Riot breaks out at New Hampshire annual pumpkin festival

A pumpkin festival of all places.

Over the weekend, in a quaint New Hampshire town where the leaves are just beginning to change colour, the local residents held their annual pumpkin festival.

And all hell broke loose.

Police say 14 were arrested following chaotic riots in Keene, N.H. last night: http://t.co/lPro6OwIHi pic.twitter.com/cUNvPEaSaW

— zzz (@ChrisCaesar) October 19, 2014

Tear gas, riot police and flipped cars - the Keene Pumpkin Festival was not supposed to end like this. During what is usually, a small-town celebration, photos posted on Twitter, Instagram and Facebook show hordes of drunken revellers swarming through the streets leaving a trail of destruction in their wake.

Local authorities are blaming students from Keene State who came into town after a rowdy party - with seemingly the sole intention of being brats.

One student spoke to the Keene Sentinel during the riot:

“It’s (expletive) wicked,” said Steven French, 18.

“It’s just like a rush. You’re revolting from the cops. It’s a blast to do things that you’re not supposed to do."

Right…

Student hurt by a thrown bottle at rowdy Keene State party http://t.co/E9botZTOJQ #pumpkinfest (h/t @Dels_Kevinade) pic.twitter.com/rZLqPpPCK0

— zzz (@ChrisCaesar) October 18, 2014

Car through the porch/house... 60 Linwood st in Lynn, MA! #Fox25 pic.twitter.com/ijHOlXatyT

— Ted Cooper (@tedcooper) October 19, 2014

Police arrested 49 people as they lit bonfires in the middle of the street, ripped signs out of the ground and overturned cars. There were reports of to 12 people injured by thrown glass bottles.

And we imagine not many pumpkins survived the night.