Fall tradition is back! The annual Half Moon Bay pumpkin weigh-off
HALF MOON BAY, Calif. - A fall tradition is back in the Peninsula: The annual world pumpkin weigh off championship kicks off Monday morning.
Farmers showed up early with pumpkins expected to weigh more than 2,000 pounds.
To give you an idea of how large that is, the average midsize 4-door sedan weighs about 3,000 pounds.
Defending champion Travis Gienger's rhinoceros-sized 2,350-pound mega-gourd nicknamed "The Tiger King," handily won the 2020 Safeway World Championship Pumpkin Weigh-Off. It was the heaviest pumpkin weighed in North America in 2020, although it wasn't heavy enough to break the record of a 2,700-pound pumpkin.
After a year of cancelled and altered COVID-19 events, organizers of the event say they are happy to welcome everyone back.
"We want everyone to be as safe as possible, wear your mask, be vaccinated," said Cameron Palmer, the weigh-off chairman.
He added: "It is a lot of fun and its a memorable time for big adults and little kids as well."
First place wins $9 for every pounds.