Pumpkin Palooza

Calling all home cooks and pumpkin lovers!

Join us for the second edition of AOOA’s Fall Seasonal Smackdown: Pumpkin Palooza! Home cooks will showcase their homemade pumpkin recipes, and compete for fun prizes and the honor of being the Gourd Guru!

Whether it’s a baked treat or a savory dish, you can enter anything as long as fresh local pumpkin is the star of the show (pumpkin and or squash as the primary ingredient)! If competing is not for you, join us as a taster to sample an assortment of pumpkin themed creations and vote for your favorite. Either way, you’ll enjoy a festive celebration of pumpkin flavors and creativity!

Each taster will receive one token to cast their vote for the people’s choice award. At the end of the event, two Gourd Gurus will be selected: one chosen by our celebrity judges and one people’s choice.

This year's judges include Ariane Daguin, AOOA farm manager Matt Celona, world-renowned Jacques Torres, award-winning chef Shane McBride, and Nikki Cavanaugh from Rushing Duck Brewery.

All ages are welcome to compete and taste!

Light refreshments will be served. Space is limited, please register in advance!

Contestant registration is open until October 11!

Run of show:

11:30 am - Contestants arrive to check in, set up, and decorate

12:00 pm - Palooza opens, let the judging begin!

1:00 pm - Votes tallied

1:15 pm - Awards ceremony begins

All revenue will go towards our Fresh Food for All program, which combats food insecurity by supplying nutritious, organically grown produce to local Orange County food banks and feeding our neighbors in need. AOOA donates fresh organic produce during our growing season (March to November) and pastured eggs over the winter.

Contestants are required to:

• Submit their unique home-kitchen pumpkin recipe for consideration for all judges and attendees to taste (celebrity judges will evaluate the dish on taste, appearance, and texture)
• Prepare to have samples for at least 60 people, we will provide tasting spoons
• Bring two printed copies of their recipe (and email one to hello@alloneoneall.com by October 18)
• Arrive thirty minutes early to check in, set up and decorate their tasting table
• Stay for the duration of the event to talk up their creation

Contestants will receive:

• A one-time 25% discount on ingredients to use in the competition from the Farm Stand
• 1 complimentary AOOA farm fizz on the day of the competition
• Space and tasting supplies to present their creation to both celebrity and public judges, with on-site support from AOOA staff.