Half Moon Bay sees major boost to business from annual Pumpkin Festival
HALF MOON BAY - After extreme weather and a global pandemic, Half Moon Bay's economy is starting to turn around. And this month, it's getting a big hand.
Businesses say the 51st annual Art & Pumpkin Festival is a major boost to the local economy, not just this weekend but for all of October. The support it gives to businesses, farmers, and nonprofits is a much-needed infusion of visitors spending money.
The festivities got off to an early start with the 50th annual Safeway World Championship Pumpkin Weigh-Off Monday morning. The contest crowned a repeat champion, Travis Gienger, whose latest behemoth -- nicknamed "Michael Jordan" after the Chicago Bulls basketball great -- set a new world record. It tipped the scales at 2,749 pounds.
"It's phenomenal. I mean our place is, during the entire month of October, we are packed," said Cameron Palmer, the owner of Cameron's Restaurant and Inn. "Some weekends there actually is a line out the door and we seat 150 people."
He is also the president of the committee that organizes the festival each year. He says that businesses along Main Street benefit greatly from the event. Nonprofits also collect enough money to make them profitable for the whole year in one weekend, according to Palmer. For pumpkin farms, it creates an appeal around their community that keeps people coming to town all month.
"Just the beauty of the area, to see all these pumpkins out in the field, is pretty incredible, it's photo op city for all the families," Palmer told KPIX.
The festival takes place Saturday and Sunday from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Palmer says the pandemic has been a challenge many businesses are still trying to come up from, along with the atmospheric rivers of the past season and recent wildfires.
Any additional support they can get from the community is greatly appreciated, this year especially, Palmer explained.
"We're still rebounding, I think a lot of us still are a little behind on our bills, but this is going to be a real shot in the arm, this October," he said. "We're starting to come back and hopefully it's all going to be good."
For more information about this weekend's 51st annual Half Moon Bay Art and Pumpkin Festival is available at the festival website.