The 52nd annual Safeway World Championship Pumpkin Weigh-Off happened Monday morning in Half Moon Bay, and great big pumpkins vied for this year's title.

The weigh-off unfolded over several hours down in Half Moon Bay, with pumpkin growers from around the Bay Area and beyond competing for this year's most gargantuan gourd.

And the weighty results are in: David Schuman of Morgan Hill took home the audience prize for Most Beautiful Pumpkin, and Brandon Dawson of Santa Rosa took home the top prize with a pumpkin that weighs 2,346 pounds.

Dawson had previously competed in the weigh-off twice, and his pumpkin came in second in 2024.

If you want to watch the full weigh-off process, the video of the live stream is here.

Dawson and his winning pumpkin. Photo: Safeway World Championship Pumpkin Weigh-off via Facebook

This year, contestants were vying for a potential $30,000 prize pot, but they only could win that sum if they broke the record for heaviest pumpkin set in 2023. That year, farmer Travis Gienger of Anoka, Minnesota brought with him a 2,749-pounder which became the new world record-holder. And sponsor Safeway is giving the winning farmer $9 per pound, which means that a 2,750-pounder will get the full $30K.

Gienger returned and won again with a 2,471-pound pumpkin in 2024, but this year, he reportedly lost his pumpkin before it could get to the weigh-in — we didn't catch the full details there.

Half Moon Bay's Pumpkin Festival actually doesn't kick off until Saturday, though the pumpkin growers and their giant pumpkins began arriving yesterday for today's weigh-off.

The festival includes a pumpkin pancake breakfast at City Hall, for which tickets can be purchased here — with proceeds benefitting the local boys' basketball team. The Great Pumpkin Parade kicks off at noon on Saturday, and it's followed by a pie-eating contest at 2 pm. See the full schedule here.