Pumpkins Palooza
Pumpkins Palooza Family Celebration
Once the Halloween spirit is in the air, Painted Pumpkins will be again popping up all over!
From October 1–14, 2026, take part in the Pumpkins Palooza Scavenger Hunt and discover vibrant, artistically painted pumpkins displayed at local businesses.
And new this year, we are bringing back our popular Taste of the Town Restaurant Raffle! Grand prize is 10 local $100 restaurant certificates ~ a $1,000 value! Plus, drawings for smaller packages offer generous odds and more chances to win! Purchase raffle tickets from Nevada City Rotarians or at the door!
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.
Pumpkins Palooza Family Celebration
Entry fee $10/adult at the door with students and kids free
Painted Pumpkins on Display
Just in time for Halloween!
Painting workshops are fun, free and include pumpkins and supplies.
Want to paint at home, send a message and we'll connect with you!
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.
