53rd Safeway World Championship Pumpkin Weigh-Off (Half Moon Bay)
I.D.E.S. Grounds (Half Moon Bay) | 735 Main Street Half Moon Bay, CA
Free / Learn More
Submitted by the Event Organizer
Will the impressive world heavyweight record of 2,749 pounds set at our 2023 event get squashed by a Volkswagen-sized pumpkin in 2026 in Half Moon Bay? No weigh? Weigh! Bring it on beefy, brawny, burly behemoths!
The excitement is building in Pumpkintown as the World’s Greatest Gourd Growers and their Goliath, mind-blowing, Rhinoceros-sized orange orbs hope to crush the world record onthe morning of Monday, October 12, at the 53rd Annual Safeway World Championship Pumpkin Weigh-Off — in the World Pumpkin Capital of Half Moon Bay, California — the kick-off to a big week of events culminating with Half Moon Bay’s world-famous Art & Pumpkin Festival which returns for its 54th rendition on October 17-18.
Weigh-Off organizers and title sponsor Safeway are offering the world’s biggest top prize of $9/pound for the 2026 weigh-off champion. Also at stake are thousands of dollars in super hefty prize money doled out to the top 20 plus the big carrot: a $30,000 total mega-prize for a new world record pumpkin entered at Half Moon Bay.
The weighing of pumpkins will begin around 7am and anticipate ending the weighing around 11am followed by the awards presentation and luncheon.
Beauty will share center stage with beefy brawn — a special $1,000 prize will be awarded to the “Joe Cotchett Family Most Beautiful Pumpkin”.
Additional special bonus prizes include: Biggest California Pumpkin — $1,000; Biggest Coastside Pumpkin — $1,000.
Using forklifts and special harnesses, the gargantuan gourds will be carefully placed on a 5-ton capacity, industrial-strength digital scale under the watchful eye of officials from the San Mateo County Agricultural Commissioner’s Office of Weights, Sealers, and Measures. Half Moon Bay’s Weigh-Off will serve as an officially sanctioned Great Pumpkin Commonwealth (GPC) site.
> New for 2026: This event is open to growers of giant competition-sized pumpkins only. Growers are required to pre-register online. This will help us manage and control the event and provide an accurate count of entries. Participating growers are allowed to have a limited number of family and assistants (max. 4 including grower). Your cooperation will help us run a well-organized event.
The event will be livestreamed on Facebook
Disclaimer: Please double check event information with the event organizer as events can be canceled, details can change after they are added to our calendar, and errors do occur.
Cost: FREE*
