Have you ever marveled at the giant pumpkins at the Half Moon Bay pumpkin weigh-off? This year the organizers are offering $25,000 in total prize money for the world’s first 1-ton pumpkin (which would also, of course, be a new world record).

It’s not an easy task to grow one of these huge pumpkins. The soil needs to be rich and well-prepared and a lot of water and fertilizer are used throughout the growing season.

The date is October 8, 2012 from 7 a.m. to 11 a.m. for this popular Coastside event. The prize money is believed to be the greatest, by far, of any weigh-off in the world, reinforcing Half Moon Bay as the “Super Bowl of Weigh-Offs”.

“It’s only a matter of time before someone grows the first 1-ton pumpkin, and it would be incredibly exciting to have that monumental landmark established right here,” said Cameron Palmer, Chairman of the Safeway World Championship Pumpkin Weigh-Off. “With Half Moon Bay’s proud tradition and legacy, it would not only be fitting but also a tremendous honor for our weigh-off.”

To receive the $25,000 mega-prize, the grower must break and hold the world record and 1-ton record at the conclusion of the Half Moon Bay weigh-off. If two or more growers happen to break the world record and 1-ton barrier at Half Moon Bay, the prize money would go to the grower of the heaviest pumpkin. The current world record is 1,818.5-pounds, grown by Jim & Kelsey Bryson. The Bryson’s new record was set at the Prince Edward County Pumpkinfest in Wellington, Ontario Canada in October, 2011.

Defending champion Leonardo Urena of Napa, CA, obliterated the competition at last year’s Half Moon Bay weigh-off with his leviathan, gasp-inspiring 1,704-pound Atlantic Giant that set a new California state record. The Half Moon Bay win also secured Urena “Grower of the Year” honors from the Great Pumpkin Commonwealth (GPC) for his Top 3 pumpkins which had a total weight of 4,948 pounds at three separate weigh-offs, best in GPC history.

The Safeway World Championship Pumpkin Weigh-Off will take place on October 8, 2012 on the I.D.E.S. Grounds, 735 Main Street, Half Moon Bay, CA. The champion pumpkin, along with the top five pumpkins overall, will be on display at the Half Moon Bay Art & Pumpkin Festival on October 13-14 from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.

 

 

Tags: coastside, half moon bay

This entry was posted on Tuesday, May 22nd, 2012 at 10:05 am and is filed under Activities & Events. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.