A field filled with 30,000 university-grown pumpkins will welcome visitors to Cal Poly Pomona next month as the school’s annual PumpkinFest returns with fall attractions, themed weekends and Halloween activities.
PumpkinFest will be held from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. on weekends from Oct. 10 through Oct. 31 at the university’s Kellogg Ranch, 4102 S. University Drive.
Visitors can pick pumpkins and take part in hay rides, a corn maze, petting farm, cow train pulled by an antique tractor, Jr. Farmers Discovery Zone, mini corn maze and sunflower patch.
This year’s festival will also feature themed weekends, beginning Oct. 10-11 with Pumpkinzania, featuring pumpkin-themed activities, demonstrations, displays and crafts.
An Insect Festival will be held Oct. 17-18 with live insect displays, educational demonstrations and activities focusing on insects, agriculture, pollinators and ecosystems.
Indigenous Agriculture Weekend is scheduled for Oct. 24-25 and will feature demonstrations, displays and presentations focusing on Indigenous agriculture, foodways, culture and knowledge. Members of the San Manuel Band of Mission Indians and the Cal Poly Pomona community will participate.
The festival will conclude Oct. 31 with Halloween at PumpkinFest, featuring Halloween-themed activities, crafts, demonstrations, displays and costumes in addition to the festival’s regular attractions, university official said.
Food trucks and vendors curated by 909 Open Market will also be on site.
General admission, which includes the attractions, is $18 per person plus a ticket fee when purchased online and $22 per person plus a ticket fee at the gate. Children younger than 2 will be admitted free.
Pumpkins and feed cups for the petting farm cost extra. Pumpkin prices will range from $5 to $25 or more depending on size and variety, while specialty pumpkins, gourds and gigantic pumpkins will be available at the Farm Store.
Parking is free, with accessible parking available adjacent to the festival in Lot U on South Campus Drive, officials said.
Cal Poly Pomona students plan, design and operate PumpkinFest, according to the university. Proceeds support the Huntley College of Agriculture’s farm operations, student clubs and outreach activities.
During weekdays in October, the university also hosts schoolchildren, Scout troops and other community groups for field trips to the pumpkin patch.
Tickets and additional information are available at pumpkinfestival.cpp.edu.
