Cal Poly Pomona's pumpkin-packed wonderland to soon bloom

Are there more distinct types of pumpkin-flavored drinks, treats, and eats on this planet or more actual pumpkins at the Cal Poly Pomona Pumpkin Fest, a celebration synonymous with a sizable swath of squashes?

Before you immediately answer "drinks, treats, and eats," which is an understandable urge given how popular pumpkin beverages have become in recent years, consider this: The Huntley College of Agriculture, located at the university, grows 40,000 pumpkins.

That is a lot of pumpkins for a single location, like, a whole lot, making this outsized celebration one of the biggies on the fall-fun circuit.

So securing your admission in advance is always a solid idea. Tickets are on sale now for the festival, which begins its Friday-Saturday-Sunday run on Sept. 30, 2023.

General admission covers a bundle of nostalgic pastimes, with live music and farm demos on the roster. But if you'd like to bump up to the Activity Wristband, you'll find even more homespun pursuits, including a maze of sunflowers and duck races, too.

Making time to peruse the student-run club booths at the festival, all to support these agriculturally minded academicians, is always a nice idea, too.

The Scene

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You'll find food for sale, merchandise, too, and lots more to browse.

Adding to the air of conviviality in 2023?

The festival is rolling into a milestone year. Happy 30th, Cal Poly Pomona Pumpkin Fest. You truly are a titan among regional patches, a pumpkin-strewn space that boasts not hundreds, and not thousands, but tens of thousands of gorgeous gourds.