Pumpkin festival will proceed

The popular Cardoza pumpkin festival - an autumnal rite for three decades - will return in late October, even though the family has sold its Petaluma area farm and the pumpkins will be imported from the Central Valley.

The festival's future had been in doubt following the purchase in 2005 of the Cardoza family's 1,737-acre ranch by the Agricultural Preservation and Open Space District. The district's acquisition of the largest natural freshwater lake in Sonoma County was heralded for habitat preservation, but public access issues are still being resolved.

Although the land, which offers stunning views spanning Sonoma Mountain to the San Francisco Bay, won't open for unguided public visits until next summer, Sonoma County supervisors decided Tuesday to host the annual pumpkin event.

"It is extremely important to carry on that tradition and important for the future of Tolay Lake Park," said Supervisor Mike Kerns, whose south county district includes the farm being transformed into the park.

The county's Regional Parks Department is taking over administration of what's now called Tolay Lake Park.

Under the purchase arrangement, restoration of the historic lake, the grasslands, the habitat for endangered species and the archaeological sites with American Indian artifacts take precedence over pumpkin farming.

"The tradition will continue, but we will not be growing pumpkins in the lake bed," said parks department Director Mary Burns.

The festival will cost an estimated $50,000 and will emphasize agricultural and environmental education, said Jim McCray, park system manager.

The county is contracting for the purchase of about 15,000 pumpkins, mostly from Cental Valley farms, because prices there are lower, he said. The Cardoza family grew much, but not all, of its pumpkin stock, unloading a record high of 45,000 pumpkins one year.

Inflatable bouncers for children will be replaced with craft-making demonstrations. Two staples of the festival, hay rides and the maze of hay bales, will continue.

The festival will run

Oct. 20-22 and Oct. 27-29, not throughout the month as in previous years. The parks department also is planning a series of educational programs designed to attract groups of schoolchildren on Mondays and Tuesdays in October.

"The goal is to break even and provide access to the site," McCray said. "Any profits would help offset operations and maintenance costs that are coming up."