| While the
Pumpkin Festival itself takes place on only one weekend, the Half Moon Bay Coastside is certainly a festive place to visit during the entire month of October! Popular pumpkin
patches, some of which boast amusements like pony rides, train rides, hay rides, petting zoos, haunted houses, space jumps, & super slides, and even arts & crafts, are open daily until after Halloween. These pumpkin patches are very popular field trips for school-aged children, so call them ahead of time if you're bringing a large group!
 The
Safeway
World Championship Pumpkin Weigh-Off will be
held on Columbus Day, Monday October 11, 2010.
The
40th Annual Half Moon Bay Art & Pumpkin Festival will be held on Main Street in Half Moon Bay on Saturday & Sunday, October 16-17, 2010. This event is always held on the Saturday & Sunday following Columbus Day.
Visit a Pumpkin Festival
photo
gallery.
 And now for a little history about the 30+ year old tradition of the famous Pumpkin Festival...
In 1970, the Main Street committee for Beautification was formed to launch a "Paint-in" and tree-planting effort as part of a downtown restoration project. In order to raise funds for their projects, they hatched the idea for what is now the world famous Half Moon Bay Art & Pumpkin Festival . Since the festival's inception, the committee has contributed
nearly two million dollars to various civic projects and community service organizations. This year, over
$120,000 was awarded to Coastside non-profit groups, educational organizations
and municipal agencies. The Beautification Committee is also responsible for the street lamps, benches, flowers, seasonal flags, and trees that adorn Main Street, along with their year-round upkeep.
 The festival is famous for its juried show exhibiting the fine art and harvest-inspired craftsmanship of more than 250 artists. Equally renowned are the hearty stews of locally grown artichokes and brussel sprouts and the tempting variety of pumpkin delicacies. All food and beverages at the festival are sold by local non-profits, sometimes making up to 80% of their annual budget. So, when you curse the traffic on that weekend, remember the good that that one weekend a year brings to our Coastside community. Smile and feel good about the 9 men and women that have served on the Pumpkin Festival Committee to do so much good for so many, and the thousands of volunteers from the Coastside who make it all possible.
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