Half Moon Bay Pumpkin Fest Full of Activitiy

HALF MOON BAY, CA -- Georgann Dudash remembers when a simple little festival celebrating gourds was a mere blip on the map in her small coastal town. In 1969, she moved to Half Moon Bay, a fertile climate for the quintessential fall orb.

Back then, there were 15 booths.

"You could walk through it in five minutes," Dudash said. Now like many popular events in California, the pumpkin festival may take all day to walk through depending on what one stops and looks at. It has grown exponentially -- with three times that many booths selling food, drink, clothing and crafts. More than one stage is set up for music.

"The Great Pumpkin" meaning the heaviest is revered, with attendees taking their pictures with it. An Oregon man grew one weighing more than 2,100 pounds. People dress up and come from all over. More than 250,000 people are expected to attend this weekend.

If you're planning to go, the biggest tip of the day is to go early. Otherwise, much of the experience may be spent in a vehicle getting there.

The fun continues through Sunday. More information may be obtained by visiting https://pumpkinfest.

--Images via Sue Wood, Patch