Cal Poly Pomona’s annual Pumpkin Fest returns Oct. 1-30. A Southern California tradition for 29 years, the family-friendly event will feature 30,000 university-grown pumpkins, live entertainment and a variety of activities.
Families can celebrate fall with the return of the gigantic pumpkin patch. Each weekend’s activities will include hay rides, corn mazes, petting farm, the Moo Moo Cow Train pulled by an antique tractor, the Children’s Garden, sunflower patch and a colorful new PumpkinLand.
Visitors can wander through the pumpkin patch to find just the right pumpkin. There is a special area of smaller pumpkins next to the children’s maze. Pumpkin prices range from $5 to $8 in the patch. The nearby Farm Store also offers 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’,” said 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. The pumpkin patch will be open weekends 10 a.m. to 7:30 p.m. and on Thursdays and Fridays from 3 to 7:30 p.m.
Admission tickets are ONLY available online through the Pumpkin Fest website. Weekend tickets are $10 for adults, and $7 for children ages 3 to 12, seniors, and current students, faculty and staff with a Bronco ID. Weekday admission is $6 for adults, $5 for children ages 3 to 12, and $4 for seniors and those with a Bronco ID.
Pumpkin Fest is going 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.
Field Trips
Each year, thousands of school children visit the pumpkin patch with their classroom, Scout troops and other community groups. Sign-ups for field trips are now being accepted. To reserve a spot or for more information on the field trips, visit the Field Trips webpage.
All proceeds support the Cal Poly Pomona Huntley College of Agriculture’s farm operations, student clubs and outreach activities.
