ELK GROVE, Calif. — Pumpkin growers from all over California are expected to descend upon the Elk Grove Giant Pumpkin Festival Saturday at 7 a.m. in hopes of securing the $7,000 grand prize.
For 28 years, giant pumpkin growers have attended the fall festival at 9950 Elk Grove-Florin Road alongside friends, family and other pumpkin fans.
"This year, the growers hope to surpass the current world record holder, Stefano Cutrupi, whose fruit weighed 2,702.9 pounds at the Campionato della Zuccone pumpkin festival in Italy in 2021," the Elk Grove Giant Pumpkin Festival said in a news release.
At the 2021 festival, Napa resident Leonardo Urena walked away with the top prize after his pumpkin weighed in at 1,623 pounds.
There will also be tons of family fun for non-pumpkin growers at the festival:
- Carnival rides
- Arts and crafts
- Vendors and food trucks
- Pumpkin patch
- Musical acts
- More contests
Pumpkin growers will be unloading their pumpkins starting at 7 a.m. Saturday. Starting at 9 a.m., the pumpkins will be moved with a forklift to a special scale in front of the crowd.
The larger pumpkins will be weighed in during the last hour, 12 p.m. to 1 p.m., and the top five pumpkins will remain on display throughout the weekend.
