The Half Moon Pumpkin Festival.
This small coastal town was awash in visitors, all eager to see the noon parade. Numerous street faire booths displayed every variety of craft and artwork – all juried by the Half Moon Bay Beautification Committee. Every non-profit organization had a food booth to bolster their treasuries.
Steve Young, Hall of Fame quarterback for the San Francisco 49ers, was this year’s grand marshal; periodically stopping to sign autographs as the parade made its way down Main Street. In keeping with the tradition, children and adults in costume were part of the parade. Raul Castillo’s MMA students and instructors gave demonstrations of their training for the parade-goers. In addition, a giant cement and ceramic tile pumpkin joined the floats.
Curbs overflowing with onlookers barely allowed the parade to proceed – there were that many in attendance. This year’s winning giant pumpkin weighed in at 1775 pounds and was grown in Oregon by a previous year’s winner. Congrats to him.
Several stages offered musical groups for every taste for the duration of the event. Of particular note was a young man (age 5) who played drums for his father’s band. Such talent in a small package! Why aren’t my kids similarly filled with talent? Dark Fairy hates me (see Haikus).
There was no shortage of pumpkins comestibles – from pumpkin pasta to ice cream to pie. This year’s festival seemed larger due to the addition of the local artist’s section – which was separate from the juried entrants. Perfect weather encouraged the crowds and swelled the attendance figures on Saturday. All in all a good time.