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The Great Pumpkin by the bay
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Feed me, Seymour
Who knew Half Moon Bay was the ‘World Pumpkin Capital’? Well it is, and every mid-October since 1971 the self-described squash capital has held its popular Half Moon Bay Art & Pumpkin Festival in homage to the great orange orb. This year is no different, as the '38th annual' is set to be celebrated this coming weekend on Main Street in the sea-side village.
Even more surprising: who knew a pumpkin could grow to 1,528 pounds, with a circumference of 15 feet? That was the winning gourd in this year’s Safeway World Championship Pumpkin Weigh-off, the kick-off event for the festival, grown by Thad Starr who hauled the giant vegetable down from his home in Pleasant Hill, Ore. Starr claimed it gained 30 pounds a day during the dog days of summer, but wouldn’t say what he fed it. (small dogs? traveling salesmen?)
The two-day festival has lots to offer besides gargantuan plant life. There’s also a sculpture by the ‘Picasso of pumpkin carvers’ of a 1000-pound pumpkin, three stages of music with several dozen acts, a parade, arts and (of course) crafts, pick-your-own pumpkin patches, featured wine and microbrews, a haunted barn, scarecrow contest, pancake breakfast, the Pumpkin Run (5k and 10k), pumpkin carving (non-competitive), costume contest and pumpkin pie for either savoring or wolfing down Kobayashi-style in a pie-eating contest. And if organizers are at a loss for what to do with the leftover pumpkins, they can try flinging them into next week.
The Saturday and Sunday (Oct. 18-19) festival runs from 9am-5pm each day, earlier for pancakes. Half Moon Bay is located about 25 miles south of the City along Hwy 1, and can also be reached via Hwy 92. There will be parking at the south end of Main St. Expect big crowds and lots of traffic. Free admission. www.miramarevents.com/pumpkinfest
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