Hunsader Pumpkin Festival opens for its 32nd year

The pumpkin festival runs every weekend through the end of the month in east Bradenton.

By Lesley Dwyer
| 5:30 p.m. October 15, 2023

With so many things to do at the Pumpkin Festival, almost 2-year-old Jameela Williams plays with a flag. Her family was traveling from Tampa back to Sunrise, so they made a pit stop at Hunsader Farms.

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Martin Martinez grew up around the corner, so the now 28-year-old has watched the annual Hunsader Farms Pumpkin Festival grow.

“I’d say it’s grown five times what it was when I was a kid,” Martinez said.

Martinez moved to Sarasota with his wife Isabella, who also grew up in Bradenton, and the two still visit the festival each year.

This is the 32nd annual pumpkin festival. Back when the Martinezes were kids, the ponies were the main attraction and there were no food trucks. Now, the kids can ride camels and there’s a snack to satiate any sweet or salty craving.

Parrish residents Alicia Greenhaw and Eva Gilmore grabbed some fried pickles and a giant blooming onion after their shift at the Pepsi booth. The pair volunteered as members of the Future Farmers of America club and were free to enjoy the festival after.

There’s plenty to do between live music, stunt shows and animal experiences. Not everything is included in the $15 admission because exhibits like the butterfly experience are brought in by outside vendors.

But the staple of any pumpkin or fall festival is the hayride, and those are included in admission. The corn maze and train rides cost an extra $2 per person. The festival runs on Saturdays and Sundays through the end of the month.

The petting zoo is filled with baby goats that are happy to trade pets for pellets.

The Hunsader Farms Pumpkin Festival has a giant corn maze to wander through. For the little ones, there's a maze through low bales of hay.

From fried to sweet, there's a treat for everyone at the Pumpkin Festival.

Sarasota residents Michael and Jayma Piatt emerge from the country slide.

Sarasota residents Isabella and Martin Martinez have been attending the Pumpkin Festival since they were kids. They're taking one more photo to add to their collection.

A pumkin festival isn't complete without a pumpkin patch.

The Fearless Flores are part of the entertainment lineup. They ride motorcycles inside a spherical cage.

The butterfly experience is one of many activities the Pumpkin Festival offers.

Parrish residents Alicia Greenhaw and Eva Gilmore enjoy some fried pickles and onions after working a volunteer shift for the Future Farmers of America.

Bob and Tom, The Band, are one of six bands to take the stage at the Boogie Barn over the course of the festival.

author

Lesley Dwyer

Lesley Dwyer is a staff writer for East County and a graduate of the University of South Florida. After earning a bachelor’s degree in professional and technical writing, she freelanced for the Sarasota Herald-Tribune. Lesley has lived in the Sarasota area for over 25 years.