World's Heaviest Pumpkin, world record set in Half Moon Bay, California

August 24, 2024

Half Moon Bay, California, United States--Travis Gienger, a teacher at Anoka Technical College in Anoka, Minnesota, teaches agriculture and growing methods and has been producing pumpkins for nearly 30 years; at the 50th annual World Championship Pumpkin Weigh-off in Half Moon Bay, California, his pumpkin weighing in at 2,749 pounds, setting the new world record for the World's Heaviest Pumpkin, according to the WORLD RECORD ACADEMY.

"An American teacher from Minnesota has set a record for growing the world’s heaviest pumpkin, which weighed 1,247 kilograms. Travis Gienger was named the winner Monday of the 50th World Championship Pumpkin Weigh-Off in Half Moon Bay, California," the VOA News says.

"Gienger is a teacher at Anoka Technical College in Anoka, Minnesota. He teaches agriculture and growing methods and has been producing pumpkins for nearly 30 years. Gienger says his father also raised pumpkins and this got him interested.

"Gienger – who grows the pumpkins on his home property – said this year he decided to give his plants extra care. This included watering them up to 12 times a day and feeding them food, or fertilizer, a little more than usual."

"The heaviest pumpkin weighed 2,749 pounds (1,246.9 kilograms) when it was presented by Travis Gienger (USA) at the 50th Safeway World Championship Pumpkin Weigh-Off held in Half Moon Bay, California, USA, on 9 October 2023. The record was confirmed by the Great Pumpkin Commonwealth," the Guinness World Records says.

"Horticulture teacher Gienger is no stranger to the record books with his pumpkins, having grown several giants which have gone on to be converted into record-setting jack o'lanterns. Most recently in 2022, his 2,560-lb (1,161.2-kg) gourd, dubbed "Maverick", was transformed into an eagle-themed jack o'lantern by carver Mike Rudolph (USA); it had a record circumference of 242 in (20 ft 2 in; 614.7 cm)."

"A Minnesota man won his third Half Moon Bay pumpkin weigh-off, taking home $30,000 in prize money, officials said. Travis Gienger squashed the competition at the 50th annual World Championship Pumpkin Weigh-off with his pumpkin weighing in at 2,749 pounds, breaking a world record," the ABC Chicago says.

"Gienger previously won in 2022 and in 2020. Last year's pumpkin weighed 2,560 pounds, and his 2020 pumpkin weighed in at 2,350 pounds. Volkswagen-sized pumpkins went on display at the self-proclaimed pumpkin capital of the world at the annual contest.

"Growers of all ages from across the U.S. were in Half Moon Bay, hoping to take home the world title in the Safeway World Championship Pumpkin Weigh-Off. They competed for not only bragging rights, but a ginormous payout too, at $9/pound."

"Aside from pride, Gienger won $9 per pound, ($24,741) as well as a special $30,000 "mega-prize" for the new world-record breaking pumpkin, contest officials said," the USA Today says.

"Aside from pride, Gienger won $9 per pound, ($24,741) as well as a special $30,000 "mega-prize" for the new world-record breaking pumpkin, contest officials said. Gienger set the new world record by adding 47 pounds to the pumpkin he grew in his backyard, the AP reported.

"The grower told the news outlet he decided to give his seeds extra care as he grew them this year, adding extra fertilizer and watering them sometimes a dozen times a day."

"Gienger grows his pumpkins in his backyard, “right outside in Minnesota, with all the weather and storms and all that,” he tells the Star Tribune’s Alex Chhith. To cultivate his 2023 behemoth, “I pretty much just upped what I was doing before and used better fertilizer and biology,” he adds. He also used a new type of seed called a 2365 Wolf, which is known for producing big squash," the Smithsonian Magazine says.

"This year’s prize-winning pumpkin earned its nickname thanks to its perfectly round appearance, similar to a basketball, when it was ten days old, writes MPR. While it didn’t maintain that spherical look by any means, it makes up for its less-than-perfect shape with its impressive stature. The gargantuan gourd could produce at least 687 pies, per the AP."

"“This pumpkin is called Michael Jordan because it’s the year [20]23… and he’s the greatest basketball player of all time,” Gienger told KSTP-TV in Minnesota. (Jordan’s jersey number was 23.) It “started out basketball round, and I said this is going to be a perfectly round basketball-shaped pumpkin”, Gienger said," The Guardian reports.

"Gienger spent about $15,000 to feed and care for Michael Jordan as the pumpkin ballooned in his back yard, and he carefully drove it to California from Minnesota last weekend, according to SFGate.

"The 43-year-old landscape and horticulture teacher at Anoka Technical College has been growing pumpkins since he was a teen, carrying on a family tradition. He has won three of the last four Pumpkin Weigh-Offs. This year, he won $30,000 and the equivalent of a Super Bowl ring, designed by a local jeweler. He told SFGate he planned to reinvest the winnings in growing an even bigger pumpkin next year."

"A Minnesota horticulture teacher set a world record in California for the heaviest pumpkin after growing a giant jack-o’-lantern gourd weighing 2,749 pounds," the NBC News reports.

"Travis Gienger of Anoka, Minnesota, won the 50th World Championship Pumpkin Weigh-Off in Half Moon Bay, California, with an enormous, lumpy, orange pumpkin that could produce at least 687 pies.

"Gienger grows his gourds in the pumpkin patch in his backyard. He said this year he decided to give his plants extra care, watering them up to 12 times a day and feeding and fertilizing them a bit more than usual."

"You are looking at the “Holy Grail” of pumpkin seeds here. The 2,749 pound World Record pumpkin is one for the history books. After 10 years of being overseas in climate controlled greenhouses, the WR is finally back in the States and available! Grown outdoors in the harsh elements of Minnesota this pumpkin can handle the conditions," the Worldwide Giant Growers says.

"At over 21 feet around and 14% heavy, these genetics are sure to create some monster pumpkins. This World Record pumpkin was crossed with another 2365 that would have even been bigger had it not went down on August 17th at 2,222 pounds.

"The pumpkin was still growing at 43 pounds a day and had a nice tall shape. Very limited quanties available so get it while it’s still available, because once they are gone, they are gone forever! New January 18 comes in its own custom carry in suitcase."

Anoka Proclaims October 28, 2023 Travis Gienger Day

"Travis Gienger, a resident of Anoka County and alumni of Anoka High School, proudly represented the Anoka community by setting a new world record for growing the heaviest pumpkin. During a special city council meeting on October 23rd, Mayor Phil Rice proclaimed Saturday, Oct. 28, 2023, as Travis Gienger Day in the City of Anoka, the Halloween Capital of the World, and deemed it an honor to name the day in recognition of the world champion pumpkin weigh-off winner," the City of Anoka says.

"Gienger is a Minnesota horticulture teacher at Anoka Technical College and a former teacher of Anoka-Hennepin School District #11 at Champlin Park High School. When he is not teaching, he dedicates countless hours growing gourds in the pumpkin patch in his own backyard, watering and fertilizing them up to 12 times per day. He has been growing pumpkins since he was a teenager, a hobby that was inspired by his father.

"Mayor Rice extended his gratitude to Gienger for being such an outstanding representative of the Halloween Capital of the World."