Thousands of people embarked Sunday on the annual autumn pilgrimage to Hawaii Preparatory Academy in Waimea, where they searched through more than 500 pumpkins of all different sizes and shapes.

The Parker family, of Kona, knew exactly what they were looking for in their Jack-O'-lantern prospects.

"I like pumpkins that are big and have special stems," said 9-year-old Kira Parker at the packed Pumpkin Patch Festival. "I hold them in my arms and I decide if it's the right one."

Kaden Parker, 6, prefers those that are perfectly rotund and really orange while dad Steve Parker usually goes for the delightfully deformed because "even the really ugly ones deserve a home."

Alyssa and Aaron Jeremiah, of Kailua, Kona, looked on, smiling as their children, 8-year-old Abigail and 3-year-old Jack, picked out their favorite pumpkins. The smaller winter squashes, which were from California, went for $5 and prices increased with size.

The couple has taken their children to pumpkin patches every year since they were born. It's a fall tradition for the family and pictures of the outing are a must.

Alyssa and Aaron hope their children will carry on this quaint, nostalgic activity with their families one day.

Growing up, the couple said they often got their pumpkins at a grocery or big-box store. They insisted that a trip to the grocery store for a pumpkin will never be the same once you visit a patch.

Besides getting in the Halloween spirit and preparing for the spookiest of holidays, they try to teach their children that pumpkins grow in the ground and do not simply appear in the bins at stores.

For the past 18 years, the Pumpkin Patch Festival, held by HPA's Ohana Association on the upper campus, has raised money for the school. Proceeds earned in 2008 were used to purchase wrestling mats, playground equipment for the lower campus and interactive, electronic whiteboards, called SMART Boards, for every classroom, said Susan Macy, who was in charge of marketing and public relations for the event.

Besides a huge pumpkin selection, the event featured a farmers market, food, games, prizes, family-friendly activities, a silent auction and entertainment. More than 300 volunteers helped, including students who ran various game, activity and food booths.

Senior class president Bridget Walker said that by creating and running their own booths students learn teamwork, salesmanship, time management and responsibility. The 17-year-old girl was thankful for the community's ongoing support of this event, HPA and its students.

This year's theme was "Embracing Our Community." HPA's Ohana Association invited nonprofits to set up booths at the festival and shared information about their services, as well as how the public can help.

"The festival was a good medium for nonprofits because it allowed them to have greater visibility, connect with people, educate, spread awareness and possibly collaborate with others for good causes," junior class president Dean Macy said.