By Damariz Arevalo, Oct. 1, 2024
The Don B. Huntley College of Agriculture kicked off the third annual Pumpkin Fest Preview Night with live music, craft beers and social media-worthy photo opportunities to a sold-out crowd Sept. 27.
The preview for individuals 21 years and over featured wine from HorseHill Vineyards and food from local chefs and restaurants, including dishes made with CPP-grown produce. Tickets included a complimentary glass, unlimited food, drinks, entertainment, attractions and so many pumpkins.
According to Gabriel Davidov-Pardo, interim associate dean of nutrition and food science, the vision was to get tasty food from local vendors, innovative plant-based items and farm-to-table options. Tickets sold out two weeks prior to the event.
Attendee Yoseline Pastor said, “I didn’t expect so many vendors, we should do this every year and make it into a tradition.”
Pastor and her husband drove from Lynwood after seeing the flyer online.
The CPP Farm Store had its own stand showcasing different butters such as pumpkin, sweet potato pecan, apple and apple cranberry. All the butters were available for purchase and taste testing.
There were also different vendors pouring beer or wine into guests’ complimentary glasses, which displayed “31st Annual Pumpkin Fest” on them, when they walked up to their booths. HorseHill Winery served a 2022 zinfandel rosé, 2018 red blend and 2017 zinfandel. All three were equally inviting, but the rosé was perfect for those who prefer a crispier, more refreshing wine.
Homage Brewing was another vendor serving alcohol and poured tasters of Wild Pink Robot, a barrel-aged sour ale with organic strawberries. This drink was so flavorful there were guests going back for seconds.
To complement the drinks, there was a variety of food choices. One standout was CPP Foundation Dining Services with two plates: an orange miso chicken skewer with ube garlic rice and spicy smoke pumpkin glaze, as well as crispy Korean pork belly with ube garlic rice, Korean Blackberry Stout BBQ and kimchi aioli.
Kristopher Arguin, the executive chef for CPP Foundation, brought a fusion menu between Japanese Filipino American and Korean Filipino American. He based the menu on the demographic of the surrounding area, and it included a surprising fact about the pork belly.
“It’s vegan,” Arguin said. “There’s no meat in it, but we’re not marketing it as vegan. Its plant based. You’re trying to hit a demographic that’s not used to eating something and being able to present it to them in a way where they’re accepting of it.”
Without knowing the pork belly was plant based, guests may have thought it was meat due to the taste and presentation, the pork belly looked exactly like a strip of meat, and it tasted just like real pork belly.
The Coney Island Creamery was popular with their ube ice cream. Another vendor was Rosemallows, which had artisanal marshmallows flavored with CPP fresh herbs, fruits, wine and beer.
Non-alcoholic drinks were available from Island Oasis such as peach, margarita and mango slushes. Tractor Beverage also served non-alcoholic drinks including lemonade and peach slushies and fresh strawberry dragon fruit and mango juices.
The attractions included a kids’ corn maze, sunflower field, pumpkin field and different areas for fall photo opportunities. Pumpkin land featured a house made of wood and pumpkins with an open doorway to frame people who took pictures.
Live entertainment from The Storytellers Band could be heard in every direction, including the kids’ corn maze and sunflower field, creating an ambiance when walking through them.
The corn maze began with small stalks, but they got taller deeper in the maze and there were hay bales around to sit and take photos.
“We have more than 90 working students that help put on the event and then run the event both the preview night and the pumpkin fest,” said Davidov-Pardo. “This is a great testament of the learn by doing philosophy the students that participate in pumpkin fest and these events.”
Students working at the dean’s office helped plan the event, from posting online to laying out food for the vendors and designing centerpieces for tables, according to Dana Rodriguez, a student assistant with the Don B. Huntley College of Agriculture.
Pumpkin Fest started 30 years ago with a small patch of pumpkins on the side of the road, and today it is one of the largest events in the California State University system, according to the history of CPP Pumpkin Fest.
Admission tickets can be bought online or in person, but it is recommended to buy tickets online due to their capacity and for better pricing. On Friday’s adult admission tickets are $5.65, children 3 to 12, military, seniors and students with a CPP Bronco ID are $4.65. The Friday Bundle is $15.42 which includes admission and a wristband for unlimited access to the attractions.
For Saturday and Sunday regular admission is $10.80 and children 3 to 12, military, seniors and students with a CPP Bronco ID are $8.75. Other tickets and bundles can be found at the Pumpkin Fest website.
All children under the age of 3 are free to enter the event.
Tickets to individual attractions can be purchased for $1 each or 11 tickets for $10. All attractions are free for children under the age of 3 when accompanied by a paid adult. Petting farm feed cups and pumpkins are not included with a wristband.
Pumpkin Fest is celebrating its 31st anniversary and the attractions are for all ages such as the kids’ maze, hayride, petting farm, moo moo cow train, sunflower field and duck races on weekends from Sept. 28 to Oct. 27.
Feature image courtesy of Bryan Doan