Pomona families and visitors will gather at Cal Poly Pomona’s Kellogg Ranch this October for the university’s beloved PumpkinFest. The three‑week celebration runs weekends from Oct. 10 through Oct. 31, offering a field of roughly 30,000 pumpkins grown on campus alongside a slate of seasonal attractions.
What to Expect
Admission includes access to hay rides, a traditional corn maze, a petting farm, a cow‑train pulled by an antique tractor, a Jr. Farmers Discovery Zone, a mini‑maze, and a sunflower patch. Visitors can also pick their own pumpkins, with sizes ranging from $5 to $25 or more, and purchase specialty gourds and giant pumpkins at the Farm Store.
Themed Weekends
The festival’s programming is organized around three themed weekends. Oct. 10‑11 kicks off with “Pumpkinzania,” a celebration of pumpkin‑centric crafts, demonstrations and displays. Oct. 17‑18 hosts an Insect Festival, showcasing live insect exhibits, educational demos and activities that highlight pollinators, agriculture and ecosystems. Oct. 24‑25 is Indigenous Agriculture Weekend, featuring presentations on Indigenous foodways, culture and agricultural knowledge, with participation from members of the San Manuel Band of Mission Indians and the Cal Poly Pomona community.
Halloween Finale
The final weekend, Oct. 31, transforms the grounds into a Halloween celebration. Costumes, themed crafts, demonstrations and additional attractions round out the festival’s regular lineup, giving families a festive way to close the season.
Practical Details
General admission is $18 online (plus a ticket fee) or $22 at the gate. Children under two enter free. Additional fees apply for pumpkins and petting‑farm feed cups. Parking is free, with accessible spaces located in Lot U on South Campus Drive.
Food trucks and vendors curated by 909 Open Market will be on site, providing a variety of snack options for attendees.
Community Impact
Cal Poly Pomona students plan, design and operate PumpkinFest, and proceeds support the Huntley College of Agriculture’s farm operations, student clubs and outreach programs. During weekdays in October, the university also welcomes schoolchildren, Scout troops and other community groups for educational field trips to the pumpkin patch.
Tickets and additional information are available at pumpkinfestival.cpp.edu.
Original reporting: NBC4 Los Angeles — read the source article.
