Wow! It was a beautiful day here in Keene, perfect for the Free Keene Fest held this afternoon on Railroad Square. With at least 300 people stopping by to purchase or sell items, pass out informational fliers or collect money/clothing for charities, it was a fun time for all. The Federal Crime, a rock band, played for half of the festival and then some local gentlemen took over the music aspect playing the banjo!
I was thoroughly impressed with several things today, one being the amount of Keene folk that walked through, enjoying the music and purchasing items. People were super friendly and supportive of this agorist festival, and many took fliers and pamphlets of liberty-oriented subjects with them upon departure. There were, of course, many freedom-loving people from all over the state (Grafton, Manchester, Peterborough, Hancock, etc) that enjoyed the day as well!
It was nice to see the variety of items the vendors had, as well as the style in which they set up their tables. Ice cream, muffins, jam, jewelery, massages, framed photos, liberty flair, books and bumper stickers, and even massages were sold, as were a wide variety of attire. There was even a table for black jack! Information regarding Monadnock liberty families, ‘Don’t take the plea deal’ (fija), copblock.org, and Fr33 Aid was on display for all. There were tents, canopies, colorful table cloths, and unique signs to make the festival stand out just off of Main Street.
I was tickled pink to observe the wonderful, calm demeanor of the few police officers that drove or walked by, even though there were MANY blatant open containers. They didn’t say a word about the alcohol, just smiled, made small talk with some festival attendees, and went on their merry way. YAY! I firmly feel that is how it should be all the time! No one was endangering anyone or anything, and so they ignored the open containers. It’s about time! I just hope that friendly attitude of the Keene PD will continue on.
This permit-free, drama-free festival was sensational, and I hope to see many more outstanding festivals in the future! I would also like to thank everyone who participated today; it wouldn’t have been anything noteworthy without them!
