Carver Uses 40-Year Streak to Carve 1,000-Pound Atlantic Pumpkins in Half Moon Bay

The Half Moon Bay Art & Pumpkin Festival returns to the California coast this mid-October. In the middle of the crowd, Mike Valladao is marking his 40th year of sculpting the event's giant gourds.

Valladao works under the name Farmer Mike. He wears orange overalls and a hat while he chisels faces into the pumpkins. He is a systems engineer at a cybersecurity company by day. He treats the carving like building hardware. He adds one layer at a time.

The hobby started in the mid-1980s in San Jose. He grew large pumpkins at his home but did not know how to use them. He took a knife and sliced faces into the flesh. In 1986, festival organizers saw a photo of his work. They invited him to showcase his skills in Half Moon Bay. His family opened the town's first feed and seed store in the 19th century.

Valladao has no formal artistic training. He finds ideas by looking at museum art or walking down the street. He studies specific features like teeth, ears, and nostrils. He uses Atlantic pumpkins that weigh between 100 and 1,000 pounds. The thick skin allows him to cut features deep or shallow to create depth.

He carved an 800-pound pumpkin once. The work was heavy, so he does not enter the giant pumpkin weigh-off contest. His art has taken him to other states. He has carved at the San Diego Zoo, the California Academy of Sciences, and the State Fair of Texas. He also appeared on The Tonight Show.

He does not name his creations. He says the art lasts only a few days. He is comfortable with the pumpkins aging. He says they build character as they decay. He does not plan to stop carving. He calls the work a piece of himself.

The festival runs for two days. Valladao works on a stage where the public can watch him carve. The event is known for its giant pumpkin competition. Valladao continues his 40-year streak at this specific location on the coast south of San Francisco.