There are dozens of varieties of eggplant. In Loomis, the favorite is the one that’s ripe just one day a year: the festival variety.

There will be plenty of eggplant festival activities to pick from on Saturday, Oct. 4, when the Loomis Basin Chamber of Commerce, and its legion of volunteers, hosts the Loomis Eggplant Festival.

Loomis Firefighters Association chefs will be up very early Saturday morning to begin serving pancake breakfasts at 6 a.m. at Loomis Fire Station No. 1, located at the corner of Horseshoe Bar Road and Magnolia Street.

“It’s probably the most delicious breakfast ever made,” said Loomis Fire Capt. Devin Fuller.

At 9:45 a.m., the Del Oro Golden Eagle Marching Band ushers in the festival and hits the pavement, parading from Webb Street near the Blue Goose to the Chamber Showcase area at Loomis Station Plaza where they will perform additional numbers.

The Showcase, Avenue of Art, Wine Garden, Kid’s Zone, and Home & Garden specialty and craft booths, and all festival vendors open at 10 a.m.

“We are proud to feature the Loomis Basin and Placer County in a full day of events,” said Carol Voyiatzes, Chamber manager.

“And this year, we’ve extended the festival by one hour, to 5 p.m., so that you can take in all the excitement.”

Other festival highlights include the Farmer’s Market, Food Court, Little House of Eggplant, and the Cooking Contest.

All cooks are invited to enter the Cooking Contest, which includes categories of Main Dish, Side Dish, Appetizer and Dessert. All entries must use eggplant as the main ingredient.

There’s no fee, and you may submit one entry in each category. Prizes, sponsored by Newcastle Produce, will be awarded for first, second and third place in each category. To enter, deliver your dish, accompanied by the recipe, to the Cooking Contest booth by 11 a.m. on Saturday morning. Awards will be announced at noon.

Take a walk through the Avenue of Art to see the work of talented local artists, including 2008 Eggplant Festival logo artist Brenda Dominguez.

Stroll over to the Food Court to fill up on festival fare, including eggplant delicacies by Randy Peters Catering and Event Planning. They will be serving all kinds of eggplant-inspired dishes, both the sweet and the savory kind.

“Every year I try to bring in two or three new things,” Randy Peters said.

Take the free shuttle to the High Hand Nursery for tours of the fruit shed, then visit the new High Hand Café, whose menu features seasonal local produce prepared by chef Randy Kliewer and sous chef Alice Nolan.

A free shuttle will also pick up and deliver festival goers from Del Oro High School to the Blue Goose.

Youngsters of all ages will get a kick at the Kid’s Zone. Everyone can enjoy games, arts and crafts, the climbing wall, a jump house, a photo booth, face painting, and a surf machine. At the Blue Goose, get lost at the Kid’s Corn Maze and take a thrilling ride down the slide.

Throughout the day, there will be free entertainment and demonstrations by bands, theater groups, dancers, and singers.

New to the festival scene – and to Loomis – is the Loomis Train Station. Take a peek inside the renovated historical building and new community center, which sits in the middle of Loomis Station Plaza, the hub of Eggplant Festival activities.