Half Moon Bay likes to claim they’re the pumpkin capital of the world.

That’s stretching the truth a bit.

Unless you’re into 800-pound monster pumpkins that you need a crane to move, Half Moon Bay isn’t where the action is at.

It’s Manteca.

Almost 7 out of every 10 pumpkins sold commercially in California go rumbling out of Manteca on trucks from now until the end of the month.

Fields around Manteca yielded 73,300 tons of pumpkins from 3,210 acres last year with a gross value of $30.3 million.

The Sunrise Kiwanis’ 39th annual version of the Pumpkin Fair is today and Sunday from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. in downtown Manteca.

The forecast for the free event is calling for a high of 102 degrees both today and Sunday.

That said, there are a lot of cool things to do.

There are 40 new vendor spots under the shady canopy of the tall sycamore trees along Manteca Avenue.

They are next to Library Park where there is plenty of shade for the free kids games with pumpkin themes, the community stage, as well as the pumpkin patch where you can search for the perfect pumpkin to buy.

There is also a fair amount of tree shade along Sycamore Avenue where the food vendors are located.

Overall, there will be upwards of 200 vendors

The Main Stage is also under shade where Manteca and Sycamore avenues converge. As is the beer garden that likely will be the place to linger this year.

 Playing the Main Stage today are GK Music from 11 a.m. to noon, Jim Anderson from 12:30  to 1:30 p.m., Triple D from 2 to 3:30 p.m., and 8 Track Massacre from 4 to 5:30 p.m.

Sunday’s line-up includes GK Music from 11 a.m. to 12:30 p.m., Triple D from 1 to 2:15 p.m., and Latin Magic from 3 to 5 p.m.

The community entertainment stage is at Library Park.

Besides two stages of continuous entertainment, the fair offers pumpkin painting/decorating/carving contest, a paint and sip party, beer garden, a car show Sunday from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. plus the Pumpkin Patch/Kids Zone in Library Park.

More information is available by going to www.sunrisekiwanis.org

To contact Dennis Wyatt, email dwyatt@mantecabulletin.com