Year after year, festival-goers enjoy a memorable experience with the special display of massive weigh-off champion pumpkins, remarkable Picasso of pumpkin carvers sculpting and shaping monster 1,000+ pound pumpkins, three stages of blockbuster entertainment, everyone's favorite home-spun parade, harvest-inspired crafts, the tastiest pumpkin pie on the planet, enchanting events and contests for the whole family.
See and sample everything pumpkin from pumpkin ale, pumpkin ice cream, and pumpkin soup and, of course, pumpkin pie!
Encompassing the area from Half Moon Bay in the north to Mount Madonna in the south, the Santa Cruz Mountains have been a wine producing region since the late 1800s. The Appellation’s vineyards are among the precious few in California situated close to the ocean. Varied microclimates, marine influence, mountain terrain and distinctive soils combine to produce some of the finest conditions for wine production.
More than 70 wineries thrive in the area. The small size of these operations allows nurturing of the fruit, providing a truly unique, rich and vibrant taste and aroma to the handcrafted wines.
From The Ritz-Carlton, Half Moon Bay, you can take a day trip and tour the wineries of the Santa Cruz Mountains. Some include:
Imagine walking through a grove of redwoods more than 100 years old. These logging roads used to be barren until the Open Space Trust and the League to Save the Redwoods came together to protect these majestic trees.
The centerpiece of this 3,120 acre preserve is Purisima Creek Canyon, home to towering redwoods. The Preserve includes 21 miles of developed trails and historical loggings roads, which provide opportunities for easy walks or long, strenuous hikes and/or rides. Guests find wheelchair-accessible picnic tables and restrooms along this flat, easy route.
Bike rides start at The Ritz-Carlton, Half Moon Bay and travel north along the coastline. Included are 21-speed mountain bikes, maps, bottled water and protective gear. Bicycles may only be checked out by adults 18 years or older.
Please call to book your reservations. First come, first served.
Do you fancy a ride on the beach and be only feet from the Pacific Ocean? Then Sea Horse Ranch has just the ride for you! Ride along the trail that hugs the coast and offers spectacular views of not just the beach, but California landscape and Princeton Harbor. Keep your eyes peeled for the migrating whales in the months of January through March, and don’t forget to look up and spot a red-tailed hawk hovering in place as it searches for it’s next meal.