Pumpkin-Inflating Kicks Off Festival
Linus ought to drag his blanket over to the Acura 101 West car dealership on Thursday.
Instead of shivering in a pumpkin patch all night, he can munch hors d’oeuvres and watch “Punkie,” Calabasas’ beloved 30-foot inflatable pumpkin, rise from the roof of the dealership.
The resurrection of the smiling gourd, the annual kick-off event for the city’s Pumpkin Festival in late October, has become an autumn ritual here.
“It’s a tradition and it’s a celebration,” said Lois Julien, a spokeswoman for the festival. Seeing the massive pumpkin plumped up on his perch above the Ventura Freeway, she said, “brings out the child in us.”
James Bozajian, the Calabasas mayor, will flip the switch to illuminate Punkie as revelers enjoy free food and a country music serenade.
Punkie will remain aloft through the Pumpkin Festival, which will be held Oct. 24 and 25 this year.
The pumpkin-raising begins Thursday at 5:30 p.m. at Acura 101 West, at 24650 Calabasas Road.
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