What to Know
- Pumpkin Festival at AGRIscapes in Pomona
- Oct. 2-31, 2021
- Admission varies; $8 adult on a Saturday or Sunday, $6 children 3 to 12, with attraction/ticket bundles available
Planning ahead, when it comes to giving a pumpkin a memorable jack o'lantern look, is key.
You'll need to assemble your tools, and sheets or paper to catch the pulp, and then any design guides or patterns, if you're going to trace a face.
Some of the prep-ready principles applied to pumpkin decorating will now need to be applied to autumn outings in 2021, as a few regional destinations will be only be offering advance ticket options.
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One of those popular spots?
It's the Cal Poly Pomona Pumpkin Fest, one of Southern California's most venerable falltime must-dos. And if it is a must-do for you and your family, take note: You'll need to buy your ticket online before visiting the squash-strewn celebration, which will roll from Oct. 2 through 31 in 2021.
This is new, do note, if you've visited the festival in years gone by. Organizers are limiting attendance, meaning everyone showing at the "door" to the outdoor area will need to show that advance ticket.
This large-scale pumpkin happening is notable for a number of reasons. Not only has it been around for nearly three decades, but it is centered at the AGRIscapes Outreach Center, which is the Don B. Huntley College of Agriculture at Cal Poly Pomona's official "educational outreach" branch.
This means that the agri-experts of the center grow plentiful pumpkins, so many robust and regal specimens, with some 40,000 pumpkins expected to sprout in the weeks ahead.
That's one reason so many families love to return, year after year, to pick out their porch pumpkins, potential jack o'lanterns, and the adorable and small orange pumpies that add extra cuteness to indoor displays.
Shopping for fresh produce, interesting honey, and other goodies are part of the scene at this open-air'd event, too.
Games, live tunes, cow milking demos, opportunities to pet super-cute goats, and a host of kid-pleasing (and parent-cheering) activities are also on the schedule.
If you want to join the activities, there's a bundle admission ticket, but you can buy a simple entry to the festival, too.
But whatever you choose, do buy that 2021 ticket ahead of time. No tickets will be sold at the gate, is the word, so pull into Pomona with your admission ready to roll.
