The search is on for Manteca’s Great Pumpkin carver.

The Sunrise Kiwanis are conducting a pumpkin carving contest - among other competitions - as part of this year’s annual Manteca Pumpkin Fair in downtown Manteca on Oct. 1-2

You can also enter a scarecrow contest, a baking/cooking pumpkin contest, and a car show.

Getting under way prior to the downtown celebration is the Pumpkin Fair carnival on Wednesday. The rides wil be set up next to Best Buy at The Promenade Shops at Orchard Valley, at Union Road and the 120 Bypass.

A pumpkin carving contest takes place on Saturday, Oct, 1, at 1 p.m. at the Community Stage at Library Park. You have to pre-carve your pumpkin as no knives, scissors, or any kind of carving tool is allowed at the Pumpkin Fair and will be confiscated.

The categories are scariest, silliest, and most original. The carved pumpkins will be kept on display throughout the fair. Prizes will be awarded.

The pumpkin baking/cooking dessert contest is Sunday, Oct. 2, at 2:30 p.m. There are four categories – pies, cookies, cake and other. Bring copies of your recipes as they will be included in a future Pumpkin Fair recipe book. There will be prizes.

A “Build a Scarecrow” contest is open to children ages 5 to 18 who attend school in Manteca. They are encouraging individual students, or classrooms to build a scarecrow.  Each of the scarecrows will be judged during the Pumpkin Fair, and then displayed throughout the weekend for visitors to see.  There will be prizes awarded to the contest winners.  

Scarecrows will be judged in the following 7 divisions: Students grades K – 5, students grades 6 – 8, students grades 9 – 12, classes grades K – 5, classes grades 6 – 8, classes grades 9 – 12, and after-school programs grades 1- 6.

Judging will take place on Saturday, Oct. 2, on the Community Stage located in Library Park at 4 p.m.

The car show this year is on Sunday in the 100 block of East Yosemite Avenue. It will feature 13 categories and has a $25 entry fee.

There are no entry fees for the contests. Prizes will be awarded

You can go to the website www.sunrisekiwanis.org  for contest entry information or car show applications. The entry deadline for all contests - except the car show - is this Thursday at 5 p.m.