A Rhode Island grower’s giant pumpkin awaits Guinness World Records verification after topping the previous record by nearly 300 pounds. Meanwhile, in Northern California, a Minnesota horticulture teacher hauled his giant squash 35 hours to capture his fifth title at the annual Safeway World Championship Pumpkin Weigh-Off.
The heavyweight pumpkin circuit produced a staggering contender when Ron Wallace of Greene, Rhode Island, brought a massive squash to a New England contest on Saturday weighing in. The colossal gourd surpassed the previous world record by roughly 300 pounds, eclipsing a 2,857-pound squash grown by Ian Paton of Lymington, England, just days earlier on October 3.
Wallace is currently awaiting formal confirmation from the Guinness Book of World Records, though he noted that he has been in contact with Guinness officials who indicated the record is on track for verification. Reflecting on the moment his entry hit the scales, Wallace described the scene vividly.
I was just ecstatic, the place just exploded.
Ron Wallace, pumpkin grower
Speaking by phone on Monday, Wallace added, It’s truly massive, it was a pleasure to grow,
crediting the broader cultivation community for freely sharing tips and tricks. For the first time this year, Wallace grew his pumpkins inside a greenhouse, a shift he credits with making a significant difference in achieving the milestone.
Travis Gienger Claims Fifth Victory at Half Moon Bay Weigh-Off
While Wallace celebrated his potential world record in New England, the Safeway World Championship Pumpkin Weigh-Off unfolded in Half Moon Bay, California, on Monday drawing hundreds of attendees to enjoy food trucks, music, and pumpkin-themed jokes.
Five-time champion, that’s what we came here to do.
Travis Gienger, horticulture teacher and competition winner
Gienger’s winning gourd tipped the scales at 2,389 pounds, falling well short of a world record but still securing him $21,501 in prize money. He missed out on a separate $30,000 bonus offered for breaking the world record.
Community Support and Growing Economics in the Giant Squash Circuit
The pursuit of giant gourds has evolved into a high-stakes hobby. Wallace noted that other competitions attempted to entice him with prize money totaling as much as $70,000, but he deliberately chose a local contest so he could share the moment with his hometown community, where he collected a $3,500 prize.
The only way you create a 3,000-pound pumpkin is a community working together.
Ron Wallace, pumpkin grower
According to Wallace, the agriculture industry is increasingly reaching out to giant-pumpkin growers to consult on soil management and cultivation techniques. Competition organizer Ronan Fowler highlighted the extreme conditions growers must endure, noting that Gienger faced sub-freezing temperatures in Minnesota.
Fowler noted that to compete even more seriously against greenhouse growers like Wallace, northern competitors may soon need to adopt climate-controlled setups.
Festival Highlights and Parades Across Half Moon Bay
Beyond the heavyweight champion, the Half Moon Bay festival featured other notable entries. Earlier in the day, a highly symmetrical pumpkin named Tinkerbell won the prettiest pumpkin contest, with prize money calculated at $9 per pound.