Event Pumpkin Festival, Day 1
Santa Fe Horse Park
100 S. Polo Drive
Santa Fe,
NM
87507
| Date | Saturday, Oct. 3, 2009 - Sat |
|---|---|
| Time | 11 A.M. to 6 P.M. |
| Cost | $30.00 to $40.00 |
Pumpkin Festival, Day 1
Fall in Santa Fe has always meant orange squash, pony rides and yellow aspens, but now it’s also synonymous with rock and roll and one of the biggest concerts of the season. The annual Pumpkin Festival, now in its 10th year, has always been a top event in our fair city, but it’s even bigger this year. For the first time in the fest’s history, KBAC (98.1 FM) and Project 101.5 have stepped forward to make the opening day even more exciting. Day 1 includes some huge events, featuring musical performances by The Gordon Free Band, The Sean Healen Band, OverShine, and Santa Fe favorite Michael Franti and Spearhead. In addition to the seriously awesome music lineup, local restaurants offer samples (while they last, that is!), homeless pets are up for adoption, vendors sell crafts and locally made goodness, and your wee ones can ride the rides at a legit carnival until they lose all the delicious food they scarfed. While Day 1 is definitely the not-to-miss event of the fall, the festival continues on Sunday, Oct. 4, as well as Saturday and Sunday, Oct. 10 and 11. (Charlotte Jusinski)
Comments
You know I happily paid the $30.00 a ticket to see Michael Franti and my four year old got in free. I didn't expect the $5. parking fee, but oh well. I certainly didn't expect that there would be a no re-entry rule, not kid friendly I have to say, kids do need naps and I'd planned on mine napping in the car. You couldn't take outside food or drink in, water, water, you seriously had to buy bottled water at $1. a bottle and I don't mean a liter or a gallon. Additionally, the desperate lack of port-a-potties had to be in violation of some regulation somewhere! Seriously, I counted 4 port-a-potties, 4! Guess, if you didn't buy the water, you might not need the potty!
After 10 years of holding this festival, you still don't have it right. My friends and I attended this festival because Michael Franti was featured. Everyone I spoke to agreed wholeheartedly with me that it was done so poorly. I have been to many festivals in Colorado and other states and we were always allowed to bring coolers, food and water. Not to be able to go to our cars for diapers and jackets when kids are crying and carrying on, is downright wrong! The Taos Solar Music Festival is an example of how these events should be run. I saw people walking around with huge pumpkins because they couldn't take these to their cars. Vendors suffered because of this rule. The portable toilets or lack thereof was a complete joke. There were possibly 6 of these for all the hundreds of people that attended. Most of us missed the music because we were on line to use the facilities. I spoke to staff people and they even had to wait in the same lines as the rest of us. We would like to attend this event next year providing some of these rules get eliminated. The fee for parking was not necessary!!!
It's whoever was in charge of advertising that really messed this one up. The cost was $30 on the first day of the festival because of the concert. Otherwise, the cost was $5 per adult and children under 12 get in free. I am glad I called to check the cost because I just couldn't believe they would charge that much for a "family" festival. Besides that, the festival was poorly done. Hopefully they get it together for next year.
Overall it was fun, but not kid-friendly. Once you paid on the first day you were not allowed out, unless you paid to get back in! With a kid this was impossible. What happened to the idea of arm bracelets? Also, the only way you would get anything to drink was buy a special ticket to purchase the drink at the coke stand? ... Another non-kid-friendly idea.
Good grief, how could SF ruin such a great family festival? In 2005 when sponsored by LANB, it was $5 admission, under 12 free, we could take the family of 4 for $20. ($10. of ride tickets) and have a great time. We all loved it.
Now tickets are $40. +5 for parking = $85. just to get in! Outrageous, and such a shame. We'll drive to Moriarity again this year for the pumpkins and corn maze. R. Holaday