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You don’t have to be a pumpkin fanatic to make the trek to the coast for the annual Half Moon Bay Art and Pumpkin Festival, but if you are … you’re going to find pumpkin heaven.
Every bumper-to-bumper mile brings you closer to pumpkin cheesecake, pumpkin churros and even chicken-pumpkin sausages. Yum.
And you can cram a lot of fun between bites. For starters, the parade grand marshal this year will be an orange-and-black favorite, Hunter Pence of the San Francisco Giants, and you don’t want to miss whatever zany Halloween costume he dreams up.
Here are the details on this year’s offerings:
BASICS: The 47th annual festival runs from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 13, and Sunday, Oct. 14, along Main Street, between Mill and Spruce streets, in Half Moon Bay. Admission is free. Pets are not allowed. Details: http://pumpkinfest.miramarevents.com
THE WEIGH-IN: Not you — the pumpkins! It’s the Heavyweight Championship of the Gargantuan Gourds. Will any pumpkin grower be able to beat last year’s record-setting 2,363-pound entry? The sponsor of the 45th annual weigh-in, Safeway, will pay $7 a pound for the winning entry. And if a grower shows up with a world record gourd, the mega-prize will be $30,000. If you want to watch the scales, the contest will start days ahead of the festival, 7 to 11 a.m. Monday, Oct. 8, at the IDES grounds, 735 Main St. Want a selfie with one of these big boys? The top four will be displayed at the festival for your gawking and photographic pleasure. Details: http:/weighoff.miramarevents.com
FESTIVAL FUN: The costume contest for kids and adults will take place at 10 a.m. Saturday at the Half Moon Bay Library parking lot, and pie-eating contests (adult, child categories) will be held about 2 p.m. each day in the Bank of America family fun zone, 620 Main St. All day both days, Farmer Mike will show off his carving skills at 766 Main St. For additional fees, you can visit the Haunted Circus or have your photo taken with the Great Pumpkin or the runners-up.
FOOD, DRINK: Besides the aforementioned pumpkin cheesecake, churros and sausages, booths along Main Street will sell pumpkin smoothies, bread, cookies, fudge, ice cream, soup, curry and more. Follow up with the beverages: pumpkin soda, pumpkin-tinis or pumpkin ale.
Craving pumpkin pancakes? Half Moon Bay High School’s varsity basketball team will serve those from 7 to 11 a.m. both Saturday and Sunday at a new location, the City Hall parking lot, Main Street at Kelly Avenue.
The festival’s non-pumpkin favorites will be back too: Look for linguiça, tamales, clam chowder, hot beef sandwiches, burgers and coastal produce, like Brussels sprouts in marinara sauce and garlic-steamed artichoke hearts.
ART, CRAFTS: More than 250 artists and craftspeople selling everything from glass pumpkins to hand-woven clothing will set up booths along Main Street. On Sunday, one full block will feature local artisans with their “Made on the Coast” art and entertainment.
MUSIC: Rock, country, funk and more will be performed on four stages. From 3 to 5 p.m. daily, the “Smashing Pumpkins: Battle of the Bands” will feature local talent in the B of A lot.
GETTING THERE: Organizers call the line of cars along Highway 92 the “orange crush.” Consider riding stress-free on SamTrans, which runs buses from the Hillsdale Caltrain station and other sites. Schedules, fares: www.samtrans.com.
PARKING: Download the festival app for options. There will be parking at Half Moon Bay High School, Our Lady of the Pillar Church, the Community Center/Shoreline Station and the south end of Main Street at Metzgar. If you use the lots run by local community groups, you’ll be helping out a local nonprofit. Disabled parking will be located on Purissima Street between Correas Street and Kelly Avenue.
