Half Moon Bay to host Art and Pumpkin Festival

This year’s World Champion Pumpkin weigh-off winner is Minnesotan Travis Gienger, who successfully defended his title with a 2,471 pound gourd named Rudy. Rudy, Gienger and parade grand marshal and former San Francisco Giants third-baseman Matt Williams will lead the parade, which begins at noon on Saturday.

“That’s what everyone loves. It’s really a classic, small town Americana, homespun parade,” event spokesperson Tim Beeman said.

Rudy, alongside the top three other gourds, will be on display throughout the festival, where attendees will be able to snap a photo with the behemoth pumpkin. Those interested in the creative element of the pumpkin extravaganza can see Farmer Mike — known as the Picasso of pumpkin-carvers, Beeman said — work his magic on the Pumpkin Festival stage or carve a pumpkin of their own on Sunday from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m.

The event pays homage to the city’s farming heritage and raises money for local nonprofits, Mayor Joaquin Jimenez said.

“It celebrates our heritage of farming, for sure. Half Moon Bay is a farming community,” he said. “It comes in a tradition [that things] were needed in the schools, and the community came together to do this festival, not realizing it was going to be continued every year after that.”

Jimenez will also be found in the parade riding his horse, he said.

On Saturday at 10 a.m., before the parade begins, a costume contest will be held in front of the Half Moon Bay Library with different categories for individual and group costumes. Those participants will also walk the parade.

Both days, festivalgoers will have the opportunity to participate in pumpkin pie eating contests, with the 11 and under contest beginning at 2 p.m. and 12 and up beginning at 2:15 p.m. on Saturday and Sunday, according to an Oct. 16 press release.

For the artistically inclined, over 250 artists and crafts-makers will have wares like jewelry, paintings, textiles, hand-blown glass pumpkins and vases and a bevy of other products on display for purchase, according to the press release.

Much of the food and drink at the festival is done by local groups and nonprofits — including a $20 unlimited pancake breakfast from 7-11 a.m. hosted by the Half Moon Bay Boy’s Varsity Basketball team — allowing the community to benefit from the festival.

“It’s an amazing effort, really made by the community to pull this thing off. And so that’s really one of the very special qualities,” Beeman said.

Those planning to drive to the festival are encouraged to get there early to avoid crowds. There will be parking available at the south end of Main Street at Half Moon Bay High School, Our Lady of the Pillar Church and the Community Center/Shoreline Station Complex. Local nonprofits will be operating parking lots for a nominal fee, according to the press release.

Main Street will be closed to traffic from Mill Street south to Monte Vista Lane throughout the festival weekend, the press release said, reopening at 10 p.m. Sunday. State Route 92 eastbound will not be accessible from Main Street.