At Cunningham Elementary School, a longstanding tradition dating back 25 years turns the campus into a miniature pumpkin patch annually thanks to the Kiwanis Club of Greater Turlock. This year, R.A.M. Farms donated 700 pumpkins to the school, giving students the opportunity on Friday morning to hand pick their very own gourd. Each pumpkin was the perfect size for students to take home, but whether they turn it into a jack-o-lantern, a pie or a porch decoration is completely up to them.

“They usually don’t pick the first one they see. They have to try quite a few of them out before they get the one that feels just right,” Kiwanis President Larry DeBora said. “It’s rewarding to see the look on their faces and their smiles, because they’re all really into it and it’s just one of those holidays that kids get excited about. They get pumpkins, and then they get candy.”