Manhattan Beach Pumpkin Race

Manhattan Beach, CA · Quirky

When: October 18, 2026
Where: Manhattan Beach Pier · Manhattan Beach · CA
Cost: Not confirmed
Status: Confirmed from the organizer's published schedule

Racers build gravity powered pumpkin cars and send them rolling down Manhattan Beach Boulevard toward the pier. Karl Rogers and friends started it as a birthday party stunt on Halloween Eve in 1990, and the city later adopted it as an official event. It now draws thousands to the pier each October and has inspired more than 200 spinoff pumpkin races worldwide.

Open on the map → Official site

Organize this event? Claim this page to confirm the dates and details. It takes about a minute.

The history within reach

Manhattan Beach Pumpkin Racesame spot
Racers build gravity powered pumpkin cars and send them rolling down Manhattan Beach Boulevard toward the pier.
International Surf Festival0.1 mi
A five day beach sports festival spanning Manhattan Beach, Hermosa Beach, Redondo Beach, and Torrance, with lifeguard relays, bodysurfing and paddleboard competitions, and beach volleyball.
Manhattan Beach Hometown Fair0.8 mi
An all-volunteer community fair at Live Oak Park started in 1972 by residents to raise money for local schools and civic groups.
Fiesta Hermosa (Labor Day)1.7 mi
A three-day arts, crafts, and food street fair through downtown Hermosa Beach, held twice a year on Memorial Day and Labor Day weekends by the Hermosa Beach Chamber of Commerce.
Old Town Music Hall installs a Mighty Wurlitzer in a 1921 El Segundo theatre2.3 mi
The theatre on Richmond Street opened in 1921 as the El Segundo State Theater.