More than pumpkins to be at Patch
HAPPY ROTARIANS (left to right) are Wendy and Eric Clifford, Melody St. John and Elsa Gillham.
Trick-or-Treat, tacos and carving contest
Harvest the Halloween spirit by purchasing a pumpkin from Larchmont Boulevard’s own pumpkin patch. Wilshire Rotary Club is once again setting up its pumpkin patch — for the 17th year — at 568 N. Larchmont Blvd. Choose your pumpkin starting Fri., Oct. 6. All of the proceeds are donated to charitable organizations.
This year, Rotarian Wendy Clifford is bringing two 26-foot trucks full of pumpkins and squash to sell on the Boulevard. That’s more than last year.
She and a few other Rotarians drove up to the grower in Santa Paula to take their pick of pumpkins. “It’s one of my favorite days of the year,” declares Clifford. The Rotarians walk around the fields with the farmer to pick and choose different pumpkins and squash.
Each year, Clifford finds new varieties to add to the usual orange soccer ball-sized pumpkins (the most popular). Last year, Clifford ordered a splashy new squash that was yellow and white. This year, when she inquired about it, farmer Paul Barnard said, “You mean the Wendy?!” Those will be for sale at the patch again this year.
OODLES OF VARIETIES of pumpkins are available at the patch on the Boulevard. Photos by Wendy Clifford
Special weekends
At the patch in late October, Wilshire Rotary is teaming up with another Rotary Club, from Culver City, Latinos Unidos, to host a taco pop-up. The Latinos Unidos will make and serve tacos for sale while the Boy Scouts from St. Brendan School will peddle refreshments on Sat., Oct. 21, and Sun., Oct. 22, from noon to 3 p.m.
Festivities continue the following weekend, with trick-or-treating around the pumpkins on Fri., Oct. 27, at 2 p.m. The next day, Sat., Oct. 28, at 2 p.m., there is a pumpkin-carving contest with prizes. Entrants must buy a pumpkin at the patch to participate.
Every day in October at the patch there will be the ever-popular maze and a scavenger hunt. Every weekend, Larchmont Charter High School students, who are part of the Wilshire Rotary Club through Interact, will help out with Halloween crafts and carnival games.
The patch raises money for local organizations, some of which are the Anderson-Munger YMCA, Big Sunday, HopeNet and Van Ness Elementary School’s visually impaired classes.
Each year, the visually impaired classes from Van Ness are invited to explore the patch before it opens to the public. Clifford says the students, “Love, love, love it!”
The patch is open weekdays from 2 to 6 p.m. and weekends from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m., Fri., Oct. 6, through Mon., Oct. 30, or until the pumpkins run out.
HAVING FUN PICKING pumpkins in Santa Paula is Rotarian Larry Gillham.
Category: Entertainment