Slope Inn Resort in North Conway.
• White Mountain Hotel and Resort in North Conway.

Also in Jackson, the Christmas Farm Inn and Spa is another directory option close to the village.

Make it a weekend

Friday: Arrive in North Conway, pick up a map, and have dinner at Moat Mountain Smokehouse, a directory favorite for barbecue and house-brewed beer.

Saturday: Start at the chamber office in Jackson, walk to the Jackson covered bridge, and spend the day working through the displays toward Bartlett and Glen. Leave time for a short scenic stop; Jackson's village and the drive up Route 16B are lovely even after the leaves fall.

Sunday, or Halloween itself: Finish the North Conway displays, then head home or continue north for Halloween events. Halloween falls on a Saturday this year.

What about the foliage?

By late October, the state's foliage report lists the White Mountains as past peak, with most color now in southern New Hampshire. Expect bare hillsides mixed with patches of gold and russet. That is part of the charm; the Pumpkin People are bright enough to make up for it. Check Visit NH's current foliage report before you go.

Tips

• Bring the map. Displays are spread across several towns, and some are easy to miss.
• Thank the hosts. The chamber encourages visitors to stop in and tell participating businesses they enjoyed the display.
• Go before October 31. The event ends that day.
• Dress for cold. Late-October mornings in the valley can be below freezing.

Plan your trip

Browse our White Mountains listings for more inns, restaurants, and things to do in the Mount Washington Valley.

Sources

• Return of the Pumpkin People 2026 dates, towns, free admission, map locations, People's Choice voting, raffle: Jackson Area Chamber of Commerce, https://jacksonnh.com/events/jackson-pumpkin-people/
• Official 2026 participant map (Nordic Village Resort, Inn at Ellis River, Eagle Mountain House, The Wentworth, The Seasons Resort, Attitash Mountain Village, Eastern Slope Inn Resort, White Mountain Hotel and Resort; safety advice): https://jacksonnh.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/09/PP-2026-Map.pdf
• Foliage status: Visit NH Foliage Report, Oct 23, 2026, https://www.visitnh.gov/plan-your-trip/fall/foliage-report
• Business details: New Hampshire Travel Guides directory listings (verified)