The 31st Elk Grove Giant Pumpkin Festival took place at Elk Grove Park, covering 122 acres. Brian Werner of Gridley won with a pumpkin weighing 2,147 pounds. The festival featured carnival rides, games, local vendors, food trucks, and live entertainment.
Brian Werner, a competitor since 2001, won the Giant Pumpkin Weighing Contest at the Elk Grove Giant Pumpkin Festival with a record-breaking pumpkin and said, "It means a lot," while celebrating with his family, according to FOX40. Jack Patterson skipped a soccer game to compete for a $500 pumpkin prize. The festival’s first day featured the weighing contest, and the next day will have the Pumpkin Regatta, where contestants use pumpkins as boats on the park pond, as reported by KCRA.
Jenna Brinkman from the Cosumnes Community Services District had noted before the event that "those giant pumpkins hold, can hold, a lot of water," and the recent rain was expected to make them heavier, which was confirmed by Werner's winning pumpkin. Werner’s record-breaking pumpkin earned him a $7,000 prize, marking a high point in his years of participation in the festival, as mentioned by FOX40.
