Pumped Up Pumpkin Mecca Celebrates the Great Gourd
SF Giants Great Will Clark to Serve as Parade Grand Marshall
Pumpkintime is Primetime in Pumpkintown. Autumn is a magical time of year on the fertile, picturesque coast around Half Moon Bay. Stunningly beautiful vistas of seaside farm country with rolling fields of orange, scarecrows, and pick-your-own pumpkin patches. It's the perfect time of year to celebrate the iconic symbol of autumn and Half Moon Bay does it in a singularly spectacular way. Every year, massive crowds make the annual trek to the “World Pumpkin Capital” for the epic HALF MOON BAY ART & PUMPKIN FESTIVAL, October 17-18, 2009. Year after year, festivalgoers enjoy a memorable experience with the special display of massive weigh-off champion pumpkins, the remarkable “Picasso of pumpkin carvers” sculpting and shaping a monster 1,000+ pound pumpkin, three stages of blockbuster entertainment, everyone's favorite home-spun parade, harvest-inspired crafts, the tastiest pumpkin pie on the planet, enchanting events and contests for the whole family, and the never-ending search for the Great Pumpkin waiting to be picked from one of the rustic pumpkin patches dotting the coast. Festival hours are 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. both days. Admission is free.
 The Big Week launches with the World's Greatest Gourd Growers and their Volkswagen-sized beasts gathering for the 36th Annual SAFEWAY WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP PUMPKIN WEIGH-OFF, Monday, October 12, (7 a.m., on the IDES Grounds, 735 Main Street, in Half Moon Bay). A host of accomplished, veteran growers from throughout the west will be contending for the coveted title and a hefty share of about $20,000 in prize money. In a pay-by-the-pound system, the winner will take away $6 per pound for the champion pumpkin. Defending champion Thad Starr, of Pleasant Hill, Oregon, obliterated the impressive field and crushed the Half Moon Bay record by nearly 300-pounds in 2007 with his leviathan 1,524-pound Atlantic Giant. Using forklifts and special harnesses, the gargantuan gourds will be carefully placed on a 5-ton capacity, industrial-strength digital scale under the watchful eye of officials from the San Mateo County Agricultural Commissioner's Office of Weights, Sealers, and Measures. Beauty will share center stage with brawn –– a special $500 prize will be awarded to the “most beautiful pumpkin” as judged by the audience based on color, shape and size. The grand champion gourd, along with the top five weigh-off pumpkins, will be displayed at the Art & Pumpkin Festival, October 17-18.
 Festivalgoers will find thousands of one-of-a-kind handcrafted items by America’s finest artists and craftmakers while browsing among 250 booths featuring original work in glass, ceramics, metals, fiber, leather, wood, jewelry, and fine art. Beautiful vases, flatware, clocks, dishes, wall and table decorations, paperweights, stained and beveled glass, etchings, sculptures, photography, oil and watercolor paintings, beadwork, gold and silver jewelry, vests, handbags, hats, wallets, footwear, windchimes, and waterfalls will be among the thousands of items one-of-a-kind items available.
Enjoy a sensational lineup of the best the Bay Area’s music scene has to offer … pop reggae, Latin rock, salsa, blues, classic and Celtic rock with headliners Shana Morrison, Dub FX, Daniel Castro, Manicato, The Megatones, Mama Pacho, Nigel and Clive & The British Invasion and Jim Stevens on the IDES Main Stage. The new Ritz-Carlton Southside Stage at the Gazebo will feature the “Saturday Blues Blowout” with Stan Erhart and the South City Blues Band and “Sunday Women of Rock” with local faves Catie Chase and the Getaways and The Robin Campbell Band. Street performers include HeartStrings Music, Marty Atkinson, Emerson, Bob “Stickman” Culbertson and Greg Frisbee. The Family Stage features Cowgirl Tricks and shenanigans by Karen Quest, juggling, comedy, unicycling and magic by the incomparable Grinn & Barrett, and The Golden Gourds, a youth talent show featuring singers, dancers, bands, improvisational comedians and poets hosted by local actor/director Michael Lederman.
Community non-profit groups will be dishing up hearty servings of tasty, homestyle fare –– many featuring product from local farms. The sweet and spicy pumpkin, naturally, take center stage: pumpkin pancakes, pumpkin pie, pumpkin bread, pumpkin cake rolls, pumpkin cheesecake, giant pumpkin cookies, pumpkin ice cream, pumpkin caramel apples and chicken pumpkin sausages, to name a few. Enjoy coastal favorites like Brussels sprouts steeped in a zesty marinara sauce, and artichoke hearts steamed with an aromatic blend of garlic, olive oil, and herbs. Old standbys include Portuguese linguisa sausage, hot beef sandwiches, corn dogs, fried calamari, roasted turkey legs, chicken and beef tamales, macaroni and cheese with pumpkin seeds, garlic fries, steamy clam chowder in sour dough bread bowls, crunchy nachos with jalapenos and cheese, hamburgers, grilled corn on the cob, garlic fries, warm pretzels with pumpkin sauce and huge baked potatoes with all the trimmings.
 This year’s event will feature Half Moon Bay Winery’s limited-release Syrah handcrafted from premium grapes grown in the Redwood Valley area of Mendocino County. The Syrah comes with a commemorative 39th anniversary festival label. It will be available by the by the glass along with Half Moon Bay Winery’s Central Coast Chardonnay, La Nebbia sparkling wine and mimosas at two booths hosted by the Half Moon Bay Chamber of Commerce and Visitors Bureau. The Pumpkin Festival-label Syrah will be available by the bottle at The Beautification Committee merchandise booth.
For beer lovers, Half Moon Bay Brewing Company will offer its Mavericks Pumpkin Harvest Ale #3, brewed with a blend of pale and crystal malts, and flavored delicately with pumpkin pulp. Sam Adams Oktoberfest, Boston Lager, Blue Moon Belgian White, Harvest Moon Pumpkin Ale, Coors and Coors Light will also be on tap.
“Ahoy, Matey! There be PIRATES haunting Half Moon Bay! Aaargh. We’re in the Johnston Haunted Barn, aye. Not alive. Not dead.” The Haunted Johnston Barn features live (undead) actors from The Coastside Young Actors Workshop alongside audio-animatronic figures, projected and transparent ghosts, intense lighting, sound, and fog effects, and unexpectedly dropping and shwooping objects caused by unseen forces. The real treat is the young actors themselves, students from grade school through high school trained in the art of improvisation, staying in character, and playing for an audience. The theme of each room is based on a script, but the performers are able to interact and play with the visitors’ reactions, making each tour a unique experience. Every year, creative members of the Coastside Young Actors Workshop wow visitors with their theatrical skills, fabulous costumes and spooky special effects. The barn is located behind the Historic Jail at 505 Johnston Street. Admission is $5.
Giant Pumpkin Photos
 Get your picture taken alongside the colossal weigh-off champion pumpkin. Thanks to the festival’s partnership with Hewlett-Packard, photos with the grand champion gourd and runner-up will be available. Using state-of-the-art HP digital cameras and printers, your photo will snapped and quickly printed onto a cardstock frame for a special take-home keepsake. Photo sales benefit the Cabrillo Education Foundation. The photo booth will be at the corner of Main and Miramontes Streets.
To launch your day with a good carbo-load, the High School Varsity Basketball Team will fire up the griddle to host the traditional Pancake Breakfast complete with mouthwatering plain or pumpkin pancakes, gobs of butter and maple syrup, grilled sausage links, fresh orange juice, and plenty of Peet's coffee. Saturday and Sunday morning from 7 to 11 a.m. in Mac Dutra Park, Main Street at Kelly Avenue.
Hundreds of ghosts, goblins, ghouls and more model their ingeniously creative Halloween attire in the Costume Contest, a popular time-honored festival tradition before walking in the big parade. The costume contest is open to all ages with individual and group divisions. Saturday, 10 a.m. in the Half Moon Bay Library parking lot, at Church and Correas Streets.
This year’s Grand Marshal is San Francisco Giants all-time great Will Clark. It’s the ultimate old-fashioned, home-spun parade featuring the mighty weigh-off champion pumpkin and grower, followed by marching bands, classic cars, floats, and a charming assortment of costumed ghouls, gargoyles, ghosts and assorted surprises. Saturday, 12 noon on Main Street.
This hilarious test of unbridled power-eating will take place in the Family Fun Zone at Bank of America, 620 Main Street. Huge, gasping audiences gather to witness this stunning spectacle with each participant devouring and “wearing” a 9” pumpkin pie heaped high with whipped cream. Aside from power-eating, panache and style go a long way with audience judges. On both Saturday and Sunday, children age 11 and under at 2 p.m, age 12 and over at 2:15 p.m.
 Non-competitive Pumpkin Carving will be available on Sunday in the Family Fun Zone at Bank of America, 620 Main Street. It is not a contest, there’s no judging or awards … it’s simply for fun. Pumpkins and carving knives are provided. Create your very own masterpiece anytime between 10 a.m. and 1 p.m.
The Pumpkin Run will be held on Sunday starting at 8 a.m at Hatch School (on Kelly Avenue, just west of Highway 1). The run follows the picturesque Coastside Trail and features a 5 & 10k Run, 5k Walk and Kids Fun Run to benefit Senior Coastsiders. Info-line: 650-712-7322.
Take a break in the Take 5 Lounge where couch potatoes and sports fanatics will find the comfort and enjoyment of their own living room without ever leaving the event. The Take 5 Lounge will be a place where festivalgoers can escape the teeming crowds, relax and hang out with friends while watching their favorite sporting events on a giant LED TV, a 9' x 12' mobile, light-emitting-diode screen with picture-perfect quality. Top that off with a tasty Mavericks Pumpkin Harvest Ale from Half Moon Bay Brewing Company and an Italian sausage sandwich with zesty marinara sauce fired up by the Coastside Adult Day Health Center and you’ve got a winner.
The Golden Gourds, a youth talent show produced by talented actor/director Michael Lederman, will feature some of the Coastside’s sensational homegrown artistic talent. Featuring a variety of performers, from singers, bands and dancers, to improvisational comedians and poets, The Golden Gourds will have a real “awards show atmosphere” complete with the presentation of gold-painted mini pumpkins. There will be 12 to 15 acts each day, with participants ranging from kindergarteners to young adults in their early 20s.
 Up and down the street, visitors can watch world-class pumpkin carver “Farmer Mike" demonstrate his amazing carving skill transforming giant pumpkins into one-of-a-kind sculptures, test their mountaineering skills on Mobile Rock’s climbing wall, concoct their very own colorful wax hands, strap in for the showstopping “Froghopper” ride, stop by for creative facial designs at the High School Art Department’s face painting booth, and visit Kiddieland for amusement rides hosted by Coastside Children’s Programs.
Stock up on the latest and greatest t-shirts, hooded sweatshirts, ladies scoop necks, twill caps, stretch beanies, tote bags, aprons, infant bibs, toddler t-shirts, fleece vests, pullovers, beer mugs and more.
The promotional poster for this year's festival was designed by Maryland resident Brandy Gruner, winner of the 2008 Poster Design Contest. She will be signing posters on October 17 from 1 to 3 p.m. at the Coastal Arts League Museum, 300 Main Street, in Half Moon Bay. Entries from the 2008 Pumpkin Festival Poster Design Contest, a joint effort by the Coastal Arts League and Half Moon Bay Beautification Committee, will be on display at the CAL Museum from October 11 through November 3. The public is invited to visit the museum to vote for their favorite design (The Peoples Choice Award) during the entire month the posters are on display including Pumpkin Festival weekend.
Charmingly classic creativity and an unimaginably ghoulish sense of humor emerge in full force at the Scarecrow Contest. Judging of the entries takes place on Sunday, October 12, at 1:00 p.m. at First National Bank, 756 Main Street. Categories include families and classrooms, local businesses and non-profit groups. The first-place prize in each category is $200. Second place earns $100 and third place receives $50. The last day to enter is Friday, October 5. Contest entry is free.
“Since the founding of Safeway, our philosophy and vision remain the same –– provide value and give back to the community where our customers and employees live and work. Safeway is a proud sponsor of the Art & Pumpkin Festival.” The Half Moon Bay Beautification Committee salutes Safeway for its commitment to the community. Safeway has been the Pumpkin Festival’s presenting sponsor since 1990 and has been an instrumental partner in the festival’s fund-raising success.
 The Pumpkin Festival was created by the newly formed Main Street Committee for Beautification in 1970 as a means for restoring historic downtown Half Moon Bay. That first year, buildings were painted, trees were planted and a legend was born. Since then, the festival has helped raise several million dollars for civic projects and community service organizations throughout the coastside.
There will be parking at the south end of Main Street, Half Moon Bay High School (Main St. just north of Hwy. 92), and at the Community Center/Shoreline Station complex, located just north of Kelly Avenue on Highway 1. Many of these parking areas are operated by local non-profit groups who charge a nominal parking fee. There is also limited free parking on several side streets.
The City of Half Moon Bay will be enforcing its ordinance prohibiting pets on the festival grounds. For the safety, comfort, and courtesy of your pets and festival-goers, please leave your pets at home. Large crowds make it a very stressful and dangerous environment for pets.
This year’s festival will continue its “greening” efforts with the Pumpkin Festival Committee, Coastal Repertory Theater, Allied Waste Services and the City of Half Moon Bay joining forces to promote and emphasize recycling. Clearly-marked, free-standing containers will be positioned throughout the festival route for festivalgoers to recycle glass/plastic/aluminum. Additionally, there will be large recycling boxes for cardboard and mixed paper as well as glass/plastic/aluminum placed in strategic areas “behind the scenes” for the event garbage/recycling “Clean Team” as well as vendors and sponsors. “It’s our goal to make sure we’re doing everything possible to maximize recycling and minimize trash,” said Melvin Mello Jr., Pumpkin Festival Boardmember. The Pumpkin Festival garbage and recycling operation is run by volunteers from the Coastal Repertory Theater. In keeping with the festival’s tradition of involving community organizations, the theater troupe has been in charge of the massive garbage/recycling detail for fifteen years, relying on the festival as one of its biggest fund-raising activities. “It’s hard work with extensive planning and coordination, but it’s important to all of us that we present a clean, ‘green’ event,” said Tom Woosnam of the Coastal Repertory Theater. “We’re proud to be a part of such an important community effort.”
The free-admission festival will be held on October 17-18 from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Main Street between Miramontes and Spruce Streets in Half Moon Bay. To get to Half Moon Bay, take 101 or 280 to Highways 92 or 84 west. You can also get to Half Moon Bay via Highway 1 from both north and south.
Info-Line: 650-726-9652
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