Downtown hums with Honey & Pumpkin Festival
By Camille DeVaul · Thu Oct 23 2025
Over 70 vendors fill City Park as families and local 4-H beekeepers celebrate honey and pumpkins
PASO ROBLES — Downtown Paso Robles buzzed with excitement on Saturday, Oct. 18, as crowds gathered in City Park for the annual Golden Oak Honey & Pumpkin Festival. The free community event brought together families, beekeepers, crafters, and fall enthusiasts to celebrate all things honey and pumpkin.
Presented by the Paso Robles Main Street Association, with more than 70 vendors filling the park at 11th and Spring streets, festivalgoers had plenty to explore. Booths showcased everything from handmade jewelry and garden art to local honey and home décor, giving shoppers the perfect opportunity to find unique treasures just in time for the holidays. Children enjoyed the popular Kids’ Flea Market, while families sampled sweet treats and took part in contests and demonstrations throughout the day.
Among the festival’s highlights were free honey tastings and honey seminars. The Paso Robles Optimist Club also hosted its annual Spelling Bee, adding a dash of friendly competition and community spirit to the festivities.
The Central Coast Beekeepers Alliance drew attention with their live beehive display, giving visitors a close-up look at the inner workings of a colony. The group also hosted a new contest for the best-decorated bee boxes — a tradition they hope to continue in future years. Vibrantly painted and creatively themed, the boxes reflected the artistry and care of local beekeepers.
The festival also welcomed several 4-H beekeeping groups, including the Templeton 4-H chapter, which sold their homemade honey. The young beekeepers eagerly shared their knowledge with festival visitors and offered insights into the craft of hive management.
Templeton 4-H member Ellie Breitung told Paso Robles Press about her experience working with bees and what the festival meant to her.
“My favorite part is being able to have this connection with your hives," she said. "When you have a hive, you take care of them, you feed them, you watch them grow and evolve. And it's amazing to see how much you learn from being in the bee group, because I used to be afraid of bees and terrified. But now I can pick them up with my bare hands.”
Breitung also shared her knowledge about the group’s honey varieties.
“Our summer honey is more complicated and not the best for putting in allergy-related teas. But if you want just sitting down and having a nice tea, they are pretty good for flavor addition," she explained. "Our spring honey, however, is very good for spring-related allergies.
If you put it in tea, it is very good for allergy relief and has a sweeter taste than the summer honey. The spring honey also has a lot lighter color because it was harvested in spring and flowers that bloom in spring.”
The young beekeeper said the day had been a success.
“We have a lot of great people, a lot of wonderful faces. Everyone that I've met has been really nice and wonderful here," Breitung said. "We've made some great sales and some wonderful people have come and bought things from us.”
As the sun shone over Paso Robles City Park, offering warm and welcoming weather, the event offered more than just shopping and sweets.
To learn more about other Paso Robles Main Street Association events, visit pasoroblesdowntown.org