Lakewood Ranch's Aurelia Yepez gently climbed into a saddle of a pony.
She rode with a giant smile on her face as her mother, Amy Yepez, walked beside her.Â
"I liked petting the pony," said the 7-year-old.Â
After she rode the pony, Aurelia and her mom made their way to the other activities available on the first day of the 29th annual Hunsader Farms Pumpkin Festival Oct. 10.
Kim Hunsader, one of the farm owners, was ecstatic to see people enjoying the live entertainment, food vendors, shows and pumpkin patches during the festival.Â
"I'm glad we could be a spot for them to come out," Hunsader said. "We have acres of grounds so everybody can spread out and be outside. We're happy they came with everything going on with COVID-19."
With two more weekends of the festival still to come, Hunsader recommended people see the Paul Bunyan Lumberjack Show, the Banana Derby and Rick the Trickster's Rockin' Roadshow.
Scott Weaver with BMX Trick Stars does a maneuver on his bike before the start of the show.
St. Petersburg's Carson Hindsley, who is 2, picks out a pumpkin during her first time at the Pumpkin Festival.
A scarecrow sits in a jail car at the Pumpkin Festival.
Children take a ride on a train during the 29th annual Hunsader Farms Pumpkin Festival.
East County's Bella Randall, who is 8, and her sister Chloe Randall, who is 10, start their time at the Pumpkin Festival by observing the scarecrows. The girls look forward to eating ice cream and elephant ears.
Bradenton's Domaniq Hutton, who is 9 months old, Parrish's Cyla Finklea, who is 2, and Myakka's Kadin Dodge, who is 1, and Adelynn Dodge, who is 3, have fun in the pumpkin patch.
Brandon's Noah Williams, who is 9, Sebastian Garcia, who is 12, and Jakob Scott, who is 12, pose in front of a tractor at the Pumpkin Festival. Garcia looks forward to grabbing kettle corn while at the festival.
The Hunsader family makes scarecrows and places them throughout the farm's 40 acres for families to take photos.
GreyHawk Landing's Lauren Bittar, who is 7, and Kim Bittar enjoy the pony ride together.
Lakewood Ranch's Aurelia Yepez, who is 7, enjoys riding a pony alongside her mother, Amy Yepez. "I liked petting the pony," Aurelia Yepez says.
Govian Espana, a log roller, chain saw carver and axeman, carves a rabbit out of wood during the Paul Bunyan Lumberjack Show.
Lakewood Ranch's Nicholas Dadej, who is 3, and his 5-year-old brother Bradley Dadej, commemorate their first Pumpkin Festival with a photo by a scarecrow.
Tampa's Kali Mae Norman, who is 2 years old, holds butterflies. Norman was enjoying her first time at the Pumpkin Festival.
Valrico's Elaine and Salvador Pelaez dress in matching turkey shirts with their 7-year-old son Lucas Camacho-Berrios.
