Good Grief! A Thousand Pound Pumpkin???

Here in the San Francisco Bay Area October marks the time of year when you begin to notice changes in temperature and leaves turning from a beautiful green to a more dramatic orange-yellow. Halloween is just a few weeks away and there is excitement in the air as boys and girls decide which all-important costume they will choose. For one Northern California town October marks the time of year when the final preparations are made for their very well known festival.

Pumpkins Galore at the Half Moon Bay Art & Pumpkin Festival

Half Moon Bay California, located just 30 miles south of San Francisco, is celebrating their 39^th annual Art & Pumpkin Festival from October 17^th through October 18^th.  This festival began in 1971 when a newly formed civic organization, The Main Street Beautification Committee, was founded to raise funds to revitalize Main Street in the charming Half Moon Bay downtown shopping district. The committee, realizing that pumpkin patches surrounded the area, decided to incorporate an old-fashioned downtown festival into many visitor’s annual trek to pick out their Halloween pumpkins from this well known home of superior pumpkin growers.  38 years later the Half Moon Bay Art & Pumpkin Festival attracts thousands of people from all over the Bay Area and beyond, and is still committing the proceeds to revitalizing the downtown area and contributing to the town’s civic causes.

The kickoff for the festival is HUGE – literally!  Today, Columbus Day, Monday October 12^th it begins with the Safeway World Championship Pumpkin Weigh-Off with a $20,000 prize at stake!  Pumpkins weighing in at more than 1,000 pounds are brought in every year by proud growers and their families.  The following weekend of October 17^th through October 18^th pumpkin lovers flock to this charming ocean front town to celebrate the season of ‘orange!’

Otto and this Halloween's Great Pumpkin

The Half Moon Bay Art & Pumpkin Festival is not limited to big orange vegetables!  It features live music and entertainment on three stages – ranging from pop reggae to classic and Celtic rock. Of course what would a festival be without food?  You will find every tempting pumpkin-infused treat imaginable – and then some!  Halloween is just around the corner, as is a very scary Haunted House!  Not into scary things?  There are other activities for the little ones, including amusement rides, a 24-foot climbing wall, pumpkin carving, pie eating contests, face painting and so much more!

The Half Moon Bay Art & Pumpkin Festival has become a tradition for many families and friends.  It is a great place to come together and enjoy one of California’s oldest, biggest and most popular festivals.  Good Grief!  Don’t miss out!

For more information visit www.miramarevents.com/pumpkinfest/#

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