Pumpkin Festival another success

As Halloween approaches, in come the pumpkin patches, pumpkin carvers and the about 15,000 guests of the annual Calabasas Pumpkin Festival that was last weekend.

For nine years, Paramount Ranch in Calabasas has been the site of this event, which was revived from a similar event that took place in Old Calabasas in the ’70s.

The Calabasas Chamber of Commerce organizes the many sponsors, which provide entertainment such as pumpkin pie eating contests, dances, pony rides, wall climbing and much more.

Every organization here funnels their donations in their own individual ways, said Judy Youthes of the Chamber of Commerce. And the Pumpkin Festival is more than that.

"There are just fun people here," said Youthes. "People really get involved- that’s what you get in a community activity."

In the approach to the ranch, visitors noticed that the parking lot had cars the way a beach has sand. All visitors were in for a treat–no tricks.

Once they entered the front gates, a pumpkin patch lay at their feet with not only pumpkins for sale as they emerge from the earth, but also in the forms of spooky faces professionally carved and painted right there in front of them.

As guests moved on, a banjo’s music was heard playing at the hands of a rancher who appeared like he lives there.

The smell of barbequed food and corn on the cob lurked in the air which delivered visitors to a row of concessions where people could purchase everything from food to bird whistles.

Patrons could test their strength by hammering a Muscle-o-Meter, or participate in Karaoke, watch a magic show or see John Wayne. All was possible at the Pumpkin Festival. Some spat out pumpkin seeds at a spit-off or watched a marriage between two pumpkin heads, "Punky" and "Cali Bass." The festival even offered historical craft demonstrations.

All this is more than just great fun and great eating–it’s for the community and it’s the community that keeps it alive.

"We go every year," said a guest as he prepared to ride an electronic bull. "It keeps the community healthy, and it’s a great chance to spend time with the family."

As guests departed Paramount Ranch, tired and filled with food, they looked forward to this time of year when Halloween approaches; when pumpkin patches and pumpkin carvers return and when the Calabasas Pumpkin Festival arrives again next year.

See related photographs on page 33.