Keene, n.h. — Organizers behind Keene’s pumpkin festival have modified their proposal for this year’s event after facing an obstacle from a City Council committee last week.

The organizing group, Let It Shine, had submitted a request that came before the council’s planning, licenses and development committee calling for an increase in the maximum number of jack-o’-lanterns to 6,000 from 5,000. The request also called for four or five “curbside refreshment stands” at the event, which is being planned for Sunday, Oct. 28.

Members of the committee voted, 4-1, against recommending the full council grant an event license to festival organizers, with a number of councilors on the committee taking issue with the request for vendors.

“There is a sufficient number of restaurants in town, downtown, that can provide food and beverages and refreshments during the event,” At-Large Councilor Bartlomiej K. “Bart” Sapeta said at the meeting.

Sapeta and other councilors expressed a preference for keeping the event small and contained.

On Sunday, Let It Shine Chairman Tim Zinn submitted a modified proposal to the City Council, one that removes the request for vendors and drops the cap on the number of jack-o’-lanterns back to the 5,000 in last year’s proposal.

“We would like our event request to be identical to 2017, reflecting input received from the PLD committee,” Zinn wrote in a letter to city councilors.

The modified proposal will appear before the council today as a communication. It is likely the council will refer it back to the planning, licenses and development committee.

“It wasn’t totally unexpected, but we thought we had found a balance,” Zinn said of the committee’s vote. “We felt these were modest additions to the festival.”

Zinn said festival organizers regrouped after last week’s meeting and worked to develop what they believe will be a more palatable option for councilors. He said the modified proposal isn’t a step backward but a continuation of what the group did last year.

“Really, all we want is the best chance for success,” Zinn said. “We want everybody to come out with a win.”

Founded in the early 1990s, the Keene Pumpkin Festival grew over the years to a point where it encompassed about 30,000 jack-o’-lanterns and drew tens of thousands of visitors.

The event made national headlines in October 2014 when rioting erupted outside the festival, near the Keene State College campus, resulting in property damage, injuries and dozens of arrests that included Keene State students and young people from outside the region.

The next year, the City Council denied the festival a license, citing safety concerns. Let It Shine resurrected the event last year.