PumpkinPalooza returns to Victorian Square October 22-23, 2022 with games, contests, costumes and more!
Named a top 10 Fall Event by Food Network Magazine and the largest fall festival in Nevada by Only in Nevada, PumpkinPalooza is two full days of good old-fashioned family fun.
Presented by Bill Pearce Motors, the event is free to attend and features affordable and wholesome events for all ages including the Midway, the Purple Pumpkin Pursuit, the Pumpkin Design Studio, costume photo ops for people and pets, vendor trick or treating, carving classes, food trucks, and kid-friendly live entertainment.
PumpkinPalooza is also home to Nevada’s only Jack-o-Lantern Wall and the only Pumpkin Derby in the state. Trick & Treat Tours and spots in the Pumpkin Derby are now on sale!
The Trick & Treat Tour is the all-inclusive PumpkinPalooza experience and includes 20 Midway games, the Purple Pumpkin Pursuit, a pumpkin to decorate in the Pumpkin Design Studio, and Trick & Treat bag, and a chance to win the Great Pumpkin Raffle.
Trick & Treat Tour PumpkinPalooza’s Pumpkin Derby is the only one of its kind in the state of Nevada. It pits teams against each other to see which Pumpkin Derby Racer is the fastest for the Grand Championship.
The PumpkinPalooza Midway is filled with more than 20 homemade carnival-style games and unique experiences created especially for the event. Players collect tickets for each game they win which can be redeemed for prizes at the Redemption Booth.
The Purple Pumpkin Pursuit scavenger hunt takes families on a journey throughout Victorian Square and everything PumpkinPalooza! The more purple pumpkins they can find, the bigger the prize they’ll win.
The only Pumpkin Derby in the state of Nevada is open to everyone. Teams build their Pumpkin Derby Racer and compete for the Grand Championship on Sunday. We have a full Pumpkin Garage with Master Pumpkin Mechanics at the event for anyone who wants help building their Racer.
Nevada’s only Jack-o-Lantern Wall is carved and created by people in our community. Artists help participants make a oneof-a-kind Jack-o-Lantern for Lisa’s Wall, named after the founder of PumpkinPalooza. The wall will be lit up in a special ceremony Saturday night. The pumpkins are provided, and the carving classes are free.
Participants who come to PumpkinPalooza in costume can be part of the Great Masquerade for free for their chance to win prizes. They’ll have their photo taken by a professional photographer at our photo op.
Those photographs will be displayed in a special gallery on PumpkinPalooza’s Facebook page where they can tag, save, and share them. On Halloween, a pumpkin committee will choose several photos at random to win a prize.
Pet owners are encouraged to dress up their pets in their most terrifying or adorable costumes for a chance to win a prize in the Pet Parade. A professional photographer will take their picture at our photo-op. All of the pictures will go into a PumpkinPalooza online photo gallery where the community will vote for their favorite. Participation is free.
Local artists will be playing on the Great Basin stage and kid-friendly entertainment will be happening inside the Sparks Amphitheater all weekend long. The performances are free.
Now in its 11th year, PumpkinPalooza draws more than 20,000 moms, dads, kids, and grandparents to downtown Sparks. PumpkinPalooza is from the imagination of the Northern Nevada Center for Independent Living (NNCIL). The NNCIL is a community-based, cross-disability, non-profit organization designed and operated by people with disabilities.
Its mission is to help Nevadans with disabilities live healthier, more active and more fulfilling lives. PumpkinPalooza is the largest fundraiser for the NNCIL and has become one of Northern Nevada's largest events.
