GET YOUR ORANGE ON! PUMPKIN MECCA CELEBRATES THE GREAT GOURD
39TH ANNUAL HALF MOON BAY ART & PUMPKIN FESTIVAL COMING UP OCTOBER 17-18, 2009

HALF MOON BAY, CALIFORNIA -- Every year when autumn rolls around, the
picturesque Northern California coast around Half Moon Bay bursts
into brilliant orange and buzzes with boisterous activity in
celebration of its bountiful fall harvest. The world-famous Half Moon
Bay Art & Pumpkin Festival is the season's big event, bringing huge
throngs of visitors to the "World Pumpkin Capital" for a world-class
festival on historic Main Street. This year's 39th festival will be
held on October 17-18 from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Admission is free.

Festivalgoers will be mesmerized by the remarkable "Picasso of
pumpkin carvers" sculpting and shaping a monster 1,000+ pound
pumpkin, a special display of massive weigh-off champion pumpkins,
three stages of blockbuster entertainment, everyone's favorite
home-spun parade, harvest-inspired crafts, the tastiest pumpkin pie
on earth, enchanting events and contests for the whole family, and
the never-ending search for the Great Pumpkin waiting to be picked at
one of the rustic pumpkin patches dotting the coast.

Watch world-class pumpkin carver "Farmer Mike" demonstrate his unparalleled carving skill transforming giant pumpkins into one-of-a-kind sculptures

The Big Week kicks off with the World's Greatest Gourd Growers and
their Volkswagen-sized beasts gathering for the 36th Annual SAFEWAY
WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP PUMPKIN WEIGH-OFF, Monday, October 12, (7 a.m., on the IDES Grounds, 735 Main Street, in Half Moon Bay). A host of
veteran growers will be contending for the coveted title and a hefty
share of about $20,000 in prize money. In a pay-by-the-pound system,
the winner will take away $6 per pound for the champion pumpkin.
Defending champion Thad Starr, of Pleasant Hill, Oregon, obliterated
the field in 2008 with his leviathan 1,528-pound Atlantic Giant. The
grand champion gourd, along with the top five weigh-off pumpkins,
will be displayed at the Art & Pumpkin Festival, October 17-18.

Giant Pumpkin - Great Pumpkin Parade

From there the 39th annual ART & PUMPKIN FESTIVAL goes all out with
spectacular lineup of attractions and events. There's a smashing
lineup of entertainment on three stages including Chicago-born
bluesman Terry Hanck, The Unauthorized Rolling Stones, Classic Latin
rock band Mestizo, country stalwarts California Cowboys,
reggae/world-beat band Lakay & Mystic Man, cover band Tall Shadows,
folksinger Jim Stevens and harmonica blues great John Nemeth on the
Main Stage with the Mike Rossi Band, Bluestate, Big Crawdaddy and
Frankie's Dream holding down the South Stage. The Family Stage
features Cowgirl Tricks and shenanigans by Karen Quest, juggling,
comedy, unicycling and magic by the incomparable Grinn & Barrett, and
The Golden Gourds, a youth talent show. Street performers include
HeartStrings Music, Emerson, Bob "Stickman" Culbertson and
FatChanceBellyDance.

Shop for one-of-a-kind handcrafted items by America's finest artists
and craftmakers while browsing among 250 booths featuring original
work in glass, ceramics, metals, fiber, leather, wood, jewelry, and
fine art. Enjoy popular events and activities like pumpkin pie-eating
contests, a Halloween costume contest, pumpkin carving for fun (no
judging), Young Actors Workshop's bone-chilling Haunted House, the
FedEx Great Pumpkin Parade, a Pancake Breakfast, and the 5 & 10k
Pumpkin Run. Up and down the street, visitors can watch world-class
pumpkin carver "Farmer Mike" demonstrate his unparalleled carving
skill transforming giant pumpkins into one-of-a-kind sculptures, test
their mountaineering skills on Mobile Rock's climbing wall, concoct
their very own colorful wax hands, stop by for creative facial
designs at the High School Art Department's face painting booth, and
visit Kiddieland for amusement rides.

"The Beautiful Coast" 2009 commemorative print by January Hooker

The festival is a fabulous feast famous for its many homestyle
dishes, with many featuring product from local farms. The sweet and
spicy pumpkin, naturally, take center stage: pumpkin pancakes,
pumpkin pie, pumpkin bread, pumpkin cake rolls, pumpkin cheesecake,
giant pumpkin cookies, pumpkin ice cream, pumpkin caramel apples and
chicken pumpkin sausages, to name a few. Enjoy coastal favorites like
Brussels sprouts steeped in a zesty marinara sauce, and artichoke
hearts steamed with an aromatic blend of garlic, olive oil, and
herbs. Feast on Portuguese linguisa sausage, hot beef sandwiches,
corn dogs, fried calamari, roasted turkey legs, chicken and beef
tamales, macaroni and cheese with pumpkin seeds, garlic fries, steamy
clam chowder in sour dough bread bowls, crunchy nachos with jalapenos
and cheese, hamburgers, grilled corn on the cob, garlic fries, warm
pretzels with pumpkin sauce and huge baked potatoes with all the
trimmings.

Half Moon Bay Winery Pumpkin Festival Label - Sangiovese

As they do by tradition, the winemakers at Half Moon Bay Winery have
produced a special festival-label wine to honor the festival -- a
luscious Sangiovese handcrafted from premium grapes grown in the
Redwood Valley area of Mendocino County -- that will be sold at
tasting booths along with several of their other tasty varietals. For
beer lovers, there's Half Moon Bay Brewing Company's Mavericks
Pumpkin Harvest Ale, a special seasonal brew with a variety of pale
and crystal malts and pumpkin pulp.

Mavericks® Pumpkin Harvest Ale

Take a break in the Take 5 Lounge where couch potatoes and sports
fanatics will find their favorite sporting events on a giant screen
LED TV. Get your picture taken with the grand champion gourd for $12
to benefit the Cabrillo Education Foundation (a local educational
foundation).

Then go home and relax ... you got your ORANGE ON!

The festival runs October 17-18, from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Main St.
between Miramontes and Spruce Streets in Half Moon Bay. Admission is
free. The festival is presented by the non-profit Half Moon Bay
Beautification Committee. For information, call 650-726-9652 or check
out www.miramarevents.com

All photos courtesy and copyright Miramar Events.