World Championship Pumpkin Weigh-Off

October 13

A special kick-off event for the Half Moon Bay Art and Pumpkin Festival, the World Championship Pumpkin Weigh-Off pits gargantuan gourds against each other, with thousands of dollars in cash prizes at stake.

Get up early and head over to see a host of accomplished, veteran growers from throughout the West contend for the coveted title and a hefty share of about $20,000 in prize money.

In a pay-by-the-pound system, the winner takes away $6 per pound for the champion pumpkin. Thad Starr's titanic 1,524-pound Atlantic Giant squashed the previous Half Moon Bay record and handily defeated the field of seventy heavyweight growers in 2007, taking home $9,144 in prize money.

The grand champion pumpkin -- along with several other monster pumpkins -- will be on display at the Art and Pumpkin Festival, October 18-19.