Carving pumpkins is one of those Halloween activities that never really gets old, no matter how many times you do it. You get to display your artistic talent (or lack thereof), play with sharp objects, and even roast the seeds for a crunchy treat at the end. You won't get any actual pumpkin seeds out of Ghost Town Pumpkin Festival, but it's still a great seasonal space to hang out, carve pumpkins, and partake in other timeless Halloween activities.
"I'll look into the crowd, and I'll see somebody," says Farmer Mike, nickname of San Jose's Mike Valladao. "It's funny because I'm staring at them, and it's like, 'I'm not hitting on you. I just like your eyebrows. I want to get your cheeks into a pumpkin.' So sometimes people in the audience do end up on my pumpkins - or at least pieces of them do."
You'd think it would take intense concentration to carve a 300-pound pumpkin with a Buck knife in front of a crowd keenly judging your speed and skill. But when you've been doing it for nearly four decades, as Farmer Mike has, it comes pretty easy. Heck, you might even have time for some light-hearted fun. I'll look into the crowd, and I'll see somebody, says Farmer Mike, nickname of San Jose's Mike Valladao.
