The 41st annual Sunrise Kiwanis Pumpkin Fair rolls back into downtown Manteca next weekend, Oct. 3-4.

But the roots for the Pumpkin Fair go back farther to 1975.

That’s when Manteca growers took exception to Half Moon Bay’s brass proclamation it was the Pumpkin Capital of the World and threw together a last minute festival at Library Park.

It consisted of a big pile of pumpkins hauled in from the fields around Manteca, a couple bales of hay, an impromptu crowning of Miss Manteca Pumpkin, and some entertainment including a belly dancer.

The fun activities back then were mainly pumpkin-related — pumpkin roll, pumpkin pitch, pumpkin-seed spitting contests and the like.

Manteca area pumpkin growers George Perry, John Azevedo, Dave Celli, and Albert Fonseca were the ones that got the idea of a Manteca Pumpkin Fair rolling.

The next year the now defunct Manteca Jaycees staged a full-scale festival.

So as far as how many years Manteca has had a pumpkin fair, it is 51 years if you start the count from the inaugural event, 50 years if it was from the first full-scale festival, or 41 years from when the Sunrise Kiwanis took over.

Manteca growers were part of the so-called 1974 pumpkin wars that got Half Moon Bay, Manteca, and Circleville, Ohio on the pages of People Magazine and the Wall Street Journal.

In the early 1970s, the newly formed Half Moon Bay Art and Pumpkin Festival began aggressively promoting itself as the "Pumpkin Capital of the World".

That bold claim caught the eye of the mayor of Circleville, Ohio, a Midwestern town that had held its own famous Pumpkin Fair since 1903 and claimed the exact same title.

To settle the dispute, the mayors of both cities organized a head-to-head, cross-country giant pumpkin weigh-off in 1974. It was a competition Half Moon Bay won by a mere pound.

Meanwhile, Manteca growers pointed out Half Moon Bay wasn’t even the largest pumpkin growing area in California considering farming statistics underscored the fact that honor belonged to Manteca.

Today, the local area is still the state’s largest source of pumpkins with 43,500 tons raised on 2,950 acres for an overall crop value of $19.9 million.

This year’s Pumpkin

Fair is next weekend

That said, this year’s Pumpkin Fair takes place in downtown next weekend Oct. 3-4 from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. both days.

It features vendors, food booths, entertainment on both the community and main stages, games, and a beer garden.

Main stage entertainment on Saturday, Oct. 3, is as follows:

*10 to 11 a.m., Shining Stars.

*11:30 a.m. to 1 p.m., Purple Haze.

*1:30 to 3:30 p.m., Triple D.

*4 to 6 p.m., ZZ Tush.

Main stage entertainment on Sunday, Oct. 4, is as follows:

*11:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m., Purple Haze.

*1 to 3 p.m., No Way Back.

The free Kids Zone at Library Park includes toddler tractor rides, crafts, photo op scenes, games, as well as pumpkins to purchase and paint.

A pickleball doubles tournament take place both days from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. at the Center Street courts.

Free kids bike rodeo Saturday

with annual car show Sunday

Manteca Police are staging a free kids bicycle rodeo on Saturday, Oct.4, in the 100 block of North Main Street between Center Street and Yosemite Avenue.

It includes a free bicycle check offering inspections and basic repairs, safety and maintenance tips, an obstacle skills course and games, specialized police units and vehicles on display, as well as free water to stay hydrated.

The car show takes place Sunday, Oct. 4, from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m.

Categories include lowriders, 4x4 trucks, Corvettes, tractors, hot rods, and motorcycles, among others.

To contact Dennis Wyatt, email dwyatt@mantecabulletin.com