Events Licensed By the City Council
The City of Keene’s protocol process is designed to assess and mitigate potential risks associated with public events. Prior to issuing licenses, the City reviews plans, including aspects such as crowd management, security measures, emergency response plans, and traffic control. By carefully considering these details, the City aims to enhance community safety and security. This process is designed to create a well-prepared and secure environment for attendees and the broader community.
The following schedule lists community-organized events that are licensed by the City Council.
Community-Organized Events in 2026
February 7: Ice & Snow Festival, Downtown
June 6: Taste of Keene Food Festival, Downtown
July 3: Independence Eve, Alumni Field
July 4: 4 on the 4th Road Race, Downtown
July 4: 250th Independence Celebration, Downtown
July 25: Keep Keene Wild Festival, Downtown
September 5: Keene Music Festival, Downtown
September 12: Keene Theater Festival, Downtown
September 20: Keene Pride Festival, Downtown
September 27: Clarence DeMar Marathon and Half Marathon, check-in at Keene State College in Downtown
October 10: Pet Lovers Weekend, Downtown
October 17: Keene Pumpkin Festival, Downtown
November 27: Tree Lighting Ceremony, Downtown
November 27: Holiday Lights Festival, Downtown
Additional events that are not community-organized or that are licensed administratively do not appear on this list.
Organizers often use services such as MyKeeneNow, the Keene Sentinel’s ELF Events Calendar, Discover Monadnock, and Explore Keene to post and publicly notice their scheduled events.
Throughout the year, the Keene Recreation Center offers a wide variety of community events for all ages which are listed on KeeneParks.com.