New Hampshire city celebrates ‘Jumanji’ 30 years later with events at on-screen locations

By Jon Schoenheider

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    KEENE, New Hampshire (WMUR) — The city of Keene is marking the 30th anniversary of Jumanji (the original film) all weekend long, honoring the local impact viewers still point out when they watch the movie today.

In the early 1990s, film location scout Dow Griffith flew to New England to find a place for an upcoming movie adaptation of Jumanji, the children’s picture book about a jungle-themed board game that fully immerses its players in magic — and sometimes, malicious ways.

While traveling the region, someone told him to stop by Keene if he wanted to have an amazing cup of coffee. When he arrived, he knew he had found the area he was looking for.

“Once I walked around, I saw that this would really lend itself to the action that I imagined was going to take place from reading the script,” he said.

When the movie’s production team approached the city council at the time to ask if they could film there, Griffith said everyone was fully invested in the chance for Keene to get its big break.

“People in Keene had more fun than we did making a movie, which was wonderful!”

Many attending the 30th anniversary festivities Saturday lived in Keene while filming was underway, catching a glance at stars like Robin Williams and rising actress Kirsten Dunst.

Angela Willey is one of them, who was 14 years old when her teachers let her out of class to watch the production just blocks away from her school.

“It’s just kind of a cool memory to think back on, like, ‘I was there! I saw some of those people. I met some of them,'” she said.

The planned weekend events in the Common area downtown are meant to evoke the wonder of a jungle transported to the middle of civilization. The calendar included a themed parade, live entertainment, and a road race that calls back to the iconic scene of animals stampeding through town. This time around, dozens of people dressed in inflatable animal costumes pushed through the summer heat to make it to the finish line.

The anniversary is also bringing out fans of Jumanji from across the country, like Justin Fitz from Michigan. Since he saw the movie when it first came out in theaters, it’s remained a passion of his.

It even lent inspiration to creating a replica of the movie’s namesake board game from the movie that he carried around the town square, with passersby stopping him to take photos.

“That’s great that you guys kept up the ‘Parrish Shoes’ sign over here,” he said, pointing to the wall mural advertising the fictional shoe company Robin Williams’ character descended from.

For Dow Griffith, he’s back to see the sign, too, and celebrate Jumanji with the city that made it possible, while sharing in its wild legacy.

“Everyone in Keene is on the right track with expressing their pride and their community spirit. I’d say keep on keepin’ on, because it’s wonderful!”

The celebration continues Sunday, with a closing ceremony and more festivities into the afternoon.

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