While the Half Moon Bay Coastside may be most famous for its pumpkins, there’s a crop of another sort that’s headed for stardom as well. This year’s Half Moon Bay Art & Pumpkin Festival — for the second year — will showcase the talents of local youth performers in The Golden Gourds. The show will take place from 3pm to 5pm each day of the festival, October 17-18, at the Bank of America Family Fun Zone.

Directed and MC’d by Michael Lederman of the Coastal Theatre Conservatory, The Golden Gourds will feature young people from first grade through high school, taking to the stage with everything from show tunes and comedy to classical music and original rock ‘n’ roll. Colin Price will be the show’s musical director.

Since 1999, the Coastal Theatre Conservatory, under the auspices of the Coastal Repertory Theatre and the direction of Michael Lederman, has provided an after-school program of top-quality dramatic training for young people ages 4-20. The Half Moon Bay Art & Pumpkin Festival is major fundraiser for the theater.