A New Leaf

AutumnFest is a big deal for residents of Woonsocket, RI.  Trust me, I've been going my whole life.  It's really an amazing site to see so many people come together to celebrate the city, and this year is no different, especially since it's the 35th anniversary.  While I've been going my whole life, I honestly haven't the faintest clue as to what exactly drives people to go back year after year.  I only go for the food court, (and let me tell you, if you haven't had a blooming onion or a doughboy, you haven't lived!), it's always packed with at least a dozen different types of food stations.  Yet, there are so many other things going on at once.  What is really going on that brings people back year after year after year?  Is Woonsocket really as "scummy" as people claim?  AutumnFest is full of Woonsocket residents, so I'm sure it can hold the answer to some of these.  What else is there to discover?  Have I missed something over the years?  Is there an underlying subculture within the culture of AutumnFest that I'm unaware of?  There are so many questions on my mind, and exploring AutumnFest and its impact on not just it's location, but the community it takes place in might just hold the key to finding out answers to my questions and to the questions of others.