Pumpkins Palooza

Pumpkins Palooza Happenings

Once the Halloween spirit is in the air, Painted Pumpkins will be again popping up all over Nevada City! 

From October 1–14, 2026, take part in the Nevada City Pumpkin Palooza Scavenger Hunt and discover vibrant, artistically painted pumpkins displayed at local businesses.

Watch this space for more details in the coming months!

Enjoy anticipating the search for your favorite pumpkin around the area.  For our inaugural event in 2025, painted pumpkins were displayed at these participating locations: Treats, Nevada City Crystal & Glass, JJ Jackson, Java Johns, Nevada City Chocolate Shoppe, The Earth Store, Novak’s Menswear, City Hall, Fur Traders, Brothers Art & Antiques, Mama Madrone’s Eco-Emporium, Utopian Stone, An Inner Sanctum, Nevada City Chamber of Commerce, Miners Foundry, First US Community Credit Union, and Tri-Counties Bank.

The pumpkins will be sourced and painted under tender care of Nevada City Rotary at BakBraken Acres Farm and from The Haunted Pumpkin Patch. Local artists will be painting pumpkins into adoring designs. Painted pumpkins will be displayed in shops and businesses around Nevada City during the first two weeks of October.

Our community is invited to participate in a fun-filled Palooza family celebration and pumpkin auction at 5:30pm Thursday, October 15, 2026 at Miners Foundry ~ just in time for Halloween!
 

Painted Pumpkins on Display

Starting October 1 - October 14, plan an extended scavenger hunt throughout the business districts of Nevada City in search of your favorite creative pumpkin!  Local merchants and businesses will be displaying painted pumpkins in their windows and on counters.  
 
The pumpkins will then be auctioned at our Pumpkins Palooza Family event Thursday, October 15 ~ 

Just in time for Halloween! 

 Pumpkins Palooza

Miners Foundry Cultural Center
Thursday, October 15, 2026
5:30pm
 
Join our community for an evening of fun, creativity, and giving back! This family-friendly event features a colorful auction of hand-painted pumpkins, exciting games, delicious seasonal treats, and plenty of activities designed to engage all ages.
 
Costumes are encouraged but not required

Pumpkins with a Purpose 

Proceeds from the event will support Rotary’s worldwide effort to end polio, one of the greatest global health challenges, as well as fund vital local youth and community service projects.

Nevada City Rotary hosts a variety of local youth and community service projects.  Among them are the the newly launched Dolly Parton Imagination Library Nevada County, Girls Who Code (STEM) Club at Seven Hills Middle School, Penzance Park beautification, stretchable plastics and lithium-ion battery recycling, CTE and academic scholarships for high school graduates, Rotary-hosted leadership camps for youth, volunteer support of our NCPD and much more...

The eradication of polio is one of Rotary's longest standing and most significant efforts. Along with our partners, Rotary has helped immunize more than 2.5 billion children against polio in 122 countries. We have reduced polio cases by 99.9 percent worldwide and we won't stop until we end the disease for good. Click to learn more.

 
Rotary's efforts to End Polio extends far beyond the global eradication of polio.  The systems Rotary and its partners have developed to identify viruses and bacteria in waterways and distribute vaccines to very remote villages around the world are helping eradicate malaria, COVID, and other devastating diseases. 
 
Bring your family, enjoy games and festivities, bid on your favorite pumpkins, and help us paint a brighter future—one pumpkin at a time.
 
Pumpkins will ripen under the tender care of Nevada City Rotary at BakBraken Acres Farm or be sourced by The Haunted Pumpkin Patch, and be painted by the creative talents of local artists and Nevada City Rotarians.

In partnership with the

City of Nevada City,
Nevada City Public Arts Commission, and
Nevada City Chamber of Commerce.