Dozens of Bernese Mountain Dogs will romp at this ocean-close pumpkin patch

CALIFORNIANS LOVE CANINES, and finding Fido-specific celebrations is nearly as easy as tossing your shaggy sweetheart a second treat. One glance at any local calendar will reveal all sorts of animal adoptions, pup meet-ups, and off-beat events, like paint nights (yep, you'll create a colorful canine on canvas) and costume parties. Look a little deeper, though, and you may come across happenings that are all about a single breed or dog designation. The So Cal Corgi Beach Day, which jumps for bacon-flavored bubbles twice each year in Huntington Beach, is a sweet star in this ultra-cute category, as is the annual Greyhound gathering in Solvang. But if you're talking Half Moon Bay, and it is the fall, and you're picturing pumpkins (as in adorable dogs) near pumpkins (as in orange gourds), then you're likely talking about Bernese Mountain Dogs and Farmer John's Pumpkin Farm.

THE POOCH-LOVING LOCATION... has become a Golden State go-to for Berners and their humans over the years and 2023 will be no exception: Sunday, Oct. 1 is the date for this dogly fun. The 2022 event saw "140+ Bernese guests" and their humans, making for quite a merry outing. The breed spotlight is no mere whim; the people behind the popular farm love their Berners, making the scenic spot a longtime draw for people who adore the big, lovable, sweet-eyed animals. And we do mean "longtime": The first meet-up trotted into the verdant location in the early aughts, meaning some of the pups in attendance at Bernese Mountain Dog Day 2023 could, in sweet theory, be the children or grandchildren of the inaugural attendees. Can't join the Oct. 1 but still want to pick up a pumpkin? Farmer John's will announced its September opening details soon.