ELK GROVE, Calif. — Elk Grove's undeniably quirky fall festival is returning once again for 2024. It's almost time for the Giant Pumpkin Festival.
It'll be another year of music, food, fun and memories — all with a little dash of pumpkin spice.
What is the Elk Grove Giant Pumpkin Festival?
The Elk Grove Giant Pumpkin Festival has been a staple in Elk Grove since 1994, and a destination location for giant pumpkin growers trying to make their claim to pumpkin fame.
The Giant Pumpkin Festival is an officially recognized international weigh-off competition and festival with a blend of pumpkin-flavored and inspired novelties.
It attracts tens of thousands of people to Elk Grove for its two-day run as people stop to enjoy all things pumpkin and pumpkin-spiced. There's also the rather distinct feature of viewing 1-ton gargantuan gourds as they're being weighed-off.
What’s at the festival?
Guests can also enjoy some sightseeing and some on-site eating courtesy of festival vendors and food trucks. Here's some of what you can expect at the festival.
Giant Pumpkin Regatta
It's hard not to start here. One of the big highlights of the festival is the Giant Pumpkin Regatta. It features canoes carved from giant pumpkins that are raced across the lake at Elk Grove Park. The regatta takes place Oct. 6 at 12 p.m.
Giant Pumpkin Drop
The pumpkin drop follows the regatta, mostly because the same boats you saw ford the lake will then be dropped from high above into the water near Strauss Island.
Carnival Rides and Activities
The festival has no shortage of activities to keep you busy for the weekend. Activities range from free attractions like the petting zoo and art activities to ticketed activities like axe throwing, carnival games, the pumpkin train, pumpkin launch, spider jump and more. There'll also be bounce houses and inflatables.
Music
The festival will have music and performances throughout the weekend on three stages around the festival. For a full rundown of performers and events, click HERE.
Tickets
Admission to the festival is free, but parking will be $20.
Where and when is it?
The festival is located at Elk Grove Park, located at 9950 Elk Grove Florin Rd, in Elk Grove. It'll run on Oct. 5 and Oct. 6 from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.
View the Waze map below for traffic conditions.
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