The date of an upcoming festival in Keene to celebrate "Jumanji" has been changed, after city councilors postponed the downtown infrastructure project by a year. Rather than being held in April, the festival is now planned for June 20 through 22 in Central Square, Railroad Square and Main Street.

The event, organized by the Greater Monadnock Collaborative, aims to celebrate the filming of part of the 1995 movie in downtown Keene 30 years ago. During that time, downtown was transformed into a movie set, with actor and comedian Robin Williams roaming Main Street and hanging out with area residents, more than 125 of whom were tapped to play extras.

When festival organizers first pitched the idea, they proposed the June date, but went with April instead to accommodate the downtown infrastructure project. Until last week, construction was planned to break ground by spring. Now, the project won’t start until 2026.

Cathy Bergstrom, who is heading the Jumanji 30th Anniversary Celebration planning, said she is “so happy” about the new date. Bergstrom said it was important to organizers to celebrate in the same Central Square that was featured in "Jumanji" three decades ago, so they sacrificed the warmer weather to get the event in before the downtown project was scheduled to break ground in the spring.

But now the new date will give “more time for planning to create a fun family-friendly event for Keene," she said in an email.

Organizers have said plans for the weekend could include a "Jumanji" screening at The Colonial Theatre, a scavenger hunt among downtown businesses and a mock stampede of jungle animals to replicate a well-known scene where the beasts run wild through the streets of downtown Keene, standing in for the fictional New Hampshire town of Brantford.

Additionally, Bergstrom said organizers will use the event as an opportunity to bring awareness to mental health, as Williams died by suicide in 2014 and experienced depression. 

While the main event isn’t for another six months, the festivities have already begun. On Saturday, organizers hosted a cast party to celebrate locals who played extras in the film. About 15 people shared anecdotes and memorabilia in Tempesta’s Restaurant in Keene.

In the 1995 film, based on the children’s book “Jumanji,” the town of Brantford gets thrown into chaos when a brother and sister, Judy and Peter Shepherd (played by Kirsten Dunst and Bradley Pierce), accidentally bring a magical board game to life. While trying to return it to the box, the pair encounters Alan Parrish, played by Williams, who has grown up trapped in the game since he played it years earlier. 

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