The pumpkins are coming! Cal Poly Pomona’s Annual Pumpkin Fest, a Pomona Valley tradition, will host fall fun Sept. 30 – Oct. 29. The family-friendly event is marking its 30th 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, the Moo Moo Cow Train pulled by an antique tractor, the Children’s Garden, sunflower patch and a colorful new PumpkinLand.
People looking for just the right pumpkin can wander through the pumpkin patch. A special area of smaller pumpkins is next to the children’s maze. Pumpkin prices range from $5 to $8 in the patch. The Farm Stand will offer pie pumpkins, ghost pumpkins, warty gourds, corn stalks and more.
Special activities are planned throughout the festival:
- Oct. 7-8 WAPA will display antique tractors and engines
- Oct. 21-22 Agricultural Farm Week with a livestock show featuring Future Farmers of America and 4H and other agricultural education exhibits
- Oct. 28-29 Halloween costume contests
“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 7 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.
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.
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 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.