ELK GROVE, Calif. — Tons of pumpkins were weighed, looking for a giant to win $7,000 at the 29th annual Elk Grove Giant Pumpkin Festival Saturday.
The weekend is full of all things pumpkin and competitions from heaviest pumpkin or best pumpkin food recipe to best scarecrow and even a youth art or baking contest.
Jenna Brinkman, spokesperson for the Cosumnes Community Services District, says thousands of residents and tourists came to the event "to celebrate the start of fall and enormous orange gourds."
"It's definitely something we're known for, this is our signature here and it's Elk Grove's favorite festival," she said.
Pumpkin farmers of all ages attended the event to see if their heavy pumpkins were big enough for the cash prize.
Sankalp Immadisetty says he's been growing pumpkins for three years now and entered in the "Future Farmers" pumpkin weighing category with his 551 lbs pumpkin.
"I just like growing stuff in general that is really unique and really weird and different... I'd rather grow a purple pepper than a regular green pepper you'd find at the grocery store," said Immadisetty. "When I found out about giant pumpkins, I was like 'oh my god, this is so cool, I really want to do this.'"
If you missed out on the October festivities Saturday, you may be able to make it for more fun Sunday. Saturday was the hunt for the heaviest pumpkin, but Sunday's attendees are able to watch them get carved into canoes and raced along a lake.
Festivities continue Sunday 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., admission is free for carnival rides, inflatables, arts and crafts, vendors and food trucks, contests, a pumpkin patch and more.
Find more information HERE.
