Pumpkin fever took over California on Monday as Half Moon Bay, known as the “World Pumpkin Capital,” welcomed its celebrated contest for enormous gourds.
The 53rd Safeway World Championship Pumpkin Weigh-Off ended with a decisive win for Minnesota grower Travis Gienger, whose Volkswagen-sized pumpkin tipped the scales at nearly 2,389 pounds.
Often called the “Super Bowl of Weigh-Offs,” the event attracted growers from across the country to Half Moon Bay for a showdown featuring some of the world’s largest pumpkins.
Gienger, a four-time previous winner, transported the massive pumpkin 2,150 miles across the country before claiming $21,501 in prize money.
Moving a gourd weighing well over half a ton made for a tense journey, with Gienger navigating difficult roads, mountain passes and state lines along the way.
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“It was stressful, you know. You’re white-knuckling it and then going through Tahoe,” Gienger told CBS News. “You got all the trucker bumps, and yeah, it’s an incredible journey.”
Under the official rules, the 2026 champion will receive $9 per pound, as well as the coveted Pumpkin King Champion Ring, the Mel Mello Sr. Grand Champion Growers Jacket and additional honors.
The demanding cross-country trip proved worthwhile for Gienger, whose giant gourd earned him another championship ring in Half Moon Bay. He previously set the event’s world record in 2023 with a 2,749-pound pumpkin.
Last year’s title went to Brandon Dawson of Santa Rosa, California, whose winning pumpkin weighed 2,346 pounds.
The official world record for the heaviest pumpkin is currently held by twin brothers Ian and Stuart Paton of England, who grew a pumpkin weighing an extraordinary 2,819 pounds, 4 ounces, in 2025.
Half Moon Bay’s famed weigh-off dates to 1974, when it began as a friendly competition with Circleville, Ohio. Half Moon Bay won that first contest with a pumpkin weighing just 132 pounds.
