There’s a new Great Pumpkin in town, as the Half Moon Bay Pumpkin Festival kicked off Monday with the Pumpkin Weigh-Off, and a Minnesota man broke the North American record with a pumpkin weighing 2,560 pounds.
The pumpkin spice must flow this time of year, but it has been difficult for the gourd-geous locale of Half Moon Bay, as their long-beloved Half Moon Bay Pumpkin Festival has been cancelled for both of the last two years because of COVID-19. Both of those years still had a scaled-down version of the World Championship Pumpkin Weigh-Off, but not the full festival.
As NBC Bay Area reports, the Half Moon Bay Pumpkin Festival returns in full this year. As seen above, this coming weekend hosts most of the big events: the Great Pumpkin Parade, costume contests, and pie eating contests scheduled for Saturday and Sunday. But the inimitable World Championship Pumpkin Weigh-Off was Monday afternoon, and a new champion was crowned.
Your winner is Travis Giegner of Anoka, Minnesota, whose pumpkin won the weigh-off competition at 2,560 pounds. This is not Giegener’s first weigh-off win, he also won the crowdless 2020 competition. But this 2,560-pounder set a new North American record (the world record remains an Italian man’s 2,702-pound pumpkin.)
You can see video of the Giegner’s pumpkin’s coronation above. With the prize money of $9 a pound, Giegner is in line for a $23,040 paycheck.
How does one transport a 2,560-pound pumpkin the 2,000-plus miles from Minnesota to Half Moon Bay? The pickup truck above did the honors.
Full video of Monday’s competition can be seen above. And remember, this was just the kickoff and you have not missed the 2022 Half Moon Bay Pumpkin Festival. The festival opens at 9 a.m. on Main Street in Half Moon Bay both Saturday and Sunday, and SamTrans does provide service.
Related: Afternoon Palate Cleanser: 'Who F&@%ed This Pumpkin?' [SFist]
Image: Safeway World Championship Pumpkin Weigh-Off via Facebook
