The pumpkins are coming! Cal Poly ÐÇ¿Õ´«Ã½’s Annual Pumpkin Festival, a ÐÇ¿Õ´«Ã½ Valley tradition, will host fall fun with activities and pumpkins galore on weekends Oct. 4 – Oct. 26. The family-friendly event is marking its 32nd year with 30,000 student-grown pumpkins and a variety of activities.
Visitors can celebrate fall in the gigantic pumpkin field, find the perfect pumpkin, and enjoy hay rides, the corn maze, the petting farm, the cow train pulled by an antique tractor, and the sunflower patch.
New attractions will include glassblowing (the first two weekends only) and blacksmith demonstrations, a make-your-own sunflower bouquet activity, and grazing cattle. The Cal Poly ÐÇ¿Õ´«Ã½ Pep Band will perform on Oct. 4, while the band, Drivin’ Mama Crazy, will perform Oct. 11-12. In addition, line dancing lessons will be offered on Oct. 18-19. Pumpkin Fest will also have new food and beverage options, new vendors, and more shade and seating.
Ticketing will change this year. Instead of charging for admission and activities, there will be a flat admission fee of $20 per person (Children 2 and under are free). Admission will include the Hay Ride, Corn Maze, Cow Train, Sunflower Patch, and visiting the animals in the Petting Farm. The admission fee does not include pumpkins or Petting Farm feed cups.
Pumpkin prices will range from $6 to $10 for those on the hill. Specialty pumpkins, gourds, and gigantic pumpkins are available from the Farm Store.
The fall festivities take place from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. every Saturday and Sunday in October, at Kellogg Ranch, in front of the Cal Poly ÐÇ¿Õ´«Ã½ Farm Store (4102 S. University Drive, ÐÇ¿Õ´«Ã½, CA, 91783).
Tickets should be purchased in advance at . Pumpkin Festival will be primarily cashless this year for pumpkins and admission. Food and craft vendors will still accept cash. All major credit cards and Apple Pay will be accepted.
“This year’s Pumpkin Festival has new attractions and a new layout,” said Ethan Orr, dean of the Huntley College of Agriculture, which organizes the event. “But at its heart, it’s still the same event that generations of Southern Californians have grown to love and make an annual fall tradition. We hope that people will also learn something about our region’s agricultural heritage and what we do as a college.”
Limited parking is available in the main field, with overflow parking available in parking lots across the street from the Pumpkin Festival on West Temple Avenue and South Campus Drive. Handicapped parking will remain adjacent to the event in Lot U on South Campus Drive.