KEENE, N.H. (MyKeeneNow) The strange, colorful and decidedly zucchini-heavy history of one of the Monadnock Region’s most unusual festivals is about to go on display in Keene.

The Historical Society of Cheshire County will open “Zukes No Cukes,” an exhibit devoted to the International Zucchini Festival of the 1980s, with a public reception from 4 to 6 p.m. Wednesday, Sept. 2, at the society’s exhibit gallery at 246 Main St. The exhibit will remain on display through Dec. 31.

The festival began in 1982 as a fundraiser for the Harrisville School before growing into a regional attraction that drew thousands of people and attracted attention from major newspapers including the Boston Globe, Newsday and the Wall Street Journal.

Now, more than four decades later, the Historical Society is bringing the festival back to life through photographs, memorabilia, video, interviews and hands-on activities.

The exhibit takes its name from the festival’s tongue-in-cheek slogan, “Zukes No Cukes,” a play on the “No Nukes” movement of the era and concerns surrounding the Seabrook Station nuclear power plant.

“One of the reasons why the festival did so well is because the promotion and events took a satirical approach to contemporary issues facing New Hampshire residents at the time,” Historical Society Executive Director Jennifer Carroll said.

That spirit of irreverence will be a central part of the exhibit.

Visitors will be able to see original photographs, festival programs, T-shirts, prize ribbons and other ephemera, while interactive displays will invite them to create their own headlines, sample recipes and even dress up as characters including Ms. Zucchini and the Zuke of Earl.

The original festival was known for its unconventional competitions. Green ribbons were awarded in categories ranging from the Farthest Traveled Zucchini to the Most Grotesque Zucchini Not Grown Within Ten Miles of a Nuclear Power Plant. Competitors also battled over such culinary distinctions as Best Zucchini Casserole and Worst Zucchini Casserole.

The exhibit will also draw on interviews with original organizers Pat Colony, Chick Colony, David Sobel, David Lord and Dayton Duncan, along with footage from a 1982 NH Crossroads television segment.

The Historical Society’s effort to revive the festival’s history also follows this summer’s celebration of International Leave a Zucchini on Your Neighbor’s Porch Day on Aug. 8. The organization created printable tags for residents to attach to surplus zucchini before anonymously leaving the vegetables for neighbors.

And zucchini will remain at the center of the organization’s programming this fall.

Admission to “Zukes No Cukes” is $5, which includes a gallery comic created by New Hampshire cartoonist Marek Bennett and one “gadzuke,” the festival’s fictional currency that can be used during the Historical Society’s own International Zucchini Festival on Oct. 3. Admission is free for Historical Society members and anyone under 18.

The Historical Society also plans a motorized zucchini workshop with Maxt Makerspace on Sept. 16 and a November gathering featuring some of the original festival organizers.

A companion cookbook, “Gadzukes! That’s Tasty,” contains more than 100 zucchini recipes collected from Monadnock Region residents, including recipes accompanied by personal stories. The cookbook is available through the Historical Society’s Museum Store, along with zucchini-themed buttons, shirts, totes, hats and felted gnomes.

The exhibit is dedicated to Nancy “Pooky” Hayden, one of the festival’s original organizers. When asked in 1982 whether the event would return the following year, Hayden reportedly answered, “I should hope so — it’s a lot easier than selling brownies.”

Call 352-1895 or email hscc@hsccnh.org (or visit hsccnh.org) for more information.