Growers from across the United States and Canada are hauling their giant pumpkins to Wheatland this month, chasing a prize that has never been claimed: $75,000 for the world's first 3,000-pound pumpkin. The National Pumpkin Weigh Off, a competition dating back to 1921, will hold its weigh-in on September 26 at Bishop's Pumpkin Farm, located at 1415 Pumpkin Lane in Wheatland, about 35 miles northeast of Sacramento.
Organizers say the event offers more than $100,000 in total prizes this year, according to the Sacramento Bee. The event is sponsored by Hard Rock Hotel & Casino Sacramento at Fire Mountain and kicks off at 9 a.m., with giant pumpkin judging beginning at 10 a.m. Beyond the headline $75,000 jackpot, the 2026 weigh-off doubles first-through-fifth place cash prizes for any entry topping 2,000 pounds and tacks on a $2,500 bonus for a new California state record, according to the National Pumpkin Weigh Off.
How Close Is Anyone to 3,000 Pounds?
The current world record stands at 2,819.3 pounds, leaving 180.7 pounds to reach the 3,000-pound threshold. The Guinness World Record for heaviest pumpkin stands at 2,819.3 pounds, set in October 2025 by twin brothers Ian and Stuart Paton in Wargrave, United Kingdom, according to Guinness World Records. That mark broke the previous record held by Minnesota horticulture teacher Travis Gienger, whose 2,749-pound pumpkin set a 2023 record.
American growers are still chasing that global mark heading into Wheatland's contest. Plainfield, Illinois grower Phil Groenewold recorded the heaviest pumpkin weighed in the U.S. this season, tipping the scales at 2,492.5 pounds at the Bluegrass Championship Weigh-Off in Kentucky earlier this month — a new Illinois state record by 347 pounds, as reported by CBS News. Hoodline covered that Kentucky win in a recent report on Groenewold's record. Last year's Wheatland contest was won by a 2,204.5-pound pumpkin dubbed Fordzilla, grown by Ross Pugh of Eugene, Oregon.
Strict Rules Guard Against Disqualified Giants
The Great Pumpkin Commonwealth oversees certified weigh-offs and certifies judges, according to the Great Pumpkin Commonwealth.
A principal variety behind giant pumpkins is Dill's Atlantic Giant, developed by Nova Scotia grower Howard Dill over more than 30 years; Dill set a world record in 1980 with a pumpkin weighing just 459 pounds, according to House Digest. Those vines require intense nutrient management and up to 80 gallons of water a day during peak growth, a demand that helps explain why the leap from 459 pounds to nearly 2,820 pounds took decades.
Kids and Carving Round Out the Day
The event isn't just for adult growers hauling half-ton entries. Judges will evaluate entrants ages 7 to 17 as part of a dedicated Future Farmers youth competition carrying a $3,500 prize pool, according to the National Pumpkin Weigh Off.
Bishop's Pumpkin Farm, the host site, has grown considerably since it opened. The farm opened in 1973 and has hosted agricultural field trips, a history Hoodline detailed in its earlier look at the farm's watermelon festival.
