Elk Grove annual pumpkin festival is a free event. See why it draws thousands of visitors
The 29th annual Elk Grove Giant Pumpkin Festival is coming to Elk Grove Park from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday and Sunday.
The city’s annual pumpkin patch welcomes nearly 70,000 attendees during the festival, which includes jack-o’-lantern-themed vendors and activities.
“If you’re a longtime resident of Elk Grove, you probably know what happens here in the first weekend of October,” said Jenna Brinkman, public affairs manager for Cosumnes Community Service District. “If you’re new to the area, then, the giant pumpkin festival is a great, fall tradition in our town. We celebrate the start of fall and, get together with friends and family in Elk Grove Park and it’s a really fun tradition.”
Whether your first event or 29th event, Brinkman said, she hopes that Elk Grove residents join the fun this weekend.
Giant pumpkins that weigh anywhere between 300 and 2,000 pounds will be on display, Brinkman noted. Attendees can watch some of the pumpkins be carved into boats and raced across the park’s lake.
There will be an array of contests, including: a Lil’ Pumpkin Cupcake Contest for kids 12 and under; a Pumpkin Recipe Contest; a Pumpkin Regatta, where the racing canoes are carved from giant pumpkins; a Scarecrow Contest; a Youth Art Contest for ages 3 through 17; and a Teen Baker Contest for ages 13 to 17.
There will also be a giant pumpkin and produce contest where giant pumpkin growers from all over California and beyond will be competing for the top prize — and possibly a world record — as each of their large-sized produce hit the scale.
The festivities first began in 1994 when giant pumpkin growers throughout California flocked to Elk Grove for the competition.
Last year, Napa-resident Jose Ceja won the event with a pumpkin weighing in at 1,886 pounds, earning him a $7,000 payday and bragging rights for the year.
He set the festival’s pumpkin record in 2018 with a 2,138-pounder — a weight that still stands.
He told The Sacramento Bee in 2022 that it takes one ingredient to maintain his success.
“A lot of luck,” he said.
Ceja expressed last year to The Bee that he looks to return this year and defend his title.
The weekend will also include entertainers and musical acts that will fill three stages.
This is a free event. There will be a free bike valet. On-site vehicle parking is $10, cash only.
For more information, visit www.cosumnescsd.gov/392/Elk-Grove-Giant-Pumpkin-Festival.
