HALF MOON BAY, Calif. — The Safeway World Championship Pumpkin Weigh-Off crowned its 2026 champion on Monday, with the winning gourd tipping the scales past 2,000 pounds as elite growers pushed toward the sport's elusive 3,000-pound ceiling. The contest anchors the town's annual Art & Pumpkin Festival.

The weigh-off, held each October before the festival weekend, draws growers from across California, Oregon and beyond to the coastal town south of San Francisco. Organisers offer roughly $9 per pound for the heaviest entry, with total prize money approaching $30,000. The event is sanctioned under rules set by the Great Pumpkin Commonwealth.

Among this year's competitors was grower Travis Gienger and other repeat contenders who have traded the title in recent seasons. The competitive growing community had already discussed Rocky, a giant pumpkin that earned its California grower a comeback after last year's fruit split before weigh-in.

The competition reflects the continued growth of giant-pumpkin cultivation as a serious hobby. Specialised Atlantic Giant seeds, soil chemistry and genetics are now central to winning, with growers spending entire seasons nursing single fruits and guarding against cracks, pests and sun damage that can disqualify an entry in its final days.

The winning pumpkin will be displayed during the Half Moon Bay Art & Pumpkin Festival, which organisers expect to draw tens of thousands of visitors to the town's Main Street over the weekend.