The weather couldn’t have been any worse for Pumpkin Festival last year.

As windy and rainy as it was, the 2006 washout wasn’t enough to keep Norwich’s favorite fall celebration down in 2007.

“It’s just a great way to bring this community together,” said Michelle Lorimer, one of the organizers, who admitted that a recent string of bad weather and lower pumpkin turnouts could have dampened the festival – if the community had let it.

“But people come back every year because it’s a fun family event,” said Lorimer. “And it’s free, so families don’t have spend money to enjoy each other’s company.”

It’s a good time for kids, too. “They can just be themselves,” Lorimer added.

The 9th Annual Pumpkin Festival, held in the East and West parks in downtown Norwich, officially begins Friday at noon and runs until Saturday night, when it will be concluded with an official pumpkin tally and fireworks show.

The festival started out as a contest to break, or at least come close to breaking, to the Guiness Book of World record for the most lit pumpkins collected in one place.

That honor was held – over 29,000 – by the long-time champs in Keene, N.H., who inspired Norwich’s version of the event. Boston now owns the record with 30,128.