US Pumpkin Grower Aims for World Record After Fifth Victory
WHO:
BBC News - Travis Gienger, a horticulture teacher from Minnesota, is a participant in the pumpkin-weighing contest.
ABC News - Ronan Fowler is the event spokesman for the 53rd World Championship Pumpkin Weigh-Off.
ABC News - Ian Paton, from Lymington, England, set the new world record for giant pumpkins.
ABC News - Brandon Dawson, from Santa Rosa, California, is a competitor who won the top prize last year.
WHAT:
NY Post - Travis Gienger won Half Moon Bay's pumpkin weigh-off with a 2,389-pound giant, taking home $21,501 after driving it 2,150 miles.
BBC News - Gienger won the annual pumpkin event in Half Moon Bay, California.
ABC News - At least 30 growers of giant pumpkins are competing in the 53rd World Championship Pumpkin Weigh-Off.
ABC News - The new world record for a giant squash is 2,857 pounds (1,296 kilograms).
ABC News - The pumpkin champion this year will win $9 per pound of pumpkin and an additional $30,000 if they break the world record.
ABC News - The pumpkin weighing contest will kick off the city's fall celebration.
WHERE:
BBC News - The event is held in Half Moon Bay, California.
ABC News - Gienger's pumpkins are grown in Anoka, Minnesota, located on the banks of the Mississippi River.
WHEN:
ABC News - The pumpkin-weighing contest is scheduled for Monday.
ABC News - The new world record was set just last week.
WHY:
ABC News - The event allows giant pumpkin growers to compete for the top prize and a chance to challenge the world record.
HOW:
ABC News - Gienger had to deal with temperatures that dipped below freezing while growing his pumpkin.
ABC News - Gienger and his father drove 30 hours to transport the pumpkin to California.
ABC News - Gienger grew his pumpkin in his backyard pumpkin patch, while Paton grew his in a greenhouse.
(UPDATED October 13, 2026 08:09 UTC)
Travis Gienger has claimed victory at Half Moon Bay's pumpkin weigh-off with an impressive giant pumpkin weighing in at 2,389 pounds, earning him a prize of $21,501 after a journey of 2,150 miles. Despite facing freezing temperatures during the growing process, Gienger successfully cultivated this massive pumpkin. His dedication and hard work have certainly paid off in this competitive event.
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(UPDATED October 13, 2026 07:20 UTC)
Travis Gienger, a horticulture teacher from Minnesota, has won the annual pumpkin event in Half Moon Bay, California, where at least 30 growers are competing in the 53rd World Championship Pumpkin Weigh-Off. Ian Paton from Lymington, England, recently set a new world record for giant pumpkins, weighing in at an impressive 2,857 pounds, and the champion this year will earn $9 per pound of pumpkin, plus a $30,000 bonus for breaking the record. Gienger and his father made a 30-hour drive to transport his giant pumpkin from their backyard patch to the competition, which kicks off the city's fall celebration on Monday.