KEENE, N.H. (MyKeeneNow) – Hundreds of people from across the country are expected in Keene next week for the 2026 Radically Rural Summit, a three-day gathering focused on helping small towns collaborate, address community challenges and develop locally driven solutions.

The annual event, organized by the Hannah Grimes Center for Entrepreneurship, runs Tuesday through Thursday, October 6 through 8. Executive Director Julianna Dodson says about 400 people are currently registered, representing more than 30 states.

Radically Rural brings together community leaders, entrepreneurs, journalists, educators, artists and others to share ideas and approaches that can be adapted to communities across the country. Dodson says the event has grown into a national gathering, with previous summits drawing participants from as many as 43 states, including organizations representing all 50 states.

The summit is organized around several tracks, including local media and journalism, entrepreneurship, arts and culture, thriving main streets, health and education. Sessions also bring those areas together, allowing participants to explore connections between topics such as arts and education or health and journalism.

Dodson says the goal is to encourage communities to look beyond individual problems and consider the larger systems and root causes behind them. The concept of being “radically rural,” she explained in an interview on WKBK, refers to going back to the roots of both problems and possibilities to create opportunities for new solutions.

This year’s theme is “Reckoning and Reorienting.” The theme focuses on the importance of truth-telling, taking time to assess what is and is not working, and being willing to change direction when an existing approach is not producing the desired results.

The theme was developed with input from a national advisory group that meets throughout the year.

The opening keynote will feature organizers of Elmer’s Community Center in Ashfield, Massachusetts. The organizers will discuss the process of taking responsibility for shaping their community’s future, including both the project’s successes and the challenges encountered along the way.

The example reflects one of the central ideas behind Radically Rural: communities can take an active role in determining their own futures rather than waiting for an outside developer or organization to provide the next step.

The ideas shared through Radically Rural have also inspired similar efforts elsewhere. Dodson pointed to an arts-focused partnership in Virginia that drew inspiration from work happening in Keene, as well as Big Towns, a conference for midsized cities in Lafayette, Louisiana.

The summit also brings an economic benefit to Keene, with visitors staying at local hotels and short-term rentals and patronizing restaurants and other businesses during their time in the city.

Registration is available on a sliding scale, with three-day tickets starting at $20. Participants can attend the entire summit or select individual sessions.

The opening keynote is scheduled for Tuesday from 9 to 10:30 a.m. at The Colonial Theatre in downtown Keene.

More information, including the full 2026 summit program and registration details, is available at radicallyrural.org.

Listen to the full interview here: Jullianna Dodson, Executive Director of Hannah Grimes Center joins WKBK’s Dan Mitchell to share information about next week’s Radically Rural event. – My Keene Now