Travis Gienger broke the world record at the pumpkin-weighing contest in Northern California on October 15th, 2022, for having the biggest and heaviest pumpkin in North America. It weighed 2,560 pounds! 

Gienger had also won the same contest in 2020 with a pumpkin that weighed 2,554 pounds. A farmer in Italy who holds the record for heaviest pumpkin. He grew a squash that weighed 2,702 pounds in 2021 according to Guinness World Records. Travis Gienger also won a $23,400 prize for his massive pumpkin. 

In Half Moon Bay in California every year, there is a competition for the heaviest pumpkin. The GPC (Great Pumpkin Commonwealth) usually runs the competitions for over 70 locations in the world. Cameron Palmer runs the weigh-off location for the Half Moon Bay competition. 

The first ever weigh-off was held in 1974 when the city of Half Moon Bay officials challenged Circleville, Ohio which they claimed to be the “Pumpkin capital of the world”. John Minaidis of Half Moon Bay won the first weigh-off with a 132-pound pumpkin. Safeway usually sponsors the weigh-off with the prize money ($30,000) included. Some of the past winners who didn’t get as much money were Steve Daletas, who came in second place, and Ruben Frias who came in third place.