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Art & Pumpkin Festival celebrates gargantuan gourds
Annual Art & Pumpkin Festival celebrates gargantuan gourds
The eagerly-awaited fall season is almost here, which means pumpkins are popping up everywhere, flavoring drinks, adorning mantles and decorating porches.
But there is only one place to see pumpkins in abundance and celebrate the beloved orange gourd – the 52nd Half Moon Bay Art & Pumpkin Festival, which will be held from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Oct. 19 and 20 on Half Moon Bay’s historic Main Street.
Pumpkin growers with the biggest pumpkins in the country and community members of all ages will gather for the world-famous, family-friendly festival, which will kick off with the 2024 Safeway World Championship Pumpkin Weigh-off at 7 a.m. Oct. 14 at 735 Main St. in Half Moon Bay.
Last year, a new world record was set at the Half Moon Bay weigh-off by three-time winner Travis Gienger of Anoka, MN, when his pumpkin weighed in at well over a ton – his rhinoceros-sized gourd weighed in at 2,749-pounds. Also in 2023, Ron Root and Nick Kennedy set a California state record with a 2,497-pound pumpkin. This yearto celebrate its fascinating story and proud history, organizers will be unveiling a spectacular Weigh-Off Wall of Famethat will be permanently displayed on the south wall of the Cunha Market on Kelly Avenue starting in October.
The festival was organized for the first time in 1971 to help restore the city’s historic downtown. It has since evolved into a celebration that attracts visitors from around the country and international news coverage for its giant pumpkin weigh-off. While it has become world-famous, the event continues to be a fundraiser for local non-profits.
Like the fundraising and weigh-off, a number of activities and features have become traditions at the festival.
Pumpkin Run
For 46 years, the Pumpkin Run has been a mainstay of the festival, with a kids fun run, 5K, 10K and half marathon. This year’s event will be held the morning of Oct. 20 and will start at Hatch School, 490 Miramontes Ave., Half Moon Bay.
The run will take participants, dressed up in costumes, along the scenic Coastal Trail, which overlooks the Pacific Ocean. Proceeds benefit Senior Coastsiders, a local non-profit that provides enrichment activities, services and resources to older adults. For more information, including race start times, and to register, visit RaceRoster.com.
Organizers recommend early registration to guarantee a spot in a preferred race or races and shirt size.
Expert pumpkin carver
Another long-standing tradition is watching local pumpkin carver Mike Valladao, affectionately called Farmer Mike, carve works of art.
For more than 35 years, Farmer Mike has taken the Atlantic Giant variety of pumpkins from 100 pounds to more than a half ton each and, using a folding buck knife, creates whimsical faces and reliefs that defy imagination.
Past designs have featured Puff the Magic Dragon, Charlie Brown and Yoda. No two carvings have been the same because Farmer Mike lets the pumpkin shape inform the carving.
The Great Pumpkin Parade
A perennial favorite, the Great Pumpkin Parade will kick off at noon Oct. 19 on Main Street. The weigh-off champion pumpkin and its grower will lead the parade, which will include marching bands, classic cars, creative floats and ghosts, goblins and assorted ghouls.
Meet top artists and shop for gifts
Visitors to the festival will have the opportunity to meet more than 250 of America’s top artists and craftmakers who will showcase their original in myriad mediums. With the holidays around the corner, this is a perfect place to find a gift for the person who has everything. . “Made On The Coast” (MOTC), a collective of local artists and a sub-committee of the Pumpkin Festival, is back with their beloved one-day pop-up show on Sunday, October 20th.
Pie eating contest
The pie eating contest on both days of the festival has an age 11 and under contest at 2 p.m. and ages 12 and over at 2:15 p.m. in the Family Fun Zone at the Bank of America parking lot, 620 Main Street.
“To me, the pie-eating contest embodies the essence of the Pumpkin Festival,” said festival chairman Cameron Palmer. “Watching kids with faces and hair covered in gooey pumpkin pie and whipped cream, grinning from ear to ear, is truly a sight to behold.”
Entertainment and fun everywhere
In addition to a special display of Volkswagen-sized gourds, big parade, art show, costume contest, photos with the grand champion pumpkin, and pie eating contests, the Art & Pumpkin Festival will feature four stages of entertainment, the Xfinity Take 5 Lounge with giant screen aerial TV, kids activities, pumpkin carving, the Collaborative Paint Temple, the traditional pancake breakfast both days and, of course, a bumper crop of the beloved gourd waiting to be picked from one of the many rustic pumpkin patches on the coast.
Food and drink galore
Help fatten the coffers of community groups while savoring mouthwatering pumpkin-infused treats like pumpkin pancakes, pumpkin pie, pumpkin churros, pumpkin cake rolls, pumpkin cheesecake, pumpkin cookies, pumpkin ice cream, pumpkin milkshake smoothies, chicken pumpkin sausages, pumpkin ravioli, pumpkin spiced cotton candy, macaroni and cheese with pumpkin seeds and spice, chicken and pork tamales with pumpkin mole sauce, and nachos with pumpkin salsa. Enjoy easy-drinking premium wine, refreshing cocktails, world-class seasonal craft beer and pumpkin-infused ales.
For a schedule of events, visit HMBPumpkinFest.com.
The world-famous Half Moon Bay Art & Pumpkin Festival is the season’s signature event. This year’s will be held from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Oct. 19 and 20 on historic Main Street in Half Moon Bay. Admission is free.
