Pumpkin Festival about more than just fun

If having a wagon full of pumpkins wasn't enough for 3-year-old Luis Martinez Jr. of Williams, the topic of trick-or-treating on Halloween certainly raised the enthusiasm level.

"The Hulk," declared Martinez, when asked what he planned to dress up as for Halloween.

Standing up in the wagon filled with a variety of shapes, sizes and colors of pumpkins, Martinez did his best bodybuilding pose to show how the Hulk does what he does best.

"Hulk smashes (things)," he said.

It was all smiles for the youngsters at the annual Pumpkin Festival held for the second year at LaVanche Hursch Community Park in downtown Arbuckle.

Formerly held at Wise Acre Farms, it moved to the downtown area as a way to raise money for the Arbuckle Revitalization Committee.

The group helps with improvements in the downtown area, as well as raises money with the hope of someday restoring the old depot along the California Northern Railroad tracks.

The depot was a backdrop to the event Saturday, but a distant thought to the youngsters who eagerly hunted the park grounds for that perfect pumpkin, played in the bounce house or gobbled up lunch and dessert goodies offered at the festival.

The one exception, perhaps, was Jesse Kasza, who held up well the 12-year-old boy mantra that the Pumpkin Festival was "boring."

That is except for the dessert table, where he happily exchanged his money for the sweet confection. Jackie Gonzalez was working the dessert table for the Arbuckle Revitalization Committee, and by 12:30 p.m., less than two hours into the event, the offerings were getting a bit thin.

"I have had a lot of kids and their parents," she said.

"And all the desserts were donated by the ladies in the community," Gonzalez said. "So that's great."

The number of pumpkins left after the morning rush also was seriously reduced for those afternoon visitors, but there was still a lot to buy, including handmade goods by several vendors.

Or if wine was the preference, Mike Doherty was there selling the values of his Grindstone label, the only one in Colusa County.

"We had a blast," added Kevin Toller. "My kids got their pumpkins and we can't wait to get home and carve them up."