Cal Poly Pomona Pumpkin Fest Opens Sept. 28
The pumpkins are coming! Cal Poly Pomona’s Annual Pumpkin Fest, a Pomona Valley tradition, will host fall fun with activities and pumpkins galore Sept. 28 – Oct. 27. The family-friendly event is marking its 31st anniversary with 35,000 university-grown pumpkins, live entertainment and a variety of activities.
Visitors can celebrate fall with the return of the gigantic pumpkin patch and enjoy hay rides, corn mazes, the petting farm, an updated Moo Moo Cow Train ride pulled by an antique tractor, sunflower maze and a colorful new PumpkinLand. Costume contests for pets and humans are scheduled for the weekend of Oct. 26-27.
This year, Pumpkin Fest will also feature cow-milking demonstrations by Batista Family Farm of Chino; a backyard composting demonstration showing how creepy, crawly worms turn food waste into nutrients for the soil and plants; and Cal Poly Pomona apiary presentations on the “Life of a Bee.”
People looking for the perfect pumpkin can wander through the pumpkin patch. Those searching for smaller pumpkins can explore the Kid’s Patch. Pumpkin prices range from $6 to $10 in the patch. The Farm Stand will offer pie pumpkins, ghost pumpkins, warty gourds, corn stalks and more.
“Pumpkin Fest is a fun, family event, and we can’t wait to welcome everybody ‘Back to the Farm’,” says Craig Walters, the festival’s director. “We also hope that you’ll learn something new about farming, which continues to be a major California industry that offers science and technology-related careers for our students.”
The festival will be held at Cal Poly Pomona’s AGRIscapes Center, 4102 S. University Drive, Pomona. Pumpkin Fest will be open Friday – Sunday, 10 a.m. to 6 p.m.
This is a ticketed event: guests must purchase an admission ticket to enter the pumpkin patch. Capacity is limited each day, and the event usually sells out. Ticket and activity bundles are available. Ticket options also include $5 Fridays, where admission-only tickets are $5 and activity bundles are $14 (discounted from $25).
Activities also include marketplace craft vendors, farm demonstrations and a county fair area.
Visitors are advised to buy their tickets online through the Pumpkin Fest website for the best prices. See the website for more information on prices for tickets, bundles and season passes.
Pumpkin Fest will be primarily cashless this year for pumpkins and attraction tickets. Food and craft vendors will still accept cash. All major credit cards and Apple Pay will be accepted.
Preview Night
The Pumpkin Fest Preview Night on Friday, Sept. 27, will begin the fall celebration with an evening of food, beer, and wine tasting. It will feature wine from Cal Poly Pomona’s own Horsehill Vineyards; beer from its Innovation Brew Works and other local breweries; and food from local restaurants. This event is for adults 21 and over, and tickets include the cost of food and beverages. For more information or to purchase tickets, visit https://www.cpp.edu/pumpkinfestival/preview-night.shtml.
Field Trips
Thousands of school children visit the pumpkin patch every year with their classroom, Scout troops and other community groups. Due to overwhelming demand this year, Pumpkin Fest has added an additional field trip date on Wednesday, Oct. 23. To reserve a spot or for more information on the field trips, visit https://www.cpp.edu/~pumpkinfestival/field-trips.html.
All proceeds help support the Cal Poly Pomona Huntley College of Agriculture’s farm operations, student clubs, and outreach activities.
