World Pumpkin Capital Celebrates the Grand Gourd

Clocking up an impressive 45 years this year, the Half Moon Bay Art and Pumpkin Festival is one of the oldest and biggest local festivals in California. Held over the weekend of the 17th to 18th October during peak pumpkin harvest season in the coastal town of Half Moon Bay, just south of San Francisco, the festival is set to attract over 20,000 pumpkin loving visitors.

In a line-up that promises to be a good old fashioned country fun here are some of the highlights:

• Champion heavyweight pumpkin competition - $30,000 prize money is up for grabs for a new world record entered at Half Moon Bay
• Expert pumpkin carving from Farmer Mike sculpting a monster 1,200+ pound pumpkin into a unique masterpiece

• Pie-eating
• Costume contests
• Pumpkin carving for fun
• Tasty wines, pumpkin-infused ales, pumpkin-flavored artisanal cocktails
• Live Country Music

Homestyle cooking is guaranteed and true to the main star of the show the pumpkin will feature heavily on the menu of pumpkin themed food: Start the day with a hearty pumpkin pancake breakfast followed by all day feasting on pumpkin fare; pumpkin pie, ice cream, cheesecake, cookies, roasted seeds, rolls, bread, buns, Fudge. pumpkin smoothies, warm cinnamon and pumpkin-spice churros. You name it and it's probably been done with pumpkin.

Chunky clam chowder in crunchy sourdough bread bowls, crab and shrimp sandwiches, brussel sprouts and artichokes will also be avilable adding some culinary variety and drawing on the festival's coastal location.

Some of the fun and festivities planned:

If all this talk of pumpkins has made you hungry here are 10 pumpkin recipes for fall to get you into the swing of things.