Pumpkin Weigh‑Offs: Weight Watchers Need Not Apply

A black cat with bright yellow eyes sits among dozens of small orange pumpkins. The pumpkins fill the entire frame, creating a vivid contrast with the cat’s dark fur.

🍂 Fall in New England Means Pumpkins

A huge carved pumpkin sits outdoors on a stack of wooden pallets. It has triangular eyes and a wide smiling jack‑o’-lantern mouth, with autumn foliage in the background. Fall in New England means pumpkins — everywhere. Big ones, little ones, carved ones, decorative ones. If Linus were around, he’d probably swear the Great Pumpkin was hiding somewhere between Route 1 and the cider stand.

Every year, growers try to outdo themselves, and every fair seems to have a pumpkin weigh‑off. But this year? We had some true giants.

🎃 Topsfield Fair: The Local Heavyweight

Last week at the Topsfield Fair, a true behemoth walked away with first place. The winning pumpkin weighed in at 2,598 pounds, breaking the all‑time Topsfield Fair record. That’s a lot of pies.

A massive pumpkin sits on a wooden pallet, secured with black straps, while a forklift lifts it inside an indoor event space. Several people stand around watching, indicating it’s part of a pumpkin weigh‑off at the Topsfield Fair.

🎃 Warren, RI: A New World Record

A man stands behind an enormous pumpkin weighing 3,156 pounds at an outdoor weigh‑off event. The pumpkin sits on a platform with a digital display showing its weight, and an orange event board with flags is visible in the background. And just when you thought pumpkins couldn’t get any bigger, Saturday’s New England Giant Pumpkin Weigh‑Off in Warren, RI delivered a monster.

The winning pumpkin tipped the scale at 3,156 pounds, setting not just a regional record — but a new world record.

The grower, Ron Wallace of Coventry, RI, is no stranger to pumpkin fame. In 2012, he became the first person ever to grow a pumpkin over a ton (that’s 2,000 pounds if you didn’t know). He’s now waiting for Guinness World Records to certify his newest accomplishment.

🎃 Up‑and‑Coming Growers

There are rising stars too. Take 13‑year‑old Harold Harris from Martha’s Vineyard. He raised two massive pumpkins — not 2,000‑pound giants, but impressive for any grower, let alone a teenager. His pumpkins weighed 340 pounds and 535 pounds. Not bad for someone who probably still has homework.

And in case you were wondering, that 2,598‑pound Topsfield pumpkin? It was grown by an 80‑year‑old man. Age clearly has nothing to do with pumpkin power.

🎃 What Happens to the Giants?

I don’t know what happens to these behemoths once their spotlight fades, but their smaller cousins will soon shine. The Roger Williams Zoo is preparing its annual Jack‑O‑Lantern Spectacular, with over 5,000 carved pumpkins lighting up the Wetlands Trail.

These aren’t your childhood triangle‑eyes and one‑tooth grins. These are true works of art carved by professional pumpkin artists. I went a few years ago — the skill and creativity are incredible. A far cry from my crooked little childhood jack‑o‑lanterns. A large group of carved pumpkins glows in the dark, each with a unique face ranging from cheerful to spooky. The pumpkins are arranged at different heights, creating a bright, warm display against the black background.

🎃 Enjoy the Pumpkin Season

So enjoy the New England pumpkin excitement while it lasts. It will be gone soon enough for another year. And if you see Linus, tell him the Great Pumpkin is alive and well — and currently residing in Warren, RI.

Two cats sit among a large group of pumpkins in an outdoor pumpkin patch. One cat is long‑haired and orange, the other short‑haired and black. Both rest on top of big pumpkins, with trees, people, and an American flag visible in the background.