It's one of the biggest days of the year in Downtown Manhattan Beach: On Sunday, October 27, the Skechers Pier to Pier Friendship Walk will be followed by the World Famous Pumpkin Race.

Since it was launched in 2010 by the Greenberg family, the Skechers Friendship Walk has become California's largest walk for children with special needs and education.

The walk has already surpassed this year's $2 million fundraising goal, having raised $2.2 million at the start of the weekend.

This year's event will feature a live performance starring this season’s America’s Got Talent winner Kodi Lee. Other celebrities attendees include Hall of Fame baseball legend Tommy Lasorda; Denise Austin; NBC4 investigative reporter and opening program emcee Lolita Lopez; the casts of Brat’s Chicken Girls and Nickelodeon’s Knight Squad and All That reboot—along with numerous YouTubers, Nickelodeon and Disney network stars.

Donations from the Skechers Pier to Pier Friendship Walk support The Friendship Foundation, public schools and scholarship funds for exceptional students.

Check-in and registration begins at the Manhattan Beach Pier at 8:00 a.m. The walk (from the Manhattan Beach Pier to the Hermosa Beach Pier and back) begins at 9:00 a.m. Registration is $30 for adults and kids ages 3 and up ($35 for registration on the day of the walk).

Manhattan Beach's 29th annual pumpkin race festival will take place starting at noon at the Manhattan Beach Pier. (Races begin at 1:00 p.m.)

The World Famous Pumpkin Race centers around a unique side-by-side single elimination race down the hill toward the beach, featuring handcrafted, decorated Pumpkin Racers in a funky, hilarious, suspenseful, and dramatic display of American ingenuity. Excitement builds as Pumpkin Racers battle head-to-head for the coveted Pumpkin Race Championship Trophy. Prizes are also awarded for Best Decoration, Most Innovative Design, and Best Crash.

Pumpkin Racers must be made from a pumpkin with two independent axels and wheels attached. Pumpkin Racers come in all different shapes, sizes, speeds, and vary degrees of decoration.

Need a pumpkin race kit? On the day of the event, stop by the Race Genius Booth for assistance, decorations, and accessories. Official kits will be available for $35 on the day of the race.

The pumpkin race was created in Manhattan Beach on Halloween Eve in 1990 by Karl Rogers, Michael Aaker and John Holliday. They invented the Pumpkin Racer design and developed the Pumpkin Race format for guests attending Karl's birthday party.  

The fun and quirky event was such a hit with their friends that they insisted that they run the race again the following year, and a new American tradition was born. Now the World Famous Pumpkin Race has become a must-attend annual tradition for thousands of residents in the South Bay area of Los Angeles.